130 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



hollies at the same time as other trees are bouglit, that is from 

 Koveraber to Marco, and hence it is common to plant hollies with 

 other trees from November to March ; and a certain propoi'tion of 

 those planted during this rauge of five months, die iu the course of 

 the following summer. On the other hand, where the hollies are 

 left untouched until May, great care is bestowed upon them ; they 

 are carefully planted, the ground is mulched over their roots, and 

 the water-engine is regularly brought to bear upon them, and thus 

 they are nursed and coaxed until the July rains come to their aid, 

 and then, perhaps, they are safe for the season. We repeat that the 

 reason there are i'ew advocates for planting early in the autumn is, 

 that few have tried it, whereas, if a fair comparison be- 

 tween August and May could be made, we feel confident the 

 first-named month would obtain the favour of a considerable 

 majority. 



It will, of course, be gathered from the foregoing remarks, that 

 May is at least a good time, if it is not the best, and that must be 

 granted. But we wish to point out that when we plant in May, we 

 incur a tremendous risk ; for if the summer should set in early and 

 hot and dry, the newly-planted hollies are likely to perish, especially 

 if of any cousiderable size, for no mulching, or syringing, or shading, 

 will ensure their endurance of the trial unhurt. Now this is the 

 turning point in the consideration of the case. If we were sure of 

 a showery summer. May would be the time to plant hollies ; but as 

 we are not sure of even an average rain-fall in the mouths of June 

 and July, we repeat that Ave prefer to plant iu August, for then the 

 trees are encouraged, by the warmth of the soil and the increasing 

 humidity of the atmosphere, to make fresh roots and become estab- 

 lished in their new positions before the heat and drought of a bril- 

 liant June, occur, to subject them to exhaustion. 



In illustration of these remarks, we will give two examples. In 

 the spring of 1870, we planted about a thousand handsome green 

 hollies, averaging four feet high, and with roots of the best possible 

 description, to make a boundary fence. The work was well done, 

 and was certainly finished some time before the middle of May. It 

 will be remembered that the summer of 1870 was the hottest and 

 driest the present generation has experienced. The hollies soon 

 becran to show signs of distress, and to help them was impossible. 

 When autumn returned, one third of the whole number were as 

 dead as door-nails, and a considerable number besides were partially 

 killed, so that it was necessary to root them out and cut them back 

 and put them in nursery quarters, and give them at least five years 

 to recover. This case tells against spring planting ; the next will 

 tell in its favour. In the spring of 1873, we obtained from Messrs. 

 Yeitch and Sons, Coombe Wood Nursery, fifty-five specimen hollies, 

 which were planted in the mouth of April. A not very hot, but 

 decidedly showery, season followed, and the whole of them 

 prospered ; and at this moment they are starting into growth for 

 the second season in their new quarters, and look as well as the 

 most exacting horticulturist could desire. Having planted thou- 

 sands of hollies in August, and rarely lost one, even when the 



