Oh Tannenbaum

The Christmas tree is king in Alleghany County. You see them everywhere: in abandoned cow pastures, fields where crops once grew, yards around homes, on hillsides, you name it. Indeed, we have 150, or so, operators growing 7,000,000, or so, Christmas trees on 4,500, or so, acres of land. Each year 750,000, or so, are sold for $15,000,000, or so, making Christmas trees the single largest source of income here.

Unfortunately, Christmas trees are a somewhat fickle crop. Their commercial value is adversely affected by aphids, adelgids, mites, white grubs, root rot, and weeds. Accordingly, once, or more, each year they are typically treated with one, or more, of these chemicals:

Aliette (fosetyl-aluminum)

Asana XL (esfenvalerate)

Crossbow (2,4-D plus triclopyr)

Dimethoate (dimethoate)

Di-Syston 15 G (disulfoton)

Garlon (triclopyr)

Goal (oxyfluorfen)

Lindane 20 EC (lindane)

Lorsban 4E (chlorpyrifos)

Methyl bromide

Morestan (oxythioquinox)

Roundup (glyphosate)

Savey 50 WP (hexythiazox)

Simazine (simazine)

Stinger (clopyralid)

Subdue Maxx (metalaxyl)

Thiodan 3EC (endosulfan)

Vantage (sethoxydim)

Sure wish I didn't know that last part.