Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10
Difficulties in Gathering
Forests Christmas Offering

A Ii. along the outskirts of the big
n market the darkies call their wares
- Christmas trees, garlandS OF
ground pine. Wreaths of holly. laurel, box
and hemlock, stacks of holly branches,
mistletoe and all kinds of bright-coored
berries-the forest annual offering OF
Christmas gladness. Inside the market,
too the florist, in his more pretentious
quarters, is selling christmas greens,
but in addition to the customary Iuletlde
decorations for sale outside he offers also
products of the far southern woods, such
as galaX leaves leucothoe sprays, wild
smilax and the handsome brushes of the
long-leaved pine.
This annual display of Christmas greens
represents weeks of labor. collecting in
the far-off woods, working in the cold,
and often in wet boys and swamps. Much
of the supply of greens for the Christmas
markets is gathered and sold by the col
ored people, or farmers families and 9TH
ers living near woods undertake the Work
of collecting, usually delivering their
stock to the country store, sometimes re-
ceiving cash for it, and sometimes taking
out it's value in provisions. The country
storekeeper in turn supplies commission
merchants and florists in the cities. Some
dealers employ regular corps Oh COL
.,
wanted 1t IS not easy now to gather
Christmas green's. as 1t was years ago.
The picking area has moved farther ana
farther away towns and cities en-
crOach upon the forest or the plants be-
come eXterminated on account of indis-
eliminate collection. Lycopodium, or
ground pine. for instance. Is generally
gathered roots and all. The slender and
flexible stems of this plant, running along
the ground to a great distance, send out
at
long rope of green the roots are pulled up
with it, Naturally. the same area VIII
have little or no lycopodum 10 snow the
following season, and the collector must
seek elsewhere.
The commercial supply of lycopodium,
ground pine. bouquet green or moss as
it is variously known IN dliterent sec
tons of the country, comes mostly from
Wisconsin and Minnesota and parts OF
New England. New York and Pennsyl-
vania. The finest quality Is gathered III
moist. shady locations in woods and near
swamps its chief use for decorative
purposes is for making garlands or ropes
and for twininS into Wreaths'
AS the holiday season approaches, the
produce commission houses OF larse c!ties
are busy centers great stacks or boxes
of holly and other green's arriving daily
The best stock of what Is known as
eastern holly is said to come from Della
ware and Maryland. Often the output
and quality of holly will be much in
terfered with by snowy or rainy weather,
the finest berried holly being usually
found in moist or swampy places II
there has been rain or snow these loca-
tons become practically lnaccessible' so
that recourse must be had TO the molly
growing on higher ground, of which the
leaves generally are not so brisht and
the berries not so plump and plentiful.
Few people think when paying out a
good price for sprig of mistletoe dur
ing the holiday season that this interest
ing adjunct to Christmas festivities is a
great nuisance, a veritable pest, in the