How to choose a Christmas tree.

Before you shell out beaucoup bucks on a fir, pine, or spruce, you should know a tree's reputation: "How long before its needles drop? Before its color pales and its scent dies? How do you spot a stale, must-avoid tree? Should you buy from a lot, cut your own, or order over the Web? And last, should you buy the same old Scotch pine that you grew up with, or is the tree of your dreams something a little more exotic?" Last year, Slate answered these and other conifer-related quandaries. Click here to read the article.