SSDP 
need of money is to go out and dig a few speci- 
mens. Belief that when I dig and sell Hollies 
from my Holly orchards is like finding money is 
as far from the truth, though, as the “you cannot 
grow it’ tales. 
Somehow, few people have learned the real 
story of Holly. Will Rogers liked to tell us that 
all he knew was what he read in the papers, but 
he could not thus joke in reference to Hollies, for 
little has been put in print that deals directly with 
or tells plainly just how interested persons in 
America can raise Holly at home. I am just a 
farmer and feel ill equipped to tell the story of 
Holly, but the real truth is that the facts were 
worked out mostly by plain trial and error dirt 
farming. 
HOLLY DIFFERS FROM OTHER TREES 
Science has done much for the farmer in 
America and in horticulture it seems to have 
played a more important role, yet Holly has shown 
an almost complete indifference to recognized 
standards of culture. When approached the 
right way it is very cooperative, easy to work 
with and actually seems to want to grow and 
please. On the other hand, it can be stubborn and 
worse than a balky mule. Holly seems especially 
resentful toward modem practices that succeed 
with other plants and trees. This does much to 
explain why scientists, horticulturists and enthus- 
iastic home owners—folks who have made a real 
success of growing things—sometimes fail mis- 
erably with Holly. 
My early work with Holly was little more than 
a series of failures and for years I seemed to 
make no headway. Much of the trouble can def- 
initely be traced to the use of chemical fertilizers. 
My assertion that these are often harmful to 
Hollies is considered just a whim by many, but 
I can supply very positive proof. My father was 
a good farmer, but his real interest was in ferti- 
lizer and we had a factory right on the farm; the 
business is now carried on by my twin brother 
in town a couple of miles away. So, you see I 
have worked in fertilizers all my life. Father be- 
lieved in advertising and used much fertilizer on 
the farm. The crops we grew helped no little to 
sell our fertilizer, but their use on my Hollies proved 
a handicap. I will not take space to go more into 
detail, but urge all who plant Hollies to use chem- 
icals sparingly. To the non use of chemicals can 
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