BOXING DAY

the day after Christmas, which was made a bank-holiday by the act of 1871, and which has long been held almost universally as a holiday in the southern portion of our island. It is HO called from the practice of giving Christmas boxes as presents on that day. BOX-TREE. The box-tree (Buxut Hmpervirent) is a shrubby evergreen tree, 12 or 15 feet high, which has small, oval, and opposite leaves, and grows wild in several parts of Britain. It has been remarked that this tree was formerly so oonunon in some parts of England as to have given name to several places, particularly to Box Hill in Surrey, and Bo^dey in ICent; and in 1815 there were cut down at Box Hill as many trees of this sort as produced upwards of £1 0,000. This tree was much admired by the ancient liomans, and has been much cultivated in later times on account of its being easily clipped into the form of animals and other fantastic shapes. The wood is <if a yellowish colour, close-grained, very hard and heavy, and admits of a beautiful polish. On these accounts it is much used by turners, by engravers on wood, carvers, and mathematical instrument makers. Flutes and other wind instruments are formed of it; and furniture made of boxwood would be valuable were it not too heavy, as it would not only be very beautiful, but its bitter quality would secure it from the attacks of insects. In France it ia much in demand for combs, knife-handles, and button-moulds. Large quantities d boxwood are exported from Spain and Portugal, and also from Turkey and Cir ca ia. It is worth £6 or £7 a ton. An oil distilled from the shavings of boxwood has been found to relieve the tooth a die, and to be useful in other complaints; and the powdered leaves destroy worms.