European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 7, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine sounds of Christmas Chain saws in Michigan by William �. Schmidt new York times Gary Riessen blood on a Hill Nea Greenville a Small own in Western Michigan and smiled As he listened to the sounds of can slams the whine and Spuller cil Chain saws carrying on the Brittle Early december air Resson is a Christmas Iree Farmer and Harvest Limo began last month in the cold Gray Days of november. Scotch Pine and while Pine Blue Spruce and White Spruce Balsam fir and Fraser fir. Shaped to a picture Book Laper and planted in ranks a Hall mile Long except of live holes Here and there where Riessen s woodsmen had already done their work. By the fast week o december his Small army of 50 workers had Cut. Cleaned baled and shipped about 160 000 Trees going a truckload at a time from the Little Community of 8,000" people to nurseries and Strasel Corner tots As far away As new York Miami and Denver. And when that s done said Rie Aaen. Watching while workers baled Trees with plastic netting. I go out and Gal my own. There s a line 13-Fooler i be had my Eye on now for a couple of  the National Christmas tree association says americans will buy 33.3 million Christmas Trees this season a 2 percent increase Over last year paying $3 lo$5a foot Aboul the same As 19b6. Three million Trees will be imported irom Canada the res Are grown in the United slates where Michigan and Oregon account for nearly a third of the production. David Baumann of the Assoc lion says Christmas tree farming employs about 100,000 people Lull and part Lime on some 15.000 plantations in virtually every slate in he Nalion including Hawaii the Boom in Christmas tree growing re Lecis in Par. 1he resurgence of Iho Market Lor natural i rfcs of Iho 72 percent of the nation s households that will put up Christmas Trees this year Baumann says about 53 percent will choose a real tree Over an artificial one. Natural Trees have been battling in camels Wilh artificial Trees since the Laic 1960s. For a time. Huhm Tofu if Oary Fly attn looking Over this year s bumper crop Fri Christ mat tree farm near Greenville Michigan. Baumann said sales of artificial Trees outstripped those of the real thing As the Novelty and Economy of Trees made of plastic and Metal reusable year after year seized the Public s Lane. These Days the manufacturers of synthetic Trees emphasize realism turning out $150 Trees thai nol Only look real hut also by using Pine scented sprays almost smell real too. For the growers of real Trees this presents a formidable if somewhat ironic Challenge How to turn out farm grow Trees Hal will have the same line tapered shape fullness and straightness of a synthetic tree and still not drop their Needles by . 26 As the number of growers have increased planters like Riessen have had to turn increasingly or a sharper competitive Edge to technology and More intensive horticultural practices there Are 1.75 million Christmas 1/ees growing on Riessen s2.sqq-acre farm whole valleys of Green that stand Oul sharply against the Gay autumn landscape since it lakes about 10 years to grow a Christmas Pine to Harvest from seed each Irea spends about two cais As a seedling in a Plant Nursery followed by eight years of year round Cul ovation in Tho yield. There in Western Michigan where Christmas Trees compete for Larrt land with Polales. Beans and Corn. Capital Trees for . By Phyllis Messinger associated press free Christmas Trees once again will to Iii up in  tins year carrying on a tradition whose reels arc believed logo Back to the Yul Olide More than 400 years ago when Martin Luther put up a tree in his Home the Only one of the three that actually grows in Washington is the National Community Christmas tree it is a Colorado glue Spruce transplanted Kom Pennsylvania to ins. Ellipse behind the White House in 1978, this year in will he Omed by a 58 loot Norway Spruce which will he Luck of from the Wayne National Fores in Manella. Ohio to the Wisl Lawn of Ihu . And by a 24 foot Fraser fir. Grown on a Christmas tire farm near harpers ferry w a the Capitol s Irce will be the first to be Iii its 3 600 lights in Clear Amber and Blue will be turned on dive 9, landscape architect f Nui Pincus said and irom a distance me tree a look ii Nimg in Ltd at Majni Pincus said in u i Forest service it  the tree Asil has done Tor each of the last 24 years the service set cols the Forest aria of ers to Tver or Lour candidates Pincus Ihnn choose the Irce. I look or Trees Hal Are a Ore or less symmetrical and Are at least 55 incl  re said. Ii they re any Shorter than that. Icy la look too Small next to inc Capitol private truckers then vie for the Honor of transporting the Irce to Washington. On  10. The living National Irce on the Ellipse will to lit. Opening Tho annual Christmas pageant Olpt a a president and was Reagan Traditi onily throw Iho switch and Light the ire an annual event since 10?0i when Calvin Coli Dree did the honors while the iradian of a National Christmas tree dates Hack &4 years the which House has marked the occasion Lor Lar longer the first recorded rec in Iho Home of the first Farrey  set up by Franklin Pierce in 1b56 it cannot be Delim Irful i presidents Afler Pierce Kepi up the Tia Dign. Until Benjamin Harrison began i no unbroken string of while Hause Christmas Trot m Bra. Announcing  to tin old nuke rest Ray Lor monday december 7. 1987 Hal Means herbicides to Kiil Oil weeds pesticides to kill Oil beetles Lorli liners to promote growth and had shearing each Spring and summer with Long bladed knives to give Trees what Riessen Calls a 60 percent taper so that Tho Width of the tree measured Al the Bottom will be about 60 percent of its height. Michigan growers Ever publish their own marketing specifications assuring retailers that their Besl Trees will have reasonably straight  and at Harvest every tree is now cleaned Beloro Ilia baled placed on a machine of Tiessen s own design. The Howey Christmas tree Shaker which mechanically spins the trunk at High Speed shaking dead Needles and branches Oul of the tree. But. Lor the most part Iho Harvest is intensive hand labor. And it s a race against Tho clock Snow is a Throat to an efficient Harvol anal so is Iho cold when the temperature Falls below 2c dog ices Irons arc Loo in lilo for baling. Resson says in has been especially Ivi cull to Imd workers who How up every Day. N   worsens when doer hurling season starts he says he exp cols the Insl of his Trees to  Greenville by  10 Aher that he can Lufi i attention at last to his own can slams  i really do love Christmas. Hitesm a said it s Sii h a relict when it  children at Christmas Lime " this year s White House tree was grown on n Ifim acre Larm owned by Eric and Gloria Sundback. In in harpers Forry. W a was Sundback said this ir.-. A ill to the third they Lii Ive Rbrown Hal has been oel m. In Iho Blue Roo to win the right Lohan .1 Iree in the White hair of. They had to Lake honors in Weil Virginia and be chosen by the Nasonal cd norms tree association mrs Sundback said sin.1 Inci her husband a two in the business about 35 years i heir secret olm i,-r.n. She said has leu a acct in of seeds from Chi Tiol pull into up a tree at Home Ana clock Ramg it will candles he reportedly a l this  being a apr. J by the sight of an   ii l be on Chrisler i aim stars Bli mg.iivi.-. The stars and stripes Page 13