TAX 



tion, having round, fmootli, greyilh branches. Whorls 

 from one to two inches afunder, each of about eight fcfTile, 

 linear, falcate, entire, fmooth, fingle-ribbed haves, a finger's 

 length, or more ; two lines broad ; obtufe, or flightly emar- 

 ginate, at the end ; of a dark ftiining green above ; paler 

 beneath. 



Taxi's, in Gardmir.!;, furnilhcs a plant of the hardy ever- 

 green kind, of which'the fpecies moftly cultivated is the 

 common yew-tree ( T. baccata. ) This is a tree which has 

 feveral varieties, as tliofe with very fliort leaves, with broad 

 (hining leaves, and with ftriped or variegated leaves. 



Method of Culture. — In this tree, the increafe may be 

 cffcded in fevera! ways, as by feeds, and fometimes by 

 layers and cuttings. In the firil mode, after iiaving procured 

 a quantity of the yew berries, and diveftod them of the pulp 

 or mucilag-^ they (hould be fown in beds of light earth, 

 either in (hallow di-ills, or fcattered over the furface in the 

 autumn or fpring feafon ; but the former is the beft method, 

 as the plants rife in the following fpring ; and be covered 

 near an inch deep with light mould, out of the alleys, &c. 

 They require no further care, only to keep the beds clean 

 from weeds before and after the plants come up, and to 

 give crccalional waterings in dry weather, in fpring and 

 fummer, to forward and ftrengthen the plants in their 

 growth. They Ihould have two years' growth in the feed- 

 bed ; then in the autumn or fpring be planted out upon four- 

 feet -wide beds, in nurfery rows, a foot afunder, to remain 

 two, three, or four years, when fome may be planted out 

 finaliv for hedges, where required ; others in the nurfery 

 quarters, in rows, two or three feet afunder, to be trained 

 in a fuitable manner for the purpofes they are intended. 



And after growing in the nurfery till they obtain from 

 half a yard to four or five feet ftature, they may be finally 

 planted out in autumn or fpring, for their intended pur- 

 pofes ; when they will rife from tlie ground with a large 

 fpread of roots. They (hould be planted in their places as 

 foon after removal as poffible, giving each plant a good 

 • watering at the time. 



'In the future culture, thofe trained in hedges, &c. muft 

 be clipped or cut in annually, once or twice in the fummer ; 

 and thofe in the (hrubberics and rural plantations have the 

 lower branches pruned up occafionally to a fmgle ftem ; but 

 the head fhould generally be permitted to fpread agreeably 

 to its natural mode of growth, except juft reducing any 

 confiderable rambling branch, &c. 



But the ftriped or variegated yews, and other varieties, 

 fhould be increafed by layers, flips or cuttings, as they are 

 rarely permanent by feeds. The layers fhould be made 

 from the young (hoots of not more than a year or two old, 

 being laid down in fpring, fumrner, or early in autumn, 

 when many of them will take root, and in one or two years 

 be fit for planting off into nurfery rows. 



And the flips and cuttings (hould be made by cutting or 

 (lipping off a quantity of the one-year's fhoots, diverting 

 them of the lower leaves, and planting them in a fhady 

 border thick together, in fmall trenches, in the early fpring 

 or autumn, giving water at planting, and afterwards occa- 

 fionally in dry hot weather. They will be well rooted in 

 two years, and be fit for being planted out into wide nurfery 

 rows, or in any other fimilar manner. 



All thefe plants may be employed as ornamental ever- 

 greens, and as foreft-trees ; and they were formerly much 

 ufed in hedges and trained figures : they have a good effeft 

 in (hrubberies among others of the evergreen tribe, being 

 pennitted to affume their natural growth, in common with 

 other trees and (hrubs ; and alfo when planted as detached 

 llandards, in extenfive diftant opens of grafs-ground, in 



10 



T A Y 



parks, and the fides of hills, &c. ; likevrife when introduced as 

 forell -trees in timber plantations of the evergreen kind. See 

 Plantation. 



The different forts of hedges and figure-works which 

 were formerly in fo high repute in gardens and pleafiu-e- 

 grounds, are now almofl wholly in difufe, thefe being at pre- 

 fent laid out in a more open and rural manner, fo as to have 

 a greater imitation of nature, and a more fuU difplay of their 

 feveral quarters and parts, as the lawn, walks, and other 

 places, together with the various plants belonging to 

 them. 



Single yews are now even hardly ever admitted in modern 

 defigns by way of ornament, but thefe trees, in their natural 

 growths, are defirable for introducing into lai-ge plantations 

 of the durative kind, for the fake of increafing the variety ; 

 and though fome perfons rejeft them in confequence of their 

 poifonous nature, and gloomy mournful afpeft, others admire 

 them for fuch folemn appearances, and think they afford a 

 remarkably fine contraft with the other more lively ever- 

 greens. There can be no doubt that the leaves, efpecially 

 when withered, or dried a little, are of a poifonous quality ; 

 befides, the tree has had the title of the deadly yew given to 

 it by fome, and been looked upon as an emblem of mortality, 

 and on that account planted in church-yards, to remind 

 people of their latter end. That accidents have frequently 

 arifen to cattle, of both the horfe and cow kind, from eating 

 the green leaves and tender (hoots, but more particularly 

 when in the above Hates, is certain. Therefore, as the 

 cuttings or clippings of thi» fort are often liable to be eaten 

 with greedinefs by fome cattle, particularly cows, even 

 when they have lain in the fun for a day or two, and are 

 become half dried, it is proper and neceffary that they fhould 

 be either carefully deftroyed by fire, or put quite out of the 

 way of all forts of animals, and not, as is too frequently the 

 praftice, be carelefsly thrown over the walls or hedges, into 

 the roads, lanes, or on the rubbifh heaps, where cattle 

 frequent. 



The beft fizes of yew plants are probably from two or three, 

 to five or fix feet in height ; but thofe of feven or eight may 

 be removed with balls of earth about their roots, and be 

 ufed for particular purpofes and occafions. Watering at 

 the time of planting them is conftantly requifite. 



Taxus, in Zoology, the Ursus Mitks, or common Badger ; 

 which fee. — Alfo, a name given by Kasmpfer to the hyaena 

 of the ancients. See Canis Hyiena, and Hyaena. 



TAY, in Geography, is a river in Perthfhire, Scotland, 

 confidered as the greateft of the Scottifh rivers, has its fource 

 in the weftern extremity of the county, in the diflrift of 

 Breadalbane, on the frontiers of Lorn, in Argylefhire ; but 

 has not the appellation of Tay till it iffues from the lake of 

 that name. At its fource it bears the name of Fillan ; and 

 defcending in a circuitous courfe of eight or nine miles 

 through a valley, to which it gives the name of StrathfiUan, 

 it falls into Loch Dochart. This lake, about three miles in 

 length, has an ancient caftle upon an ifland, overhung by a 

 huge promontory ; the whole embowered with wood, fo as 

 to have a moft romantic appearance. Iffumg from Loch 

 Dochart, the river retains that name, and gives the appella- 

 tion of Glen-Dochart to the vale through which it runs. 

 At the eaftern extremity of this valley, the water is again 

 detained in its courfe ; and being augmented by the river 

 Lochay, the united ftreams form one of the mofl beautiful 

 of the Scottifh lakes, called Loch Tay. IfTuing hence, the 

 river afTumes the name of the lake, which name it retains 

 till it mingles virith the waters of the ocean. The valley 

 through which it paffes may be confidered as the paradile 

 of the Highlands. On Loch Tay, and the river for 



fome 



