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TAX 



l^^.is genus of plants is ranged in the firfl fccciotn of 

 Linna;us'3 nineteenth dais, which includes thofe 

 plants whofc fiowers are made up of all fruitful florets, 

 and their kimniits are connedled together. 

 We have but one Species of this genus, viz. 

 Tarchonanthus {Campbo'ratus^) Ilort. Clift'. 39S. Co- 

 ■ nyza Africana, frutclcens, foliis ialvi:^ odore cam- 

 pb.onc. Tourn. Inlh 435. Shruhhy African Fkabane^ 

 *u;ith Sci^c leaves fmelUng like Camphire. 

 This plant grows naturally at the Cape of Good 

 Hope, and alio in China ; it has a flrong woody 

 flalk, which in England rifes to the height of twelve 

 ■or fourteen feet, fendingout many ligneous branches 

 at the top, 'which may be trained up to have a regu- 

 lar head. The branches are garnlfned with leaves, 

 which are in fliapc like thofe of the broad-leaved Sal- 

 low, having a downy furface like thofe of Sage, and 

 th<?ir under fides are white \ they refemble in fmell 

 the Rofemary leaves when bruifed. The flowers are 

 produced in fpikes at the extremity of the fhoots, 

 which are of a dull purple colour, fo do not miake 

 any great appearance. The ufual time of its flower 

 ing is in autumn, but continue great part of winter, 

 and are not fucceeded by feeds' here. Thefe plants 

 are prefcrved to make a variety in the green-houfe 

 during the winter feafon, by thofe who, are curious in 

 collefting of foreign plants j they retain their leaves 



all the year. 



It is too tender to live through the winter in 

 open air in England, but requires no artificial heat, 

 therefore may be placed in a common green-lioufe 

 with Myrtles, Oleander, and other hardy exotic plants 

 in winter, and in fummer may beexpofed with them 

 in the open air, and treated in the fame manner as 

 they are. ' ' ■ 



It may be propagated by cuttings, which fhould be 

 planted in May, in pots filled with light earth, and 

 if they ar^q plunged into a ^ moderate. hot-bed, it will 

 promote their putting .out: roots.;;;: Thefe fhould be 

 fliaded with rnats^ or covered^ with . oiled paper, to 

 fcreen them from the. fun until they are rootedi ^^By 

 ' the middle of July thefe cuttings will have taken 

 root, when they fhould be each tranfplanted into a 

 , feparate pot^ and placed in the fhade until they have 

 t^keh new root ; after" which time they may be placed 

 with otherTiardy ' exptic plants .in^K-fheltered fitu- 

 .ation, where they .ni^y./emain till. the middle or end 

 xxf Qcftober, when they fhpyjid be .removed into the 

 green-houfe, placing them where they may have a 



the 



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large fhare of air in mild weather. This plant is very 

 thirdly, fo rnuft be often watered, and every year the 

 plants muft be Ihifted ^ and as they increafe in fize^ 

 fhould be put into larger pots. 



TARRAGON., See Abrotanum.,: 



^TA'XUS. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 589. tab* 362. Lin. 



■.;iGen/Plint^ iop6. [lb* called df , ro^a, poilbns ; be- 



i caufe this tree*>.in old rimjeVTwasiufed'in <:ompo«ttd- 



ing poifons,,in warjn. climates.] The Yew-tree i in 



Pi;erich^ Ifr-' 



^i':r:-ri^^d^- f--t>:-r5TTi;:? 



1/ 





. The_Cp4RAQTERA,arenf *^' :r(^^:i 

 ^he.y?^e J^o^eici^rj^prQdM^J.^onfip^f'^ts trees from the 

 fr^fkf^'^.s^HM^J^^*P?X.iJLJk^ ba!:ue neither- empalemefft or 

 pefajs^ . kvA/k^ K^^ H ^^^-^^ ^ four -leaved cover ; they have 

 ^^^tJtu^iK.^ Jf^JP^tl^ which arc. joined at the bottom 

 in a column longer than the gem^ terminated hySepreJfed 

 fummits\' having ohtufe border^ and. eight point Sy opening 



cnjachfide their bafe^ cafting: their farina^. -^ The female 

 flowers are like the male, having ^0 empalemmtor-pftals^ 

 bu(-^ have, an\ oval acute-pointed germen^ . but no fiyle^ 

 crowned by an obtufe fligma,^v The germen afterward be- 

 cmtes a berry lengthened, from the. receptacle^ globular at 

 the 4op^ ^ and, covered by .^^ proper coat, .at bottom-, open at 

 the top., full, of juicA-, . and. of a red colour ; but as it dries ^ 

 "^^{fjiwajiyincMdijig one oHong ovalfcedy whofe top with- 

 out the berry is prominent >,.: 



This genus of , plants is ranged in the eleventh feftion 

 of Linnseus^sxwe.nty-fecond clafs, which includes thofe 

 plants whofe male flowejrs ;are.iUpon feparate plants 

 from the fruit, and their flamina are joined in one 



body or column. , ■ ' ' ^^"* 





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TAX 



We have but one S.^ecies of this plant in England 



viz. 



nl 



Taxus {Baccas) foliis approximatis. Lin. Sp. Phnt. 

 1040. Teiv-tree vjhh leaves growing near each other ^ or 

 the ccmmon Tew. 



This tree grows naturally in England, and alfo in moft 

 oi the northern countries of Europe, and in North 

 America; and where, if it is fulfcrcd to grow, will 

 rife to a good heiglit, and have verv large^ltems ; it 

 naturally fends out branches on every fide, which 

 fpread out, and are almofl horizontal ; they are clol'e- 

 ly garnifiied with narrow, ftitF, blunt-pointed leaves, 

 of a very dark green. The flowers come out from 

 the fide of the branches in cluilers ; the male flowers 

 having many {lamina, are more confpicuous than the 

 female ; thefe for the mofl: part are upon diflrrent 

 trees, but fcmetimes are upon the fimetree; thev 



appear the latter end of May, and the berries ripen 

 in autumn. 



There is hardly any fort of evergreen tree which has 



been fo generally cukivated in the Englifli gardens as 



the Yew,^ upon the account of its being fo tonfile, as 



to be with eafe reduced into any fhape the owner 



pleafed ; and it may be too often feen, efpecially in old 



gardens, what a wretched tafte of gardening prevailed 



formerly in England, from the monftrous figures of 



beafts, &c. we find thefe trees reduced into; but of 



late this tafce has been jufl:]y exploded by perfons of 



fuperior judgment, for what could be more abfurd 



than the former metliods of planting gat*dens ? where, 



thofe parts next the habitation, were crouded with a 



large quantity of thefe and other forts of evergreen 



trees, all of which were clipped into fome trite figure 



or other, which, befides the obfl:rut5ling the profpeft 



from the houfe, and filling up the ground, fo that 



little room was left for other fhrubs and fiowers. "Be- 



; fide, it occafioned an annual expence to render the trees 



-: difagreeable ; for there never was a perfon, who had 



; , confidered the beauty of a tree in its natural growth, 



with all its branches difFufed on every fide, but' muft 



acknowledge fuch a tree infinitely mOre beautiful thin 



any of thofe fhorn figures, {o much ftudied b^ perfons 



of a groveling imagination.- 



i 'The only ufe this tree S fit for in gardens, is to form 



-^ikdges for the defence of exotic plants ; for which 



r- purpofe, when it "is neceffary to have hedges, it is the 



1' "fridft proper of any tree in being; the leaves beino- 



fmall, the branches are produced very clofe together ; 



and if carefully fliorn, they may be rendered fo clofe 



as to break the winds better than any other fort 'of 



fence whatever, becaufe they \yill not be reverberated, 



as againft walls, pales, pr other tlofe fences, there- 



"! fore confequently are much to be preferred for fuch 



purpofes. ' ■ ., , 



Thefe trees may be eafily propagated by fowing their 

 ._ berries in autumn, as foon as they are ripe (without 

 : cleanrigtTidm from ^'he pulp which furrounds them, 

 : as hath been frequently direfted,) iipoh a fhady be3 



of frefh undunged foil, -covering them over about half 



an inch thick with the fame earth. " 

 ; In the fpring the bed muft be carefully' cleared from 

 ' weeds,"Iahd if the feafon proves dry, it will be proper 

 ! to refrelh the bed- with water now and then," which 

 1 will promote the growth of the feeds,' piany of Avhich 

 \ will come up the fame fpring, but others will remain 

 I in the ground until autumn or fpring following; but 

 1- where the feeds are preferved above grouncf nil fpring 

 ; before they are fown, the plants never come 'up till 

 \ the year after; fo that by fowing the feeds 'as foon as 



they are ripe, there is often a whole year faved.' 

 \ Thefe plants, when they come up, fhould be conftant- 

 ' ly' cleared from weeds,' which, if permitted tb grOv^ 



amongftthem,- wiircaufe their bottoms"to be naked, 

 • and frequently deftroy the plants when they continue. 

 ; long undifturbed.-* ■ 



: In this bed the plants may remain two years, afce'r 

 i whigh,' in autumn, there fhould be a fpot of frefh 



undunged foil prepared, into which chey fhould be 

 i removed the beginning of Oftober,^ planting them in 



l^eds about four or five feet wide, in rows abdtt a 



foot 



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