The Hollies 



goodwill, and decked their dwellings with them in celebration of 

 the feast of the Saturnalia — "the turning of the sun." The 

 gradual lengthening of the days in late December mitigated the 

 cold which brought so much suffering to rich and poor in the 

 crude dwellings of the times. Yuletide, the feast of the Celtic 

 sun god, Yaioul, gradually and naturally gave way to the later 

 celebration of Christmas. The Aquijolmm became the Christ- 

 ihorn, or Christdorn — the "holy tree," afterward called "holly." 

 It was regarded by devout people as a symbol of the Saviour's 

 crown of thorns. 



Though only half hardy in the latitude of New York and 

 Boston, many varieties of Ilex Aquifolium are to be found in 

 American gardens, and where necessary are tied up in straw 

 for the winter. The beauty of these little trees amply repays all 

 the care they cost. Just one of the American species, /. opaca, 

 might be confused with this one. 



Hollies are multiplied by ripened wood cuttings, by grafting 

 and budding, and by seeds, which germinate the second year after 

 planting. The seedlings require transplanting after their second 

 year of growth. Evergreen hollies must be stripped of all their 

 leaves whenever transplanted. Young trees are moved with 

 comparative safety. The best time is early fall or early spring. 



The hollies introduced from Japan include the species /. 

 laiijolia, a large tree in its native land, with long, glossy leaves 

 and large red berries in abundance. This is one of the most 

 beautiful and hardy trees in the family. /. Sieholdi, is a slender 

 shrub with dainty leaves and scarlet berries. It is like the native 

 black alder, but smaller in all its parts. Two forms of this species 

 are grown. 



Of our native shrubby hollies, the two winterberries, /. 

 kevtgata and /. verticellata, are far the most ornamental. The 

 latter is the black alder, found from Canada to the Gulf, and west 

 to Wisconsin and Missouri. Its leaves blacken after heavy 

 frost, but the abundant red berries remain, untouched by birds, 

 late into the winter. It is one of the best of hardy shrubs for 

 winter brightness in the shrubby border. Its fruit-laden branches 

 gathered in the wild are sold for Christmas decorations. 



American Holly {Ilex opaca, Ait.) — A slow-growing, pyra- 

 midal tree, 20 to 45 feet high, with short, horizontal branches. 

 Bark grey, warty; twigs brown. V/ood white, close grained,. 



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