The Hornbeam. 



for three or four years. The Hollies should be cut down, 

 not the first but the second year after they be planted out, 

 because they do not strike readily, like the greater part of 

 deciduous trees; and, in the pruning of the roots, follow 

 the directions given in the case of the Firs; for here, the 

 fibres are not to be cut off, but only the points of the long 

 and straggling roots ; and the plants ought to be kept out 

 of the ground, at every removal of them, as short a time as 

 possible. 



In Latin, Carpimis ; in French, Charme. 



306. The botanical characters are : — It has male and female tiowers, grow- 

 ing separately on the same plant. The male flowers are disposed in a cylin- 

 drical rope, or katkin, which is loose and scaly, each scale covering one 

 flower, which has no petals, but ten small stamina, terminated by compressed 

 hairy summits. The female flowers are disposed in the same form, and are 

 single under each scale ; these have one petal, which is shaped like a cup, cut 

 into six parts, and two short germen, each having two hairy styles, crowned 

 by a single stigma. The katkin afterwards grows large j and, at the base of 

 each scale is lodged an oval angular nut. 



30/. There are three or four varieties of the Hornbeam, 

 one of which, which comes from America, is called Iron 

 Wood {Carpimis Osirya); and in England it is called the 

 Hop-HoRNBEAM, bccausc its seeds come in a sort of cone, 

 very much resembling a rather small and oblong hop. 

 This, however, is an ornamental shrub, and, of course, does 

 not come under our present inquiries. The common Horn- 

 beam of America very much resembles our own in all re- 

 spects, but MicHAUx says, that it is better for hedges, or, 

 at least, more ornamental, as its branches are more nume- 

 rous, and as its foliage is closer and more tufted. 



M 



