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t / PAGE TWO THE NEWBERRY SUN THURSDAY, DEC. 24, 1953 IL i *Wteetiua£ t The Christmas Season Is the one time of the year where the whole world is kin — when each of us rejoice in the happiness of others .9 and lock forward to the pleasant associations with loved ones and friends. May each of you enjoy it to its fullest measure. LOMINICICS DRUG STORE Main Street and the PROFESSIONAL DRUG STORE Hunt Street Your Poinsettia Will Bloom Next Christmas The Poinsettia has long been a popular Christmas plant but probably few people have given much thought to the fact that it does come into bloom each year only at this season. The poinsettia is one of a group of plants known as short day plants because it will bloom only in the season of the year with short day length periods, prefer ably 10 hours or less. That is why it is always in bioom during the Christmas season and not during the summer. It could be prevented from blooming now by lengthen ing the daylight period to 15 hours by means of artifical lights. Flower growers have learned how to bring garden chrysanthe mums into bloom any month of the year by using shading cloth to shorten the days and artificial lights to lengthen the days. The chrysanthemum' is also a short day plant. How can one keep a poinsettia plant until next season? After its usefulness is over, place it in the basement or some dry place where it will not freeze. Do not water it, or at least very little, and let the soil dry up. Next May bring the plant out, cut the stem back about two-thirds, wash the old soil off the roots and re-pot in new soil. Christmas Rose Enhai^ces Yule’s Festival Mood Americans usually decorate their homes at Christmas time with holly, evergreens, or hot-house plants. Recently, however, they found 4 new friend in the Christ mas-rose. Nurserymen say this plant’s popularity has skyrocketed in the last few years. The Christmas-rose is not really a rose at all but belongs to the crowfoot family. It is a small plant no more than a foot high when mature. Nevertheless, it can put forth seven or eight small white roselike blooms tinged with pink. Called by botanists Helleborus niger or black hellebore, it gets this name from its black stalks. The Christmas-rose is no freak, no super-precoclous flower or early-blooming plant. This ligiti- mate child of winter flowers nat urally in December or January. It withstands snow and low tempera tures, demanding only some sort of shelter from the snow. Helleborus niger does not propa- Tfee foendatfo* of afl business is friendship DOTH REPUBLICANS and Demo- crats have some new campaign “wrinkles” as they prepare for the 1954 Congressional election. At stake in this important mid term contest will be control of Con gress for the following two years and a favorable position for the 1956 Presidential race. So neither party is going to over look any bets. Each has plans to do some raiding of the other’s private preserves, Congressional Quarterly was told in interviews with* party planners. Republicans are already engaged in a frontal attack on the Demo cratic Sfiuth. They are also going after the vote in the big cities—a vote which has been pretty general ly Democratic in the past. The Democrats are preparing to do some intensive organizing in usually GOP territory. They want to cut into the huge vote the Repub licans have been rolling up in the suburbs, and are after GOP rural districts of the Midwest. As the major parties start the 1954 campaign they are on virtual ly even footing, so far as the House seats are concerned. The Republi cans have 219 Members and control the House. There are 215 Demo crats and one independent. All 435 House seats will be on the election block. GOP strategy calls for a spirited 1954 Congressional campaign in the South. The Republicans plan to put up nominees in most of the 38 Con gressional districts carried by Pres ident Eisenhower in the 10 South ern states and border Tennessee. While the GOP leaders are in specting voter prospects in the big cities. Democratic leaders are taking a long look at the rapidly growing suburbs. The Republicans Why You Hang Holly At Yuletide Credit the Pagan Druids for inspiring one of the nice Christ mas customs — decorating with holly. The traditional holly for the holidays is widely believed to have had its orgin in the Druid prac tice of bringing holly sprigs in doors. The Druids woodland spirits lived in the holly. Indoors, holly gave the spirits a nice warm place in winter. Be sides, the lush green holly and the contrast of its red berries provided beauty that could De revered by men when the scared oaks were shorn of their foliage. The early Christian church it gives us pleasure fo extend otr best wishes to those gate well in the United States. Hence, most of the tiny plants are imported from Belgium and the Netherlands. They develop best only in the western part of those countries where they thrive in soil peculiar to the region. The ancient Romans knew about the Christmas-rose and eagerly sought it for medicinal use. They believed that eating the roots would “clear the brain, cure stu pidity and relieve insanity.” “Let him sail to Anticra,” said the poet, Horace, of an ill friend. Anticyra was a Greek town where the black Hellebore flourished. The Helleborus family is indinge- nous to southern Europe and the Mediterranean regions. The Christ mas-rose variety came originally from Austria. jumped in quickly to organize solid ly there. Chairman Stephen A. Mitchell of the National Committee thinks Democratic prospects in such areas are good if they can minimize social pressures to “vote Republican.” Cutting down high GOP election percentages in the suburbs would pay off for the Democrats, particu larly in tight, state-wide races. They were encouraged when they recently won a number of mu nicipal elections in suburban Con necticut and New York communi ties. The Midwest is getting special at tention from both parties. The Democrats are confident that they have their best opportunity in years to score in farm districts because of falling farm prices. Delighted to win the rural Ninth Wisconsin district for the first time in history, they interpreted the out come of the recent special election there as a slap by farmers at the Eisenhower Administration’s farm program. Democrats also consider their chances excellent to pick up seats in Midwestern industrial areas, W’here their Congressional nomi nees did well in 1948. The President polled over five million more votes than did the 1952 GOP Congressional nominees. He carried 295 Congressional dis tricts; the GOP won only 221 House seats. GOP leaders will try to per suade all of those who voted for Mr. Eisenhower in 1952 to vote GOP in the 1954 Congressional con tests, writh a plea that the President needs a Republican Congress. As for Democrats, they say it is already “time for a change” from “big business government,” “give away” programs and falling farm prices. frowned on such pagan customs and tried to stamp them out. In due time, however, it was felt that some of the customs could be adapted to the new Christmas conception. Some beautiful legends asociate the holly with Christ. In fact, it is often called the Christ thorn. One legend depicts the leaf spines as the crown of thorns; the red ber ries as the sins of the world and the blood of Christ. Another credits holly with first springing up from the footsteps of Christ. The plant is said to remain green all winter as a reward for once hiding Christ from his pursuers. The impact of the holly on the Christmas celebration is evidenced in the tradional holiday colors, green and red. The Druids weren't the only people of old who thought the holly was something special. Pliny, the great Roman historian, insisted holly blossoms caused wa ter to freeze. Also, that holly thrown at any wild beast would make it lie down tamely next to the branch. These legends, forgotten by many people, are said to be the reason we decorate with holly. Seven vice presidents of the United States have succeeded to the presidency due to the death of the chief of state. Protestant and Orthodox churchgoers gavea record $1,- 401,114,217to their churches in 1952, according to the National Council of Churches. WEEKLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE FORMER GOVERNOR Here's the Answer HORIZONTAL 3 French article 1, 8 Pictured 4 Cushion former governor 5 colors whose friendship we cherish. May your Christmas 11 Chest of drawers 12 Eats away 14 Poem 15 Signify 18 Anger 19 Scent 2) Descendants STATE FARM INSURANCE CO. George E. Tyson (District Manager) Carolyn Lipscomb 1215 Friend Street Phone 1141 Joe Welborn Philip Kelly Newberry, S. C. 6 Obtains 7 Exist 8 PreposHkm „ 9 Reviser 10 Calm 11 Help op 13 Dries * 16 Negative reply „ 17 Atop 22 Brain passage 2 o Glowing 23 Biblical word 22 Slanted 25 Rock letters 26 Exchange 24 Leads 27 Worries 28 Medical suffix 29 Boy’s nickname 30 Dinner course 33 Tumults 37 Designs 38 Twist 39 Raveled linen 40 Reckless 44 Mentally sound 45 He governed —(ab.) 46 Sounds 48 Pedal digit 49 Annoyed 51 Turn back 53 Fite. 54 Slag VERTICAL 1 Vessel part 3 Interstice -J •s S O 3 a| X H 3 r\ 3 =3 O X S 1 3 Nl V s v :.s w 3 3 o s JL O i V 9 3 hi V 3 3 M O X S td 3 X 1 4 s 3 H 1 V 3 X S 3 a o hi 3 S 3 X V £ N HdlVfl AO» N n M N ii ra ui n & 25 Cicatrices 30 Divided 31 Straightens 32 Type of carriage 34 Declaims 41 Three-toed sloth 42 Steamship (ab.) 43 Drove 46 Seine 35 Singing voices 47 Indian weight 36 Sugared 50 Note of scale . 40 Staffs 52 Verso (ab.) J ' 2 3 H 5 1 4 7 9 9 xL. ii 1 L 17 12 13 ii .•S.VXV IS 14 It 19 20 21 22 23 21 ?fr 27 r 2f r 30 3« 32 33 31 ii 30 37 30 3? • I - 1 10 W 12 V p •4 15 % ■ 17 a 19 50 r ■■■ 51 52 ' 1 | 1 51 •j Christmas Don’ts To keep your Christmas a truly merry one, keep these don’ts iu mind: DON’T give children dangerous toys, or toys with sharp points. If they operate with electricity, be sure you supervise their use. DON’T decorate the tree with lighted candles unless it’s abso lutely unavoidable. DON’T place the tree near a stove or fireplace. DON’T leave lighted tree un- gus^ed at any time. DON’T use a rickety, unsafe ladder in decorating the tree. DON’T place Christmas candles near the tree, curtainst, paper wreaths or other decorations. DON’T overlook the opportunity to make your tree fire-resistant. DON’T leave toys exposed where people can trip on them. DON’T allow steps and side walks to become Icy in cold weather. DON’T drive recklessly. v •*? WISHES [ a Vert/ Happy ; ; 1 and a Glorious Season As one of several steps In the selec tion of best finishes for soon-to-be- shown 1954 models, Chevrolet officials viewed 390 miniature cars, each painted a different color. Above, E. N. Cole, chief engineer, (1.) and W. E. Fish, general sales manager, inspect a candidate. Spotts Grocery 1251 Hunt Street Newberry Christmastime is in the air ■ a. May your journey through the days ahead % * carry you over many pleasant ways. ;