Cahaba Tractor Co.
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Issue 70                                   
December 2016
 

 

'Tis the season...with all the busyness of the holidays, we would like to take a moment to thank you and wish you a Blessed and Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

If you're still looking for that perfect gift, stop by and see our huge inventory of new and used products. From tractors to implements, and everything in between, our staff is here to help you make the best selection.

In honor of the season, we're exploring the history of the Christmas tree in this month's Chewin' the Cud article, O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree. Take a look at where the Christmas tree came from and how it made its way to America. Make sure you take a look at the Fun Christmas Tree Facts following the article.

There's still things to do in the garden this month. Check out the December Gardening Guide for more details.   

Christmas is almost here! You can stay up-to-date on the many December Activities and Events going on around the state.

We will be closed, Friday, December 23 through Sunday December 25 for Christmas and Saturday, December 31 through Sunday, January 1 for New Year's.
 

  Used Products and Specials  

Check out all the great deals at cahabatractor.com.
Hurry in for the best selection!

Get this and other great buys in our Used Products!
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 Used and Special-priced equipment! 
Chewin' the Cud: The Cahaba Tractor Corner
close up cow  
     O Christmas Tree,
                 O Christmas Tree...
      

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree.... Have you ever tried to sing the whole carol by memory? Chances are most people only know those six words. Not surprising, considering the song has multiple versions and was not initially written as a Christmas song at all when it was composed in 1824 by German composer Ernst Anschütz. Originally titled O Tannenbaum, it is a folk song praising the fir tree's evergreen qualities.

That pretty much explains the origin of the Christmas tree. What began as a celebration of the winter solstice and sun god using boughs of evergreen as decorations, has evolved into trimming an entire tree--real or fake--from top to bottom and a flourishing multi-billion-dollar industry worldwide.

Where It All Began
Riga, Germany is credited with establishing the first "Christmas" tree in 1510. The trees were originally paraded around town and set up in the town square where there would be much revelry and dancing. Those early celebrations became a little too rowdy and were later banned in most places. As a result, people began setting them up inside their houses. German Protestant Reformer Martin Luther is credited as being one of the first to set up a tree in his home with candles after being inspired by a vision of stars shining through the trees on a walk home in the forest one night.

Decorations
Early Christmas trees were decorated with paper, fruit and sweets. Decorations expanded to include cookies, small toys and glass ornaments. In 1610, the Germans created tinsel from strips of silver. Since then, it evolved to the man-made and more cost-effective, fire-proof plastic tinsel we are familiar with today. The first tree toppers were figures of baby Jesus. Angels and stars were later used in honor of the Nativity.

Lights
In earlier days, Christmas lights consisted of candles attached to tree branches with wax or pins. However, fire-lit candles and dried out Christmas trees can result in a serious fire hazard. After many fires, including a Chicago hospital that burned down in 1885, U.S. insurance companies rallied to ban the use of candles on trees. In 1895 Ralph Morris took the technology that was created by Edward Johnson (an associate of Thomas Edison) and developed the first string of electric Christmas lights.

Gifts
The legend of gift-giving at Christmas has always been credited to the Magi and the gifts the three wise men brought to Jesus after his birth. St. Nicholas was also known to establish the tradition of giving gifts to the poor during the Christmas season, especially children. During the Middle Ages, Christmas gifts were typically paid to monarchs--though some, like Duke Wenceslas of Bohemia, gave to the poor. His story inspired the popular carol, Good King Wenceslas. The tradition of gift-giving continued to grow in Germany and spread throughout the rest of Europe.

Christmas-American Style
The rapidly growing European Christmas traditions met with much resistance from the New England Puritans who believed Christmas was sacred and thought such things were a "pagan mockery" to the observance of Christ's birth. Laws were enacted in several states making any celebration of December 25 (other than church service) a penal offense punishable by law. However, the influx of German, Dutch and Irish immigrants in the 19th century began to change all that.

Another influence that attracted the American East Coast elite to the idea of the Christmas celebration was an altered picture of the popular Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert (a native of present-day Germany) who set up a tree for their children at Windsor Castle in 1841. The original sketch of the royal family was published in the Illustrated London News. Godey's Lady's Book,  Philadelphia republished the picture in 1850. However, their version showed the Queen without her crown and the Prince without his mustache to make them look more American. The picture-perfect depiction of a middle class American family Christmas celebration was born. Once the idea caught on, the Americans took it to a whole new level. Instead of celebrating with a four foot tree on a table as depicted in the sketch, they chose to go all out with the floor to ceiling version.

Fun Christmas Tree Facts
*America's first retail tree lot opened up in New York City in 1851.

*Over 34 million trees are produced in all fifty states in the U.S. each year.

*Over 77 million Christmas trees are planted each year. The trees generally take 6-8 years to mature.

*On average, over 2,000 Christmas trees are planted per acre. 
 
*The tallest living Christmas tree is believed to be the 122 foot, 91 year Douglas fir located in Woodinville, WA.

*According to the White House Historical Society, President  
Benjamin Harrison was the first U.S. President to have a Christmas tree in the White House in 1889. Other sources, however, state President Franklin Pierce brought the first Christmas tree to the White House in the 1850s.

*President Calvin Coolidge started the traditional National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn in 1923.

*First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy started the tradition of selecting a theme for the official White House Christmas tree in 1961. The theme she chose that year was the Nutcracker Suite.

*The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition began in 1933. However, the first unofficial Rockefeller Christmas tree was decorated by grateful Depression-era construction workers who were hired to build the famous Rockefeller Center. The tree was only 20 feet tall and was decorated with strings of cranberries, paper garlands and tin cans.

*Fake trees in the 1800s were made with goose feathers. Those made in the '30s were made with toilet brushes. In the '50s and '60s, aluminum trees were all the rage. They were lit with colored spotlights and came in a variety of colors. Today, about 65% of Christmas trees in American homes are artificial. They are made of PVC and are produced in China. They are particularly popular in the South and Midwest.

Regardless if it's real or made of PVC or metal, the Christmas tree has become a celebrated symbol of hope, faith, family and love. It's the centerpiece of a season that represents the greatest gift of all--the birth of Christ.        

Politically Correct "XMAS" Night
'Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...
 
How to live in a world that's politically correct? 
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves". 
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves. 
And labor conditions at the North Pole 
were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.

Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety, 
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society. 
And equal employment had made it quite clear 
That Santa had better not use just reindeer. 
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid 
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his sleigh; 
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A. 
And people had started to call for the cops 
When they heard sled noises on their rooftops. 
Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened. 
His fur trimmed red suit was called "Unenlightened."

And to show you the strangeness of life's ebbs and flows, 
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose 
And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation, 
Demanding millions in over-due compensation. 
So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife, 
Who suddenly said she'd enough of this life,

Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz, 
Demanding from now on her title was Ms. 
And as for the gifts, why, he'd never had a notion 
That making a choice could cause so much commotion. 
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur, 
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.

Nothing that might be construed to pollute. 
Nothing to aim, Nothing to shoot. 
Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise. 
Nothing for just girls, or just for the boys. 
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific. 
Nothing that's warlike or non-pacifistic.

No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth. 
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth. 
And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden, 
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden. 
For they raised the hackles of those psychological 
Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.

No baseball, no football...someone could get hurt; 
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt. 
Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe; 
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away. 
So Santa just stood there, disheveled, perplexed; 
He just could not figure out what to do next.

He tried to be merry, tried to be gay, 
But you've got to be careful with that word today. 
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground; 
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found. 
Something special was needed, a gift that he might 
Give to all without angering the left or the right.

A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision, 
Each group of people, every religion; 
Every ethnicity, every hue, 
Everyone, everywhere...even you. 
So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth... 
May you and your loved ones, enjoy peace on Earth.
 
 
As 2016 comes to a close this month, we are looking ahead to a wonderful New Year filled with hope and anticipation. Thank you for allowing us the privilege of earning and keeping your business. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Sincerely,
Cahaba Tractor Co.
2411 Hwy. 31 South
Pelham, AL 35124
(205) 663-1470



Cahaba Tractor location
Merry Christmas
&
Happy New Year!

from All of Us at  
Cahaba Tractor

 
Here's
Mud
In
Your
Eye
  Early Christmas Shopping    
It was Christmas and the judge was in a merry mood as he asked the prisoner, "What are you charged with?"

"Doing my Christmas shopping early," replied the defendant.

"That's no offense," replied the judge. "How early were you doing this shopping?"

"Before the store opened," the defendant replied matter-of-factly.  
 
 
--Anonymous 

Planting
       December        
Gardening Guide
Fruits and Nuts:
Plant young pecan and other deciduous fruit trees and grapes. Select budwood. Begin dormant pruning of established fruits. Place wire around the base of young trees to protect them from rabbits. Put on dormant oil sprays for scale.     
 
Vegetable Seed:
Prepare planting beds now with compost and manure, for planting in early spring. Follow the AL Vegetable Garden Planting Chart for planting dates.

Vegetable Plants:
Protect tender plants from sudden swings in temps with row covers, newspapers or blankets.

Annuals and Perennials:
Plant hardy annual seed now.

Bulbs: 
Continue spring bulb planting. 

Roses:
Continue rose planting. Mulch all plantings well. 
   
Shrubs:
Watch for freezing temps if planting shrubs.
 
Lawns:
Control wild garlic, chickweed, Poa annua, dandelion and other weeds. Read all labels on weed killer packages before applying.
 
Miscellaneous: 
*Shrubs and trees make great gifts.

*Flowering winter plants are also great Christmas gifts, like poinsettias, cyclamen, bromeliads, Christmas cactus and orchids.
  
*Check around your yard for evergreen cuttings, holly berries and other natural materials to make holiday decorations.
 
*Don't forget amaryllis, paperwhites and pre-chilled hyacinths make great winter blooming gifts.

*Plan out your garden for spring now. Make note of plants that need to be moved or replaced. It will be a big help when seed and plant-buying time arrives.
  
    
The gardening guide is based upon the USDA hardiness zones for Alabama.

The state zones are: 
North Alabama - 7a
Birmingham area - 7b
South Alabama - 8a
Mobile area - 8b
 
For more gardening info, visit:
December
Activities and Events
 
North Pole Express and Santa Special
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum
Calera
thru Dec. 17

Birmingham's Winter Wonderland
Railroad Park
thru Jan. 15

Grand Bay Country Christmas
Dec. 2-3

Holiday Spectacular 2016
Red Mountain Theatre Co.
Birmingham
Dec. 2-18

A Christmas Story: The Musical
Virginia Samford Theatre
Dec. 2-18

Winter Wonderland @ Sloss Furnaces
Dec. 2-18

The Trees of ChristmasTuscumbia
Dec. 2-24

60th Anniversary of the Merry-Go-RoundValley
Dec. 2-24

AL Wildlife Center's Holiday Craft and Bake Sale
Hoover
Dec. 3, 9am-3pm

Let It Snow
Foley
Dec. 3

Holiday Faire
Birmingham
Dec. 3, 10am

Holiday Greenery Sale
Aldridge Gardens
Birmingham
Dec. 3, 9am-1pm

High Cotton Angus & Hereford Bull Sale
Fort Payne
Dec. 3

Chief Ladiga Half Marathon
Jacksonville
Dec. 3

Christmas at Arlington
Birmingham
Dec. 3-4

Sportsman's Wonderland
Cullman
Dec. 3-4

Christmas Open House 2016
Bessemer
Dec. 4, 2-4pm

Christmas Open House
Tuscaloosa
Dec. 4

Governor's Mansion Candlelight Tour & Open House
Montgomery
Dec. 5-19

Tri-City Christmas Parade
Lannett & Valley, AL and West Point, GA
Dec. 8

Live at the Lyric: The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show
Birmingham
Dec. 8, 7pm

Artists on the Bluff Holiday Open House
Bluff Park
Dec. 8, 11am-7pm

Birmingham Ballet: The Mutt-Cracker
BJCC
Dec. 9, 7:30pm

Holiday Film Series
Alabama Theatre
Dec. 9-22

ZooLight Safari
Birmingham
Dec. 9-31

Heritage Holiday Tour & Country Market
Bessemer
Dec. 10, 9am

Broadway Christmas Wonderland
BJCC
Dec. 16-18

Dickens Vest Pocket Christmas Carol
Alys Stephens Center
Dec. 17

Cahaba Tractor Closed
Dec. 23-25


Dec. 25

St. Paul and the Broken Bones
Alabama Theatre
Dec. 28-29

11th Annual Birmingham Bowl
Legion Field Stadium
Dec. 29, 1pm

Cahaba Tractor Closed
Dec. 31

New Year's Eve at the Alabama
Alabama Theatre
Dec. 31, 6-8pm


Jan. 1    







For more Alabama events this month, visit 

    

Contact Us:
Cahaba Tractor Co.

2411 Hwy 31 South
Pelham, AL 35124
(205) 663-1470
sales@cahabatractor.com
Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm M-F

          8:00am-12:00pm Sat.




    





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