The Van Buren press., 1893-10-28
LOOK TOWARD CHRISTMAS.
Treasures the Summer Fields Will Ylel
for the Winters Holiday.

Treasures the Summer Fields VIII Yield
for the Winters Holiday.
Every home maker knows that II
adds greatly to the holiday festivities
to have the table and house handsome
ly decorated with flowers, green things.
and the like, and, the most of Us know,
too, that when we are allied with
Christmas enthusiasm our generosity il
sure to be larger than our purse, and
II we have only the latter resource.
decorations, are pretty sure to give
way to the more important needs.
Why not turn ovor new leaf this
year and practice the virtue Of fore
thought? II You are in the country. or
live where you can make an occasional
excursion into 1t, there il scarcely
fence corner that will not yield some.
thing to your collection. Not trash,
either, that will make your rooms look
like cheap bazar or children's play
house, but materials which, artistically
arranged over background of hand
some evergreen (which, OF course, must
be had fresh at Chrlstmss), will mako
them indeed charming.
It is almost too late to gather ripe
grains, but there arc many grasses and
weeds that have beautiful seed heads,
and II these are gathered and dried by
trying them in small clustera. heads
downward, in dark closet, they can
be effectively utilized for any number
of different decorations. But, remem,
ber. artistic effects are only possible
when they are used in the natural
state, and that alum crystals, dyes and
paint make them cheap, gaudy sbomi-
nations. To add bright touches al
color, gather generous supply Of the
gorgeous rcd-and=yellow fruit Of the
bitter-sweet vine, sweetbricr seed vea.
sells, dogwood, mountain ash, winter.
green and asparagus berricA Besides
these you Should have thistles and
milkweed seed pods for pompons; cat
tails, ferns and mosses; pine, hemlock
and other cones; acorns, chestnuts,
walnuts and butternuts, gathered
green on branches, as well ~ fully
ripe; sumach and all sorts of bright
hued autumn leaves, and, daintier than
7,
trailing vines Of wild clematis Vases,
photograph frames, card baskets, boxes
and many other articles can be pretti-
ly decorated with grey lichens from
old fence boards and rails. The cyme
Of the elderberry, from which the
ripened berries have fallen, is beauti-
full in form and rich in color.
T. c1,<.,< ,v,1,ov <rnn ,,~.s - {-A--
ested in the subject, there is almost NO
end to the treasures you will find. But
do not be content with dried or other
wise preserved specimens Carry home
some fern roots and enough soil to pot
them in. Put in potsherds or charcoal
for drainage, press the soil close around
the roots, then set the pots in . dark
corner of the cellar until the middle Of
October, watering once week. At
that time bring them into cool room
set them by north window, keep
damp, but not wet, until growth starts,
then give more water and low tenn
perature, and at Christmas you should
have thrifty, handsome plants for dec
orative purposes. But whether you
can obtain any or all of the materials
mentioned above you surely can ex-
pend dollar OF two In winter flower
ing bulbs, as hyacinths, tulips, freesiaa
polyanthus narcissuses, Chinese New
Years lilies (Narcissus Orientalis,)
etc, and by planting them properly
both as to time and manner you may
have proffsion of fragrant blossoms
for table and other decorative purposes.
IN. Y. TimeA