126 Pof r -VHd Flowers 



"The annual - s is un in Tuolumne County," the 



Sonora Democrat says, "but by reason of the ruthless methods of gathering 

 of previous years the crop is small. The methods largely obtaining here 

 have been such that the bush has been almost entirely taken in the harvest, 

 and two or three years are required for it to again become productive." 



The following" dispatch was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle 

 from Livermore, California, December 6th : 



That the Toyon, the famous wild holly of California, is doomed to ex- 

 termination is the cry sent up by the people of Livermore. Vandals in care- 

 less search of clusters of the pretty red berries are destroying the trees and 

 hauling away their spoils in automobiles and trucks. That destruction of 

 these trees is general rather than local is disclosed by a statement from the 

 head of the California Wild Flower Conservation League in a report filed 

 with the trustees. 



At a meeting of the Supervisors in San Mateo County last 

 season, Supervisor William H. Brown of San Mateo quoted from a 

 Bulletin editorial and suggested that something be done to protect 

 the red berry trees of San Mateo County, which were being torn to 

 pieces by autoists. 



The owners of Hillsborough estates announce that the picking 

 of red berries will not be tolerated unless a permit from property 

 owners has first been obtained. The chief of the Hillsborough police 

 was instructed to arrest persons found picking the berries. For 

 several years, Mrs. W. H. Crocker permitted berry picking on the 

 Crocker estate, but instead of breaking or cutting off the small 

 branches containing the berries, the pickers often broke a limb a yard 

 or two long. Hence came the announcement of no more berry 

 picking. Ranchers in the Santa Clara hills have complained of tres- 

 passers who broke off and carried away whole bushes upon which 

 the berries grew. Trees are frequently badly damaged or ruined by 

 the breaking or splitting off of the main branches. It is no uncom- 

 mon sight on Sundays and holidays to meet a continual procession 

 of autoists returning to the city with their machines decorated or 

 piled high with large branches from these bushes. 



A Pleasanton, Calif., dispatch to the Oakland Tribune of Dec. 

 20, 1919, stated : 



There is considerable local feeling in connection with the way red berry 

 trees have been stripped this year by Bay City automobile parties and florist 

 shops. It is charged that they are not content with taking what they can 

 use, but must proceed to destroy the tree. Unless some precaution is taken 

 by the community, these berry trees will all be destroyed. 



The Press-Democrat, of Santa Rosa, stated : 



Thousands of wild holly berry bushes in Marin County and in the vicinity 

 of San Mateo highway have been destroyed by careless seekers of holly 

 berries to decorate their homes. Mt. Tamalpais is practically dnuded and 

 county authorities are now arresting all persons caught picking the berries. 

 The wanton destruction is also working a hardship on the birds, that depend 



upon these berries for food at this time of the year, it is claimed. 



i 



The Mill Valley Record took up the fight in earnest and pub- 

 lished many strong editorials on the subject. The following para- 

 graphs are quoted from an editorial appearing in that paper on 

 Dec. 20, 1919 : 



The campaign for the preservation of the red berry and other natural 

 ornamental shrubs is steadily growing in vigilance and extent. The man- 



