To make your tradition a more memorable and pleasant one, we'd like to offer a few helpful hints to keep your tree as beautiful as when you brought it home:

• Once you've chosen your tree, keep it in a sheltered, unheated area such as a porch or garage to protect it from the wind and sun until you are ready to decorate it. In most climates, bugs are dormant long before December. There are a few instances where insects can be cocooned on the tree and the warm temperature in a house will bring them out. However, this is very rare. Thumping the tree on the ground before bringing it into the home will alleviate most potential problems while also eliminating dead needles.

• Before you set up your tree, make a fresh, straight cut across the base of the trunk (about a quarter inch up from the original cut) and place the tree in a tree stand that holds a gallon of water or more. Although some people make angled cuts thinking it helps the tree absorb more water, this is not true. A thin, (1/4 in.) horizontal cut is best for stability.

• Some people have seen TV or newspaper advertisements for products that you add to the water in your tree stand. Others have oncocted their own mixtures, with ingredients such as sugar, bleach, 7-Up, syrup, or the ever-popular vodka. The best secret for keeping your tree fresh is water, water, water. It doesn't have to be distilled water or mineral water or anything like that, your tree will thrive in plain old tap water.

• A tree will absorb as much as a gallon of water or more in the first 24 hours and one or more quarts a day thereafter. A seal of dried sap will form over the cut stump in four to six hours if the water drops below the base of the tree, preventing the tree from absorbing water later when the tree stand is refilled. If a seal does form, another fresh cut will need to be made.

• While, the National Fire Protection Association has found that of all residential fires, real Christmas Trees are involved in less than 1/10 of one percent (0.1%), sensible precautions such as these will help preserve the unique beauty and tradition that only a real Christmas tree can provide. Always keep your tree away from heat and draft sources like fireplaces, radiators and television sets. Test your light cords and connections before hanging them on the tree to make sure they're in good working order. You don't want to use cords with cracked insulation or broken or empty sockets. Also, be sure to unplug the lights before you go to bed or leave the house and never overload electrical circuits.

• If a tree is properly cared for and watered, it should stay fresh to be enjoyed through New Year's Day. But before you throw out your tree, remember that they are biodegradable - the trunk and branches can be used as mulch for gardens, parks or in animal stalls. The mulch provides a protect barrier for the roots of other plants and vegetation while preventing weeds from growing. The mulch then decomposes, providing the nutrients plants need to thrive. Mulching programs are a fast-growing trend in communities throughout the nation. Check with your local department of public works for information.