J 46 SYLVA FLORIFERA. 



waste and barren hils in Englande." And 

 Parkinson tells us, in the time of Charles the 

 First, " that it is found with us in many woods, 

 and wood grounds." Woodward remarks it as 

 plentiful on the chalky hills near Dunstable. 

 It is also a native of most parts of Europe, as 

 well as of many parts of Asia, as about Mount 

 Caucasus, in Persia, China, Cochin-China, &c, 

 and also in America. Pliny tells us that the 

 largest box-trees grew anciently in Corsica, 

 and in so great abundance that it caused the 

 honey of that island to be bitter. In Persia 

 the box-shrub grows to a considerable-sized 

 tree, and of so elegant a form, that the Per- 

 sian poets often compare their beautiful grown 

 women to these trees. Ghilan, one of the 

 Persian provinces, is remarkable for growing 

 great quantities of box-wood, on which ac- 

 count their caravans consist of horses, mules, 

 and cows ; for camels are not brought into 

 the province, because they have an extreme 

 fondness for box, which causes their imme- 

 diate death if they eat of it. 



We believe box is the only European wood 

 that will sink in the water, and that is sold 

 by weight. Pliny observes, that it is ps hard 

 to burn as iron, and that it will neither flame 

 nor burn clear ; nor can it be converted into 

 charcoal. He tells us that it was highly valued 



