December 1907 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



241 



family. Such wreaths cost about fifty cents, 

 or twice as much as those that have only 

 one side presentable. 



The most precious kind of holly is the 

 English, because it is the original kind and 

 because both leaves and berries are brighter 

 colored. Only the people who live in or near 

 the big cities of the Atlantic coast can get it. 

 A little is sent over every year from England. 

 If you want some, you had better write 

 now to some knowing tnend (like the 

 Reader's Service Department) to order some 

 for you in advance. Many people are 

 cheated every year by street fakirs who 

 claim to have the real thing, when it is only 

 our common native holly. True English 

 holly is unmistakable, because the leaves 

 are deeper cut, the spines longer, the berries 

 brighter, and the leaves darker and shinier. 



One sprig of mistletoe is enough for most 

 people, because it is not pretty in itself. Our 

 Southern mistletoe is a very different plant 

 from the mistletoe of Europe. It does not 

 even belong to the same genus. The same 

 sort of deception is practised by the fakirs 

 in this case as in the case of holly. The 

 two kinds are here pictured side by side 

 and the differences are explained. 



Those big red bells of tissue paper that 

 fold up like a stocking have now become 

 almost a national institution. We must have 

 bells at Christmas and red is the merriest 

 color. There may be some people who 

 affect a mild scorn of these folding paper 

 bells, but can they think of anything better? 

 If so, a fortune awaits them. 



The universal material for roping is 

 ground pine, also called bouquet green or 

 club moss, and the most important fact about 

 it is that there are two grades of it. The first 

 is a good lively green; the second is dull and 

 yellowish. Be sure you get the best. Many 

 people believe that hemlock makes the 

 prettiest roping. It is darker, more resplen- 

 dent, looser and more graceful; ground pine 



"~T| 



American and English mistletoe. The latter has 

 larger but fewer berries, and longer leaves 



Outdoor decorations for the holidays at Rochester, 

 N. Y. These mountain laurel leaves lasted well 



The scarlet plume (Euphorbia jacquiniae flora of florists). 

 Best grown from cuttings in June 



is compact and formal. It takes longer to 

 make hemlock into ropes and is harder on the 

 fingers; also it begins to shed its needles in 

 two or three days. 



The most beautiful vine for covering 

 doorways and arches is Southern smilax — 

 not the greenhouse kind. For informal 

 grace nothing can beat it; it lasts a long 

 time; and it can be put up with less fuss than 

 anything else, as it requires practically no 

 arrangement. It comes in sprays six to 

 forty feet long. Order it now from your 

 local florist or write one of the men in the 

 South who gather it to send you a box. 

 Otherwise, you may not be able to get it 

 when you want it. 



The prettiest red-berried vine for Christ- 

 mas decoration is bittersweet, which you 

 can get from the woods. The best way is 

 to collect it in October before the leaves have 

 fallen and keep it in the cellar for Christmas. 

 Otherwise it will be leafless during the 

 holidays. Even if the leaves are shrivelled 

 they enhance the beauty of the berries. The 

 berries will be attractive for six months or 

 more in a hot room without water. 



The best loose material to put inside of 

 boxes that are to be sent by mail or express 

 is galax. Holly berries get crushed and 

 stain things. It is better to use the gummed 

 slips that have a colored picture of holly on 

 them. Galax leaves, both green and brown, 

 can now be had all the year round from the 

 local florist. The leaves will keep a year in a 



cool room, if the stems are kept in water and 

 clipped a little now and then. If you want 

 something different this year, put galax 

 leaves on the Christmas table. They 

 take up little room, and after using can 

 be put into the ice-box. In this wav they 

 can be saved to decorate many dinners. 

 Galax also makes a good wreath and is not 

 hard upon the fingers, as holly is. 



The cheapest way to decorate is to collect 

 native material, especially branches of ever- 

 greens. No practical way, so far as I know, 

 has been found of preventing them from shed- 

 ding their needles. Let me urge you not 

 to take any evergreens that do not belong to 

 you without the owner's approval. It is a 

 gross violation of the Christmas spirit to cut 

 down cultivated conifers on other people's 

 grounds. 



The best centrepiece for the Christmas 

 table is usually a flowering plant from the 

 florist. Some of the best are pictured here- 

 with. Others are described under " Red 

 Flowers for Christmas" on page 242. 



The best pot plant for room decoration 

 during the holiday, s is the Baby Rambler. 

 There are three reasons. It is a rose; it is 

 red; it will bloom nearly all the year round 

 in an ordinary dwelling house. 



The most interesting green spray for vases 

 is Leucothoe. It has evergreen leaves, set in 

 double array. Tell your florist now to get 

 and save half a dozen branches for you. 



Right now, while the matter is fresh in 

 mind I wart you to make a resolution for 

 next Christmas. The most remarkable dis- 

 covery in connection with Christmas decora- 

 tions that has been made in many years is a 

 very simple and easy way of saving autumn 

 leaves in all their gorgeous colors fcr Christ- 

 mas decoration. There is a full account of 

 it with colored illustrations by Mr. Dugmore 

 in the Christmas number of Country Life in 

 America for 1906. 



Home-grown freesias for Christmas bloom must !»* 

 started in July or early August 



