THE HOLLY TREE. 



THE HOLLY TREE, (Ilex opaca). 



BY nORTICOLA. 



The best trees, like the best people, are the rarest; possibly we attach more interest 

 to the rare, both in trees and in the human species, by an unjust standard ; yet in the 

 forra'er, the slowness of growth which adds to the value of the wood, and is apt to 

 influence our estimate of beauty, is one cause of the scarcity of fine specimens among 

 us. We are but young planters, and we want immediate effects. How then can we 

 expect to find a large tree like the Holly, which requires no less than a century to 

 bring it to perfection ? It is rather a hopeless case, we confess, and yet we would fain 

 advise every one who plants not to forget the Holly, the most beautiful of our native 

 evergreens, its shape, color and form of leaves, and its ever ornamental berries con- 

 sidered.* It is slow to germinate, slow to grow, and difficult to move from the spot 

 where nature placed it; and yet there is no reason to despair, if you begin right. As 

 a hedge it has no compeer, and he who first shows a fine Holly hedge of some extent 

 in America will be entitled to the thanks of all posterity, as well as his cotemporaries. 



The Holly, like Magnolia glauca, adapts itself to the soil in which it is placed. 

 In New Jersey, near the sea coast it thrives admirably in dry sand ; in Maryland, in 

 gravely soil ; while in South Carolina, Georgia, and Lower Louisiana, it seeks shady 

 places on the edges of swamps, where the soil is cool and fertile. In all these situations 

 it is vigorous and enduring. The writer has lately seen, with extreme admiration, 

 immense numbers near Absecom, in New Jersey, a new watering place of extraor- 

 dinary capabilities, to which a railroad has just been opened from Philadelphia. 

 Some of them are undoubtedly more than a century old, and growing close to the 

 edge of the boundary of the sea ; exposed to all the fury of the north-east winds, 

 they have been blown into fantastic shapes at the tops, but have firmly resisted the 

 awful storms which make that coast the dread of the mariner. 



The difficulty of germinating the Holly seeds may be overcome with skill and 

 knowledge ; probably the recommendations in Michaux's great work on American 

 Trees are the best ; but there are doubtless other methods, such as the use of hot 

 water, and passing them through the stomachs of domestic birds, to rid them of their 

 viscous covering, which would be efficacious. The writer has succeeded best where 

 considerable moisture was regularly present. In one instance a large quantity was 

 planted in the bed of a grapery, and in two years after only a few came up ; these it 

 was observed were under a drip of the glass, which was imperfect, and in no other 

 spot did they vegetate — a fact suggestive and important. 



* In making some garden calls a few days ago at Astoria, in company with Mr. llooo, we were shown a beauliful 

 ITolIy tree, a perfect cone about eight or ten feet high, every way as line as any of the size we have seen in England. 

 It was standing in an open exposed situation, and appeared quite at home in it. Tlie time for the Holly and other 

 such slow growing trees has scarcely arrived yet in this country; jilanters have been impatient; Silver Maples, Pawlonias^ 

 Abeles and Ailantus, have been more in demand. . This arose from the necessity of having shade and shelter, 

 new places. The Holly is a lu.xury in ornameiilul gardens, and like other luxuries will be sought for only w 

 cessilles are satisfied. — Ed. 



