190 TREATISE ON 



There is not in nature a hardy plant fo tonfile and obedient 

 to the fliears as this, or that makes fo clofe and warm a defence 

 againft the cold piercing winds, (the PI0II7 only excepted, which 

 making a great deal of litter in the fpring, is not fo proper for the in- 

 ward divifions of the garden), and therefore none comparable for 

 making fmall inclofures in the kitchen ground or nurfery, to 

 protect and forward vegetable crops, or young and delica.te 

 trees and flirubs. Of what mighty advantage fuch fences- 

 would be to men of fortune beginning their improvements, may 

 cafily be imagined : What pity then is it, and how blameable 

 are nurferymen whofe circumftances will admit, that they do' 

 not afford thefe aids, either for the public good, or their owru 

 private intereft ! 



With all thefe advantages, I miifl: acknowledge the Yew a 

 very unchearful plant ; and the old practice of planting great 

 numbers of them, cut in no lefs various than ridiculous figures, 

 in the courts and fronts of houfes, made them doubly mournful, 

 which no doubt has increafed the difregard for fome time fliown 

 them : But for the purpofes mention(jd, they cannot be too much 

 encouraged ; neither do I think they ought to be entirely banilli- 

 ed tlie wildernefs or foreft, where a few of them in their natural 

 form, interfperfed with others, will appear vnth. a reverend tho' 

 gloomy magnificence, and are the fineft foil imaginable to the 

 reft of the plantation, which, contrafted with them, will appear 

 with additional chearfulnefs and luftre. 



I HAVE formerly mentioned the ill confequences of clipping 

 Holly hedges in autumn. This ought to be yet more particular- 

 ly attended to in the Yew, which will fuffer more by that prac- 

 tice, in fo much that I have known, in fevere winters, whole 

 hedges of them become quite brown, and fo weakened, that no- 



