THE HOLLY. 155 



now included by botanists in the same variety, in 

 every respect resembling the mountain ash, excepting 

 that its leaves are entire, light green above and downy 

 underneath, which when agitated by the wind imparts 

 to it a very striking appearance. There are many 

 interesting varieties, its treatment and method of 

 propagation being the same as that adopted for the 

 mountain ash. 



The Holly (Rex aquifolium) . The holly is found 

 indigenous throughout Britain, mostly in dry soils, 

 but of various qualities, and is one of the most useful 

 evergreen trees we have. As it will grow vigorously 

 under shade, and stand the drip of other trees, it has 

 no equal in this respect if we except perhaps the yew. 

 When grown in a congenial soil, the dark polish of its 

 evergreen prickly leaves and the closeness of its habit 

 causes it to be highly ornamental, especially during 

 autumn and winter, when the brilliancy of its scarlet 

 berries forms such a handsome contrast to its dark 

 green foliage. In a wild state it will attain a height 

 of twenty or thirty feet, but rises to a loftier altitude 

 when cultivated. It does not succeed when grown at 

 too great an elevation. 



The holly is usually propagated by seed, the berries 

 being collected in winter, and mixed up with double 

 their bulk of sand and turned over every month, and 

 sown during the following winter in beds of rich dry 

 soil of open texture, partially shaded, the seeds being 

 covered with about half an inch depth of soil. The 

 seeds will sometimes lie dormant for sixteen or 

 eighteen months after the time of sowing, and if the 

 soil is of a clayey nature, the surface becomes caked 

 and hard, and they will perish. On this account a 



