538 



HOETICULTURE 



December 20, 1919 



RAMBLING OBSERVATIONS OF 

 A ROVING GARDENER 



It is evident thai very tree use is to 

 be made this holiday season of greens 

 from the woods as well as the various 

 colored fruits borne by native shrubs 

 and trees. A great amount of this ma- 

 terial is 'being displayed by the Bor 

 ists, but it often happens that the 

 gardener can obtain all that is needed 

 for house decoration by making a little 

 trip into the country- Judging from 

 appearances the fall fruiting shrubs 

 and other plants hare seldom borne 

 so abundantly as this season. The 

 only exception seems to be in the case 

 of the partridge berry, which is re- 

 ported not so abundant as in some re- 

 cent years. 



The supply of decorative material is 



much larger than is commonly real- 

 ized. Naturally the holly is foremost 

 in popularity and the crop of berries 

 this year seems to be a generous one, 

 v.Im rever the holly grows. While the 

 American holly is somewhat inferior 

 to its English cousin in the luster of 

 its leaves, it is nevertheless a very 

 decorative plant. Sometimes the fact 

 is overlooked that there are both male 

 and female trees. Some tree 

 bear fruit and others remain barren 

 unless located in a group where the 

 blossoms can be fertilized. As nat- 

 urally found the holly grows in groups 

 and even a few trees will supply all 

 the decorative material needed for 

 many years, if care is taken in remov- 



ing the branches. All too often they 

 are ruthlessly broken down, the fact 

 being overlooked that the holly is a 

 very slow growing tree. 



Seldom has so large a supply of the 

 red berries, or alder berries, Ilex 

 verticillata, been seen in the stores as 

 this season. The berries will not last 

 much longer, and do not keep very 

 long in the house, but for a brief time 

 they make a fine display. Many peo- 

 ple this year are using them in their 

 window boxes in connection with 

 evergreens, thus giving the house a 

 cheerful note of color. 



Another excellent berry to use in 

 this way. and one which is also highly 

 decorative when properly displayed in 

 a trase or howl indoors is Myrica ceri- 

 fera. the bayberry, wax berry or 

 candle berry, to use the various names 

 given it It is a plant which grows 

 mostly along the coast and as its 

 name implies has long been used for 

 making candles. In the South it is 



Buddleia Aslntloa 



