Christmas trees sell well

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34027, 16 December 1975, Page 20

Christmas trees sell well

More than 6000 trees found new homes on Saturday when the 10 Christchurch Round Tables held their annual Christmastree sale. Although the sale is over m a day there is much organisation behind the scenes to get the freshly-cut trees to the 60 or more sites at which they are sold around the city. The cutting of the trees, which come from the Eyrewell and Selwyn plantations, begins at 5 a.m. About 200 men fell, trim and load them. Transport, and sometimes drivers, are supplied by local transport firms, and about 25 trucks were used this year to get the trees into town. In spite of the heat, little time off was taken, and although sales may have been slightly lower than they were last year, this was recompensed by the increase in prices for the trees, which sold for between $1 and $2. Round Tables pay for the right to cut the trees at Eyrewell, but this year were allowed those from Selwyn free. The money raised by the Round Tables goes to local charities. Typical of these is the motorised bed that one Round Table is buying for the spinal unit at Christchurch Hospital, the grant to the Deaf Aid Society by another, and the provision of funds for emergency aid by a third.