1 86 THE GLORY OF THE GARDEN 



epidemic to burn juniper wood, with certain weird 

 and mysterious ceremonies. In Italy and Germany, 

 the juniper has always been the object of a super- 

 stitious reverence, on account of its power for dis- 

 persing evil spirits. 



Also the stables were preserved from the power of 

 demons and thunderbolts by means of a sprig of 

 juniper, just as our own houses and stables used to 

 be preserved from the power of witches, through 

 the magic horseshoe. 



In Tuscany, the juniper receives a special blessing 

 on Palm Sunday; and in Venetia, juniper is burnt 

 to purify the air, thus recalling the ancient Roman 

 custom of burning it instead of incense on the altars. 



The smoke of the leaves and wood was said to drive 

 away serpents, " and all infection and corruption 

 of the aire which bring the plague, or such-like 

 contagious diseases." 



^he Larch, with the delicate beauty of its fresh 

 green branches, is one of the most beautiful sights 

 which delight our eyes and hearts in the early 

 springtime. There has long been a superstitious 

 belief that the wood of the larch tree is impenetrable 

 by fire, and the story is told by Vitruvius of a castle 

 besieged by Caesar, which was built largely of larch- 

 wood, and was therefore most difficult to consume. 



In the case of a forest fire, if larches are scorched 

 to the pith, the inner part exudes a gum, and Ben 

 Jonson, in the " Masque of Queens," speaks of this 

 gum or turpentine of the larch, as being used in 

 witchcraft. 



Among all these ancient and some more modern 

 myths and legends, one feels how good and necessary 

 it is to step aside now and again, from the present- 



