DECEMBER 133 



of especial value for the winter decoration of gardens 

 the variegated shrubs which do not shed their leaves, 

 and hardy evergreen ferns. It is the fashion, especi- 

 ally among botanists, to despise variegated plants ; they 

 are said to be diseased, and to show their disease by 

 their sickly appearance. This may be true, if the partial 

 absence of chlorophyll is to be counted a disease, but it 

 does not prevent their being very beautiful and very 

 useful, and if vigour in growth is a sign of health, there 

 are many instances in which the variegated specimens 

 are hardier and more vigorous than the typical green 

 forms. But I here claim for them a special value in the 

 winter decoration of our gardens, and will name a few 

 which I find most useful for this purpose. I have 

 seen some of the variegated ivies covering a large 

 extent of wall, and at a very small distance the wall 

 seemed to be clothed with a rich creeper bearing an 

 abundance of yellow or white flowers. All the varie- 

 gated hollies are as useful ; they brighten up a lawn 

 in a wonderful way, and there are many to choose 

 from, but I find that the variety with the large white 

 blotches on the leaves produces the best effect. It is 

 called, I believe, the milkmaid holly, but it has other 

 names ; and one peculiarity of it is its habit of bearing 

 branches in which every leaf is of a pure ivory white ; 

 this, too, at a little distance looks like a bunch of white 



