Many folks wait till just before Christmas to buy a Christmas tree. Whatever your reason for waiting until the last minute, there are things you should know so as to purchase the freshest tree possible. You'll want a tree that'll stay green and safe for days to come. First stand the tree upright and give it the "scratch-thump-and-bend test." Reach in and scrape the trunk hard. The bark should be moist and green underneath. Then lift the tree and thump it down hard. If there's a shower of needles, it's too dry. Then bend a branch way over. If it snaps, again it's too dry, and won't last long. Many trees are cut four to eight weeks before you see them, and by that point are fire hazards. And that's the On The House tip for today.