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PLANT-LORE OF SHAKESPEARE 
its close and rich drapery and clusters of black fruit, 1 and 
where it once establishes itself it is always beautiful, but not 
always harmless. Both on trees and buildings it requires very 
close watching. It will very soon destroy soft-wooded trees, 
such as the Poplar and the Ash, by its tight embrace, not by 
sucking out the sap, but by preventing the outward growth of 
the shoots, and checking—and at length preventing—the flow 
of sap ; and in buildings it is no doubt beneficial as long as it 
is closely watched and kept in place, but if allowed to drive its 
roots into joints, or to grow under roofs, the swelling roots and 
branches will soon displace any masonry, and cause immense 
mischief. 
We have only one species of Ivy in England, and there are 
only seven real species recognized by present botanists, but there 
are infinite varieties, and many of them very beautiful. These 
variegated Ivies were known to the Greeks and Romans, and 
were highly prized by them, one especially with white fruit (at 
present not known) was the type of beauty. No higher praise 
could be given to a beauty than that she was “ Hedera for- 
mosior alba.” These varieties are scarcely mentioned by 
Gerard and Parkinson, and probably were not much valued ; 
they are now in greater repute, and nothing will surpass them 
for rapidly and effectually covering any bare spaces. 
I need scarcely add that the Ivy is so completely hardy that 
it will grow in any aspect and in any soil; and that all the 
varieties grow easily from cuttings at almost any time of the 
year. 
1 ee The Ivy-mesh 
Shading the Ethiop berries. ”—Keats, Endymiou. 
