HOLLY. 291 



this prickly plant ; and, particularly, on hilly 

 situations, where it would afford shelter to the 

 shepherd and his flock, against either ex- 

 cessive heat or piercing storms. 



Old medical writers tell us, that the ripe 

 berries are relaxing, and astringent when 

 dried ; but it is not our intention to recom- 

 mend the robbing of the feathered tribe, to 

 the injury of the sons of JEsculapius, and, 

 perhaps, of our constitutions at the same 

 time ; nor would we willingly be deemed cre- 

 dulous, in noticing the old customs of our 

 forefathers, who trusted to a branch of holly 

 for their defence against witchcraft ; but this 

 precaution has become unnecessary, since old 

 ladies have lost their charming powers, and 

 the spells of the youthful fair are too agree- 

 able to be driven from us by a rod of holly. 



The Hex Vomitoria, commonly called the 

 South-sea Tea, or Evergreen Cassine, is a na- 

 tive of West Florida, Carolina, and some of 

 the warmer parts of Virginia, and principally 

 found on the sea-coast. This species of holly 

 was cultivated in England as long back as 

 1700, but the severe winter of 1739 des- 

 troyed most of the plants ; but it has since 

 been raised from seeds, and is found to resist 

 the cold of our winters without protection, 

 excepting that of neighbouring shrubs. It 



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