CKristmas Greens MaKe CKristmas Merry 



WHAT is Christmas without Christ- 

 mas greens? Half the sentiment 

 and the charm of the festive 

 season is associated with the use of greens 

 in the home. They contribute more 

 than all else to make Christmas a time 

 of good cheer. 



The mistletoe, as a Christmas decora- 

 tion, seems to be indispensable. In the 



Under the Mistletoe 



'Hang up Love's Mistletoe over the earth 



And let us kiss under it all the year round; 

 Hail it with joy in our yule-lighted mirth. 

 But let it not fade with the festival sound." 



past it has been associated with many 

 superstitions and highly extolled for its 

 medicinal purposes. Legends of Scan- 

 dinavia associate the mistletoe with 

 Freya, the goddess of love and beauty. 

 From this sentimental association arose 

 the custom of suspending the mistletoe in 

 halls and drawing-rooms with the priv- 

 ilege that custom confers. Even to 

 the present day the idea of a kiss under 

 the mistletoe bough has not lost its 

 ancient mystic meaning as a glance at 

 the scene on this page readily shows. 

 Let us not forget the custom. 



From whence comes the mistletoe? 

 It grows as a parasite on trees, prefer- 

 ably the apple. The American mistletoe 

 is found from New Jersey to Florida, and 

 is shipped to northern parts during the 

 holiday season. The eastern cities of 

 Canada and the United States use small 

 quantities of mistletoe, brought over 

 from England and France. It is liable 

 to injury from frost, but being more 

 showy, and having larger berries than 

 the American sort, it has greater decor- 

 ative value. 



Another important Christmas green is 

 Ilex, or holly, of which there are many 

 species and varieties, comprising both 

 deciduous and evergreen shrubs with 



many colors of fruit. The common 

 American holly is found in dry and 

 barren fields from Maine to Florida. It 

 differs from the English holly in many 

 respects. It is hardier but less hand- 

 some, leaves are more oval and not so 

 waved and crinkled ; fruit, a dull, deep 

 scarlet, and usually solitary; while in the 

 Old Country holly the berries are bright 

 and shiny, and occur in clusters. Eng- 

 lish holly is imported into Canada 

 occasionally, but seldom with commer- 

 cial satisfaction. In this country we 

 have no true native holly, but a closely 

 allied species is the winterberry, found 

 in our swamps and low grounds. 



Lycopodium (also known as ground 

 pine or club moss) is one of the oldest 

 and most common of our decorative 

 materials. The best of this is found in 

 moist woods and rough, spongy swamps. 

 It is found in drier situations also, but 

 of a lighter and yellowish color. Selag- 

 inella is sometimes mistaken for lyco- 

 podium, but, as the latter is identified 

 by the coniferous habit and the single 

 form of its capsules, they can readily be 

 distinguished. 



The leucothoe, or "branch ivy," is 

 coming rapidly into favor as an artistic 

 bit of greenery. For grace and elegance 

 it is unsurpassed. For making up de- 

 signs, sprays of leucothoe are often used 

 in connection with galax leaves. Its 

 native haunts are the moist ravines 

 of the southern states, but some of the 

 hardier species are grown in Massa- 

 chusetts and western New York. 



The pretty little galax, or "colt's 

 foot," with its rich-hued leaves, tinged 

 with shades of red and bronze, is an- 



ful wreaths, crosses, and other designs 

 for holiday purposes. In spring they 

 are used for bunching violets and may- 

 flowers. They are gathered in the 

 mountains from North Carolina to 

 Georgia, and are shipped in large quan- 

 tities to the cities and towns of the 

 north. 



Another highly-prized green is the 

 wild smilax that comes from Alabama 

 and Georgia. Like the mistletoe, it 

 requires a little attention to prevent 

 injury from frost. When used for 

 decorating, its luxurious festoons are 

 charmingly free and striking. Besides 

 this and some of those already mention- 

 ed, the south contributes palm leaves, 

 dagger ferns, magnolia branches, and 

 Florida moss, with individual character- 

 istics, peculiar in themselves, which are 

 effective for special purposes. 



The north also contributes its share 

 of Christmas greens in hardy ferns, 

 needle pines, hemlock clippings, and 

 many others. Clippings of cedar, hem- 

 lock, and yew, for roping and massing 

 in large churches and halls, are used 

 with effect and economy. Our common 

 hardy ferns gathered from the woods 

 give strength, when well arranged, to 

 any plan of Christmas adornment. For 

 the sake of contrast and variety, branches 

 from some of our hardy decorative 

 shrubs may be used. For this purpose, 

 the bright scarlet berries of the burning- 

 bush are particularly desirable. 



One of the most appreciated of all 

 the Christmas greens is the Christmas 

 tree, as it plays the most conspicuous 

 part in the all-pervading fun and frolic 

 of the occasion. A favorite Christmas 



Galax Leaves are Excellent for Christmas Decorations 



other recent decorative introduction. 

 Galax leaves have largely displaced the 

 English ivy, as it furnishes long, wiry 

 stems, is less expensive, and is easier 

 handled and kept. They make beauti- 



tree is the balsam fir. Certain types 

 of spruce and other conifers also are 

 in demand. The fir is favored for its 

 pyramidal shape. When young it is 

 very striking and pretty, with its 



