The San Francisco call., 1897-12-19

the blue skies and cheerful sun
of California is so devoid of eli
matte hardship that we often
times relapse into a state of apathy
regarding preparation for the time
honored holiday season.
CaIifornia's forests TEEN with Christ
mas decorations in variety and of
beauty undreamed of in other parts of
the country.
The way was new, and pleasant, too,
BY stream and forest winding;
The sky was fair and everywhere
New pleasures We were finding.
Within a few miles of San Francisco,
on the hill and mountain sides of Mar
in. Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa
Clara Counties, christmas greens" are
TO he had for the gathering.
First comes the noble madrOne,
with its smooth chocolate brown
trunk and branches, magnolia like,
glossy leaves, and great pendant clus-
ters of coral berries the size of small
marbles. Well furnished branches of
the madrone are undoubtedly the most
elegant of all our native decorative ma
terials. Care should be exercised in
transporting the boughs, owing to the
brittleness of the tWigS, which snap
like pipe stems. \ cluster of the
branches, tied with a broad sea-green
ribbon, makes a beautiful and chaste
gift.
The red berry (Hetromoles arbuti-
fOlia), like the madrone, is peculiar to
sections of California. It is at once the
most brilliant, the hardest and most
productive Of all the robbery pro-
ducing shrubs, and is the envy and
despair OF Eastern hOrticulturists. The
hollies, none Of which are native to
California, are of slow growth, while
the red berry will recover from a Sc
we're cutting in a season. but the SYM
metry of the bushes should never be
destroyed by tearing off the branches,
as is often carelessly done.
In the neighborhoOd of Menlo Park
there are a number of magnificent ex-
amples that have attained the dignity
of trees thirty-five feet in height. The
clusters of the red berry are so large
that the foliage is insufficient for deco
rative purposes, so in the making of
wreathes and garlands they are COM
bined with the California holly"
This so-caued holly is in fact an
evergreen cherry (Cerasus illicifolius).
found in a restricted district along the
Quasi 1cll1SC' 1 4lC ACoi ' CS VI lIlIS CN cI -
green cherry are not quite so large nor
as stiff as those of the English or
American holly, but they are sharply
nOtChed, curled and Of brilliant, CLOS
sy green.
The fragrant bay tree, from the
leaves of which bay rum is manufac-
tured. can also be utilized. The
branches lend a touch of dignity to a
decoration, and a few of the leaves
crushed, will emit a pleasant, pungent
odor.
Manzanita branches, with their rich
reddish-brown bark and twisted stems,
can be used to give a fantastic touch
to more sombre evergreens.
The fat-leafed variety of our COM
mon live oak (Quercus agrifolia), fur
nishes the most elegant material for
wreaths. The sprays should be care
fully selected and the dark shining
leaves brushed with a cloth slightly
saturated with sweet oil, to remove the
dust
Mistletoe is to be had in unlimited
quantities-not the true English mistle-
toe (Viceum album), but a near rela-
tive (PhOradendron fiavescens). Mis-
tletoe is sometimes called the "robber
plant" on account Of its parasitic hab-
it. The seeds become fastened to the
boughs of trees, mostly through the
agency of birds; they germinate and
send their roots down under the bark
and live upon the sap of the tree Mis-
tletoe is a coarse, ungainly plant, and
is not pretty, except when covered with
its myriad pearly fruits. It's historical
associations, however, are such that it
will ever be affectionately regarded by
lads and lassies at Yule Tide The
plants viii be found almost entirely
upon oak trees. The young clusters
should be taken, as the old plants are
sticky and discoIored.
The long wavy oak moss which is so
plentiful is exceedingly pretty for fes-
toOning, giving a soft, fairy-like effect
and touch of age. This is a true
moss, and when closely examined will
reveal large beautiful leaves exquisite
ly threaded. The so-calIed Florida
moss" is not moss at all, but a Til
landsia, a relative of the pineapple.
strange as it may seem. If examined.
this moss will be found to consist of
numberless fully developed plants, with
flowers and seeds, all strung together
by strong vegetable threads
Many Of the nearby canons are lit
GIdlIy leIIl llUSQ.
Here dropping willows bend above
The slender feathery fern,
And its myriad tender trailing vines
With many graceful turn.
They are gathered by the wagonload
and sold very cheaply in the city on
festive occasions. The fronds of the
coarser variety often measure four to
five feet in length.
Christmas trees, which are furnished
very reasonably in San Francisco, are
supplied from the redwood forests of
the coast and the fir clad peaks of the
Sierras. Either very young trees or the
tops of saplings are cut for the pur-
pose. These trees are graceful, but are
not rigid enough for the purpose, so the
tying on of gifts has in measure to be
dispensed with.
In the making Of garlands redwood
and Monterey cypress branches are
used almost exclusively. These are an
excellent substitute for the red cedar
and hemlock of the East, the difference
scarcely being distinguishable The
garland and wreath trade of San Fran
&c IarOaIzr in the bonds - -.