top of the tree or shall they cut off the lower 
branches?” 
Either method would be entirely too drastic. You 
can do it in a much easier and better way. 
Most Holly berries are borne near the tips of 
the branches, so just cut the heavy berry branches 
that stick out farthest from the tree. Cut them six 
to eighteen inches long, just enough to even up 
the shape of the tree. Do not cut big branches that 
would make large holes in the tree. 
Some branches that are not very full of berries 
will stick out a little beyond the main outline of 
the tree; leave these, as they are almost sure to 
be the branches that will bear the heaviest next 
year. 
Please do not be afraid to cut your tree. Illus- 
tration number four shows a tree that has been 
heavily pruned (does not mean that big branches 
have been taken out, just the tips of many branches 
for a number of years) and illustration number 
three a tree that would be a much more desirable 
one if it had had the same treatment. 
If the above paragraph does not fully convince 
you of the desirability of heavy pruning of Holly 
trees I wish I could show you nature’s own way. 
There is a Holly tree near Toms River, N. J., 
that bears more berries per square inch than any 
tree I have ever seen. Every year it is just red 
with berries, tons of them. And each year, when 
snow comes and feed gets scarce, red squirrels 
climb the tree and trim it. “hey cut thousands of 
the tips of berried branches, two to four inches 
long and drop them to the ground. ‘These are car- 
ried away and the seeds eaten. ‘This happens every 
year and the tree has developed into just about 
the finest specimen of its kind in the country. 
14. Can I Use Holly for 
A Hedge? 
Yes, Holly makes an evergreen hedge of real 
beauty the year through, and all winter the bright 
red berries add color to your garden. It attracts 
birds, too; cardinals will build deep in your hedge 
and stay with you the year round. Holly makes a 
most effective barrier to keep off animals and chil- 
dren; they will not bother it even when it is small 
and low. It is attractive as a low hedge and can 
easily be kept small if you like it that way, as it 
will stand the most severe pruning. Many people 
like their Holly hedge to grow tall and thick and 
heavy to form a background for their other plant- 
ing. And it need never be replaced, as it will live 
