December, 1919 
29 
These little Christmas trees fulfil all the 
specifications of the S. P. U. G.’s (by the 
way, what has become of the “spugs?”), 
for their usefulness is not limited to Yuletide. 
You can buy them planted in either boxes 
or individual tubs which will carry them 
through the winter, and then when spring 
comes they may be planted outdoors in the 
garden or about the grounds, there to continue 
their growth indefinitely. Few Christmas 
decorations are more effective than boxes of 
these miniature conifers on the outside window 
ledges, or larger individual specimens flank¬ 
ing the doorstep or glittering with tinsel and 
little gifts indoors. The old-fashioned sort of 
Christmas tree, its life sacrificed to make a 
holiday, is hardly to be compared with them, 
growing as naturally as though they had never 
left their native soil. 
Nor need the use of these small trees as 
bearers of presents be confined to the humans 
of the house. The birds enjoy a Christmas 
dinner as well as we, and food hung for them on 
the window-ledge trees will find an eager 
welcome if the weather be cold and snowy. 
Before we leave the uses of green and grow¬ 
ing things, the English ivy deserves a word of 
mention. In England it is considered an 
important part of the Christmas decorations 
in the house, and its use indoors is increas¬ 
ing here in America. There are 
many ways of growing it, such 
as in metal braziers and on 
wrought-iron or painted wood 
trellises. Like the little ever¬ 
greens, ivy thus grown has the 
distinctive charm of being 
alive. 
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They say holly is scarce this 
year, but what is a holly 
shortage in the lives of those 
who own their own billiard 
table? Armed with a little 
ingenuity and sharp scissors, 
the veriest amateur can manu¬ 
facture a garland of start¬ 
lingly realistic synthetic holly 
leaves. It is such clever little 
household economies that 
make our American home 
life what it is 
of course, there shall be at the windows and 
over mantels. Ground pine is excellent for 
festooning garlands, especially if its green is 
relieved here and there with small sprigs of 
the holly berries. Another attractive and less 
usual thing is the native wild bittersweet— 
that woody vine with the orange and coral 
berries which you see draping the shrubs and 
lower trees of the country fence-rows when the 
leaves have fallen. If you use it in connection 
with cone-bearing pine branches in the corners 
of the rooms, and as backgrounds for more 
delicate things, the bittersweet is particularly 
effective. Still another delightful decorative 
scheme is silver and green—the latter supplied 
by the evergreen branches, the former set off 
against it. 
All these are for use in the air, so to say—as 
hangings or in jars on mantels, tables, etc. 
As a sort of basis or foundation for them we 
need something more substantial, more sugges¬ 
tive of permanence and life. This requirement 
is best met by small evergreens such as several 
kinds of spruces, pines, 
arborvitses and junipers, 
actually alive and growing. 
After all, it is those little 
personal touches that take 
away all stiffness and lend 
the true intimate touch to the 
house. Home talent should 
be encouraged, for it makes for 
individual effects. This de¬ 
lightfully spontaneous mural 
frieze, for example, was but 
the work of a few minutes, 
but its result is far more tell¬ 
ing than a professional’s 
carefully planned efforts 
There is no more effective and 
timely decoration for the living 
room mantel than a fringe of 
small stockings, hanging grace¬ 
fully from the simplest of nails. 
They should not be arranged con¬ 
ventionally, but placed according 
to individual taste and allowed to 
sway at will. Any desired 
number may be used—the more 
the better 
