The Washington times., 1905-12-23

HOLLY NOT AS PRETTY
THIS YEAR, SAYSDEALER

That nearly one million holly trees
will be stripped of their foliage and
berries 10 supply the demand for Christ
mas decorations in Washington this
season. is the opinion OF a large whole
sale dealer who sells such green stuff by
the carload.
This enormous amount" he says,
will not begin 70 furnish enough holi-
day ornamentation for all the uses it
is put to. and 1t viii be necessary to
have about third as much more laurel.
cedar and standing pine branches to
hll the orders. that at this early date
are larger than ever before
''Out of these millions of branches os
holly there will be made at least 5000 900
wreaths Of various sizes for decorations
in homes. offices, churches and institU-
tions. besides the figures of stars.
crosses. bells. anchors. horseshoe. ropes
for festoons and the pieces used singly.
Though this seems to be an unusually
large quantity for one holiday it is not
overestimated when we stop TO think
that on Christmas there Is a bit of holly,
or a sDrig of cedar in every home in
this city, no matter how poor the family,
for without some kind OF green decora-
ton The day seems to have none of the
real atmosphere. Unfortunately for
those who haven't much money to spend
on wreaths and ropes of laurel, all these
green decorations will be higher by 20
per cent than they We're last year. This
is the direct result of bad weather last
spring when the holly trees We're blight
ed, making the output of branches and
berries light. This scarcity OF holly has
forced a large supply of cedar, laurel,
etc, on the market and as this kind of
i l. IL, f,r1 hos IN
creased in price with holly. Wreaths
that were sold for 10 and 12 cents at
last Yuletide will bring from 10 10 20
cents this season. and when made of
the best Virginia branches will retail
for 80 cents or more. Despite this ad-
vance in prices the holly this winter will
not be as desirable as that of last sea-
son or the year previous. for the berries,
the most valuable part for ornamental
ton, are in sparse clusters, badly de-
veloped. and instead of being bright
rich red, that makes such splendid
contrast to the glistening green leaves.
they are a kind of yellowish pink and
markedly undersized. condition due
wholly TO the bad weather The leaves
are the redeeming feature, for though
they are small in comparison TO those
that have been grown in this country
they are perfectly formed and are
clear deep green with particularly
good gloss
THE best holly comes from Virginia,
as usual. although this is far below the
standard of excellence for that State;
bud it will bring the highest prices. and
from TO cents more than that grown
in North Carolina. Delaware, Maryland
and New Jersey.
Holly and other green goods for use
on Christmas Day are now arriving in
the city. and from now on they will be
fresh for the Christmas decoration.
Wreaths bought earlier in the month Will
hardly be fresh-looking for the holidays.
and as the attractiyeness of this kind of
ornamentatton depends entirely upon the
crisp greenness. no attempt should be
made to preserve the branches longer
than fifteen days. In buying holly, a
woman should be particular to select no
wreath, branch, or rope with yellow
leaves and faded or shriveled berries
for when they have this appearance, It
is sure sign of age. The leaves should
sign Of decay. but in desirable branches
they are shiny and glistening and the
berries should be a bright glossy. red,
round, and fully matured. Wreaths
made of such branches should last from
twenty to thirty days before they be-
gin TO look dull and faded
"A word about caring for this kind
Of decoration might help to keep it
looking fresh for, / might say. an in
definite period To begin with, IT should
not be hung directly in the sun nor over
a heater Of any kind. and II possible
should be kept in a moderately cool
place Then ] think IL should be care
fully busted each day with a soft silk
or linen handkerchief to prevent the
dust from settling in the pores OF the
leaves and from sticking 10 the berries
and deadening their brightness 1t
should not be hung where the wind can
blow around, for the leaves are exceed
tngly brittle. and the older they get the
quicker they are broken by a slight
jostle or touch, while the berries on
old branches must be handled delicate-
ly, for they sometimes seem to roll off
If person breathes hard on them"