I need help in working this word problem out. I need help coming up with the answer because I have no idea what so ever of how to solve this.

850 douglas fir and ponderosa pines in a section of a forest brought by Watts Tree Company. Watts Trre Company paid $300 for each douglas fir and $225 for each ponderosa pines. If Watts Tree Copmany paid $217,500 for the trees, how many of each did Watts Tree Company purchased?

Let x be the number of Doug firs cut. the 850 - x pines were cut.
300 x + 225 (850-x) = 217,500
Solve that equation for x.
75 x = 217,500 - 180,000 = 36500
x = ?

To solve the word problem, you can follow these steps:

1. Let's assume the number of Douglas Firs cut as 'x'. Since the total number of trees was 850, the number of Ponderosa pines cut would be the difference between 850 and 'x', which is (850 - x).

2. The next step is to calculate the total cost of the Douglas Firs. Since each Douglas Fir costs $300, the total cost of 'x' Douglas Firs would be 300x.

3. Similarly, the total cost of the Ponderosa pines can be calculated by multiplying the number of Ponderosa pines ((850 - x)) by the cost per Ponderosa pine, which is $225. So, the total cost of the Ponderosa pines would be 225(850 - x).

4. The total cost of all the trees can be obtained by adding the cost of Douglas Firs and the cost of Ponderosa pines. Therefore, the equation can be written as:

300x + 225(850 - x) = 217,500

5. Now, you can solve the equation for 'x':

300x + 191,250 - 225x = 217,500

Rearranging the equation, we get:

-75x = 26,250

Divide both sides of the equation by -75 to solve for 'x':

x = -26,250 / -75 = 350

Therefore, 'x' is 350, representing the number of Douglas Firs cut.

6. To find the number of Ponderosa pines, subtract 'x' from the total number of trees:

Number of Ponderosa pines = 850 - 350 = 500

Hence, Watts Tree Company purchased 350 Douglas Firs and 500 Ponderosa pines.