The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-11

Yes, think we have about the FIRST and
only holly and mistletoe farm in the couu-
try. Or in the world. Tor that matter" The
speaker was Miss Lucy CarteIedre. the
elder Of the two young women who three
years ago began to raise holly and mistie-
toe for market
You ask how It began-the farm. you
mean? Why. it all started from my going
to New York to study art. My mother, who
is my only living parent. by many sac
raees. finally saved enough money for ma
TO make the venture. I did not achieve
much in the way Of art, but I learned
what big world of smart people this is
and how much l had to improve before
there was any chance Of setting It afirc
with my brilIiancy. Once convinced that
/ I had little or no artistic ability. I set
| about 10 find some way to earn a living
The high price paid for holly and mistle,oe
in New York city was one Of many reve-
latiOns. and On enquiry / found that the
/ prettiest pieces were brought over from
| England. This gave me an idea and I
wrote home about 1t to my sister. who is
1 a very practical person.
"She began at cnce to go over our five
hundred acres and cleared away the IN
derbrush around every holly tree and holly
| bush. In some instances. with those around
the house, she had gone SO far as to trim
/ away all the dead limbs and have the earth
/ about the roots enriched and spaded up
| For the preservation Of the mistletoe
| she cut off the muscadine and jessamine
/ vines climbing over every tree where there
| was a sprig Of it growing. She also declared
| her intention Of trying to plant the seeds in
/ the h0llOws and forks OF old oaks where
she saw chance OF its taking root and
! growing
During the next summer we had little
/ to do besides sit and wait for what the au-
| tumn would bring forth but this energetic
| sister Of mine was careful to see that no
harm came to the numerous little holly
trees which she discovered about the ROOFS
Of the large trees. She stated that she in
tended transplanting them in winter. and
for the first time we realized it might not
be such an easy matter to get a holly
farm as we anticipated.
Negroes are so superstitiOus that II is
almost impossible for a white person 70
keep up with the numerous queer things
they believe. When our old cook heard
us talking about transplanting young hOllys
Sle Was lOFIlntus anu LOlu Us II was tu5
worst kind Of luck, and that whoever did
it. the minute the bush grew and cast a
shadow large enough 20 cover their grave,
they would die. We found the supersti
ton quite general among the negroes, 50.
Of course. we realized at once that none
Of them could be depended on to plant our
holly grove. According to their advice, the
only way to obtain such trees was b. plac-
ing lot of berries on a stump near where
we wished the tree and allow the wind
to blow them. Only fancy what stupid
idea, Still. it was most serious to us. as
we were entirely dependent on them as la
borers.
However. our first harvest came before
transplanting time. As soon as the berries
were sufficiently grown to judge Of We
sent specimens on to several firms Ia
Washington and New York. Almost by re-
turn mail we received surprisingly large
orders. but at different prices. The best
came from the Washington firm which sup
plies the White House
at Christmas we found there were two
distinct grades OF holly. Branches gath
cred from trees around the house. whc1
had been trimmed and fortified. were
more beautiful than the others. The foliage
was richer and the berries larger. more
numerous, and very much more brilliant.
My sister fanCied the same Improvement
was to be observed in the mistletoe. but We
finally decided that the most beautiful
specimens of this We're taken from post
oak trees. And now. after three years eE-
perience. we still consider it a fact
"Our profits for the first year were
gratifying, and as soon as there was sufi-
cieut cold TO send the sap down into the
roots of the trees We began our trans
planting. But do you know my sister and
I we're compelled to do it with our own
hands. The negroes would dig the holes
and put in the fertilizer but when it
came to actually planting the little trees
we had to do tA3t ourselves We worked
early and late all during the months OF
January and February and managed to
set out ten acres Of holly.
This past season we cut out every
other one Of these young trees and sold
them as Christmas trees. They were well
shaped, had fine foliage, with large. rich
berries. so, Of course, they brought the
very best price.
For our mist1etoe we select old oak
trees, preferably post-Oaks, and insert well
ripened berries under the bark In the
fork or hollow. where they will have
chance to terminate and catch hold. Just
how old the plant has to be before it bears
berries We have not been able to decide
as yet.
This last season We added to our farm
products by shipping quantities Of bamboo
and Christmas berry vines. In the North
the bamboo is known as the Southern
smilax and makes a charming decoration.
we have no trouble in getting orders
for our goods and as our farm IS on
trunk line railroad shipment is easy We
first began by Grating; now We simply
pack the trees and branches in the rail-
road cars and they go straight through
to their destination