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The American Holly (Ilex opaca) is a beautiful evergreen tree, 

 sometimes growing to the height of from thirty to forty feet. It is 

 widely diffused all over Louisiana, in shady places and on the edge 

 of swamps, where the soil is cool and fertile. The w r ood is compact, 

 heavy, of a fine texture, aiid susceptible of brilliant polish. It is 

 principally used for inlaying mahogany furniture, and it is subjected 

 t<> the turning lathe to make of it small druggists' boxes and small 

 screws. When perfectly seasoned it is extremely hard and inflexible, 

 on account of which it is well adapted for pullies of ships. The 

 bark may be employed in making bird lime. Medicinally it is an 

 emetic. The berries, if taken in sufficient quantities, excite vomiting. 



The Yaupon (Ilex Cassine) is generally a low tangled shrub. It 

 flourishes best in sandy soil. It has small evergreen leaves, clusters 

 of greenish-white flowers in the spring, and bears red berries, re- 

 sembling currants, which remain on the tree until new flowers 

 make their appearance. It grows up, if properly trimmed, to a tree 

 of small size, which is both elegant and ornamental, on account of 

 its oed fruit, intermixed with its glossy bright green leaves. The 

 tangled, low and impenetrable thickets it forms in some localities, 

 suggested the idea to me, that it would make a live hedge far supe- 

 rior to any now in use. It surpasses the Cherokee rose, which 

 grows too high and covers too much ground with its spreading and 

 rooting branches. Ic excels the Osage orange, because it branches 

 from the base of the stem, and its growth being naturally stunted, 

 it requires but little trimming. Besides, it is far more impenetrable 

 and produces less shade than the leafy top of the Osage orange, and 

 it flourishes in poor soil, of which sand makes the priucipal ingre- 

 dient. If some enter pr.siug planter would make some experiments 

 with the yaupou as a hedge plant, he might confer a great benefit 

 upon the planting cjinmunitk-s of the prairie regions where wood 

 for fencing purposes is not easily obtained. Its leaves are used as 

 a tea, being almost equal, if properly prepared by roasting, to the 

 Paraguay tea, which is derived from the leaves of a species of the 

 holly, Ilex Paraguariensis. 



Ttie Poison Vine (Rhus radic ms) rises to a great height by adher- 

 ing to trees with its sbong rooting fibres, which it throws out irorn 

 its stem. 1 Le leaves are ternate entire, or lohed and toothed. It 

 has greenish yellow flowers, and beard a fruit of greenish white 



