In the News -
December 2007
Firs top choices for Arkansas Christmas trees
LITTLE ROCK - Gone are the days when the men would sling axes over their
shoulders sometime after Thanksgiving and head out into the woods to bring home
the family Christmas tree.
About 98 percent of the real trees that make their way into American homes
these days are grown on farms and harvested for holiday sales rather than being
cut down in the forest, says Tamara Walkingstick, associate professor - forestry
extension with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
In America, the Christmas tree tradition dates back to the mid-1800s, and the
first Christmas tree lot in America opened in New York City in 1851. By 1856,
trees were sop popular that then President Franklin Pierce had the first one put
up in the White House.
While for many people the fragrance of a real tree is part of the holiday
tradition, more and more are opting for artificial ones. In fact, artificial
trees have outsold real Christmas trees since 1991, says Walkingstick.
According to the 2002 Census of Agriculture, 32 percent of Americans did not
have a tree of either kind. Of the 78 percent of Americans who did have a
Christmas tree, 21 percent had a real tree.
Folks who prefer real trees are most likely to buy a fir - usually a Frasier
fir, a Douglas fir or a Noble fir - a type of tree that does not grow in
Arkansas.
That's the reason Arkansas ranks 38th among states for Christmas tree
production; the top five-ranking states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan,
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.Virginia and white pines are also popular, however,
and will grow in Arkansas, and the Leyland Cypress, which has blue-green
needles, also does well here.
The tree that most of our grandparents cut down on their own properties were
eastern red cedars, trees that are not as popular because of their sticky
needles and because the volatile oils in their wood are common causes of
allergies.
There is a Christmas Tree Growers Association in Arkansas, however, and if
you want to cut down your own tree this year, the association's website -
www.arktreegrowers.com
- has a
listing of tree farms, with information about locations, species available, and
special attractions.
Walkingstick reminds people that they should take measurements - considering
both vertical and circumference space allowances for trees, and factoring in the
additional height for tree toppers.
To keep your real Christmas tree fresh as long as possible, and to keep the
presents you stack underneath from being buried in needles, it's important to
buy the freshest one possible.
Walkingstick recommends asking the retailer how recently a tree was cut and
then doing a quick test of its freshness for yourself.
"You can judge a tree's freshness by grabbing a branch and pulling it lightly
toward you," she says. "There should be very few needles falling off in your
hand. There are going to be some needles, of course, but if you touch that thing
and needles are just falling everywhere, then it's probably not a fresh tree."
Then, says Walkingstick, it's a good idea to bounce the tree up and down and
make sure that few green needles fall from it.
As soon as you get the tree home, cut a ½ inch to an inch from its base, and
put it immediately in a bucket of fresh water. Your tree stand should allow for
at least a quart of water for each inch of the tree trunk's diameter.
To keep it fresh in your home, don't place it near heat sources, and make
sure you to keep the stand full of water.
Use only the lights designated for indoor use on your tree, and turn the
lights off when you can't keep an eye on them.
Once you have taken all the necessary precautions, sit back and bask in the
glow of your Christmas tree.
"Christmas trees are just tradition," says Walkingstick. "I remember my
grandmother's Christmas trees, you remember yours. Not all Americans have them,
but I think that's why they're so popular. They're just part of our roots."
For more information about trees and forestry, visit the extension's Web
site, www.uaex.edu, or contact your county extension
agent. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of
Agriculture.
December 14, 2007
By Kimberly Dishongh
For the Cooperative Extension Service
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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