ON THE CEDAR OF LEBANON, ETC. 217 
the trouble to increase this beautiful variety. M. Renou thinks 
that the Cedar of Lebanon and the Silver Cedar (Cedrus atlantica) 
form two well-defined varieties, while M. Durien says that the 
silver colour of the leaves is only an accident, 
M. Renou, who was the first to mention the Silver Cedar, says, in 
the notice before referred to, that these trees occupy the forest near 
Blidah, which covers an area of about 12,000 acres, and there attain 
greater dimensions than the Cedar of Lebanon. It is not rare, he 
says, to find them 8 to 10 feet in girth, standing a few feet apart ; 
and far from presenting any signs of decay, appear on the contrary 
making their greatest growth. M. Renou gives some drawings of 
the flowers and cones of the two varieties of cedars, and it is seen 
that the flowers and cones are perfectly alike ; also, he has given 
but one description of these organs. He points out the difference 
between the two varieties, as follows :—‘‘The cedars in this forest 
present two well-defined varieties. The first appears to resemble 
exactly the species acclimatised in France for a century under the 
name of ‘Cedar of Lebanon.’ The second differs considerably 
from the first; the leaflets are broader, yet not longer, they straighten 
themselves in taking their proper contour, as if they intended to 
converge to a common summit, which gives to the small clusters a 
roundish form, The decided character of this tree is that upon the 
top of these leaflets is a dull white colour, which produces upon the 
green shade of the leaves a silvery whitish appearance. The cones, 
before their maturity, have at the point of their scales a patch of 
this silvery tint, which is always less apparent than that on the 
leaflets. The branch which supports the cluster of leaves also 
presents a rather decided contraction of its lower part; but it is 
thicker than in the first variety, and the small crowns which remain 
after the fall of the leaflets are more decided. The branches extend 
themselves equally in horizontal layers ; but they bend much more 
towards the ground than those of the first variety. This peculiarity 
appears, besides, to have been attributed to the difference in the 
weight of the leaflets, which in the Silver Cedar (Cedrus atlantica) 
are thicker and more covered with leaves, the lower layers bend 
much less than those of the Green Cedar (Cedrus Libant), and there 
is less disproportion between the length of the branches as they near 
the top. Its bark is of an ashy grey, thick, rugose, and formed of 
scales, which break off in particles when the tree has attained a 
certain age.” 
The wood of the Silver Cedar is of a whitish shade of yellow; its 
