[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Page 26136]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   COMMENDING SMOKEY HOLLER TREE FARM

 Mrs. DOLE. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Earl, 
Betsy, Meg, and Buddy Deal of Smokey Holler Tree Farm in Laurel 
Springs, NC, for winning the National Christmas Tree Association's 2005 
National Christmas Tree Contest. As Grand Champions, the Deal family 
has the distinguished honor of providing this year's official White 
House Christmas tree. This is a storied tradition that began in 1966, 
and I applaud the Deal family for producing North Carolina's ninth 
official White House Christmas tree. After winning at the State level, 
the Deal family's prized 18\1/2\-foot Fraser fir was selected out of 22 
other entries at the national competition. The tree was then approved 
by White House Chief Usher Gary Walters and Grounds Foreman Mike Lawn 
to be the Blue Room Christmas tree. The Deal family will have the honor 
of presenting the prized Blue Room tree to First Lady Laura Bush in a 
special ceremony at the White House on November 28, 2005. As an added 
bonus, the Deal family will provide a tree for the Oval Office and 
another tree for the private residence at the White House.
  This year's official White House Christmas tree is a fine example of 
the exceptional quality of Christmas trees that we have in North 
Carolina. North Carolina is one of the top producers of Christmas 
trees, providing roughly one out of every five Christmas trees in the 
United States, thereby contributing over $100 million annually to North 
Carolina's economy. But this success does not come easily; it takes 
several years of meticulous care and attention to raise a Christmas 
tree. An average 7-foot tree is about 10 years old, and throughout that 
time the grower diligently shapes, grooms, and fertilizes the tree 
several times per year. Not many people realize the years of hard work 
and sacrifice that go into raising a Christmas tree, and our growers 
are to be commended for their continuous success.
  North Carolina has a rich history in Christmas trees, and year after 
year, many American families enjoy the warmth and beauty of these North 
Carolina trees that are a symbol of the holiday season. I am proud of 
the hard work exhibited by our Christmas tree growers in North 
Carolina, and I am proud that there will be another North Carolina 
Christmas tree in the White House this year.

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