Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-18
USE OF EVERGREENS.
PEOPLE WANT THEM IN THE HOME
AT CHRISTMAS.
GETTING THEM A GREAT BUSINESS
Many Chrfstmas-Trees Used in Rich
mond and Other Cities-Hnnover
It-Under the MfstIetoe.

II is a characteristic of human kind 4
desire what they have not and to love
what they are not Men and women love
| reverses always-even reverses OF for
tune-if the preceding has been bad one
| 1t has been observed that men who have
taken advantage OF the permission OF ma
ture to be ugly have nearly always Sc
| cured pretty wives, and the converse
might be true also. IL any women at all
were plain. And every one knows that the
! perfume Of May rose Is all the sweeter
| when breathed upon the frosty air of
| December, and the balmy time OF June is
! never so grateful as one OF those dreamy
days Of Indian summer, which, like chill
dren lost in Vanity Fair, have strayed
| into dreamy November weather.
| So, too. at Christmas, when 1t 10 cold
outside, and everybody, even the old, well
| come the snow. we do not hang warm
and heavy curtains before our windows,
| close those windows. and make the whole
house dark. But a bright fire Is bulded
high upon the hearth, till one thinks OF
the August sun, the curtains are drawn
! aside, the room is fragrant with the
breath OF flowers, and festoons Of ever
greens hang from the walls. We laugh at
the cold outside, and live joyously IN the
warmth, amid the flowers and compari-
sons OF summer within.
| PEOPLE JUST WANT 1T so
There is no explanation OF this, save
only people want it. A child does not
stop TO reason why II wants a toy, or
something else that delights its palate or
its fancy, but wants it simply. so IL Is
with grown folks. They want summer
weather in winter, perhaps because they
can't get IL, and get as near IL at Christ
mas as they can. because they have an
excuse for Christmas is time to be
happy and 10 have all one wants.
So persistent Is this demand, than, for
evergTeens. that II has become a paying
and regular business of many people
about large cities TO gather them and
convey them TO the market places. where
they are sold at good profits. 1t is be-
come Of late years a great winter indus
try I'm Maine to harvest and ship fir-trees
TO New York and Boston. TO be used as
Christmas trees. Last year over million
trees and from 5000 TO 5000 worth OF
running vines were shipped from Maine
alone. Thousands of acres Of land in
Maine which. prior 20 this industry, were
valueless, so much so as to be exempt
even from taxation, are now perhaps tho
most profitable, and have greatly IN
creased the revenues OF the state. All
this came 10 pass about twenty-five years
ago. lust because several smart New
Workers were in Maine on n hunting trip.
and seeing the graceful fir and hemlock.
recognized what demand there would
be for them II they were In New York,
rather than on the bleak hillsideS or
Maine. and how many dollars were wait
ing for them If they were only transport
ed thither.
I II is estimated that 10000 Christmas
trees are used every year in New York
and the New England States Now, let
ting the price for these. which varies
from Is cents TO $. be averaged at y,
these lovers of evergreen trees in winter
time, or lovers, IL you choose, or sum
mers transplanted In winter, spend an
nually three millions Of dollars TO gratiiy
themselves.
RICHMOND ALSO INDUCES
Rut To come nearer home-Rchmond
herself INDUCES a great deal in Christ
mas decorating each year, as the Han
over Henrico, and Chesterfield truckers
well know.
II has been said. jokingly. that If asked
what he had brought to town for SALE
n Hanover trucker would say, fruit and
lumber" but II pinned down to what
fruit and what lumber. would at last ad-
NIT that It was "huckleberries and hoop
poles"
But this week he may bring his lumber,
If II consists of cedar with berries and
holly with berries, running" cedar. and
mistletoe. without a blush, and bringing
also his Christmas jug, having no fear
that his profits will not permit him to
leave Richmond with It full. however
possible il may be that they have swap
ned conditions before he reaches his fire.
side.
The fact is. that hundreds Of people in
and arouad Richmond engage every year
In this business of gathering evergreen.
The woods for a ten-mile radius are
stripped of nearly all they bear OF grace
ful holly and cedar of a convenient size
the deep and quiet hooks Of their trailing
cedar and the oak tops of their mistletoe
IT BEGAN LAST WEEK.
II began last week, and a great business
was done by these traders on Saturday
The Second Market Is the central place.
The first appearance OF Christmas here,
coming at the same time the toys and
tempting things take their places IN the
show windows on Broad street, are old
colored women bearing baskets OF
wreaths OF running cedar, handfuls of
holly twigs, and tiny punches of mistle-
toe. You are Invited by thsse poor,
shiyering creatures 10 pay cents for a
twig of the holly, 10 cents a wreath for
the cedar, and Is cents 8 bunch for the
mistletoe. But from now on until IL
o'clock next Saturday night, wagon and
carloads Of evergreens will continue to
come into the city. A rushing business
will be done.
The spruce pine is used in the North
for Christmas trees. but never here. where
there is an abundance Of holly and cedar,
which are much more desirable. A tree
laden with presents for the family or
Sunday school could net have grown
more suitable than a holly. Its branches
set out well for the presents to be tucked
half out OF sight, and the berries shine
like rubies in the glow of the tapers.
Ii is a very usual thing, indeed. to see
all during the holiday q holly or cedar
tree before an open window. still bearing
the trophies Of a good-feslins that comes |
10 nearly everybody at least once year. |
THEY RUN INTO THE THOUSANDS. |
1T can be safely estimated that 5000 hoi- |
les and oedars are used m Richmond and |
Manchester every Christmas for Christ. |
mas trees.
They sell anywhere from cents to a |
dollar. and now, putting the average at |
o cents perhaps little high. Richmond |
PEOPLE spend in Yuletide trees 1850. This
does not include tho considerable sum /
which goes for the vine cedar and the |
nistletoe, Of delightful tradition.
For decorating the walls the vine cedar.
Is II is sometimes called. seems to have
,een purposely grown. 1t keeps its fresh