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SECTION 2-PAGE 6-PLAINDEALER-FRIDAY, DEC. 14, 1973 Kround TheGarden By MatthowS. Rosen Instructor- Ornamental Horticulture McHenry County College The traditional use of evergreen trees during the holiday season brings close to most of us the sweet fragrance and crisp freshness of the forest. More than any other product of the soil, Christmas trees not only bring untold joy to "children of all ages", but also, and perhaps more im­ portantly, dramatize the universal message of "Peace on Earth, goodwill towards men." Scholars have traced the origin of "Christmas" trees all the way back to pre-Christian times, when trees and boughs were widely used in many religious ceremonies. In celebrating the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year), the ancient Egyptians brought green date palms into their homes as symbols of "life triumphant over death; of light over darkness." When the Romans observed the feast of Saturn, also at the winter solstice, part of the ritual involved the raising skyward of an evergreen bough. Celebrating the "rebirth" of the sun, this feast and the New Year that followed a few days after featured e a t i n g , d r i n k i n g , merrymaking, exchange of gifts, and decorating houses with greenery and lights. Church leaders in Rome replaced the feast of Saturn with Christmas on Dec. 25 in 354 AD, after Christianity became the accepted religion of the Roman Empire. The early Seandanavians or Norsemen are said to have offered homage to the noble fir tree. After turning to Christianity, they made these trees a part of their festivals. To the nomadic Druids of Celts of ancient Gaul and Britain, sprigs of evergreens, particularly mistletoe and holly, were brought indoors in the hope of achieving eternal life. To the savage, seafaring Vikings, such sprigs sym­ bolized the revival of Balder, the most reverent sun god. Many early barbaric tribes believed that the branches of evergreens when placed over the entrance way would prohibit inhabitance by a wide array of evil spirits, including witches, ghosts and goblins. The authenticated history of the decorated Christmas tree can be traced back to about the year 1500, in the province of Alsace along the upper Rhine river. Continually fought over because of its rich iron and coal deposits, the province was then a part of Germany. The first written record is dated 1521. A reference from Strasburg in 1605 provides us with a detailed description of the early trees: "At Christmas, fir trees are set up in the rooms and hung with roses cut from paper of many colors, apples, wafers, spanglegold, and sugar..." An early German legend tells how the revered Winfrid (St. Boniface), an eighth century English missionary, persuaded some of the barbaric tribes to set up fir trees at Christmas time, as a replacement for their more traditional sacred oak. Gay, colorful decorations have adorned Christmas trees in some fashion since the custom began. As we have already seen, the earliest or­ naments consisted of apples and wafers, paper or cloth roses, and sugar candy. Later, cookies in the shapes of flowers, bells, stars, sacred angels, hearts, men, and animals replaced the simple wafers. Also added were candles, ribbon, a glittering star for the tip, nuts and fruits gilded or covered with bright hued paper, toys, dolls, and sparkling strands of beads. The precise origin of lighting trees is unclear. One story credits the famous German Protestant reformer Martin Luther. Supposedly, he cut a small evergreen tree, brought it into his home, and attacked lighted tapers to simulate the bright, starlit, sky on Christ­ mas Eve. Candles, however, on Christmas trees did not gain wide acceptance in Germany as a part of the decorations until about 1700 when the Christmas tree custom spread from the Rhine river district to the rest of Germany and Austria. In England, as in America, the tree had, until 1841, been considered by many simply as a quaint foreign custom: one to be admired but not copied. In that year, Prince Albert, the German consort of Queen Victoria presented Her Majesty with a beautifully adorned tree. The tree was so well received, and the event so publicized that almost overnight Christmas trees became the rage of rich and poor alike. In the United States, the earliest accounts of Christmas trees come from among the small group of German settlers who colonized what is today eastern Pennsylvania. In 1825, a Philadelphia newspaper reported a number of homes having evergreen trees laden with fruit during the Holiday Season. By the 1840's the custom had become quite common throughout the state. A pamphlet published by the American Sunday School Union in Boston around 1845 described the custom as started there in 1832 by a German political refugee. Within a decade, the idea of Christmas trees had spread all over New England. In fact, by 1850 the Christmas tree had become fashionable in all the eastern states. Set up specifically for a group of Washington Sunday school children in 1856, Franklin Pierce thus became the first President to introduce a Christmas tree into the White House. It was, however, not until 1923 that the traditional Christmas tree lighting ceremony became a yearly ritual in our nation's Capital. Steeped in antiquity, the tradition of Christmas trees has become an integral part of the holiday season. Christmas without a tree just would not be the same. Bedecked with shiny tinsel, lustrous, gaily colored balls, fluffy, white snow, and blinking lights, the tree radiates warmth, and sym­ bolizes the brotherhood of all mankind. Horticultural Notes: Allow Christmas trees to stand in a bucket of water in your garage overnight before bringing them inside. The water taken up by the tree will lessen the chance of needle drop. I am sure you all agree that absolutely nothing looks sadder than a defoliated Christmas tree. Spraying trees with Wilt Pruf will also do an^ excellent job of retarding needle shed. Should you have a question on^ the material covered, or just a* horticultural point of in-^ formation you would like' verified, why not drop me a line? The address: McHenry County College, 6200 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014. Suggestions on future topics are always appreciated. Happy Gardening! dSE seseas V.A. NEWS EDITOR'S NOTE: Veterans and their families are asking thousands of questions con­ cerning the benefits their Government provides for them through the Veterans Ad­ ministration. Below are some representative queries. Ad­ ditional information may be obtained at any VA office. Q - Are WW II veterans eligible for pensions? I'm 65, and my wife and I need more than the $3,000 annual income we now live on. I served in WW II, but I wasn't wounded. A - Any 65-year old veteran who served a minimum of 90 days and received an other than dishonorable discharge is considered permanently and totally disabled for pension purposes. As a married man with your income, you could be eiligible for $69 per month pension at current rates. Q - When a veteran who dies of service connected causes is buried in a private cemetery, will the Veterans , Ad­ ministration pay the $150 plot allowance in addition to the $800 allowance for funeral expenses? A - No. The $800 payment is for all funeral costs, including a burial plot. However, if death occurs in a VA facility, an additional amount is payable to transport the deceased to place of burial. Q -- Is it ture that veterans no longer have to apply for cer­ tificates of eligibility for education and training benefits ? I hear that the Veterans Administration mails them to veterans so that they no longer have to apply in person. Because I didn't apply when I got out two years ago, will VA send mine through the mail? A - The new system is keyed to the list of discharges now being furnished by the Department of Defense. Because you were discharged before the automatic system was established, it will be necessary for you to file ap­ plication for your benefits at the local VA office. LUBE JOB With Oil Change & Filter ! ALL G.N. CARS FOR THE MONTH of DECEMBER 1909-64 Years-Same Owner CADILLAC-PONTIAC Rte. 31 & 120 Phone 385-6000 ^cHenr^ Illinois great gift ideas ... •in w fbty \ a 9 !!lll s in WHEN YOU ARE: The Dectolene travel shirt by Arrow Every Arrow Dectolene knit is travel-tested to go ai\ the way with you. From your travels to work to a trip around the orld. And io get you there looking neat and feeling comfortably calm. 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