LXXVI. TAXA‘CER: TA’XUS 941 
1752. T. baccata. 
fine orange red, or deep brown; and the sap wood, which does not extend to 
a great depth, is white, and also very hard. Where the two woods join, 
there are generally different shades of red, brown, and white: both woods 
are susceptible of a very high polish. Varennes de Fenilles states that the 
wood, before it has been seasoned, when cut into thin veneers, and immersed 
some months in pond water, will take a purple violet colour ; probably owing 
to the presence of alkali in the water. According to this author. the wood 
of the yew weighs, when green, 80 lb. 90z. per cubic foot; and, when dry, 
61 lb. 7 oz. It requires a longer time to become perfectly dr- than any other 
wood whatever; and it shrinks so little in drying, as not to lose above 3, 
part of its bulk. The fineness of its grain is owing to the thinness of its 
annual layers, 280 of these being sometimes found in a piece not more than 
20in. in diameter. It is universally allowed to be the finest European wood 
for cabinet-making purposes. The principal use for which the yew was cul- 
tivated, before the introduction of gunpowder, was for making bows; but 
these are now chiefly made of foreign wood. For details respecting making 
bows of the yew tree, see Arb. Brit., 1st edit., vol. iv. p. 2086. The yew 
makes excellent hedges for shelter; undergrowth for the protection of 
game; and. when planted thick on suitable soil, so as to be drawn up with 
clean an@ straight trunks, most valuable timber. When a yew hedge is wanted 
to be of one shade of green, the plants should all be raised from cuttings 
of the same tree ; and, when they are intended to show fruit, in order to 
rival a holly hedge, only female plants should be chosen or propagated; and 
the hedge, like holly hedges kept for their fruit, should be cut in with a knife, 
and never clipped with the shears. Single scattered trees, when intended to 
be ornamental by their berries, should, of course, always be females; and, in 
order to determine their sex, they should not be removed to where they are 
finally to remain till they have flowered. This may, doubtless, be accelerated 
by ringing a branch on each plant after it has attained 5 or 6 years’ growth, 
The use of the yew tree in ancient topiary gardening, during the seventeenth 
century, was as extensive, in England and France, ds that of the box seems to 
have been in Italy in the days of Pliny. The practice was rendered fashion- 
able by Evelyn, previously to which the clipping of trees as garden ornaments 
was chiefly confined to plants of box, juniper, &c., kept by the commercial 
