Evening journal., 1896-12-11
FASHIONS IN TREES.
How the Festive Christmas
Greens Are Obtained.
CHEERFUL HOLLY A FAvoRITE
IN A SHORT TIME VARIOUS PARTS
OF THE CITY WILL BE TURNED
INTO MINIATURE FORESTS.
OUTLOOK THIS SEASON.

In few days Christmas trees and
greens will be arriving. and then GER
tain portions of the city Will be trans
formed into miniature Winter forests
There are fashions in Christmas trees.
as well as anything else and the fash
ion varies In the different cities. Phil
adolphia likes big Christmas trees-in
fact, all it can get for It's money New
York likes rather small-sized trees
possibly because the greater part OF its
people are housed I'm flats. Wilmington
likes the medium-sized and small trees,
because they are prettier and can be
trimmed to better advantage.
The tree most I'm favor is the fra
grant and serviceable balsam frs. Oc-
casionally the spruce and cedar are 10
be seen, in most instances in the lower
part of the state.
WHERE THEY COME FROM.
BY far the finest and largest proper
ton of the trees come from Maine,
though many are sent from the north
ern part Of Pennsylvania and Massa-
chusetts. The principal shipping points
In Maine are Portland Biddeford, Hol-
lis Centre. North JOY and West Kenne-
bunk Scores of gondola cars are being
loaded at those points with the beauti-
ful green frs that In a short time will
gladden. the hearts of both children
and the older folks.
HOW THEY ARE SECURED.
It is interesting to know how these
trees are secured. The large wholesale
dealers make their arrangements early
for gathering their supply. Many OF
them buy the growing trees from farm
ers, purchasing the whole "stumpage,
as 1t is called. of from thirty TO fifty
acres, paying so much an acre. accord
ing TO the age and size Of the trees.
They begin to cut them as early as the
/ let Of November and when they are
/ all cut. each tree is taken separately
and the branches securely tied with
/ twine close to the trunk. They are af-
| terward placed in heaps. ready for re-
moval to the nearest railway station.
! If the weather be good, the work Is
usually completed by the end Of the
month.
TREES ARE CAREFULLY PACKED
A great deal Of skin Is employed in
/ packing the trees 50 as TO insure them
against damage during transit and by
being handled Several men are usu-
ally employed. each one having his par
ticular work. so that there Is little
time wasted One mans duty Is TO
operate large leather straps, which he
draws tightly round the branches; a
second one fastens them i'm place close
to the trunk with heavy twine. An
ether meanwhile saws off the Jagged
stump left by the axe and a fourth
man packs the trees according to their
size. Finally. when this work is done.
the farmers are paid so much q load to
take the trees TO the nearest railroad
station, where they are packed in gon-
dola cars.
These cars hold as many as 600 Of
the large trees, and many more OF the
small-sized ones. Stout upright posts
are wedged In sockets at the sides Of
the cars, and the trees are laid fiat and
lengthwise to a height OF twelve feet
or more, when the uprights are tightly
braced at the top with cross pieces, so
that the effect is one mass Of green fir
The freight charges on car are from
$40 to S75. and the total cost Of a car
load is about $500 or more.
II is likely that trees will be cheaper
this year than last A gOod-sized tree
can be obtained as low as 81, and for
larger ones the cost will run up to 81.
according 10 size.
THE ACCOMPANYING EVER
GREENS.
Then there are the accompanying
evergreens. OF recent years a consid-
erablc trade has been developed on this
Peninsula especially in Tablet Dor
chester and Caroline counties, Mary
land, and the two lower counties of this
state OF these. the holly and the run
ming cedar are the favorites. Only the
young and light boughs of the holly
are cut. and they must be well-covered
with their bright red berries to be sala-
BILE A great deal OF attention is paid
to the packing. which must be done so
that the rich green leaves will not be
crushed nor broken in handling, nor
the berries be shattered
The holly branches are carefully put
together by hand-often in wreaths,
then securely wrapped in burlap OF
bagging material. The cedar is much
more easily broken.
There are quantities Of holly trees
close to the Choptank river and its
tributaries in Dorchester county, and
the crop of berries is said to be very
luyuriant This wear