High quality balsam fir Christmas trees produced in natural forest sites and in field planations are the result of several years of nurtuing. This report discusses stand dvelopment, site preparation, planting, tending, and cutluring procedures. Trees in natural stands must have adequate space, available nutrients, and protection for growth and development. Thinning (spacing) is necessary throughout the rotation on natural sites with abundant stocking; where stocking is sparse, fill planting supplements natural regeneration. Fertilizers increase foliage production thus enhancing tree quality and shortening rotations. Control of insects, diseases, and competition from other vegetation, which often threaten the viability of a Christmas tree operation, require vigilance and the correct use of pesticides and good cultural practices. Establishment of a field plantation requires site preparation, suitable stock, and proper planting. Seedlings for outplanting may be nursery grown bareroot or container stock, or wilding transplants. Mowing and the judicious use of herbicides throughout the rotation protect the plantation trees from competition. Fertilizer may be of little importance during the first two years after outplanting, but when established, balsam fir usually responds to additions of fertilizer, especially nitrogen. A shearing-pruning program should begin at outplanting to correct defects, such as double tops. When the crown is about 1.3-1.8 m (4-6 ft) in height, overall shearing to promote foliage build-up and tree symmetry should commence. Trees should then be sheared each year till harvested.

"This book should be required reading for the new or prospective Christmas tree grower." --Journal of Forestry The third edition of this successful book is for the farmer who has some extra land, for the prospective commercial grower with several hundred acres, or for the hobbyist who may want to supplement his income. Both the novice and the experienced grower will benefit from its account of growing Christmas trees for the market. Covering basic principles as well as specific practices, the book guides the reader through the various stages of establishing and maintaining a Christmas-tree plantation. Chapters provide important information on the selection of land, where to get planting stock, and factors that should be considered when deciding on what species to grow. The most critical job of all--the actual planting of the trees--is covered in depth. The authors present useful techniques for protecting the growing trees from weeds, insects, and diseases, and they offer a full description of shearing (or shaping) trees to improve their form and density--one of the keys to a successful crop. On the business side, issues of grading, harvesting, and marketing are examined. A chapter on taxes includes alternative methods of treating income and a concluding section gives the grower advice on obtaining further help. This new and updated edition also covers changes in the technology of planting and maintaining trees. Information on new uses of machinery, statistical details on plantations and acreage, and the most recent data on herbicides are also included. The late Arthur Chapman was chief of the Division of Forest Management Research at the Central States Forest Experiment Station in Columbus, Ohio. Robert Wray is retired from the U.S. Forest Service's North Central Forest Experiment Station where he was in charge of information services. He has written for various conservation and professional publications and continues to do contract editing for the Forest Service.

Wray provides guidance for choosing species suitable for the grower's situation, where and how to get planting stock, and how to care for it. The book presents useful techniques for protecting the growing trees from weeds, animals, fire, insects, and disease, and offers a full description of shearing or shaping trees to improve their form and density.