FOREST TREES. 233 
It is, therefore, esteemed principally for ornamental 
purposes. Few trees are as beautiful as the Holly, 
particularly in the season when deciduous trees are 
destitute of leaves.- Very beautiful ornamental hedges 
may be made of it. Wherever it can be successfully 
grown, it merits far more attention than has as yet 
been bestowed upon it. 
It is not yet satisfactorily determined how far north 
in the Mississippi Valley the Holly will succeed. The 
only attempt at its culture I have ever known in 
Illinois was an unsucessful one, by C. R. Overman, of 
Bloomington. In this case the plants were brought 
from far south; I think from Texas; it can, there- 
fore, hardly be considered a fair test. Where the 
winters are too cold, the leaves brown badly, and are 
sometimes entirely destroyed. 
The Holly is propagated by seeds and cuttings. 
The berries when ripe are mixed with sand, put in a 
box, and buried where they will keep moist. A year 
from the following spring they are taken up and 
sown in beds. The seeds should be thinly covered, 
and the surface kept moist by a light covering of 
rotten leaves or moss. While in the nursery the 
young plants should be transplanted every two years 
to keep the roots in proper condition for their final 
removal. 
I. aquifolium (European Holly) is a beautiful 
tree, but not hardy as far north as Philadelphia, It 
is treated in the same manner as the American species, 
Other evergreen Hollies are found in the Southern 
States, but none of them are hardy at the North, 
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