15 
landscape gardening. It is evergreen. In summer the 
small white panicles of flowers give life to the foliage and 
the red berries of fall and winter give the joy of 
Christmas cheer. It is easily raised from seed, endures 
drought and abuse and readily adapts itself to a small 
yard. It should find its way into every home garden. 
It responds to cultivation, and pruning will keep it 
from becoming straggly. The cutting back starts new 
growth, generally three shoots, and from the base of 
these the bearing wood or berry producing stalks will 
sprout. The cutting of berries with generous branches 
or foliage is sufficient pruning. The long shoots which 
do not bear should be cut back sio as likewise to pro- 
duce bearing wood. The limbs of straggly growth when 
resting on the ground will take root, which is not char- 
acteristic of many shrubs. It bears about the third 
year from seed. The natural growth rarely exceeds 20 
feet and its life is about 75 years. It is sometimes 
seen with dirty black foliage. This is due to aphis ex- 
creting “hioney dew,” causing dust and dirt to adhere. 
Soapsuds from the laundry swished on with a broom 
is a good remedy. 
At Lakeside there is indication of two varieties. 
One has the usual green leaf, lighter beneath, with ser- 
rated edge and bearing bright coral red berries. Along- 
side may be found a more dwarf shrub with deep dark 
leaves, lighter underneath, but the leaves are less ser- 
rated and the edges curl under instead of being flat. 
The berries are dark ruby. These differences persist 
year after year. Most of the berries shipped in to 
florists from the north at Christmas time have a yellow- 
ish green foliage. This seems to be due to climatic 
conditions. Seeds from such branches planted in the 
Park failed to develop yellowish foliage. Irrigation 
promotes the berry crop. The season of 1918 was dry, 
the shrubs in the foothills were berryless, yet the Park 
had the usual crop. Observations from others would 
be of interest. — Geo. B. Furniss. 
The Botanical Range of Christmas Berry.— The nat- 
ural range of this species is not well known, especially 
in the Sierra Nevada. In that range it is known to 
occur in the foothills from Butte county to Calaveras 
