Edward Stone (natural philosopher) piece of bark from a willow tree and was struck by its extremely bitter taste. Knowing that the bark of the Peruvian cinchona tree − from which quinine (used in the treatment of malarial fevers) is derived − has a similarly bitter taste, he surmised that the willow might also have therapeutic properties. Stone's interest in willows was due to the ancient "doctrine of signatures" – whereby the cause of a disease offers a clue to its treatment. According to Stone: "As this tree delights in a moist or wet soil, where agues chiefly abound, the general maxim that many
Christmas tree production in the United States million Christmas trees valued at approximately $120 million. The majority of Christmas tree production occurs in the Willamette Valley region including Benton, Clackamas, Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties. In 2015, Washington State had approximately 250 Christmas tree farms with a combined 23,000 acres, yielding 2.3 million Christmas trees valued at approximately $35 million. The majority of Christmas tree production occurs in the western and southern portions of the Puget Sound region including Kitsap, Lewis, Mason and Thurston counties. Aside from Pennsylvania, several U.S. states in the Great Lakes region are key Christmas tree producers. The two most important production areas