EVEKGREEN SHEUBS. 87 



the yew is used more or less for hedges ; but as a hedge plant, 

 except in positions shaded from the mid-day sun, and for the 

 purpose of variety, its use in this country is not advisable. 



Ash Bbrbbeby — Mahonia. — Among all the shrub evergreens, 

 the mahonia for general use is, without exception, one of the 

 most valuable. In general ajjpearance of leaf it much resembles 

 the European holly, a plant that is not hardy in the Northern 

 or Middle States ; it is of the easiest possible culture, growing 

 freely in any soil not wet. Besides its glossy foliage, in spring 

 it gives a profusion of bright yellow flowers, followed with rich 

 purple berries, making it ever attractive and ornamentally beau- 

 tiful. Our drawing represents a bush of the variety aquifolium, 

 with a cluster of flowers. This is the most common sort, and 

 is, perhaps, the best for masses or low hedges; but where a 

 single plant only is to be grown, we should select the/ascicMZasris 

 as being more unique in form of foliage, and more subdued in 

 the tone of color. In fully exposed positions facing south, the 

 mahonia occasionally browns and loses its foliage ; but we have 

 never known the plants to kill, and early in spring it puts on 

 new leaves and comes forward rapidly, blooming as if it had 

 suffered no loss. 



Box Tree — Bwms. — The common dwarf box — tuxus suffruti- 

 cosa — is well known, for it is, perhaps, the very best dwarf 

 edging plant for flower-beds and borders that is known. It 

 should always be transplanted early La the spring, and, by 

 a clipping with shears from year to year, never permitted to 

 grow above six to eight inches in height. The tree box — iuxus 

 sempervirena — ^forms a pretty dwarf ornamental tree for decoratipg 

 small lawns or grass-plots, or for rounded points of pathways, 

 etc. There are several varieties among them, comprising 

 latifolia, or broad-leaved, which is the best ; the mystifolia, very 

 narrow-leaved; the aurea, or golden variegated-leaved; the 

 a/rgentea, or silvery variegated-leaved. A sandy or light gravelly 



