EVERGREENS IN THE LANDSCAPE 7 



Northeast the favorite is the balsam fir. This comes near to 

 being the ideal Christmas tree. As a small tree it is usually 

 symmetrical, with long, horizontal, spreading branches. Its 

 needles are pleasantly fragrant and persist indoors longer than 

 do those of most other evergreens. Spruce comes next in im- 

 portance and makes a very good substitute for balsam fir. The 

 species most employed is the red spruce, but the introduced 

 Norway spruce is also to be commended. The other native 

 species, the black and the white spruces, are also used. 



In the Southern and Central States red-cedar is often used as 

 a Christmas tree. It has a conical form and develops a dense 

 and attractive crown. Where the firs and spruces are not 

 easily obtainable, pines are not despised. In parts of the South 

 the scrub pine is much in demand. In the southern xAppa- 

 lachians, Eraser fir makes a good Christmas tree. 



In the Rocky Mountain States, Douglas fir, Engelmann 

 spruce, and, in places, lodge-pole pine find favor; on the Pacific 

 Coast, white fir, incense-cedar, and western hemlock. Local 

 custom and availability have much to do with the kinds and 

 species which are used as Christmas trees. Santa Claus seems 

 as well satisfied with one kind as another. 



Northern New England, northern New York, and Canada 

 are the source of supply for the cities of the Atlantic seaboard 

 as far south as Baltimore and even Washington. Michigan, 

 Wisconsin, and Minnesota furnish the markets of Chicago, 

 St. Paul, and the cities of the Plains States. The arrival of the 

 "Christmas tree ship" is a looked-for event in Chicago harbor. 



Christmas trees vary in size from three to five feet up to 

 thirty-five feet or more. The small sizes up to eight to ten feet 

 are tied in bundles. Large trees are shipped as individuals. 

 Prices in the eastern city markets range from twenty-five to 

 fifty cents up to $40 or $50, but as the Christmas-tree trade is 



