TAX 
TAX 
by the continental growers for the pur¬ 
pose. 
Propagation of both species is easily 
managed, either by layers, or cuttings of 
the half-ripened wood bedded into the 
open ground in the early part of autumn, 
form plants fit for removal in a year. 
TAXODIUM, Deciduous Cypress 
(Richard). Nat. Order, Conifer a. The 
only hardy species, T. distickum , is one 
of the noblest trees of America; it grows 
abundantly in extensive swamps on the 
banks of large streams from the Indian 
river Delaware, to Florida, and on the 
Mississippi, and is regarded as one of the 
most valuable timber trees of that conti¬ 
nent. With us it attains a considerable 
stature, and may justly be included in 
the number of our handsomest ornaments 
in arboriculture. As an aid in the tran¬ 
sition from ordinary trees to the more 
sombre class of co?iifera it is invaluable, 
for though preserving the outline of the 
latter, the changing tints of its deciduous 
foliage have a happy effect in such a 
position. As an isolated object on lawns 
it is also admirable, the tender green of 
the leaves in spring gradually deepening 
to a vivid cinnamon in autumn, together 
with the neat and elegant regularity of 
the head is extremely pleasing. There 
are several varieties of the species differ¬ 
ing more or less in the position and spread 
of the branches, but in some instances 
the variation is so slight as to be scarcely 
observable ; to our taste the most beauti¬ 
ful are excelsum and pendulum , the latter 
being especially remarkable for its charm¬ 
ing habit. 
The deciduous cypress should be 
planted, if possible, on a slight elevation, 
so as to assure a complete drainage to 
its roots, and a position open to the full 
influence of the sun is also desirable, for 
though naturally an inhabitant of swamps, 
and therefore delighting in moisture, it 
is found in our climate to encourage a 
late growth, which being overtaken in an 
immature state by the winter, the points 
of the branches frequently suffer from 
frost under such circumstances : a dry 
and airy position, on the other hand, 
induces an early ripening, and then there 
exists a good chance of their escaping 
the injury. Propagation is effected by 
seeds sown in a gentle heat, layers put 
down in spring, or by cuttings of the 
young shoots which are found to root 
readily in water, as is practised with 
some greenhouse plants. 
TAXUS, Yew-tree (Linn.) Nat. Ord. 
Taxaceue. The yew is a native of all the 
northern parts of Europe, and was for¬ 
merly abundant in England and Ireland; 
it is still met with occasionally in a wild 
state, and is common in churchyards. 
The name taxus seems to be derived 
from the Greek toxon , a bow, the tree 
being formerly in much request for manu¬ 
facturing those engines of warfare; or 
another root of the word has been sug¬ 
gested in taxis, arrangement, referring 
to the regularity with which the leaves 
are placed upon the branches. 
Our name of yew is evidently an al¬ 
teration of the Celtic iw, evergreen, and 
is abundantly expressive of the deep and 
enduring verdure which distinguishes 
this tree, a characteristic which, as Ray 
observes, induced our ancestors to plant 
it in burial-places, as a symbol of that 
immortality which they hoped and ex¬ 
pected for the persons there deposited; 
and hence a custom which still exists in 
parts of Ireland and Wales of throwing 
twigs of this and other evergreens into 
the grave with the corpse. The sombre 
stateliness of the yew fits it peculiarly to 
situations of the kind, and its judicious 
employment in cemeteries and graveyards 
cannot fail to invest them with that de¬ 
gree of solemnity it is generally desirable 
they should present in contrast to sur¬ 
rounding scenes. 
Associations of this nature, however, go 
far to exclude the yew from ornamental 
plantations, and though we would by no 
means expunge it altogether from such 
places, yet the feeling is not to be resisted 
which renders it entirely unsuited for any 
prominent position therein, or proximity 
to any much frequented part of the 
grounds. Still there are situations in 
which these plants may be made ex¬ 
tremely effective, and it does not require 
any great stretch of the imaginative 
powers to suppose how immensely the 
tints of some retiring glade may be deep- 
