H ORTI CULTURE 



The Horticultural Rites of Christmas 



M;uiy of tlir iiio^t iliarming portions of the social fes- 

 tivities of Cliristinas have descended to us through tlie 

 ages from the old Eoman Saturnalia and the ancient 

 pagan worship of northern Europe. After Csesar had 

 reformed the calendar the eelehration 6f the rites of 

 Satuni took place in Eome on Decemhcr 17th. Other 

 festivities, sacred to Ops were added and finally the old 

 Komans made the season a whole week of rejoicing. 

 During the long festiva-1 no wars were declared and no 

 battle was fought. No punishment was inflicted; all 

 schools were closed. All distinctions of rank were 

 abolished and slaves sat at table with their masters. All 

 classes exchanged gifts and tuanv liamiuets were held. 

 It was customary to deck the hmiies in ancient Rome, 

 at this season, with every green plant that could be 

 obtained, and this delightful floral custom was very early 

 transferred to the Christian festival. 



But the wild frolics of the Saturnalia were liy no 

 means the only pagan custom taken up by the Christian;^ 

 in more northern climes. Many Scandinavian rites 

 were copied by the Christians long ago. The worship- 

 pers of the god Tlior used to celebrate the Feast of 

 Juul, at the Winter solstice, by building large bonfires. 

 From this festival eanie the early English custom of 

 bringing home the Yule log on Christmas eve. The 

 great block of wood was drawn with much ceremony 

 from the forest and every passer-by lifted his hat to 

 salute the harbinger of Christmas as it passed on its 

 way to the baronial hall. The very name of "Yule" was 

 transferred to the f'hri,-t mas-tide. 



The ancient Druids wi-iivliiiiprd (lie god Tiitanes, who 

 seems to have been much the same kind of a deity as the 

 Phcenecian god Baal — the sun-god. At the time of the 

 Winter solstice they went to the forests and with great 

 ceremony gathered the mistletoe which grew upon the 



f:iv<.i'it.' Ire,, of tlieir deity— the oak— and carried it to 

 their altars in Solemn jjrocession. The mistletoe of the 

 Cliristmas decorations is but a survival of this pagan 

 riistoin. Tlie nustletoe which the Druids gathered (and 

 which was cut with a golden knife by a priest clad in 

 white) was finally distributed among the people and by 

 them hung over their doors as an offering to the deities 

 of Spring during the season of frost and cold. The 

 kissing attached to it at present is a modern improvc- 



nt. 



SI ill another li.irtieult ural custom of ancient times is 

 found in the Cliristmas tree. In pagan times almost all 

 the northern vikings and semi-savages were tree-wor- 

 shippers. In Scandinavia the ash-tree Yggdrasil was 

 supposi'i! losiipporl lii'a\ en and earth. The vikings built 

 theii- (U\clliiii;>- aroiiiKJ this tree and hehl.it sacred in 

 evei-y way. lis branehes were supposed to extend over 

 the whole earlli, its top to reach heaven and its roots to 

 touch hell. Tlie three Fates, or jSTorns, were supposed 

 to sit under this tree and spin the threads of all human 

 destiny. Three springs watered the roots and the tree 

 was supposed to drop honey. Other equally extrava- 

 gant touches of tree-worship existed in pagan Germany. 

 And all this ti'ee-worship is now represented by the joy- 

 ous gathering around the Christmas-tree, a tree that 

 gives as much joy to the whole earth as Yggdrasil ever 

 did, while the furious license of the Saturnalia is 

 changed to a tranquil family joy, and the green decora- 

 tions to the sylvan deities have been transformed into 

 graceful garlands of Christmas flowers. 



A Few of Veitch^s Recent Introductions from Northern China 



Probably more good plants liave been introduced to 

 the horticultural world through the energy and enter- 

 prise of the Veitch family of nurserymen than by any 

 other commercial agency. It is also probable that never 

 more than at the present time has the firm such reason 

 for gratification for new achievement in this respect. 

 Mr. E. H. Wilson has recently returned from northern 

 China, after an absence of .six years, where he has been 

 employed by the Veitch firm as collector. During this 

 period he has forwarded an immense amount of material 

 in plants, seeds, and dried specimens. Mr. Harrow, 

 their manager at Coombs Wood, informed me that they 

 had about 2500 specimens of plants under observation 

 and trial as the result of Mr. Wilson's work in China. 

 Mr. Wilson is well equipped by ability and training for 

 such a mission as the one with which he was entrusted. 

 In view of this consideration, the promising field of oper- 

 ations, and the mass of material sent home, it is par- 

 donable if the hopes and expectations of the v(>t(>ran 



firm of nurserymen, as well as tliose of plant lovers 

 everywhere, are raised to a high pitch. 



I was privileged to see a good deal of the stock in 

 various slages of growth; in some cases seedlings and 

 small plants, unknown (except as dried specimens), 

 and fiom these to fair sized specimens in the show 



I liunir.llv noted a few wliieh 1 considered of unusual 



ril. as follows; 



Cela.-inis lali folia, very strong with fine and large 



Liliiim siilchunense, orange scarlet, black spot, very 

 ll.irife]oii>. alioiii tlii-ee feet high. This species had prc- 

 ■\ioiisly licen introduced into France by Vilmorin. 



1. ilium m\ riopliyllum, a fine thing with large crinum- 

 likr ll(iucr>. of a bluish white color with yellow throat, 



Coloneasti'r applanala, dense, evergreen, procumbent, 



l.'odgersia u'sculifolia and R. pinnata, nat. ord. Saxi- 

 frai^arne. foliaue plants for waterside iilantini;'. 



