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Show Christmas 1 I roes jj By M.WJOIUE HAYES Vt I in Boston Herald j " ' NEARLY every one has a Christmas tree nowadays b"t If you had been a child In America a h.i.ulred years ago the chances are that you might never I n e seen 0Ile. Tho cu universal In inland many years before It was very common here except in communities of German or Scandinavian settlers. For It was In Germany that the Christmas tree had its origin. There are several sev-eral different legends in regard to it. Here is one which dates from the Twelfth century; An English monk named WInfred who had gone as a missionary into Germany, came upon some priests about to sacrifice the young prince Asulf to the god Thor beneath the "blood oak." He stopped their ceremonies and ordered them to cut down the oak, whereupon a young fir tree appeared In its place which WInfred told them signified the tree of life, or of Chrlstly living. From that time Germans who became Christians made the fir a part of the Christmas festival, decorating Spruce Twig, Showing the Cones Hanging Downward. It with gilded nuts and apples to shine like stars. The two trees most commonly used for Christmas trees are the spruce and fir. They look very much alike, but the spruce is likely to shed its needles after two or three days In the house, while the fir remains in good condition much longer. There are several ways in which you may distinguish them, first the cones. Those of the spruce hang downward while the cones of the fir are held erect. The spruce tree is pyramidal In shape, the long cones hanging from the branches near the top. The needles are arranged In spiral rows around the stem, those at the top pointing sharply upward. They have three or four distinctly angled sides. Some common varieties are the red, black, white and Norway spruce. Fir trees In various sections of the country are the balsam firs which grow abundantly In the mountains and which we find displayed dis-played In our markets at Christmas time. The fir is shaped much like the spruce, but the needles are Bat and blunt, and usually spread feather-wise from two sides of the stem only. They are dark green above and silvery beneath. The dark purple cones stand erect, glistening glisten-ing with balsam near the top. Balsam Bal-sam also exudes from the trunk, and Is used for medicine. The fresh needles are used as a stuffing for sweet-smelling balsam pillows. Another evergreen sometimes used" as a Christmas tree is the hemlock. It is more slender than the spruce, with feathery waving brandies which grow very close to the ground. The needles are arranged ar-ranged In two fiat rows on the twigs, and have tiny stems. They are MP The Ealsam F.. Is Shaped Much Like the Spruce. soft, and silvery underneath. The cones are tiny, growing at the ends of the twigs. The bark Is used In tanning leather. Wreaths made of branches with little cones on them are very lovely e. Western NwP" Union. |