San Diego Floral Association
From the Archives of California Garden

© SAN DIEGO FLORAL ASSOCIATION and © Nancy Carol Carter.
These stories may not be published in any form or copied onto another media without written permission from San Diego Floral Association.

December 1919
Christmas Trees

Reprinted From: November/December 2010, Volume 102 No. 6

If the idea of living Christmas trees seems relatively new, read on. Ninety years ago, California Garden encouraged the use of a “growing tree” rather than a harvested one. While published before the development of the commercial Christmas tree farm, this editorial is an example of the magazine’s advocacy for forest conservation.
–Nancy Carol Carter

December 1919
Christmas Trees


The Christian Science Monitor is authority for the statement that over 5,000,000 trees will be cut from the Vermont Hills alone for Christmas tree purposes, and at a very liberal estimate . . . this number will not be replaced [because the United States Department of Agriculture plants only about] 1,500,000 new trees a year.

This sort of thing is going on in all states where there is second growth timber of a proper size for cutting for this purpose and when it is considered that probably only 25 percent of the trees cut are actually used, the waste of these valuable trees seems even more appalling. Furthermore, apart from their value as timber, there is the part which they play in conserving water in irrigated portions of the United States, and in preventing soil erosion on the steep hill sides. Sooner or later we will have to give up the practice of using cut trees for Christmas, for the simple reason that there will not be any, and we might just as well start now as anytime.

Every year at Christmas time a plea goes forth not to cut trees from our hillsides for Christmas trees for the kiddies. If the parents could realize how much more pleasure and satisfaction is to be derived from the use of growing trees for this purpose instead of buying cut trees, this annual appeal would be unnecessary. It is really possible in this connection to have your cake and eat it too, and the difference in cost is very slight.

The accompanying illustration [of tall pine trees near Warner’s Springs] shows what we can make possible to future generations by conserving our small pines and cedars and using growing trees instead.

© SAN DIEGO FLORAL ASSOCIATION and © Nancy Carol Carter.
These stories may not be published in any form or copied onto another media without written permission from San Diego Floral Association.

Mission: To promote the knowledge and appreciation of horticulture and floriculture in the San Diego region.