Christmas tree selection and care

Brought to you by Les Koskitalo and the Applied
Landscape Horticulture Dept.

Most Christmas trees (Douglas Fir, Scots Pine,
Austrian Pine, Colorado Spruce, Norway Spruce and
Noble Fir) are field grown in nurseries.

Many of the trees are sheared each growing season
to make them uniform, dense and bushy. These
trees are often referred to as “plantation” Christmas
trees and do command a premium price (usually
$3.50 to $5.50 per lineal foot). Some of the trees
are left to grow naturally without shearing and are
generally less expensive.

Christmas trees can be purchased as live balled and
burlapped (root ball) trees or as fresh cut trees.

Live trees should not be kept in the house any
longer than one to two weeks and must be promptly
planted outside after use. The root ball (leave the
burlap on) should be thoroughly wetted, drained and
secured in a container with a drain saucer. The root
ball must not be permitted to dry out.

Freshly cut Christmas trees will last for up to 30
days in the house. It is important to purchase a
fresh tree. To determine tree freshness, grasp the
tree midway along the trunk and tap the tree on the
ground several times to see if any needles fall. In
addition, clasp a branch 6" to 8" from the tip and
gently pull. If the needles are easily shed and you
end up with more than 5 to 10% of the branch tip
needles in your hand, the tree is not fresh.

Once home, re-cut the tree butt and place the tree
base in a 1 to 2 gallon reservoir of tap water. When
the tree is up, refill the water reservoir as necessary.

Tree lights and warm room temperatures will dry
needles rapidly. If your tree dries out, forget about
trying for a New Years Xmas tree—tt’s a potential
torch!!!

The fire department recommends that:

1. Tree lights be turned off when no one is present.
2. Turn the tree lights on for short periods only.

3. Locate trees away from furnace forced air outlets,
radiators, and fireplaces.

Merry Christmas!

Ski packages offered

Blackcomb Mountain is offering packages for groups
of 20 people or more. Among their packages is
“Mountain Mardigras” which includes lift tickets, a
race, picnic lunch, a video, and “apres ski’at $34.
Other items can be added on, such as ski rental, ski
lessons, and drinks. For a copy of their rate sheet,
contact Public Relations, 2002.

COLOPHON

However sporadically the Informer may appear
in your mail, it is valiantly attempting to come out
at least every two weeks during the Fall and
Spring terms. This scurrilous sheet is produced
by the Public Relations Department, room A118,
local 2903 or 2002, and submissions are
greeted with joy and delight. Photos are
generally taken by Edna Sakata in MPC and
prepared for publication by Dave Sharrock.
Printing is done by Linda Givens and Dave
Callow in the Print Shop and distribution is
handled by the denizens of the mail room/typing
pool. There is a rumour that Donna McMahon is
the perpetrator of all this, but she’ll deny it
vehemently.

Call of the Calf
by Zeek

I sensed the mailman's fear as
m he opened the gate. It was like a
y warm sfench in the air--§$o thick you |
¢ could cut it with a knife. Suddenly,
ms I felt myself growing dizzy--as if
the fear was Some powertul drug. The f
entire yard began reeling. And then ¢
RZ heard his soft, plump calves begin
? calling 16 me: " Zeeeeeeeecek...
ZeeeeeceeK... bite us, Zeceeer.

Creative dog writing ‘