CHRISTMAS TREES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 10, 10 December 1936, Page 17

CHRISTMAS TREES

THE BRITISH PRODUCT. TRA DITI ON AL DECOR AT lONS. Holly and mistletoe are traditionally ised for tlie decoration of English 'Dines at the Christmas season, and it > estimated that some 750,000 Christas trees also play a part in the fesivitics every year. Most of the mistletoe comes from 'ranee, but the holly is grown in ireat Britain, and the Christmas tree ist year also had to be British beause, rs a consequence of the oxistnee of disease in spruce on the C'onnent. an order was in force proliibitpg the admission of foreign produce ;i this typo into Britain. Christmas trees at one time were niported in huge quantities, and to encourage cultivation at. home a ta.riff ,vas imposed to enable British growers to obtain a fa r price. The tariff toadied tho market. The Norway spruce is the true Christmas tree, though other species are sometimes substituted. It lies the advantage of firm branches which will hold the presents tied to them : the branches of the Douglas rnruce arc too soft for the purpose, and other kinds of spruce are “spike.” or are wrong in colour. •Some of the best En'disli trees come from Norfolk and Suffolk, but they are also grown cxl'oisive 1 -- ■ tho Lake District, Derbyshire, Staf-

iordsliire, anil Surrey, and in smaller quantities in Devon and Cornwall. There is always a wisli that liollv for Christmas decoration should l>3 lavishly and brightly berried. Covent Garden linns who deai in foliage s.av that berries seem to be plentiful in alternate years, but it is admitted that this is a coincidence. The outlook for few or ma.nv berries cannot be stated until the period of cutting is reached, as a week of hard frost shortly before Christmas would set the birds, deprived of other food, pecking the berries from the trees. —London Times.