Holly, Yew and Box 



with a short thick trunk surmounted by an 

 enormous head of branches. Under either con- 

 dition it is an imposing tree. The leafage is 

 always dense, consequently it is an ideal plant to 

 use for the purpose of screening or blocking out 

 undesirable objects. The leaves vary very much 

 in size and shape, and even on the same tree 

 leaves may be selected which appear entirely 

 different from each other in almost every par- 

 ticular. Some leaves are conspicuous by reason 

 of their deeply serrated, almost spiny, margins, 

 whilst the margins of others are almost entire. 

 The undersurface of some of the leaves is covered 

 with a silvery pubescence, whilst in the case of 

 others the pubescence is scarcely discernible. 

 Occasionally the foliage is narrow and willow- 

 like, whilst again it may be broadly ovate or 

 almost round. Usually the size may be said to 

 vary from 3 to 4 inches in length and from f to 

 i inch in width. The variation in character has 

 been taken advantage of by nurserymen and 

 others, and a number of named varieties are in 

 commerce. Owing to the fact of its being 

 amenable to pruning, the practice has been 

 adopted in some places of keeping it clipped 

 into large, round or pyramidal specimens ; when 

 treated in this way, however, the tree loses all 

 its dignity of appearance. In some instances it 

 is used as a hedge plant and as such answers 

 well. Reference has previously been made to its 



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