CHRISTMAS TREES

Press, Volume CI, Issue 30012, 22 December 1962, Page 13

CHRISTMAS TREES

Heavy Sales In City

One Christmas tree salesman who has been in business for 30 years was, in his own words “flat to the boards like a lizard drinking” yesterday. Another was finding things very quiet.

Prices are fairly uniform throughout the city, and the swelling number of salesmen are all charging from 5s up to about £1 for trees. The most expensive usually Douglas firs—are those growing in containers.

“Some people try to grow them afterwards as ornamental shrubs,” said one man, “but this is the wrong time of the year for lifting them.”

Hundreds are being sold, and today is expected to see the sales peak. The man who was not doing as well as usual said he thought it was because there was not so much money about. Christmas lily sales are not expected to boom until Monday. “They are usually a good-keeping flower,” said one florist, “but in this weather people are leaving it until the last minute.’’ He said there were “tons” of Christmas lilies about, being sold at up to 3d a bloom or about 10s a bunch of six stalks. “But carnations are more popular than Christmas lilies,” he said. “I think there is more sentiment attached to carnations.”