Evening journal., 1903-12-07
CHRISTMAS TREES
ARE ARRIVING
First Installment of Greens to
Decorate Homes Begin
ming to Come In
TREES COME FROM A DISTANCE
City Streets Will Soon be Converted
Into Sweet Smelling Wooded Ave-
nues-DOwn State People Adding to
Evergreen Supply.

The first of the Christmas trees to ar
rive IN this city came In on Saturday
nlgh.. Two carloads breathing the frag-
rance OF the pine and hemlocS forests Of
iho month. were the forerunners OF the
lnrge quaniities that Will soon convert che
city streets into av,nues OF trees mat
will make many houses bright and young
stors glad during the coming yulctide.
Wilmington usE I'm tho ncighborhooo
Of 5000 trees n ycur" said a prominent
dealer this morning. Tie continued:
"rhe size of tree most wautod in this
market IS from four 10 six feet high,
which can be used in tho average dwell
ing. Next come the trees from eight 20
twelve feet TAN, which are In demand
for church and other publlc entertain
ments, ana IN institutions where Christ
mas "a observed I'm something OF the old
upc splrie.
r1Wo varieties OF trees are used for
Christmas celebrations. First is the
spruce, ana there are numerous grados
OF spruces. The one most wanted is the
strong symmetrlcally formed tree. with
the lower limbs sweeping the ground
These trees grow ont On the open land.
generally on the north or west side OF "A
hin where the atlm winds huffet them ana
tho cold prevents rapid growth. Such a
spruce as that has limbs strong enough
to support whatever may be hung upon it.
and will sell in this market az s. 10 s..
A large tree Of this class viii bring up 10
s. sometimes. bun from s. 70 Sc IS the us,
uai price, depending upon demand and
Supply. Spruce which grow in tho woods
has not the beauuful color OF che open
Grown tree nor is % capable Of SUSTAIN
ing so much weight on its limbs. " gem
orally brings from so cents TO 81 less. on
all sizes.
1.-THE second choice with most people e
lhe haisam or fir as Il is more frequently
germed. The beautiful purple tone OF th,
leaves IS much admired, but d Is not ei
strong nor so popular as che spruce an,
prices are generally quoted less. Nam
lprefer them for private residences be
cnuse they are caster TO handle, and d
not shed th1lr leaves quite so quickly"
For Christmas trees 3 has become necei
sary TO go far. The hills Of Vermont an
I Maine furnish -ulse bulk 90 l'ha supply 9
spruccs. They sell for ] TO cents ear
on the stump. and dho contractor cuts cher
land pays for getting them an tha cars
Formerly thcy were shipped loose. rha
Is. the branches were not bound down
Now all the branches are bound viii
cords. This prevents breaking and en-
tables closer packing. Where formerly no
more than go or 800 could he packed IN
car as high as 500 are now carried in ni
lordlnlry box freight car. a good many a
trees are obtained among the hills o
lWeatera Massachusetts, and ,he lowlandl
among the Cafskll Mountains are fum
ishing other Quantities.
BY tho last Of this or the first OF noN
week the trees will begin TO be placed u
tho streets to be shown for sale. Fouril
and Tonth streets ore generuIly uhe place
where the trees are stored.
Some Of the buyers secure their tree
as soon as they are put on sale and stor
them IN their ccllars, but tho busiest tim
is on Christmas eve when SCORES Of mel
and boys ere kept busy making bargain
and more Geiieeriug the trees.
Business in Delaware.
Hundreds OF men are now engaged fl
lower Delaware. Maryland and Vir
gInia I'm the gathering Of holly ant
mistletoe from the marshes or coasi
and the business had turned the atten
teton OF Christmas dealers throughou
the country 10 this peninsula. In IN
neighborhood of Glendale all tn
townspeople and their country neigh
bors are engaged in the work Of gath
ering the green with the red berry. tn
women -are kept busy at their home
:. or IN some hail. making wreaths, an
they become so proficient I'm this wor
that any one OF them can turn ou
ornamental and symmetrical wreath
to the number Of 100 each day.
The snow has retarded the gatherin
u Of these holly leaves, holly berries am
;. red birch berries. The work Of gath
ering the green is very hard and trou
blesome and some OF the harvester'
rather than to submit to too much IN
convenience i'm climbing the trees AM
bushes, simply chop the whole thin
down and then gather the green by tn
? wholesale. This will so denude tn
swamps that the State may be asked 4
step in and protect the growth Of thi
= desirable green by quick legislation.