Tar 



( 381 ) 



Taxus 



TAR. 



A product obtained from bituminous coal 

 gas making. Gas. mineral, or coal tar, as it is 

 variously called, is put to a number of uses in the 

 garden. Painted over the wooden supports of pits 

 or frames, outhouses, palings, and, in fact, wood- 

 work generally, it answers almost as well as 

 paint for a preserver, and is considerably 

 cheaper. The tarpaulin so much used for covering 

 purposes is made of stout canvas coated with tar 

 until it is waterproof As a trap for insects tar 

 may be turned to considerable advantage. Boards 

 smeared with it are excellent traps for the Turnip 

 Beetle, various insects attacking the Raspberry, 

 froghoppers, and grasshoppers. Mixed with an 

 equal quantity of cart grease or about a third of 

 fish oil to keep it viscid, it is frequently used for 

 smearing upon the bands placed round fruit trees 

 in the autumn to prevent the egg laying females of 

 the Winter Moth from ascending the trees. 



As a styptic for dressing the ends of cut branches 

 Stockholm tar has a great vogue. It is true that it 

 has rather biting properties, and kills, while it 

 hardens, the outermost layers of wood, but in 

 woody plants no harm results from this, and, as 

 the wood is made impervious to moisture, much 



food. Tar may also be used for dressing wounds, 

 'or herbaceous plants and Vines another styptic 

 should be selected. 



Tar water when diluted with clear water is a 

 good insecticide. 



Benzol or benzine (spirit of tar) is a volatile, 

 transparent, and highly inflammable fluid obtained 

 by distillation from coal tar. It has been employed 

 occasionally as an insecticide. 



TARAXACUM. (DANDELION.) 



Hardy herbs (ord. Composite). Propagation, by 

 seeds or division. Common soil. As a salad plant 

 officinale is covered to blanch the leaves. 



Principal Species : 



oftirinale, 6", Mch., yel.; 

 many *intn. Dandelion. 



moutauum, 4", Aug., vel. 

 (SIIH. Lasiopus si>nrh- 

 oides). 



TARCHONANTHUS. (AKKICAX FLEA 

 BANK.) 



Three species of greenhouse shrubs (ord. Com- 

 positse), with flower heads resembling those of the 

 Artemisias. Propagation, by cuttings in sand. 

 Soil, sandy loam. 



Principal Species : 



camphoratus, (', ,Iy., pur. 



TARENNA. 



Stove trrrs and shrubs (nrtl. Rubiaceae), at one 

 time referred to Webera. None of the species is 

 in cultivation. 



TARO. 



This is the name given by the Paeilie Islanders 

 to the tubers of Colocasia Antiqiiorum, which they 

 use largely for food. The tubers are acrid and 

 poisonous, but their poisonous properties are 

 destroyed by thorough cooking iii various fashions. 

 They are made into puddings, baked or boiled, 

 and the young lea\es eaten like Spinach. 



Tape 



f.r \'/illixin-ri:i 

 lhi.t fr .1 i 



TARRAGON. 



This is Artemisia dracunculoides (A. Dracunculus 

 of some authorities), a rather tender perennial, 

 whose leaves are used in salads and season- 

 ing, and in producing Tarragon vinegar. A dry, 

 warm position, and a little winter protection, 

 are advisable. Like other herbs, it may be cut 

 and dried in autumn for winter use. Propagation, 

 by cuttings in a little. heat, or by division in spring. 

 Common soil. 



TAUSCHERIA. 



The only species (lasiocarpa) of this genus (urd. 

 CruciferEe) is a yellow-flowered hardy annual of no- 

 garden value, growing in common soil. 



TAVERNIERA. 



Greenhouse sub-shrubs (ord. Leguminosae), only 

 a few of which are cultivated. Propagation, by 

 seeds or cuttings under glass, in bottom heat. 

 Soil, mellow loam and sand. 



Principal Species : 



lappacea, Jy., Aug., trail- folia, ephedroidea, go- 

 ing, yel. uoclaila, iucana, and 

 Nummularia, 1' to '!' , spartea). .Last Indian 

 Jy., red (synn. cunui- iloueywort. 



TAXODIUM. (DKCIDUOUS CYPRESS.) 

 Handsome deciduous trees (ord. Coniferas). The 

 swollen buttresses of the base of distichum are 

 conspicuous, together with the " knees " which rise 

 from the roots around the tree itself where flooded 

 by water. The trunk is often very thick in propor- 

 tion to the height. The timber is used for lumber, 

 posts, and fencing. Heterophyllum is a low 

 Chinese tree or shrub. Propagation, by seeds, 

 which give plants varying much in character ; by 

 layers ; and by cuttings with leaves, struck in 

 water. Moist soil, distichum only attaining its 

 full beauty in such a medium. 



Only Species and Select Varieties : 

 distichum, 100' in Britain. more slender, branches. 



My., female cones soli- generally pendulous 



tary or in small (*//. sinense, Glypto- 



bunches, cones :i little strobus pendulus, aiul 



smaller than a Walnut Cupressus disticlia im- 



( ../. inicrophyllum and briearia) . 



Ciipivssusdistii'ha). l)e- gigauteum (see Sequoia), 

 eiduoiis Cypress, Bald heterophylluni, 10', cones 

 Cypress, Swamp Cy- eggshaped(nowGlypto- 



press. strobus heterophyllus). 



dcnudatiim, branches Chinese Water Pine. 



slender, Ivs. scattered. mueroiiatum, 120', tender, 

 fastigiatum, branches Ivs. more slender than 



erect. those of distichum, and 



nanum, ilwurfer. sub - persistent (*y>t. 



pendulum, smaller, mexicanum). 



TAXUS. (YEW.) 



Description. Hardy evergreen trees or shrub* 

 (ord. Coniferas). The native Yew, baccata, is a 

 familiar tree in its various forms, and it is offer 

 >eeii a>.-oeiated with ehmvhyards. As an orna- 

 mental tree the Ve\v is very valuable, and the- 

 sombre foliage of the typieal >|>eeie^ may l>e much 

 relieved by the judicious use of the varieties. The 

 Irish Yew baccata fastigiata - is largely used for 

 ornamental purposes, for which its pyramidal 

 habit well adapts it. The Yew makes capital ever- 

 green hedges, though care must be taken that 

 cattle and horses have not access to it, on account 



'I'ti until mi id ' xrr ]>ri III ifX). 



Taittrlt'iw MnitntaiM Currant (liibi-s aljrimtm). 



Tajeiiiit Ill-inn (.<cc Slut ii-r). 



