O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
By Starling Childs

With the arrival of the holiday season, it is time to consider the Christmas
tree again. I have always loved the idea of bringing a tree into the house
and, much to my wife’s dismay, I always put off the day that it has to be
taken back out the door. As a grower of Christmas trees, I know the hard
work and care that goes into creating the perfect tree, and as one who has
sold a few, I know well the different desires of each and every buyer. The
texture and longevity of the needles, the aroma, the shape, the height, are all
in play and thanks to the tree growers, there is usually something for
everyone. The important thing is that natural, cut trees need to find good
homes, if only for a brief time.

Most Christmas tree farms are established on farmland that no longer
supports hay or dairy production. As such, these tree growers are still
producing a recognized agricultural product and maintaining the land in
valuable open space. Their trees, while in the field, provide wildlife habitat
for nesting and cover. The annual costs of mowing the plantations and
shaping the trees into perfect cones are not insignificant and have to be
capitalized to the point of sale. Then there is the, cutting and heavy lifting
when the trees are sent to market. If the grower sells the trees ‘choose and
cut’ style, he can happily watch as families hem and haw before they saw,
doing most of the hard work themselves.
At Great Mountain Forest, we have been getting out of the business, mainly
because we have plenty of other kinds of trees to work with and only so
much time to do it. My father always bemoaned the interest in the cultured
and shaped Christmas tree. He much preferred thinning out a plantation and
using the top eight feet of a spruce or fir for our family tree. I once
considered a new marketing strategy based on the success of ‘free-range’
sales in the meat industry. Why wouldn’t someone pay more for a free-
range tree? Think about a tree allowed to grow without shearing, in the
vagaries of its natural setting, freely respiring, emitting oxygen and taking
care of carbon. Its elongating branches could support avian life and the
occasional beehive. Its wild, unkempt appearance would need only love and
imagination, with a little adornment, to bring it to full Christmas glory.

There is no more sorry sight than the trees as they begin to appear on the
curb after the holidays. Once loved, they are now cast off with the other
tattered remnants of Christmas. But there are other ways to deal with them.
The late forester, Darrell Russ, used to rope them together out on the frozen
pond and attach cement blocks so they would sink in spring, providing fish
nesting and hatchling cover. Then, come summer, he knew where to find the
big bass! When dragged back into the woods, the trees make valuable brush
piles for small mammals. If space is an issue, the best method is to lop the
branches and use them to cover perennials. The stem wood can be crosscut
for fireplace logs, to enjoy that last glow of the season. Support your local
Christmas tree grower or sales lot if you can. This year especially, the
money will be appreciated. Happy holidays!

The ultimate in Christmas trees can be seen in Rockefeller Center, New York City,