HOUSE AND GARDEN 
December, 1909 
203 
The Leucothoe’s 
long, graceful 
sprays are 
very well suit¬ 
ed to decora¬ 
tive purposes 
Branches and 
sprays for it may 
be cut from imperfect 
trees or sparingly cut, 
one here and one there, 
from many trees. Take 
them always where they will 
not be missed — that is the point 
— and cut them off clean instead of 
tearing them. This is much easier 
on the hands and temper, as well as 
on the tree. 
North of Delaware holly does not 
grow wild in the woods, which seems a 
pity, for it is hardy and can weather the 
winter of the north perfectly, as many 
an old tree, on old estates in the North, 
testifies. A pair of trees are surely worth 
planting for the all-the-year-round beauty of 
their shining foliage—and one tree, carefully 
cut from, would yield the Christmas holly 
annually. Two must be planted, as the spe¬ 
cies is dioecious and only one therefore will be 
berry-bearing. Without a pair there can 
never be fruit—and the fruits are half the 
holly’s glory, of course. 
Galax leaves are familiar to everyone by 
this time, though they do come from only one 
part of the world and have not been coming 
from there for very long. But the use of them has grown to be 
world-wide and the picking of them is a regular industry in the 
mountains of North and South Carolina. The plant is perfectly 
hardy and easily grown where moist and cool conditions can 
be given it—and its white blossoms are exquisite. So, along 
with the holly, one may raise galax and have more than holiday 
pleasure in it. 
And finally, there is another charming 
Southern shrub,—the Leucothoe—which 
is being planted more and more in shrub¬ 
bery borders and as a facing down to rho¬ 
dodendrons and laurel. Most nurseries 
list it now, but comparatively few whose 
grounds boast specimens of it know its 
place and popularity as a Christmas 
green. The long curving sprays, with their 
regular arrangement of gorgeously colored 
leaves, are in most perfect shape for deco¬ 
rative use, and its brilliant bronzes and 
purples make it one of the loveliest things 
of all the wealth of color and leaf texture 
that the season offers. 
Any kind of fern, gathered early in the 
season, may be kept for Christmas by put¬ 
ting the fronds away in an ordinary cellar, 
if it is cool and moist. Bittersweet is 
familiar to every country child and noth¬ 
ing is more decorative and truly Christ- 
masy than it, with its abundance of scarlet 
seeds unable to contain themselves and 
bursting their golden overcoats. These are 
enough in themselves to satisfy most any¬ 
one, but by being very forehanded it is 
possible to secure the branches before the 
leaves have fallen and thus have a green 
setting for the berries in the holiday dis¬ 
play. 
South of “Mason and Dixon’s” there 
grows a smilax that drapes the trees in tender green luxuriance. 
Gathering it is a simple process of pulling it down, and though it 
has not the holiday air of other greens, it is festive and adaptable 
—the latter a distinct advantage where something is wanted for 
twining. The Northern markets are getting quantities of this 
each year now. 
Mistletoe grows as far north as New Jersey and the berries of 
the native species are much more plentiful than the imported 
and warranted genuine Druid article—which makes up for their 
being smaller. And it is quite as effective, whatever way it is to 
be used. Indeed, the market offers less and less of the English 
mistletoe every year. 
Clusters of the balls of the sweet gum 
tree, tied loosely together, are attractive, 
though not exactly a green. Very decora¬ 
tive uses may be found for them, however, 
and similarly for pine cones and the balls 
of the buttonwood tree. 
With the greens gathered, the question 
of using them to the greatest advantage 
presents some perplexities—for there is no 
doubt a right way, and many wrong ones, 
to adorn a house. 
An idea which, well carried out, is most 
attractive, is the use of conventional de¬ 
signs. Garlands and festoons of woven 
cedar or fir or pine, on the lines of the 
classic garland of the ancients, make a dig¬ 
nified arrangement that looks extremely 
well and is not forever getting in the way. 
Such festoons, carried around a room just 
below the ceiling line in a frieze of spicy 
green, are lovely and, what is quite as im¬ 
portant, restful. 
The sand method of preserving autumn 
leaves will keep 
them perfect in 
form and color 
until they are to 
be used—and it 
is simple enough. 
On a layer of sand 
in a pan or large 
flat dish, lay a 
layer of the leaves 
carefully—cove r 
them with sand, 
then add another 
layer of leaves, and 
so on. 
Put i t i n a 
warm place—the back of the stove or the 
warming oven if this does not get actually 
hot—and leave it over night or for two 
nights, if comparatively cool. 
Bring in branches of kinnikinick from 
the woods, and winterberry, for the vases 
and jardinieres. The wax myrtle of 
barren tracts toward the sea is not avail¬ 
able to everyone, but gather it, you who 
can, and have several big bunches of it 
around. 
Then, if you want a treat, throw some 
on the fire in the grate on Christmas 
night, and let the incense of it as it 
burns float out and flavor all your Christ¬ 
mas dreams. 
Try the swag-and-garland scheme of drap¬ 
ing Christmas greens this year 
The winterberry’s 
bright red fruits re¬ 
main on the branches 
until midwinter and 
are not eaten by the 
birds 
Myrica is a Japanese fruit tree with evergreen, 
magnolia-like foliage and black or red berries 
