Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-06
YULETiDE MONEY-MAKER;
GREAT TRADE IN HOLLY
! Enterprise Tint brings MucI,
Christmas Cash 10 Town Of
West Point.

WEST POINT, VA, December o.
! about this season each year the holly
men are about, through the fields and
forests, hunting. cutting and shipping
the glossy leaves and scarlet berries
OF this greatest of all Christmas deco
rations THIS industry has grown with
the yenrs and continues to grow. The
holly Is shipped to the markets OF the
North and West and the Great North
west.
dr Even Quebec, in Canada. saua.,,ins
upon It's rocks high above the ST. Law
renee, allays the thirst for Christmas
furnishing. by swinging .wreatha and
from the banks of the Afattaponi, York
and Pamunkey Rivers, down, here In
old Virginia. where holly CLEANS no.
where so bright"
To be sure. not all Of the holly goes
from Virginia, but because OF it's near
ness TO the markets. and the fact that
virginia Is nearly the ncrthward limit
OF the range OF really good commercial
ways has. supplied to the Northern mar
kets, close to twice as much as any
other Southern Stale.
Last December il was seriously
feared there would be a scarcity of this
commodity, and there was reason for
tho fear. just think of the way the
trees are hacked by the careless. and
how wantonly the berries are scattered
Ihink how long tho forests of the
SOUTH 80. hay, have stood the drain TO supply
city populations. and how necessary II
is to the thousands. at Christmas to
have, II no more. just three leaves and
stuck in u hat band. II is true that the
experienced pickers rarely ever cut
down tree They claim. and often
Of Tho fear that holly would be scarce
weather conditions have caused the
of fine berries; and the vendors find
orders scarcer than the holly itself
For q week or two wagons loaded,
and boats coming UP these rivers have
shipped by steamer and rail. The re-
ceptacles are slight wooden boxes. two
!, forty to sixty pounds. Each car con-
ftains loo boxes The property owners
selling to tho gatherers and shippers
distant maTkets holly Srness from
per box down. The average season and
price. under right conditions of holly,
is 10 cents per pound.
This is altogether n scasonable crop.
for a day late or a wet spell does away
with all OF the prohts; Holly picked
turns yellow, and the berries shell off
and the article is worthless.
Last Saturday the boats began com
Ing to the dock at West Point soon af-
about 10 O'clock. eleven boats had
landed with their brilliant cargo. About
oOV boxes were shipped that day. TIL ere
have been shipments almost every day
since, but in smaller quantities.
While the season lasts there is n
great demand for small boys, and even
old men, In harvesting this cold-wca TIL
er crop. Anybody can be made use of
who can handle Ratchet. climb treo
or even walk around and break off
twigs and punches.
In the United States the principal
uses OF holly have heretofore been the
manufacture of inlay material OF the
wood, and, of course, Its decorative
uses at Christmas. Many thousands OF
of the wood. and also much of tho
mahogany woodwork on cheap. and
some high-priccd furniture is nothing
World uses of holly include the pro-
ductior of dye material from the leaves
and bird:limc from the burk, but as
yet neither of these industries has
been exploited In the South