EVERGREENS AND OLD BOX 119 



maple and mahogany of the eighteenth century. 

 The reproducer unconsciously adds a touch or two 

 of his own which spoils the effect. Yet good re- 

 productions of old furniture are not to be ignored 

 when one cannot obtain originals, and modern Box 

 is far better than no Box at all, and should be 

 plentifully used in the garden and on the grounds. 

 Buy forms that you can shape yourself more or less 

 after the patterns of the old shrubs, and the 

 rounder they are the better they will look, for old 

 Box was generally either dumpy and plethoric 

 and appeared as if it were a crinoline, or it was 

 shaped like an inverted pyramid. The clipped 

 pyramidal forms are the least desirable and are 

 usually the most plentiful and cheap. 



The old specimens are of great assistance to 

 anyone who is trying to produce the effect of an 

 old yard and garden, but unfortunately the sup- 

 ply is limited. The revival of garden-making dur- 

 ing the past few years has stripped the nurseries 

 of the few old and attractive specimens that they 

 once possessed, and the owners of good Box trees 

 in the small towns and villages are fast becoming 

 educated to the value of their long neglected heir- 



