IO 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



AMERICAN FOREST TREES. 



American Holly. 



Ilex op&cc Aii 



1 1 1 j 1 1 % i- ..I the iquifoliacca family and 

 grows in \ n i < • f i < - : i and Europe, where the 

 brilliant evergreen Foliage and red berrii 



long been associated with the Christmas 

 Reason. The name boll] is probablj 

 ruption of "holy," this opinion I ■• • i n u con- 

 firmed by the fad thai i he i lei man 

 name is Chi istdoi ■■/>. the Danish 

 name Christom, and the Swedish 

 name Chi isttoi n. Soil] wood is noted 

 for its fine, even grain, bu1 chiefly 

 for its smooth, h ory n hite color, 

 fitting it for the white of inlaid 

 work, for can ings and other deco 



i s where white colored and fine 



qualities of w I are required. The 



w Is afforded by this growth are 



demanded in small and 1 1 n p 1 feci 

 pieces to be used for purposes for 

 h iii.-h 11. other appears to be equall) 

 fitted. The principal European holly 

 is Ilea uquifoliitm, while in this 



countr] it is Ilea op&ea. The « I 



is classed as boxwood, and thi name 

 applies tu several woods noted for 

 1 heir fine, compact si ructurc, render 

 in- thrni suitable for fine carvings, 

 -in h :is arc required in wood engrai 

 iny. The eastern product, ns cut 

 from the true box, 1- so highly 

 prized us to l..- Bold hi the pound, 



while American boxn I i- . in. Bj 



derived from the flowering dog 

 wood, Mexican persimmon and rose 

 bay. 



A feature peculiar to :ill earii 

 tirs uf holly-wood growth i- thai the 

 layers of fibers alternately cross one 

 another, so thai the wood maj 1"' 

 sni.l in crumble rather than s|.lit. it 

 hns no Bupei H. 1 1 ..1 implements thai 

 must i». fine, true and strong, such 

 as tti" sheaves ..1 small pulleys and 

 the handles of tools. 



The range ..1 grov, th of Ann rican 

 holly, according to I be ' heck List 

 of Forest Trees of 1 he 1 rnited States 

 and Sargenl 's I oresU of North 



\ met ica, is 1 1 t he coast region of 



Vlassai busk tts to the Mosquito [nlel 

 and Charlotte Harbor in Florida, 

 and from southern Indiana through 

 the Mississippi valley to the Gulf, 

 and through Missouri, Arkansas, 

 Louisiana and eastern Texas; 

 sparsely, ns far wesl .-is the valley of the Colo 

 river. Sargenl avers thai the tree 

 ties it- greatest development in the rich 

 bottoms of southern Arkansas and eastern 

 Texas. 



The shinli or tree is known a- Uollj in 

 Rhode Island, Delaware, Wesl Virginia, 

 Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Caro 

 lina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana 



SEVENTEENTH PAPER 



and Arkansas; American holly in Massachi 

 setts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, NV\\ fork, 

 \i u Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North 

 Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, 

 and as white holly in Virginia. 



In shape the head of the holly-tree is com 

 pact, with spreading branches. In height it 

 ranges from the veriest bush to fifty feel or 



nrt'Al AMERICAN llul.l.v FOREST GROWTH, 

 APPALACHIAK RANG! 



Its rim. of lilooin is April to .June, 



and it fruits in September. While generally 

 recognized authorities specif] its northern 

 rang th to be 1 hat of Massachusetts 



B. P. Raymond, of the veteran veneer 

 manufacturing house of Adams & Raymond, 

 Indianapolis, avers that the finest quality of 

 holly that he ever cut into veneers grew in 



The Imrk of tin- w li it. holly is liyht graj in 

 color, fine and very smooth. As will be noted 

 in the illustration of the bole of a typical 

 holly-tree herewith pictured, the Imrk hns a 

 somewhat mottled and almost lustrous appear 

 ance. The specimen of the tree shown was 



photographed by tl litor of the Hardwood 



Record in I'.l 1 county, Te issee, and was 



sixteen inches in diameter, and 

 growing ns it did among tall and 

 heav] timber, had attaini .1 the un- 

 usual length of body of forty feet. 

 The leaves of white holly are 

 snail, alternate, elliptical or oval, 

 with pointed apex, the teeth sharp 

 and spine lik. . far apart ; sinuses 



r led : feather veined, with veins 



indistinct on the lower surface; in 

 color the leavi 9 are evergreen, .lark 

 green and gloss] above, lighter and 

 tinged with yellow below; verj 

 thick and stiff; glabrous. The flow 

 ers are white, both staminate and 

 pistillate; axillary, ami having 

 their parts in fours. The frail is a 

 bright-red drupe, growing in clus 

 1 is which frequent Ij remain on the 

 tree well into the winter. 



The popular associaf ions of holly 

 are all with the season of merry- 

 making ami the blazing log of the 

 VTuletide. In the north country, 

 mingled with the white berry arid 

 gr< n leaves of the mistletoe, it is 

 the chief Christmas decoration. In 

 the southland it constitutes the 



Christmas tn f both young ami 



grown-up children. In its wild 

 state, in midwinter, the tree is a 

 glorious si^iM, wiiii its beautiful 

 bright berries and thick brilliant 

 green leaves, with the glistening 

 n hite of 1 he snow covered earl h as 

 a background, and the bare, gaunt 

 branches of other trees outlining 

 the landscape. 



The wood of white holly is light, 



soft, not Btrong, but tough rather 

 than hard, close grained, very com 

 pact and easily work.'. I. The medul 

 lary rays an. numerous bul incon 



spicuous. Tl olor is nearl] » hite, 



turning to a yellowish white with 

 exposure. The sapwood is still 



lighter. 'rim w I lends itself 



readily to Btaining and el izing, 



ami is one of the very highest 

 classed veneer materials produced in this 

 country. The >sj ><-«- i f i<- gravity is 0.5818, as 

 compared with ash. 0.76. It is admirably 

 adapted fox fine cabinet work, interior finish 

 and turnery of the highest class. The re 

 corded dry weight is from fort] five to fiftj 

 ii\ . pounds per cubic foot. 



From a commercial standpoint ( f the 



best authorities on American holly is Thomas 



.OWER 



