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The Species are ; 

 , 1. Taxusj y. B. The common 

 Yew-tree, 



2. Taxus; folio latiori, rmtgifque 

 fplendenie. Boerh. Ind. Yew-tree 



with a broader and more fhining 

 Leaf. 



3. Taxus ; foliis variegatis. H. R, 

 Tar. The Yew-tree with ftrip'd 

 Leaves. 



The tvy-o firfl: Sorts are often 

 promifcuouily cultivated in Gardens, 

 tvithout Diftindlion; but the third 

 is preferved by fome for the Sake 

 of its variegated Leaves : Though 

 there is very little Beauty in them ; 

 for during the Summer Sealbn, 

 when the Plants are in Vigour, the 

 Stripes in the Leaves are hardly to 

 be perceived, but in Winter they 

 are more obvious j however, the 

 Stripe being rather a Blemifh than 

 any real Beauty, it is hardly worth 

 preferving. 



There is hardly any Sort of ever- 

 green Tree which has been ib ge- 

 nerally cultivated in the Engli/lj Gar- 

 dens, upon the Account of its being 

 fb tonlile, as to be with Eafe re- 

 duc'd into any Shape the Owner 

 pleas'd, and it may be too often 

 ieen, efpccially in old Gardens, what 

 a wretched Tafte of Gardening did 

 generally prevail, from the mon- 

 ftrous Figures of Beafls, (^c. we 

 find thefe Trees reduced into; but 

 of late this Tafte has been juftly 

 exploded by many Perfbns of fu- 

 perior Judgment : For what could 

 be more ablurd than the former Me- 

 thods of planting Gardens? where, 

 in the Part next the Habitation, 

 ^ were crowded a large Quantity of 

 thefe and other Sorts of ever-green 

 Trees, all of which were fheered 

 into fome trite Figure or other ; 

 w^hich, belides the obftrudting the 

 Profpedt from the Houfe, occa- 

 fion'd an annual Expcnce to render 



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the Trees difagreeable. For there 

 never was a Perfon who had con- 

 fider'd the Beauty of a Tree in its 

 natural Growth, with all its Bran- 

 ches diffus'd on every Side, but 

 muft acknowledge fuch a Tree in- 

 finitely more beautiful than any of 

 thofe fhorn Figures, fo much ftu= 

 died by Peribns of a groveling Ima- 

 gination. 



The only Ufe I would recom- 

 mend this Tree for in Gardens, is 

 to form Hedges for the Defence of 

 exotic k Plants, for which Purpofe 

 it is the moft proper of any Tree 

 in Being : The Leaves being fmall, 

 the Branches are produced very 

 clofely together, and if carefully 

 fliorn, they may be render'd fo clofe, 

 as to break the Winds better thari 

 any other Sort of Fence whatever, 

 becaufe they will not be rever- 

 berated, as againft Walls, Pales, and 

 Other clofe Fences, and fb confe- 

 quently are much to be preferr'd 

 for fuch Purpofes. 



Thefe Trees may be eafily pro- 

 pagated by fowing their Berries in 

 Autumn, as foon as they are ripe 

 (without clearing *em from the 

 Pulp which furrounds them, as 

 hath been frequently directed) upon 

 a Bed of frefli undung'd Soil, cover- 

 ing 'em over about half an Inch 

 thick with the fame Earth. 



In the Spring the Bed muft be 

 carefully clear 'd from V/eeds, and 

 if the Seafbn prove dry, it will be 

 proper to refrefh the Bed with' 

 Water now and then, which will 

 promote the GroWth of the Seeds, 

 many of which will come up the 

 fame Spring, but others will re- 

 main in the Ground until the Au- 

 tumn or Spring following ; but 

 where the Seeds are preferved above 

 Ground 'till Spring before they are 

 fov/n, the Plants do never come 

 up 'till the Year after, fo that by 



^wing 



