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As America rediscovers her
roots in tradition, more and more
families each year are turning to
a living symbol of the Christmas
season - a fresh, natural ever-
green tree.
Most folks still rely on ‘choose
and cut” farms, where generally
you cut the tree you select, or
one of the many vendors who
display their trees at garden
centers or retail lots this time of
year. :
No matter what method you
use, the Pennsylvania Christmas
Tree Growers Association recom-
mends these guidelines for
selecting a tree and setting it up
at home.
Freshness is extremely impor-
tant to tree buyers, and there are
two tests for it. First, gently
bend a needle between your fin-
gers. A fresh tree’s needles will
easily bend. If the needle breaks,
the tree is drying out. Second,
hoist the tree a few inches above
the ground and bounce it sharply
on its butt end to dislodge old
brown needles that shed natu-
rally in the Fall. If an excessive
number of green needles drops,
look for another tree.
The fragrance of fresh trees is
a common reason people buy
them. Fraser and Balsam fir are
noted for having the most dis-
tinct “evergreen” aroma, while
the various pines rank somewhat
lower. Spruces are among the
least aromatic trees. But the
most fragrant evergreen of all is
the Concolor or ‘white’ fir. A
little more difficult to find, this
tree smells like a fresh orange
and makes a great conversation
piece.
Size. Simply put, don’t buy too
much tree. That magnificent
seven-footer might look terrific o
nthe lot, but the added height
given to it by a stree stand and
the “topper” could be more than
your eight-foot ceiling can
accommodate. And don’t forget
to measure the thickness of the
Choosing a tree
season.
trunk. Make sure it will fit
through your tree stand’s collar.
Water is one thing your tree
will need right away. Before
putting it into the stand, make a
fresh cut about one inch above
the end. This will let thestree
absorb water quickly, keeping it
fresher longer. Once you've cut
the trunk, get it in water quickly.
Otherwise, the cut will begin to
seal itself and defeat the pur-
pose.
Keep the water level well
above the cut, and check it every
day. There’s no need to add
sugar, corn syrup, aspirin or
other chemicals; according to
the Association, plain water is
the best holiday beverage for
your tree.
Check every strand of lights
for frayed cords, burned-out
bulbs, cracking insulation or
other defects. When you spot one,
repair or replace it. Apart from
creating a potential fire hazard,
using damaged electrical prod-
ucts can result in a nasty shock.
Fire resistant. A fresh Christ-
mas tree is naturally fire resist-
ant because it has a high mois-
ture content. If you keep the base
of the trunk soaking continuously
in water, the tree will remain
both fresh and flame resistant.
Both characteristics have been
confirmed in a study by the
Connecticut Agricultural Experi-
menting Station. For added
insurance, be sure you:
— Don’t use candles as illumi-
nation
— Don’t smoke near the tree
— Keep the tree away from
drying sources of heat
— Unplug all lights when you
leave the home or go to bed.
Selecting and caring for a
fresh Christmas tree doesn’t take
any special skills or abundance
of time, but it can brighten your
home physically and emotion-
ally. It can bring back childhood
memories, or serve as the foun-
dation for building new ones.
Artist Sue
Dallas artist Sue Hand has
received word that she has won a
top prize in an international art
exhibition. The exhibit is sponsored
Rep. George C. Hasay said today
that his measure to allow recipients
of the Purple Heart to receive a
special license plate has been
approved by a vote of 199-0 on the
House floor.
“We honor a number of organiza-
tions and individuals with special
5
Antiques Etcetera
65 Tunkhannock Road
Dallas
Dec.5-8
SIAR SRE 2. 0. 7 2 BN JE
each year by the Florida Miniature
Art Society, and includes entries by
artists from all 50 states plus many
foreign countries. Sue won fourth
plates,” Hasay said. “I believe that
with a feeling of patriotism running
high in this country we should honor
those who received this special
award for bravery.”
Purple Hearts are awarded to
individuals who are wounded in
combat.
Dale K. Myers Antiques
Evans Falls
Route 309
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prize in overall competition with a
detailed pen and ink drawing of a
Benton resident. She also had six
watercolors accepted in this year’s
exhibition.
This is the third prize in the past
year to bring national recognition
for Sue Hand. One of her miniature
paintings is currently touring the
West as part of a traveling exhibi-
tion. Sue serves’ as the national
of America, and is one of its found-
ing members. She was also instru-
mental in beginning the Australian
Society of Miniature Art in Sydney,
New South Wales. She is a member
of numerous other professional
organizations, and serves as a
Board Member of College Miseri-
cordia’s Art Gallery.
Sue is a graduate of Kutztown
State Coilege. The daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Kenneth Larish of Orange,
she is married to Joseph R. Hand.
The couple resides in Dallas with
their daughter, Heather, a junior at
Dallas High School.
SANTA IS
CHECKING HIS LIST
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Jeffrey T. Hosle
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HENRBUYER ERE RE ARERR ELEN ER RE
Spoons presented
from left,
Pittston.
Plans finalized
At the recent meeting of the Ross
Elementary P.T.O. plans were final-
ized for the upcoming Christmas
Season. Mary Rishko and Rita Zeve-
ney are co-chairpersons for Santa’s
Workshop to be held Dec. 10 and 11.
During these two days the children
are given an opportunity to pur-
chaswe Christmas gifts for their
families. Bernadette Maciejczak
and Pat Rosencrans are in charge
of the children’s Christmas party to
be held December 20. A visit from
Jolly Old St. Nick is always a
highlight of this day.
Donna Swire was congratulated
on a job well done on the Halloween
Parade and party. Parents and stu-
dents provided the audience with a
varied display of costumes.
Trudi Steele would like to remind
everyone that the soup label cam-
paign is still under way. So far the
number of labels collected is only
5,000. Let’s get those labels cut and
counted!
Membership dues may be paid
during Open House at the school on
November 21 from 7 to 9 or at the
December meeting but no later than
December 31.
The next meeting will be held on
December 16. There will be a short
meeting followed by a Christmas
party. Everyone attending is asked
to bring a $2.00 exchange gift and
dozen cookies. Please come and join
in the fun.
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