THE HOLLY. 23 



ornamental planting. They live to a great age, and if 

 the soil suits them (which should be as good as is re- 

 quired for Roses), they will amply repay for it in hand- 

 some foliage, with an abundance of it, with a free 

 growth. This, however, is not often the case, for it 

 seems that generally Hollies are planted where few 

 things else will grow, and the consequence is poor, 

 half-starved growth, with thin and poor foliage, which 

 in a Holly is miserable. The common sort is a splendid 

 dark evergreen when grown in good ground, but the 

 silver and gold variegated sorts are superb plants, above 

 the general conception when planted in good soil, and 

 somewhat shaded. The Crispum and Ferox are very 

 handsome and curious in their foliage, and worthy of a 

 place in every select shrubbery border. 



The Propagation of the Holly. — The common 

 sorts are multiplied by seed. The berries must be 

 gathered during the late autumn or winter, and either 

 put in a heap to rot the flesh off the stones, or buried 

 in the ground for the same purpose. The seed may 

 be sown during the following spring in deep drills, 

 or beds of light soil, covering it 3 inches. It is 

 very slow in coming up ; some may not appear till 

 the second season. The seed should be shaded during 

 the summer with furze or fir branches. When these 

 common seedlings are two years old, they should be 

 transplanted out into rows 9 inches asunder and 4 

 inches apart in the row. Here they may remain for 

 one or two seasons, when any of the variegated sorts 

 may be grafted on them close to the ground. In graft- 

 ing them care must be taken to match the scion and 

 stock. Tie the graft carefully on, and cover it well 

 with grafting-clay or grafting-w T ax, which is better. 

 They are slow in uniting, therefore do not untie them 

 too soon — not before the autumn. 



It is of no use sowing the seed of the variegated 

 sorts with a view to get plants like them, for the seed 

 of these will produce green Holly only. Cuttings of the 

 choice sorts may be struck with care and long patience 

 under a handlight, in a shad}' place. The cuttings 



