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Rest qnd retirement were ' foremost in the minds of Capt. l and Mrs. William J. Keim when I they purchased 150 acres of I rV-ling land near Viewtown ir l i960. However, in the back oi their minds was the possibility ' of the establishment of an enterprise which would supplement their retirement income in the future. Consequently, I the idea of raising Christmas trees developed, and today 38,000 conifers grace the hill sides using only 23 acres of the land. About 300 of the trees will be marketable this year.
Capt. Keim, being an outdoorsman and conservationist sought a project which would be compatable with wildlife and one that could be developing with a minimum of attention and care from him until his retirement from the U. S. Navy. A Christmas tree farm seemed a plausible answer. There was limited information and material available on tree farming in this section of the country, but with the assistance of the ASC office, the Extension Service and the County Forester, the project evolved. Some of the land, grown up in scrub pine and tangled underbrush, had to be cleared. Soil samples were taken and tested. Research disclosed Scotch pine a suitable species for the climate and soil. Both French and Spanish strains of the Scotch pine were used because of the differing rate of growth and a few white pines were also planted on a trial basis. This was all accomplished the same year they bought the prop erty, 1960. The trees were from 2 to 4 years old when they were planted and until they reached their fifth year little had to be done except mowing between the rows. Plant loss is less than 10% and after the tree becomes established there is
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