THE HOLLY* 



35 



culties : and, having got at last into the full 

 sunshine of good fortune, he there took the 

 lead on the high road to long expected wealth 

 and honours. 



He whose nerves would be affected at the 

 sight of a straight holly hedge, might prevent 

 their irritation by forming a crescent ; say a 

 segment of a circle to a radius of sixty yards. 

 This would present a fine appearance to the 

 eye, whilst it shut out both the north-west and 

 the north-east winds of winter. Hollies, too, 

 may be planted in a clump, with very pleasing 

 effect to the beholder. I consider a regularly 

 formed clump of hollies to be the perfection of 

 beauty, in grouped arboreal design. One single 

 tree of mountain ash in the centre of this would 

 add another charm to it, and would be of use 

 to the ornithologist at the close of summer. 

 When the holly trees are in full bearing, and 

 the berries ripe, we may roam a long while 

 through the whole extent of British botany, 

 before we find a sight more charming to the 

 eye than the intermixture of bright red and 

 green which this lovely plant produces. 



I have a fine circular clump of hollies here, 

 under which the pheasants are fed ; and to 



