Real Tree Receipts Remain Robust

Disregard the Scrooges: Christmas hasn't become an entirely artificial holiday. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reports that sales of fresh-cut Christmas trees have remained strong in recent years. More than 10 million trees were sold in 2003, up from 9.6 million in 2000. But sales of another Christmas standby, poinsettias, aren't keeping pace. In 2004, 61 million of the plants were sold, down slightly from the 2003 level of 61.5 million.