1G6 ILEX AgriKOLIlM. 



expense. The proj)cr time for clipi)iii2; ap|)ears (o ho just after the leaves have 

 arrived at maturity: lu'caiise at that scasiii, in the h<lly, as in the hox, the 

 wound is rt-paircd. in a nu'asnn", hy the heahng over, produced Ity the reniani- 

 iiig sap, stiU ni rirculaiion. When it is desired to cultivate the holly for tind)er 

 it should he lmhuii hi the same maimer as in close plantations, either with or 

 without luirsi'-trees. aceordiiiir to tlu' situation: and the stems shoidd he dejirived 

 of their side hranches. when they are less than half an inch in diameter, to a 

 certain height, say one fourth of the entire height of the tree, in order to have a 

 clean trunk. 



Projxrtu'S and Uses. The wood of the holly is almost of an ivory whiteness, 

 except near the centre of very old trunks, where it is of a hrtwnish hue. It is 

 very hard and compact, with a fine grain, and susceptible of a high degree of 

 polish, which renders it well adapted for many purposes in the arts. When 

 dry, it weighs forty-seven and a half pounds to a cubic foot, and is very reten- 

 tive of Its sap, in coiise(pience of which, it is liable to warp, unless it is well 

 dried and seasoned before being used. It readily takes a durable colour of 

 almost any shade, and hence it is much used by cabinet-makers in forming what 

 are technically called ' strings and borders," in ornamental works. When prop- 

 erly stained black, its colour and lustre are little inferior to those of ebony. It 

 may be applied to a great number of purposes by joiners, cabinet-makers, 

 turners, engineers, mathematical instrument-makers, and, next to the box and 

 pear-tree, it is the best wood for engraving upon, as it is compact, and stands 

 the tool well. Among its principal uses in England, at present, is, when dyed 

 black, to be substituted for ebony, in the handles of metallic teapots, &c. In 

 France, the young shoots and the branches are given to sheep and deer, during 

 winter: and the stronger straight shoots, deprived of their bark, are made into 

 whip-handles and walking-canes. The bark of the holly contains an abimdance 

 of viscid matter : and, when macerated in water, fermented, and then separated 

 from the fibres, it forms bird-lime. Medicinally, the bark of this tree is muci- 

 laginous, emollient, and solvent, and is said to possess strong febrifugal powers. 

 The berries are purgative, and six or eight of them, when swallowed, will cause 

 violent vomiting; though they are considered as poisonous to men, they form 

 the food of some birds, more especially of the thrushes. 



As a hedge plant, in temperate climates, the holly forms, perhaps, the most 

 impenetrable and the most durable of all live fences ; and it has this superior 

 advantage over deciduous-leaved trees, that it is seldom attacked by insects, and 

 will well endure the shears. Its chief objection is the very indifferent progress 

 which it makes for the first few years after planting ; but, after it becomes estab- 

 lished in a suitable soil, or about its third or fourth year, there are but few hedge- 

 plants that will surpass it in their growth. It may be carried to a great height, 

 and. consequently, is well adapted for situations where strength and shelter are 

 required, especially during winter, when most other hedges are deprived of thei'- 

 leaves. 



