Box Edgings 
97 
hippodrome set with a plantation of Box trees backed 
with Plane trees ; thence ran a straight walk divided 
by Box hedges into alleys. Thus expanses were 
enclosed, one of which held a beautiful meadow, 
another had “ knots of Plane tree,” another was 
cc set with Box a thousand different forms.” Some 
of these were letters expressing the name of the 
owner of all this extravagance ; or the initials of 
various fair Roman dames, a very gallant pleasantry 
of young Pliny. Both Plane tree and Box tree of 
such ancient gardens were by tradition nourished 
with wine instead of water. Initials of Box may be 
seen to-day in English gardens, and heraldic devices. 
French gardens vied with English gardens in curious 
patterns in Box. The garden of Versailles during 
the reign of Louis XIV. had a stag chase, in clipped 
Box, with greyhounds in chase. Globes, pyramids, 
tubes, cylinders, cones, arches, and other shapes were 
cut in Box as they were in Yew. 
A very pretty conceit in Box was — 
“ Horizontal dials on the ground 
In living Box by cunning artists traced.” 
Reference is frequent enough to these dials of 
Box to show that they were not uncommon in fine 
old English gardens. There were sun-dials either 
of Box or Thrift, in the gardens of colleges both 
at Oxford and Cambridge, as may be seen in Log- 
gan’s Views . Two modern ones are shown ; one, 
on page 98, is in the garden of Lady Lennox, at 
Broughton Castle, Banbury, England. Another of 
exceptionally fine growth and trim perfection in the 
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