It seems that over time from being cut to when you buy it the bottom dries and it isn't as apt to let the tree suck in water, so removing an inch or two helps. Unless you have a doofus use a really dull chainsaw and take so long to cut through it that he literally polishes the end with the new cut. I saw it coming (so to speak) but it was too late to stop him from 'helping' me with this service. I had to cut off more when I got home and it never did fit the stand properly that year. That poor tree dried out so fast it was scary. I barely kept it indoors for a week. I put it up a day or two before christmas and it's usually down well before New Year's Eve.