HOITZIA 



434 



HOLLYHOCK 



Cuttings cf half-ripe wood under a hand-light. Fibrous 



loam, peat and sand. 



H. Lya'lli (Lyall's). See PLAGIANTHUS LYALLH. 



popu'lnea (poplar-like). 10-15. White. New 

 Zealand. 



Sinclai'rii (Sinclair's). 10-15. White. New Zealand. 



HOITZIA. See LQ-SELIA. 



HOI'TZIA MEXICA'NA. See LCESELIA COCCINEA. 



HOLARRHE'NA. (From holos, entire, and arrhen, a 

 male ; referring to the anthers. Nat. ord. Dogbanes 

 [Apocynaceae]. Linn. s-Pentandria, i-Monogynia. Allied 

 to Alstonia.) 



Stove evergreen. Cuttings of young shoots, as fresh 

 growth has commenced, in sand, under a bell-glass, and 

 in bottom-heat ; peat and loam. Summer temp., 60 

 to 80 ; winter, 48 to 55. 

 H. untidy sente'rica (antidysenteric). 10. White. May. 



Trop. Asia. 1778. 

 villo'sa (shaggy). E. Ind. 1820. 



HOLBCE'LLIA. (Named after F. L. HolbaU, of the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, Copenhagen. Nat. ord. Bar- 

 berries [Berberidacea?]. Linn. 2i-Moncecia, 6-Hexandria. 

 Allied to Akebia.) 



Greenhouse climber, from Himalaya, valued for the 

 fragrance of its dull flowers. Their fruit is eaten in 

 India. Cuttings of half-ripened young shoots in sandy 

 soil, under a glass ; open, sandy loam, with a little peat ; 

 will stand in a cool greenhouse, in winter, and would 

 twine up the wires of a wall, from the latitude of London, 

 southwards, westwards, and in Ireland. 

 H. acumina'ta (pointed-leafleted). See H. LATIFOLIA. 

 angustifo' lia (narrow- leaved). See H. LATIFOLIA. 

 ,, lalifo'lia (broad-leaved). 10. Green or purple. March. 

 1845. 



HO'LCUS. (Holcos, from the Greek name applied to 

 some grass. Nat. ord. Graminea?.) 



A perennial British grass, valued only in the varie- 

 gated form. 

 H. lana'tus (woolly). 1-1$. Green. Summer. Britain. 



" Yorkshire Fog." 



,, variega'tus (variegated). Leaves striped with 

 white. 



HOLLY. (I 1 lex Aquifo'lium.) Of this hardy evergreen 

 shrub there are many varieties, including the following 

 distinct types: i. Silver-edged; 2. Golden-edged; 

 3. Thick-leaved ; 4. Prickly ; 5. Yellow-leaved ; 6. Varie- 

 gated ; 7. Spotted ; 8. Recurved. 



The holly will not thrive in any poor, light, sandy soil, 

 or in a swampy situation, but likes a strong, deep, dry, 

 loamy soil. If grown as single ornamental shrubs they 

 should not be overshadowed by other trees ; and if the 

 land is manured, so much the better. As to pruning it, 

 with a view to make it grow fast, the less you do of that 

 the better. All that is necessary is to encourage the leader, 

 by stopping any laterals that try to interfere with it. 



The most expeditious way of making holly-hedges is to 

 procure large plants from some nursery ; but, with the 

 smallest expense and more time, the following may be 

 recommended : Gather a sufficient quantity of berries 

 when ripe ; then dig a hole three or four feet deep, and 

 throw the berries in, crushing and mixing them with some 

 fine soil at the same time ; close the hole with the soil 

 taken out, and throw some litter, or other covering, over 

 the whole, to prevent the wet or frost penetrating. 

 Take them up and sow them in March. They will make 

 nice little plants the first season ; and, by transplanting 

 the stronger ones, you will have fine plants in about 

 three years. 



Large hollies are best moved about the third week hi 

 August. With a small cord tie up the lower branches, 

 then mark a circle two feet from the bole of the tree, 

 and another circle two feet beyond the first ; the space 

 between the two circles must have all the soil dug 

 deeply out of it; whilst this is going on, let another 

 labourer be digging a hole larger than the ball of the tree 

 will require, making it rather deeper ; fill in some of 

 the best soil, chopped fine, and mix it with water till it 

 forms a puddle of the consistence of thick paint. Gradu- 

 ally undermine the ball below the roots till it stands 

 quite loose ; then wrap some garden-mats round, and 



tie the ball firmly together with a strong rope ; then wrap 

 the stem round as near the soil as possible with some 

 old carpet or sacking ; tie to the stem at that part a 

 stout pole eight or nine feet long ; then lower the tree 

 gently down, and let as many men as are necessary to 

 carry it take hold of the pole, and remove the tree to 

 its place, letting it down gently into the hole amongst 

 the puddle, taking care that it is not below, but rather 

 above, the general level ; fill in good soil round the ball 

 after the tree is set upright, and the mats, ties, &c., 

 removed. Mix this soil with water till it is a puddle 

 like the bottom ; secure the tree with props, to prevent 

 the winds from shaking it. 



The best time for cutting hollies is early in the spring, 

 about the end of February, before they have begun to 

 shoot. Never clip them with shears, but cut them in 

 with a sharp knife. 



HOLLYHOCK. (AlOue'a ro'sea.) By Cuttings. These 

 are made from the young shoots that rise from the base 

 of the strong flower-stems. They may be formed of the 

 tops only, or, if the young shoots are long, they may be 

 cut into lengths of two joints each, removing the lower 

 leaf, and shortening in the upper one. To cause them 

 to send forth roots, a gentle hotbed should be made 

 either of well-fermented dung, tanner's old bark, or 

 fresh-fallen leaves. As soon as the heat is moderated, 

 place the frame upon it, and a covering of dry sawdust 

 upon the bed within the frame to the depth of five inches. 

 Then prepare the cuttings, put them round the edge of 

 pots filled with moist, sandy loam, press the earth close 

 to the bottom of each cutting, and fill up the holes with 

 a little more soil. Then plunge them nearly up to the 

 rim in the sawdust, but give no water, because they are 

 very full of sap, and would damp off immediately. Shade 

 closely and give no air, excepting a little at the back to 

 let out the steam for an hour in the morning. In six 

 weeks they will begin to show signs of growth, and should 

 then have a little water given without wetting the leaves. 

 When roots are formed, pot them off into small pots, 

 place them in a cold frame kept close, and shaded for a 

 week or two. Then gradually inure them to bear the 

 full sun, and give plenty of air, and moderate but con- 

 stant supplies of water. They are then ready for planting 

 out. The best time to perform this is in early spring, 

 but it may be done also in August, so as to have them 

 rooted before the winter sets in. 



By Division. Large, strong plants, with numerous 

 shoots, may be taken up as soon as they have done 

 flowering, and be divided with a strong knife. Care 

 must be taken that each division has a good share of 

 roots, and at least one shoot to it. Plant these divisions 

 in a bed in a shady part of the garden, but not under 

 the drip of trees. They may remain here till March, 

 and then are ready to plant out in the place where they 

 are to flower. 



By Seed. Save seed from the most double and best 

 coloured flowers. Clean it from the husks, and keep it 

 in a dry drawer, or in a bag hung up in a dry room. Sow 

 early in March in shallow, wide pans, hi a gentle heat. 

 When the seedlings are so large as to be readily handled, 

 transplant them either Into boxes three inches apart, or 

 prepare a bed of rich earth in a frame without heat, and 

 plant them out in it at the same distance from each 

 other. As soon as the weather will permit, make a 

 sufficiently large piece of ground very rich with well- 

 decomposed hotbed dung, in a dry, open part of the 

 garden. Take the plants up carefully with a garden 

 trowel, keeping as much earth as possible to each. Carry 

 them, a few at a time, in a basket, to the prepared ground, 

 and plant them out in rows two feet apart, and one 

 foot between each plant. There they may remain till 

 they flower. Then mark such as are well shaped and 

 bright coloured ; cut them down, and plant them in the 

 place where they are to flower next season, giving a 

 name to each. Write in a book kept for the purpose a 

 description of each, both of shape and colour. Single 

 and badly-shaped flowers throw away at once. 



Soil. They must have a dry, deep soil, enriched with 

 plenty of manure. If the situation is damp, they will 

 die off in the winter, unless well drained, and the bed 

 elevated above the natural level. 



Summer Culture. When the plants begin to grow in 

 the spring, give them a mulching about two nches thick, 

 with some light littery manure. This will protect the 



