284 
LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
Yews in England, of immense size and age, which are pre- 
served with the greatest care and veneration. 
It is a common saying of the inhabitants of the New For- 
est in England, says Gilpin, that “a post of Yew will out- 
last a post of iron.” The wood is extremely durable, and 
being hard and very fine-grained, as well as beautifully varie- 
gated with reddish or orange veins, it is much prized for 
inlaying, veneering, and other similar purposes, by the 
cabinet-makers abroad. Tables made of it are said to be 
more beautiful than those of mahogany ; and the wood of 
the root to vie in beauty with that of the Citron. 
It is also remarkably elastic, and is therefore much valued 
for bows. In ancient times, when bows and arrows were 
the chief weapons of destruction in war, the bows made of the 
Yew tree were valued by the ancient Britons above all others. 
According to the Arboretum Brittanicum, in Switzerland, 
where this tree was scarce, it was formerly forbidden, under 
heavy penalties, to cut down the Yew for any other purpose 
than to make bows of the wood. The Swiss mountaineers 
call it “ William’s tree,” in memory of William Tell. 
The Yew, like the Holly, makes an excellent evergreen 
hedge — close, dark green, and beautiful when clad in the 
rich scarlet berries. We desire, however, rather to see this 
tree naturalized in our gardens and lawns as an evergreen 
tree of the first class, than in any other form. Judging from 
specimens which we have growing in our own grounds, we 
should consider it quite hardy any where south of the 41° of 
latitude. And although it is somewhat slow in its growth^ 
yet, like many other evergreens, it is as beautiful when a 
small bush, or a thrifty young tree, as it is venerable and 
picturesque, when ages, or even centuries have witnessed 
its never fading verdure. It appears to grow most vigor- 
