FLORA AND SYLVA, 



Furze, which gives excellent cover, and not in 

 the least interferes with the Larch and Pines. 

 It is not only the common Furze, which is 

 attractive in so many places throughout the 

 United Kingdom ; we may use three other 

 kinds, namely, the little autumn-flowering 

 Furze, and what the French call the Foxbrush 

 Furze — a fine tall Furze of excellent growth 

 and plumy habit, which makes it useful for 

 faggots where these are wanted, as they often 

 are in farm and garden. The little Furze (U/ex 

 Gallit) , again, is quite distinct from either or 

 the above, flowering in the autumn. It grows 

 in abundance on many of our moors, yet is 

 hardly ever planted by design, although a most 

 important plant for all who care for low fore- 

 grounds. It may be planted, but the best way 

 is to sow it in May in any bare or recently 

 broken ground. 



Holly. — Though often a tree, Holly is an 

 excellent covert, and, in some free or gritty 

 soils, even runs at the root, as in certain parts 

 of Epping. It loves poor, stony ground, and, 

 mixed with Juniper, forms beautiful covert ; 

 but only seedlings of the wild form should be 

 planted, and in establishing colonies of Hollies 

 in rabbit-infested ground it is necessary to 

 wire, and wire well. 



Juniper. — Our native kind is meant here ; 

 it makes very good covert for some poor dry 

 and chalky soils, too frequent in the southern 

 half of the country. Junipers can be had from 

 various parts of the world, but that our own 

 native Juniper should be as worthy of cultiva- 

 tion as any has rarely occurred to our planters, 

 though we have sofew really hardy evergreens. 

 On the hills of Surrey it grows to a height of 

 1 8 to 24. feet, though usually only a bush. It 

 can either be raised from seed or small plants 

 of it purchased from forest nurseries. 



Savin (^Juniperus sabind). — This is one of 

 the most graceful and hardy of all dwarf ever- 

 greens, and admirable for cold hills or stony 

 ground — no matter how wet or poor. It is a 

 dwarf Juniper that clothes those parts of the 

 mountains of central Europe which are too 

 hungry to support anything larger. Where 

 not easily bought in quantity it can be readily 

 increased by pulling up the branches, which 

 often throw out many rootlets. These should 

 be planted firmly and a stone put over the part 



left out of the ground, or it can be pegged 

 down to stop windwaving. 



Ivy. — This is under-valued for its use and 

 beauty in woods and is too often cut away. It 

 would be well in many places where the large- 

 leaved Ivies are grown to put them here and 

 there in copses. They are of all things the 

 most easy to increase, the young shoots pulled 

 off wall or tree rapidly rooting in moist earth. 

 The Ivy we must put among our best native 

 evergreens, as, after carpeting the wood and 

 clothing the tree stems, when it gets to the 

 crest of an old Juniper or other tree, it takes 

 the tree form, and then is as good an evergreen 

 as any. 



The Great Partridge Berry. — A valu- 

 able covert bush, but very difficult to buy in 

 any quantity in nurseries, though quite a free- 

 grower. It is very good at Coolhurst. It has 

 been neglected by nurserymen, owing probably 

 to the small demand for it for gardens. It 

 will thrive in ordinary soil, and runs about 

 apace in wet peaty places. In Scotland it seems 

 to be better known than in the south, for it 

 has been largely planted there for covert, as at 

 Balmoral. It is one of the few shrubs that 

 will thrive in the shade of Pine plantations. 



The Cherry and Portugal Laurels. — 

 The Cherry Laurel (usually but wrongly called 

 the Laurel) is, perhaps, more used than any 

 other bush, but has certain defects, being not 

 hardy in severe winters even in Ireland ; also, 

 it is too vigorous for underwood covert, and 

 when chopped back, as it very frequently has 

 to be, it is ugly. As to its hardiness, however, 

 some of the newer forms are hardy, especially 

 that from the Shipka Pass ; and, in regard to 

 its beauty, it is best seen in a wood allowed 

 to grow in its own natural way. In some 

 southern andmilddistricts the Portugal Laurel 

 and some of its handsome forms are very free- 

 growing evergreens, but in cold and inland 

 districts they are apt to be cut down in hard 

 winters. They are so free and handsome in 

 the south and west, however, that they may 

 be used with good effect now and then. 



Yew. — Yew grows well in the shade and 

 gives warm covert, but should only be put in 

 the inside of woods owing to its poisonous 

 nature, and the woods should be fenced or 

 much trouble may arise from stock eating it. 



