December 26, 1878. } 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
Day | Day Average Clock | Day 
0 i i a x } Sun Sun Moon | Moon | Moon’s 
Month Week DEC. 26, 1878—JAN. 1, 1879 embers tire neat Rises. | Sets Rises Sets Age. pelore yon 
| Day. Night: Mean| h. m.| h. m.| h. m.| h. m./} Days. | mM. 8s. 
26 | TH | Bank Holiday. 43.2 | 314 | 37.3] 8 8] 3 53] 9 58| 7 O 3 0 50} 360 
27 F 43.0 | 29.7 | 36.4 ha wats} 3 54] 10 16 8 17 4 1 20 | 561 
28 Ss 42.6 | 29.5 | 36.0 8 8 3 55] 10 31 S30) 5 1 49 | 362 
29 | SUN | 1 SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. 43.9 | 33.0 | 385 | 8 9] 3 56/10 44] 10 41 6 2 19 | 363 
30 M Royal Society established, 1660, 44.4 | 31.7 | 38.1 3}. k) 38 57 | 10 56) 11 50 7 2 48 | 364 
31 | Tu | Joseph Sabine died, 1837. 43.9 | 32.4 | 38.2 8 9] 3 58/11 8] morn. »)) 3 17 | 365 
Me Aye 43.0 | 30.3 | 354 | 8 9] 3 59/11 21/ 0 59 9 3 45 1 
From observations taken near London during forty-three years, the average day temperature of the week is 43.4°; and its night temperature 
NOTES ON HOLLIES. 
HE high estimation in which the Holly is 
held by all classes of society for decorative 
purposes at this festive season, together with 
the charming effect well-grown specimens 
at all times display, render it one of the 
most valuable of evergreen trees or shrubs, 
while its usefulness when planted thickly 
together for forming hedges surpasses anything 
; else our gardens possess. 
-) The common green form, Ilex Aquifolium, is a 
{6 native of our own country, and is commonly to be 
met with growing in the deepest shade as well as in 
more open and sunny positions. The dark green glossy 
foliage and natural pyramidal habit of the shrubs are in the 
summer time very attractive, but when loaded with clusters 
of deep coral-red berries at a season when the garden is 
destitute of brightness the shrubs show to great advantage. 
Even were common green Holly the only variety that we 
possessed we should doubtless be proud of it; but by the 
aid of art we have now a host of beautiful and graceful 
forms that adorn our ornamental grounds as specimens, 
standards, bushes, pyramids, and weepers. We have them 
with golden and silver variegation in great variety and 
in numerous shades. We have trees with foliage bristling 
with spines, while in others the foliage is perfectly smooth : 
each and all are beautiful objects for lawn and garden 
adornment. 
My intention in this paper is only to direct attention to 
those Hollies that are most prominently cultivated, and 
which are generally met with in smaller collections, care- 
fully noting the purposes for which some varieties are 
better adapted than others. 
Apers.—Where soil and situation are suitable the com- 
mon Holly grows rapidly, bears clipping with impunity, 
and makes the most impenetrable, and at the same time 
ornamental, hedge of any shrub in cultivation. The best 
method of planting-a hedge is to trench deeply a space 
about 3 feet wide, to add manure liberally, and to plant 
young established bushes not less than 18 inches or 2 feet 
in height, and about the same distance apart from plant 
to plant. The first season they will do no more than take 
fair hold of the soil, and willrequire no more attention than 
keeping weeds down and giving now and then a good soak- 
ing of water if the summer is very dry. The second year 
they will have made considerable progress ; a few for the 
side growths may then be removed, but the leading growths 
must not be cut. Repeat yearly the same operation until 
the hedge has attained 7 or 8 feet in height, when it may 
be regularly topped and cut into the desired shape. About 
every 20 feet a strong leader may be left, which will in a 
few years bear berries abundantly ; or the practice may be 
adopted of budding a strong-growing variegated variety 
in the common leader left, so that in course of time you 
become possessed of a dark green hedge with gold, silver, 
and other variegated heads placed at regular intervals. 
Hedges worked in this manner when well furnished have a 
remarkable effect. A good time for clipping Holly hedges 
No. 926.—VOL, XXXV., NEW SERIES, 
is as soon as the growths are nearly ripened, which in the 
south is generally about the middle or end of July. The 
hedges are then neat until the following summer. Some 
hedges planted here ten years ago are now quite 8 feet high 
and as perfect as could be wished for, and these during the 
first five or six years after planting had nothing done to 
them beyond keeping them free from weeds, clipping the 
growths slightly at the sides, and removing the tip of any 
leader that had grown far ahead of the rest. 
Pyramips.—It is the natural habit of most varieties of 
Holly to form a pyramidal form, in which character they 
are very pleasing as single specimens ; but a little assist- 
ance is sometimes requisite in training the leader upright 
and cutting-in the other portions to secure the desired 
shape. With a very little manipulation of this kind splen- 
did trees may be had from 20 to 25 feet in height of all 
the robust-growing kinds. Perhaps the variety known as 
Hodginsii is one of the best and most rapid growers for this 
purpose. It has also bold and handsome toliage of deep 
glossy green 3 to 4 inches in length, deeply but tolerably 
regularly spined. ‘The Golden, Bronze, and Silver Queens, 
Gold and Silver Milkmaids, Angustifolium flavum (yellow- 
berried), Doddintonense, Handsworthianum, laurifolium, 
Madeiriense, and ovata are all suited for making good 
specimens. 
Busu SPECIMENS will include all varieties that are of a 
dwarf dense habit. The most notable of all Hollies for 
this purpose is Waterer’s ; plants of this splendid hardy 
and compact rich golden Holly generally grow into dwarf 
dense bushes without any assistance whatever; shrubs 
not more than 4 to 6 feet in height will often measure 
13 and 14 feet in circumference. The leaves are medium- 
sized, oblong, smooth, and almost spineless, with a marginal 
band of deep golden yellow—altogether a very distinct 
variety, and ought to be in the most limited collections. 
Ferox (the Hedgehog Holly), and its varieties F. foliis ar- 
genteis and aureis are also very suitable for bush specimens. 
Weerers.—These are worked on clear stems of various 
heights. Some few varieties possess a naturally weeping 
habit, the branches in a few years bending down to the 
ground and make most elegant specimens. A weeping 
variety of the common green form is very robust in growth 
and handsome when worked after this manner. Perry’s 
Weeping is beautifully variegated, and is altogether a most 
attractive variety, as is also the new Golden Weeping. 
Sranparps.—Compact, round, well-balanced heads on 
clean straight stems from 3 to 6 feet in height can be easily, 
obtained of nearly every variety in cultivation ; but the 
Golden and Silver Queen varieties, as well as some of the 
choice green-foliaged varieties, are most generally grown 
in this form. The heads are regularly and methodically 
trimmed-in, and specimens are produced well adapted for a 
winter garden of evergreens. 
Some of the variegated forms of the Holly have doubt- 
less been in cultivation for a considerable time, as we now 
and then meet with large and lofty specimens of the Golden 
and Silver Queens as park trees, than which nothing can be 
more beautiful. We recently met with a fine old specimen 
of Golden Queen growing in the grounds of Belvidere 
No. 1578—VOL. LX., OLD SERIES, 
