382 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



well from the main slom and it makes a beautiful tree. The best size 

 for Christmas trees, the size for which there is the greatest demand, is 

 from four to eight feet tall. Such trees can be grown in five to six .years 

 if good strong transplants are used. The prices for Christmas trees 

 vary, of course, with the locality and other factors, bringing, wholesale, 

 from 15 to 40 cents ajjiece. It is reasonable to assume that a tree four 

 to six feet tall will bring a price, wholesale, of 15 to 20 cents and a tree 

 six to eight feet tall, 20 to 25 cents. 



^ 



A few of the more rapidly growing trees in the 'plantation. Note the poor shape of the faster orowing 

 trees, the one on the left and one of those near toe center. 



In setting out a Christmas tree plantation it is best to use good strong 

 transplants, such as may be obtained from forest nurseries. There is 

 considerable difficulty attached to raising the trees from seed, but if 

 transplants are used this difficulty is avoided. The seedlings grow very 

 slowly for the lirst two ui- three years and need considerable attention, 

 but after they have been once or twice transplanted, as would be the 

 case in good nursery stock, they grow rapidl}'. 



Four or five year old transplants are best. Such stock should be 

 from ten to eighteen inches tall. The trees should be planted with a 

 triangular spacing of three feet each way, requiring 5,58-1 trees to the 

 acre. If, instead of planting with a triangular spacing, a rectangular 

 spacing of three feet is used, •i.SiU trees will be required per acre. 



