THE FLOKAL WORLD AND GAKDEN GUIDE. 121) 



CULTIVATION OF THE HOLLY. No. I. 



( IFiih a Coloured Illustration of selected Sollies.) 



HEN is the season to plant the holly ? This question has 

 been asked and answered so often, that we should do 

 wrong to bring it forward again unless we had a dis- 

 tinct and useiul declaration to make in reference to it. 

 The leaders in horticultural practice may, as regards 

 holly planting, be divided into two parties — those who advocate 

 planting in May, and those who prefer planting in August. As a 

 matter of fact, hollies are planted in every season of the year, except 

 in the very height of the summer, and we see them leaving the 

 nurseries during at least ten months of the year — say from the 1st 

 of Auo-ust to the 31st of May. When very carefully lifted, and 

 very quicklv and skilfully planted, there is no day in the whole 

 year on which hollies may not be planted with a fair prospect of 

 their doino^ well in their new quarters. A time of severe frost, and 

 a time of great heat and drought would, of course, not be chosen by 

 a planter biessed with an ounce of brains, except in some strange 

 emer"-ency. Thus, if we were to meet with a holly that we much 

 desired, and must have it now or never, we should take it up and 

 carry it home, and take the best care possible to promote its welfare, 

 and blame neither ourselves nor any one else it it perished. We 

 repeat that, with reasonable precautions and prompt action, hollies 

 may be moved at any time ; and we coiild point to large trees in our 

 own collection that were transferred to our grounds when in the full 

 vio-our of their new growth, and not one of their tender bright-green 

 leaves suffered in the operation. 



So much as to the general reply to the question. There is yet 

 wanting a particular reply. Hollies are costly; they grow slowly, 

 and die slowly ; and because of their value and beauty, we are 

 bound to bestow upon them every extra care that may be needful to 

 prevent disaster and favour success. Having, at least, ten months to 

 choose amongst, which is the best for this kind of work. The con- 

 clusion appears to be generally in favour of the month of May. As 

 a matter of course, abundant evidence might be adduced to establish 

 the conclusion, for it is by aid of evidence alone that the conclusion 

 has been arrived at. Here we touch on the proper meaning of the 

 designation, "practical man," to distinguish one who has acquired 

 experience by years of observation and work from one who is said 

 to " theorize," but who sliould rather be said to " guess at it." Now 

 the practical man has learnt to favour May-plantmg, because, in a 

 majority of instances, he has observed that success has attended it. 

 But as belonging to the practical section, we have come to the con- 

 clusion that May is not the best time, and the question arises, why 

 should it be so regarded ? Now it is proper to observe that the 

 month of May has not in this respect been fairly contrasted with 

 the month of August. The usual course of procedure is to buy 



May. Q 



