THE ILEX. 311 
mallet-heads, pins, and wedges are made of it. 
The same qualities render it a desirable wood for 
making the stocks of tools, for palisades, and for 
use in fortifications. It is also used for the manu- 
facture of chairs, and it furnishes an excellent 
charcoal. 
Though the Ilex is easily grown from its 
acorns, and is a rapid grower in its earlier days, 
it is not easy unless great care be exercised to 
transplant it successfully. But non-success in 
this arises chiefly from ignorance of the pecu- 
har character of its root-growth. Its roots, in- 
stead of spreading horizontally, descend deeply 
into the earth, and being furnished with root 
hairs,—the indispensable agents of all plants 
—chiefly at the root extremities, there is a 
danger that these will be torn off in trans- 
planting. It would be difficult, and almost im- 
possible, to avoid this in removing a Tree 
of any size. But a very young Tree would 
thrive if very carefully moved, especially if it 
were grown in a large pot, or other contrivance, 
whereby root, rootlets, and soil could be moved 
without disturbance. These suggestions as to 
T 
