morning, and importers have set up a purchase and pick-up system to avoid a repeat of last year's not-so-merry stampede.

Last December, more than 300 people crushed against a container with the last order of trees at St. Paul's Church in Paget, causing tempers to flare and prices to soar.

The Canadian pines were brought in by Serendipity owners Karen and Jamie Carswell, after Government was forced to destroy almost 2,000 trees found to be infested by a pine scale.

But this year the couple said they hoped a new purchasing system will prevent a repeat of the 1991 melee.

The Carswells said they would bring in 150 Balsam firs and more if demanded.

But because the deadline for adding to the shipment was this morning, those interested in purchasing Serendipity's trees are required to place their orders before 9 a.m. at the Reid Street store.

Customers will receive a numbered coupon after paying a set price.

The coupon must then be presented to staff at the tree-selling site on Monday afternoon when distribution is expected to begin. Christmas trees will not be handed over without a coupon.

Mrs. Carswell said the specially-grown firs, which range from six to nine feet in height, are worth the $68 price tag.

"They won't be the wild trees that look like sticks and have gaps between the branches,'' she said. "They are grown on Christmas tree farms and get pruned during the summer to give them shape.'' Agriculture and Fisheries reported the importation of more than 9,000 trees this year, even though permits were granted for 12,000.

Government's senior plant protection officer Mr. Kevin Monkman said 9,300 trees had been imported and released.

But another 40, brought in by two or three different suppliers, would be fumigated and shredded on the docks today.

Mr. Monkman said the trees would have to be destroyed for the same reason as last year.

But he said this year most of the Christmas tree shipments had passed inspection because two Agriculture Department pest experts flew out to Nova Scotia in November to inspect the trees.