
Two stages in the process of bundling trees with the ‘Musser 
Christmas-Tree Baler’’ for the wholesale market. Trees are 
bundled, one to six trees per bundle, according to size. 
PLANT SEVERAL SPECIES 
A mixture of species in the same plantation is the most de- 
sirable method of planting. With a variety of species to offer, 
you will undoubtedly ncke additional sales. Also different species 
have different rates of growth, making it possible to harvest more 
crops from the same plantation. 
We would suggest a planting of 70% pines, and 30% spruces. 
You may have several varieties of both species, depending on your 
particular soil and climate conditions. You will find it will pay 
you well when marketing time comes. 
PREPARATION OF THE PLANTING SITE 
We recommend no preparation of soil before planting. The 
added expense. is usually not justified, and often a light growth of 
grass and weeds is actually beneficial to the growth of young trees 
since they offer shade and moisture retention during the early 
stages of the plantation. If you intend to cultivate your trees after 
planting it will be necessary to plow the site first. 
PLANTING 
When growing trees are spaced too closely together, they 
crowd, and the resulting competition speeds up the height growth 
but tends to make the trees thin and thus poor Christmas Trees. The 
best shaped trees will be grown by spacing far enough apart that 
they do not interfere with each other. However, it is economical 

Bundled Christmas Trees leave plantation by team and wagon. 
Standing trees will be left for timber. 
to speed up the growth somewhat, and it is advisable to utilize all 
the land. Through years of experimenting we have arrived at an 
average spacing of 3 to 4 feet for Spruce and 4 to 5 feet for Pines 
as being best for all Christmas Tree plantings. Planting is done 
as with any forest trees. Directions appear on page three of this 
Prices List. 
PRUNING OR SHEARING 
Not necessary or recommended for Spruce. 
Pruning or shearing is recommended for growing all varieties 
of Pine Christmas Trees except Austrian. It develops a solid, 
extra heavy branched and bushy tree. This procedure will produce 
a premium tree that will command the very highest prices. Prun- 
ing is done at about the fourth year, and before the new tender 
growth starts to get tough and woody. It is usually done between 
Bundled trees ready to be trucked or loaded on railroad cars. 
June Ist and July 31st. Pruning is an easy thing to do, one man 
using long shears can prune at least 50 trees per hour. Trim off 
about one-half the mew growth made during one season. Later in 
the season many new buds will form which will produce many more 
peanebe the following year. Also shape the tree to a symmetrical 
orm. 
Except for pruning, no care or cultivation is necessary. 
HARVESTING 
The trees of a Christmas Tree plantation do not all arrive at 
merchantable size the same year. As soon as some are of suitable 
size they should be cut and marketed. The following year more 
will be ready. Where much land is available it is a good plan to 
combine reforestation with the Christmas Tree cutting. Under 
this system you will plant a new tract each year, and as they be- 
come of age to harvest, cut only 50% of the trees leaving the re- 
mainder to grow into timber. This 50% may be cut over a period 
of three or four years, but in that time you will have several 
tracts to cut over. 
MARKETING 
Your particular marketing conditions will determine the manner 
in which you will handle your cutting operations. Some growers 
merely market their trees on the ground. The customer selects 
his tree, you cut it and he takes it home. Or you may sell trees 
on the stump to a dealer who comes in and cuts his trees. If you 
retail your trees on a lot or sell in small amounts to other dealers 
the cut trees may be transported loose on a truck or wagon. How- 
ever, if you intend to ship trees, or truck them long distances, they 
should be baled. This amounts to tying several trees together, and 
binding the branches down flat on the main stem. This allows 
many more trees to be loaded in the same space, and tends to 
protect them from damage and breakage while handling them. 
Many ingenious devices have been constructed for aiding in tree 
baling, but as yet none have been placed on the market. 
Marketing a Christmas Tree crop must be done within about 
four weeks of the year. Conditions vary somewhat throughout the 
country, but usually you can expect a strong market for your 
product. You will no doubt have competition from “shipped in” 
wild trees, but experience has shown that planted trees sell when 
others do not. They also command a much better price throughout. 
This fact is very obvious whe you compare the quality of the 
two types of tree. 
Address questions regarding Christmas Tree Cultivation to 
Musser Forests, Inc., Indiana, Pa. We shall be glad to help you 
with your problems in any way possible. 

Christmas Trees go by railroad car to distant cities. 
Two to four thousand trees per car. 
