EVERGREEN EOX-TREE. 433 
tescent, Buis nain Petit bids, Bids d bordures, Bids aVArtois, Bids de Hollande 
oi the trench; btaudenartiger Buchsbaum, Zwcrger Buchsbaum, of the Ger- 
mans; dwarfy, with small obovate leaves. This is the kind usually cultivated 
for edging beds in gardens. 
5. B. sargentea, Loudon. Silver-leaved Evergreen Box; Bids argent,, >f 
the trench; tSilber-Buchsbaum, of the Germans; arborescent, with ovate Law. 
variegated with a silvery colour. 
6. B. saurea Loudon. Golden-coloured-leaved Evergreen Box; Buis a feuiUes 
dories, of the French; Goldgelber Buchsbaum, of the Germans; arborescent 
with ovate leaves, variegated with a golden colour. 
7. B. s. marginata, Loudon. Golden-edgcd-leaved Evergreen Box Buis mar- 
gme, of the French; Eingefasster Buchsbaum, of the Germans; arborescent 
having ovate leaves, with a margin of a golden colour. 
8. B. s. variegata, Loudon. Variegated-leaved Evergreen Box ; Buis d feuiUes 
variees, of the French; arborescent, with lanceolate variegated leaves. 
Geography and History. The Buxus sempervirens is found wild on moun- 
tains, and spreading as undergrowth among other trees, throughout Europe and 
Asia, between the thirty-seventh and fifty-second degrees of north latitude; but 
never forming forests entirely of itself. It grows plentifully upon Box Hill, near 
Dorking, in 'Surry, mixed with a few juniper bushes not higher than itself, but 
not among deciduous trees, and shaded by them, as it does in its native habitat, 
in France, and in other parts of the continent. The box-tree is found abundantly 
in Turkey, and on the shores of the Black Sea ; but a great portion of the box- 
wood of commerce, sold in the European and American markets as "Turkey 
box," is grown in Circassia and Georgia, whence it is brought to Odessa for ship- 
ment. It is also found in various parts of Persia, China, Cochin-China. and. 
from some statements, in Japan. This tree, which is of great longevity, and sub- 
ject to but few diseases, is rarely attacked by insects, and is so extremely hardy, 
that there are but few other non-resiniferous evergreens that will stand in the 
open air, without protection, during winter, in the gardens of Paris, Berlin, Vienna. 
and of New York. 
The box appears to have been first mentioned by Theophrastus, who ranks its 
wood with that of ebony, on account of the closeness of its grain. Both Virgil 
and Ovid allude to its use tor musical instruments, and employ the word box, as 
if synonymous with that oi flute. Pliny describes the wood as being as hard to 
burn as iron, producing no flame, and as being totally unfit for charcoal, lie 
distinguishes three kinds, which he calls the "larger, the smaller, and the Italian 
box;" and speaks of the use of the tree for topiary gardens, and of the wood foi 
musical instruments. Vitruvius also recommends the box for topiary-work, and 
uses the word topiarius to express the art of the gardener. This tree appears to 
have been much employed in verdant sculpture, and close-clipped hedges, in tin 
gardens of Roman villas in the Augustan age. Pliny describes hisTusculan villa 
as having a lawn adorned with figures of animals cut out in box-trees, answer- 
ing alternately to one another. This lawn was again surrounded by a walk 
enclosed with evergreen shrubs, sheared into a variety of forms. Beyond this 
was a place of exercise, of a circular form, ornamented in the middle with box- 
trees, sheared, as before, into numerous figures of various forms; ami the whole 
surrounded by a sloping bank, covered with box, rising in steps to the top. In 
another part of the grounds of the same villa, the box is mentioned as hem- CUl 
into a variety of shapes and letters; some expressing the name of the master, and 
others that of the artificer, &c. The same practice is followed in several Roman 
gardens at the present day; and. in that of the Vatican, the name of the Pope, 
the date of his election, &c, may be read from the windows of the palace, il 
letters of box. In more modern times, in Britain, it is mentioned by Turn 
55 
