284 



SYLVA FLORIFEKA. 



Bradley mentions, that he has seen holly- 

 trees sixty feet in height, at a place called 

 Holly-walk, near Frensham, in Surry. Dr. 

 Withering says, that on the north of the 

 Wrekin, in Shropshire, the holly-trees grow 

 to a large size, and they are very common in 

 the Chiltern division of Buckinghamshire. 

 We have also observed it growing abundantly 

 in some parts of St. Leonard's Forest, in 

 Sussex, particularly in the neighbourhood of 

 Handcross. We presume that many noble 

 trees of holly would be seen in this country, 

 but for the practice of cutting all the finest 

 young plants to make coachmen's whips, 

 thus leaving only the crooked branches or 

 suckers to form shrubs. 



The holly, when it stands detached and 

 is left to nature, forms one of the most beau- 

 tiful evergreen trees that this or any other 

 country produces ; its pyramidal form, its 

 immoveable foliage, its bright deep-green 

 colour, and brilliant vermilion berries, con- 

 trast happily with almost every tree and shrub 

 which the forest or the grove affords. 

 ; In the shrubbery these trees have a good 

 effect, when judiciously placed ; and although 

 we prefer the common holly in general, we 

 recommend the variegated kinds as great en- 

 liveners to dark evergreens, as the yew, cy- 



