BOWSER, William John, British Colum bia statesman: b. Rexton, N. 3 Dec. 1867. He was educated at Mount Alison Academy and at Dalhousie University, Halifax, N. S.; became a barrister of New Brunswick in 1890; removed to British Columbia and qualified in that province in 1891. He was elected as a Conservative for Vancouver to the provincial assembly in 1904, appointed attorney-general 1907, became acting minister of finance 1909— 10 and premier in 1915, holding office until the defeat of his ministry in the elections of 1917. He was succeeded by H. C. Brewster.
BOX (Buxus), a genus of about 30 species of evergreen shrubs or small trees of the family Buxaceir, natives of northern Africa, southern Europe, Central America and similar climates in Asia. The species have small opposite leaves, inconspicuous moncecious flowers in terminal or axillary clusters, and nearly globular fruits containing six shining black seeds. Several species are planted for ornament as edgings of borders, as hedges and as individual specimens, especially for trimming into fantastic shapes, for which purpose some of them are particu larly adapted since they stand shearing well.
They are of slow growth and are not very hardy where the winters are at all severe. They are propagated by cuttings. B. sempervirens, which attains a height of 25 feet or more, has developed several cultivated varieties of which dwarf box, a favorite edging plant, is probably the best known. The very hard, heavy, light yellow wood, exported largely from Spain and Portugal, is highly valued for turning, carving and engraving and for making musical instru ments such as flutes, clarionets, etc. The bright yellow wood of B. balearica, a larger species than the preceding native of Turkey and cer tain islands of the Mediterranean, is largely ex ported from Constantinople for similar pur poses to those of the first mentioned, but is inferior. The leaves are sometimes used medic inally.