260 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 26, 1891. 
CHRISTMAS AND 
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. 
All sorts and conditions of men hail with delight 
the approach of the festival of Christmas. To the 
poorest and most wretched, it seems to be a season 
of hope, if not of realisation. It is a period of the 
year which has the promise of happiness, and to the 
young it is a time which brings with it some of the 
most pleasing recollections of their lives; and it is 
also a time calculated to make a deep and lasting 
impression on the young mind. It is the one great 
festival of the year ; a time of feasting, rejoicing, and 
merriment, when houses and churches are decked 
with evergreen, a practice which originally signified a 
time of gladness, and when we look at the bright 
berried Holly, the Laurel, Mistleto — green and 
flourishing in the depth of winter, when the lives of 
other plants have become suspended or died out—- 
some evergreen appears to be a natural emblem 
indeed. 
In a curious tract, published about two centuries 
ago, is the following passage : “ The rooms were 
embowered with Holly, Ivy, Cypress, Bay-laurel, 
Mistleto, and a bouncing Christmas log in the 
chimney." The poet Gay, who lived over 250 years 
ago, made allusion to the subject: — 
“ When Rosemary and Bays, the poet’s crown, 
Are bawled in frequent cries through all the town, 
Then judge the festival of Christmas near,—- 
Christmas, the joyous period of the year, 
Now with bright Holly all the temples strew ; 
With Laurel green and sacred Mistleto.” 
One can quite understand how it was Gay 
alluded to the Mistleto as sacred, for the old ideas of 
the ancients had descended to Gay's times; in 
Druidic times, the Mistleto was regarded as a divine 
gift of peculiar sanctity, only to be gathered with 
befitting ceremonies on the sixth day, or at latest 
on the sixth night, of the sixth moon after the 
winter solstice, when their year commenced. The 
Druids held nothing to be more sacred than the 
Mistleto, and whenever Mistleto was found upon 
the Oak they believed it was sent from Heaven, and 
as a sign by God himself as having chosen that 
tree. 
In an old poem on Christmas, published a century 
ago, appears the following passage : — 
“ From every hedge is plucked by eager hands 
The Holly branch with prickly leaves replete, 
And fraught with berries of a crimson hue ; 
Which, torn asunder from its parent trunk, 
Is straightway taken to the neighbouring towns, 
Where windows, mantels, candlesticks, and shelves, 
Quarts, pints, decanters, pipkins, basins, jugs, 
And other articles of household ware, 
The verdant garb confess." 
Stow, in his Survey of London, says that against the 
feast of Christmas, every man's house, as also 
their parish churches, were decked with Holly, Ivy, 
Bays, and whatsoever the season of the year 
afforded to be green. The conduits and standards 
in the streets were also garnished in the same 
manner. 
The waits, which, at this time of the year with 
their merry music make glad (or discordant) the 
stilly night, it had been presumed meant watchers, 
who were not merely night guards, to tell the hours 
of the night or state of the weather, but minstrels of 
the King’s court who paraded the streets to prevent 
depredations. The Christmas minstrels were 
honoured with the name of the royal watchers. 
They, too, were called .waits. The word wait is 
common to all Teutonic languages — to the German, 
Dutch, Danish, Swedish, &c., and is the same as 
the Anglo-Saxon Weccan, to wake, and Waccian, to 
watch. At a later period the term waits was 
restricted to the bands of minstrels kept in London 
and other large cities ; and mention was frequently 
made of them in the pageants of the times. 
_ The history of Christmas carols appears to have 
succeeded those of-the waits. Carol signifies a song 
of joy. They were not always of the religious 
character they have assumed in our time, but often 
sadly ludicrous and blasphemous, and formed the 
festal songs of Christmas. The carols, which are 
now chanted in the streets by a few boys — too often, 
as far as the scholars in our elementary schools are 
concerned, with an utter absence of harmony—were 
formerly sung in palaces by men of the highest 
dignity. Leland mentions tjnat when Henry VIII. 
kept his court at Greenwich, the dean and royal 
chaplains sang him a carol after the first course. 
On Christmas Eve, as soon as it was dark, candles 
of an uncommon size, such as we are now ac¬ 
customed to see in shops at this season of the year, 
were lighted up. The same thing was done on 
Christmas day in honour of the Orient, or “ Sun of 
Justice." With these candles was associated the 
Yule log or Christmas block, which was laid upon 
the fire to illuminate the house and, as it were, to 
turn night into day. Flowers were held in high 
veneration during the festive season, the favourites 
of which were the Rosemary, the Bay, the Holly, 
the Laurel, and the Mistleto, because, green and 
enduring, they formed a striking contrast with the 
appearance of Nature at that time of the year. 
Mumming is an old Christmas custom now fast 
dying out. Originally it consisted in changing 
clothes between men and women, and when dressed 
in this way going from one neighbour’s house to 
another partaking of Christmas cheer, and making 
merry in disguise. In Oxfordshire mumming or 
mummers is said to be still common. Some wear 
masks, others dress themselves up with hay-bands 
tied round the arms and bodies, and black their 
faces. In Yorkshire the mummers dress themselves 
in elegant clothing at Christmas time in the villages, 
but seldom colour their faces, except with a little 
red to heighten the colour on the cheeks. 
Christmas presents is an old practice, and in the 
old times chiefly took the form of presents to their 
children. To these gifts a rod was frequently aided, 
that they might be more easily governed, by the 
prospect of conviction in the event of their doing 
wrong. 
Christmas sports are various also, but they assume 
less importance year by year, and the festival is now 
important as furnishing an occasion when the mem¬ 
bers of a family gather under the roof tree and unite 
in celebrating the annual recurrence of so inspiring 
a season. 
Does the Cadenham Oak still exist ? An Oak tree 
in the village of Cadenham, near to Lyndhurst in 
the New Forest, which had the reputation of always 
budding on the moving of old Christmas day, and 
that day alone. The reason why no leaves were seen 
after old Christmas day was that large parties used 
to assemble every year round the Oak on that 
morning, and regularly strip from it every appear¬ 
ance of leaf, and carry them away as memorials of 
its extraordinary precocity. 
The Glastonbury Thorn which flowers at Christmas 
or very early in the new year, is another case. I have 
had trees sent me from Glastonbury in December 
budding, and which expanded their flowers quite 
early in January, but after being planted for a year 
or two lost this precocity.— R. D. 
CHRISTMAS FLOWERS 
AND FRUITS AT COVENT 
GARDEN. 
One Christmas is very much like another, and, pro¬ 
vided always we had the much-talked-of and seasonable 
fail of snow, the similarity would be more complete. 
Even amongst fruits and flowers there is great con¬ 
servatism, so that when our earth has made another 
revolution round the sun, Christmas arrives again 
with much the same flowers and fruits in greater or 
less quantity and fineness. In the case of fruits we 
are guided very much by what is in season, and to 
some extent that holds good with the flowers, but a 
large proportion of them are urged into growth and 
bloom by artificial means in order to meet a demand. 
Here again the grower is guided by the public taste, 
and cultivates only the few plants most in request ; 
and herein lies the conservatism amongst flowers and 
fruits. 
Flowers. 
White flowers enjoy a most extensive popularity 
at all seasons but more particularly in winter. The 
kinds grown to meet the public demand may be had 
long before Christmas, and often many weeks after¬ 
wards ; indeed, many subjects give the impression of 
being perpetually in flower from one year’s end to 
the other. Amongst these are Eucharis, white 
Camellias, Richardias or Trumpet Lilies, white 
Bouvardias, Lilium longiflorum eximium, best known 
as L. Harrissi, Tuberoses, white Azaleas, Roses, &c., 
Lily of the Valley, white Lilac, white Cyclamens, 
paper white Narcissus, Roman Hyacinths, and 
Fneesjas refracta alba, enjoy a season of many 
months' durat'on. For the supply of Freesias we are 
indebted to the fruit growers of Jersey and Guernsey, 
who plant the tubers very extensively on the borders 
of their early vineries, and so obtain the bloom in 
enorixlous quantity. Chrysanthemums, the queen of 
autumn flowers, may still be had in great abundance, 
and amongst white kinds none appear to be more 
plentiful than Lady Selbome and Ethel. Lady 
Lawrence, when grown for cut flowers, has a bold 
and telling appearance on account of the breadth and 
bold character of its florets. The above will give a 
fair idea of the kinds of white flowers sold singly, 
made into bunches or extensively employed in 
wreath-making, not only in Covent Garden, but also 
in the florists’ windows, whether large or small. 
Coloured flowers are less plentiful at this 
season than in summer, when in better accord 
with the weather. None are brighter perhaps at 
present than Poinsettias, with their gorgeous 
bracts, and Euphorbia fulgens. Yellow, pink, 
and salmon tinted Tea and Noisette Roses are most 
held in esteem. Less often do we see red ones 
at this festive season. They are perhaps most largely 
used in buttonhole making. Yellow, pink, and crim¬ 
son Chrysanthemums may be noted, including Mrs. 
H. J. Jones, generally spoken of as the yellow Ethel. 
Single and double Violets in compact bunches are 
very plentiful and prominent, at 41/. a bunch, or 0 d. 
as a buttonhole when mixed with other flowers. Car¬ 
nations are chiefly 7 represented by 7 Miss Joiiffe. which 
seems to enjoy almost a perpetual popularity. Scar¬ 
let and pink Bouvardias are used in a variety of 
ways, often in the making of spray 7 s along with red, 
yellow, pink, and white Roses, Lily 7 of the Valley, 
Violets, and dried Grasses. Everlastings, generally 7 
called Immortelles, may be seen dyed in a variety of 
unnatural colours. Dried flowers of some Cape weed 
are wired separately and sold at the rate of 2s. Cd. 
per hundred under the name of Cape Everlastings, 
Early Tulips and Roman Hyacinths may be seen in 
baskets or pots of fanciful shapes, 
Orchids are perhaps seldom abundant at Christ¬ 
mas, but at present they are represented by Cypri- 
pedium insigne, Odontoglossum crispum, Dendrobium 
nobile, D. Wardianum, Calanthe Veitchi, C. vcstita, 
Laelia anceps, and Phaiusgrandifolius, most of which 
are just in season, while some of the more common 
are hardly ever out of season. They are, however, 
employed in a variety of ways. 
The usual Holly, Mistleto, Cherry Laurel, Maho- 
nia, Ivy in various colours, and other greenery, 
together with the usual Norway Spruces for Christ¬ 
mas trees, keep arriving in quantity. Somehow or 
other Holly berries do not seem particularly plenti¬ 
ful this year. Other odds and ends are Laurestinus 
in bloom, Rose Hips, and Asplenium Adiantum- 
nigrum, termed French Fern, no doubt referring to 
the source from whence it is obtained, although it is 
as much a British as a French wilding. 
Fruits. 
Amongst Apples the American King of Tomkins 
County is amongst the most showy, but Newtown 
Pippin is evidently the most plentiful of the two. 
Golden Russets are also plentiful at 3L the p. und, 
and the same price holds good for English, samples 
of Blenheim Orange and King of Pippins, while Rib- 
ston Pippin in fairly fine condition fetches 4./. Pears 
from the Channel Islands as usual have a tempting 
appearance, including Guernsey Chaumontel, Glcu 
Morfeau, and Easter Beurre. Their size and fine 
colour place them amongst the choicest of their 
kind at this season of the year. Hothouse Grapes 
are represented by Gros Colmar, Alicante, and Mus¬ 
cat of Alexandria, which range from 2s. to 3s. per 
pound, for samples of ordinary quality. Amongst 
foreign fruits perhaps none are more effective or 
finer than the St. Michael Pineapples, which vary 
from 6 lb. to 9 lb. in V'eight, the latter being certainly 
fine samples of open-air culture. Medium sized 
fruits range from ioj. to 12s. each. West Indian 
Pineapples have been driven out of the markets by 
those of St. Michael production, and which are stated 
to have been grown by cultivators who went out 
from this country to take their culture in hand. 
Melons are plentiful and of great size, but different 
in appearance from our hothouse varieties. The 
miniature but sweet Tangerine Oranges vary from is. 
a dozen to is. 6 d. per basket of thirteen fruits. 
Medium sized samples of St. Michael Oranges sell af 
twelve for 6 d., while the larger Florida Oranges .often 
fetch 2d; apiece. - ' ' ’ 
