146 SYLVA FLORIFERA. 



kept clipped in a neat manner. Parkinson 

 tells us that it was used to cover arbours, 

 bowers, and banqueting-houses, and he adds, 

 " it is wrought and cut into many formes of 

 men, horses, birdes, &c. as the workmen list, 

 supported at the first with timber, poles, and 

 the like, but afterwards groweth strong of 

 itselfe, sufficient to hold it in the forme it is 

 made into." The same author tells us, that 

 the berries were dried with the young branches, 

 and ground into powder, which formed a con- 

 siderable article of commerce with the Turks, 

 who used it to give a yellow colour to their 

 hair, hands, and nails, and that they also dyed 

 their horses' manes and tails with this powder, 

 to make them gay on festival days. 



The Italian or evergreen privet, is now 

 generally supplied by our nurserymen, as it 

 is equally hardy and the flowers something 

 larger ; but this variety seldom produces fruit 

 in England, and therefore is not so valuable 

 in the plantation as our native kind of privet. 



The best plants are raised from seed, which 

 should be treated in the same manner as the 

 direction given for sowing the holly-berries. 

 It is easily propagated by laying down the 

 young shoots in autumn, and it may be in- 

 creased also by cuttings, as well as by the 

 suckers, which it sends forth in great plenty. 



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