HARVESTING CHRISTMAS TREES BY TOPPING 



731 



"So far as Mr. Ford's holdings are concerned, we are 

 not even distinguishing between so-called farm land and 

 forest land. These holdings aggregate about 400,000 

 acres, of which some 250,000 contain merchantable tim- 

 ber. The remainder bears young growth and some of it 

 is too rough and rocky to even grow timber. We don't 



know what we will do with that. But where timber will 

 grow, we are going to grow it. The one essential crop 

 that is suffering from under production ^yes, almost 

 total lack of renewal is timber. That's our crop." 



And looking at it in that light, the Ford organization 

 has adopted a definite forest program and is on its way. 



Harvesting Cliristnias Trees By Topping 

 By C. R. Anderson 



f^HE natural way to cut Christmas trees is to first chance to take the place of the top which was taken 



out. Even though the branch may be poorly shaped 

 at the time, it will commonly respond and make as 



* fell the whole tree. It is commonly followed not 

 only by the head of the family who "flivvers" out to 



the woods the day before Christmas with his trusty 

 hand ax. but also by the professional cutters who buy, 



|-U()D(;ri.N(i CHRISTMAS TKKKS BY TOPPING METHOD. 

 TREE IS CIT JUST ABOVE A STRONG, VIGOROUS BRANCH, 

 WHICH THEN STRAIGHTENS UP AND IN FOUR OR FIVE 

 YEARS MAKES ANOTHER TREE. EIGHT TREES HAVE 

 BEEN TAKEN SUCCESSIVELY FROM THIS PARENT STUMP. 



cut, and ship, perhaps to distant markets. The cutting 

 of the first tree ends the matter for that tree. By 

 contrast, the method of harvesting adopted by one 

 grower is interesting, to say the least. This man is 

 George Wagner, of Monroe County, Pennsylvania. By 

 his method one tree, and frequently two trees, may be 

 cut at 3 to 5 year intervals from the same stump until 

 finally a number have been obtained. The one pictured 

 shows that 8 trees have been cut at various times. 



The idea is simplicity itself. It consists of topping 

 above a prominent branch, and giving the latter a 



symmetrical a crown as was the original. Only one 

 other point need be kept in mind by the cutter; that 

 is, when topping to leave the other branches below 

 the one expected to make the next free remain on 

 the tree so that there may be as much food-making 

 surface as possible. 



Mr. Wagner claims no great originality for the 

 use of the method. He has been following it, however, 

 for years, and can show many stumps from which 

 6 or more trees have been cut in the last 20 years. 

 So far as I know, he is the only man in Pennsylvania 

 using the idea. Readers of American Forestry who 

 visit the Poconos will find it very interesting to call 

 on Mr. Wagner and to see his work and results. Pic- 

 tures can do no more than give them a glimpse of it. 



1^ ^ 



'^ m- 



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A TREE JUST CUT FROM ONE OF THE TWO UPPERMOST 

 POSITIONS SHOWN IN THE PICTURE ABOVE. THIS FINK 

 TREE WAS ONCE A BRANCH. SUCH TREES AS THE^ 

 SELL FOR FROM $1.50 TO 1.75 PEE BUNDLE OF XWO. 



