The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-12

poorest must have a branch of the fir on
Christmas. and the rich decorate their
homes, their palaces of worship, and even
their stables, with them.
1t is interesting to know-since we of
bthe large cities see nothing of their growth,
where this great supply OF CheA}Anas
trees and Christmas evergreens come rom
1t used to be that Maine furnished 80 per
cent. of them, and for two months before
the holiday the woodmen were busy chop
ping and the farmers busy carting them
to the stations, where they were loaded
into cars and Sent west and south to he
sold to the dealers.
To-day Maine has rivals, and all the
northern border states deal in Christmas
trees. The woods that furnish spruce and
fir are sold on contract, and the jobber Wis
its them in October to "size them up" He
offers so much apiece for each tree as the
trees run-usually about SO per hundred
and he makes the money payable on re-
ceipt of the packages Of trees at the near
est railroad station On their arrival in
the city the jobber sells them to the whole
saIer getting about 81 per hundred for the
trees after which the wholesaler sells
them to the retailer at good profit, and
the retailer does his best to get big prices
from the housewife and her guild man.
The boughs of fir bring the highest
price, because of their symmetry and
grace After them come the sitter pine
and hemlock
This refers not only to the Christmas
tree, but to the Christmas greens. These
greens are for cutting into short lengths
and making into wreaths crosses, ropes
and letters. The coarser of the greens are
the scraps found in the bottom of the cars
when the trees are unpacl1ed. Then comes
a finer grade, which is cut from the trees,
ana finally there come special greens, fuf-
fly and furry, that are very high priced
The real Christmas green or rope staff'
is what is known as "club moss" It
grows mostly in Wisconsin, and it consists
of plumy sprays, delicate. graceful and
easily handled. This is ideal for decorat-
ing purposes, and are in greater demand
year after year. In certain parts of Wis
consin, the Indians get this moss and bring
il in loads to the buyers who pay them
81 per load. This seems a great sum to
them. and they earn not only their Christ
mas money, but enough over to keep them
in little luXuries all the year. Many of
them do nothing else for livelihood. The
CLUB moss is shipped to the cities and
sold for 81 per barrel. The buyers take it
to their lofts and set numbers of children
at work upon it. They give them wire
frames and cord and expect them TO turn
out the Christmas wreath, the Christ cross
and the Glory crown.
Christmas would not be Christmas with
out holly; and the growth Of it begins in
Delaware and extends south, becoming at
its hight in Georgia, whore holly some
times grows as high as sixty feet and is a
veritable tree. English holly is the prop.
er thing, but it is to be doubted if one
spray that is sold in the streets actually
comes from England. England cannot sup
ply her own holly, and We would be at
loss, indeed, were we to depend upon the
English supply, Holly is sent from Geor-
gia to Canada and the governor general
himself trims his mansion with English
holly from Georgia, U. S. A.