what's the best way to preserve a christmas tree through the holidays? also for fire prevention.

-- fred in wi (sixuvusmeyers@aol.com), December 17, 2000

Answers

I write a weekly column called "The Organic Grange" and here is my column from last week, it's about Christmas trees

Greetings from the Grange. It seems like just yesterday that half of the country was digging tornado shelters, stocking their pantries, buying generators and preparing for that dreadful day, January first 2000. Where did the year go? They say as we get older time moves faster, but everyone I have spoken with lately has mentioned how fast this year has went by. Before you know it Christmas will be here, and with Christmas comes the Christmas tree.

Did you know, more homes are lost due to fire during this time of year because of the Christmas tree and/or faulty wiring on Christmas lights?

The safest most ecologically friendly Christmas tree is the artificial. My apologies to Christmas tree farmers everywhere but even you must admit it's true. Why? Human error.

Even artificial trees can be a source of fire, but those fires usually stems from faulty wiring and not the fact that the tree is so dry that it will burst into flames with the smallest spark or even from the heat from an ill placed light.

If your tradition demands a "real tree" do it right. Make sure the tree is fresh. Cut the tree yourself or visit a tree farm and pick a live tree and let them cut it for you. Logic tells you that any tree you cut yourself or you see cut has to be fresher that the trees brought in by the truckload and stacked in front of the grocery store the day after thanksgiving.

If you must have a real tree don't be the first one on the block to put up your tree. The longer a cut tree stands inside you're your seventy degree low humidity home, the faster it will dry out. Putting up your tree two weeks before Christmas is probably your best bet at safety.

If you must buy your tree from the front of your local food market check for freshness. Make sure the limbs are limber and the tips won't break off if bent. Look near the main trunk to see if there are dried needles. If there are dried needles and the tips of the branches break off move to another tree.

Once you get your "fresh tree " home re-saw the base end before putting it in the tree stand. The reason behind this is to allow the tree the ability to drink in water. Cross hatching the end will also allow more surface are for the water to absorb through.

Water your tree daily. Make sure your tree stand has a reservoir for water. The more water you can keep at the base the safer you will be. I know crawling under a prickly pine tree surrounded by presents, with a watering can in your hand is not an easy task. Your friendly neighborhood retailer has a solution. It is an ornament that doubles at a funnel. We have one that is shaped like Santa's boot. It hangs in the tree with a small tube that runs down and fastens into the water reservoir, this allows you to stand and fill the boot and let osmosis do the rest.

Never leave the lights burning on you tree while you are away from home. What's that you say? You want to see your pretty lights when you pull in your driveway? How would you fell about seeing the pretty lights on a fire truck when you come home?

As I mentioned I have a Santa boot that helps me water my live tree, and here I am telling you not to have a live tree. Well to set the record straight, it's an old ornament. We have had real trees in the past and my wife enjoys the smell of a live tree. But after I demonstrated the ease in which our tree from last year went up in flames, she has decided to let me decide to but a fake tree this year.

I know it won't be the same, and I will have to find a place to store our artificial tree. But At least I know that this fake tree will increase my chances of having a place to store a tree

Mahatma Gandhi said. "We must become the change we want to see."

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), December 17, 2000.

Buy a live tree that can be planted outside! We do every year and they stand proud in our front yard,not ground up in a land fill.

-- renee oneill{md.} (oneillsr@home.com), December 17, 2000.