1846.] Fencing. 291 



culture for hedges requires no peculiar management. To produce 

 large fruit it requires a deep rich soil, and its fruits should be 

 thinned. It prefers a mild maritime climate, but grows tolerably 

 well in the mountain towns of New England. 



Shepherdia (^Hippophce argentea), buffalo tree, or bush. This 

 is a beautiful, hardy, native shrub, of a rather unsymmetrical 

 form in a state of nature. It attains the height of fifteen feet, 

 with rather a narrow top; but cultivation gives it symmetry and 

 a more rounded form, and rather pendulous branches. The leaves 

 are long, narrow, oval and obtuse, and covered with silvery scales; 

 male and female flowers grow on separate shrubs. Berry scarlet, 

 subacid and pleasant. It is found as far north as Saskatchewan, 

 according to Richardson, or latitude 54. It was found by Nutall 

 on the borders of the La Platte and Missouri. It grows on the 

 Genesee at Rochester, and is quite abundant in Jefferson county, 

 on the banks of the lakes. It is cultivated on the grounds of 

 Messrs Winship, near Boston. In this vicinity it is cultivated in 

 hedges. It is propagated easily from seeds, or by cuttings or 

 suckers. It bears the knife well, and is not attacked by insects 

 or subject to diseas-"". We deem this plant an excellent one for 

 western or prairie hedges. If kept down by cutting, it becomes 

 close and compact. For ornament it is well worthy of attention; 

 its silvery green leaf and scarlet berries, give it a very pleasing 

 appearance. 



American Holly (^Ilex opaca), is a tree, which under the most 

 favorable circumstances may reach the height of seventy or eighty 

 feet; but ordinarily it is not over half that height. It grows in 

 Massachusetts, near Boston, which may be regarded as its north- 

 ern limit. It is found south as far as Louisiana; preferring, it 

 would seem, a maritime region to an inland mountainous one. 

 It is an evergreen, with oval notched, acute leathery leaves; per- 

 haps the leaves may be more properly termed scalloped, and 

 spiny on their edges. Branches that are a year old bear in May 

 and June a whitish flow^er, and subsequently round scarlet berries 

 which remain till into winter. It is an ornamental tree, with 

 hard wood, susceptible of a polish. In consequence of its mari- 



