CYPRESSES AND JUNIPERS 



(Of the natural order of CONIFERiE, of the 



FAMILY PIXACE.E, OF THE TRIBE CUPRES- 

 SINE.E, OF THE SUB-TRIBE THUYIN.E) 



Early History of the Cypress Trees : Intro- 

 ductory 



Know ye the land where the cj-press and mj-rtle. 

 Are emblems of deeds that are done in their clime ? 



Lord Byron. Bride of Abydos. 



The Cypress as an object of beauty had evidently 

 its circle of admirers among the ancients. It was 

 because of this reputation, it is recorded, that the 

 Island of Cyprus was so named. The m3-thological 

 story of the island connection with the goddess of 

 beauty runs on this course, that Venus, after her sea- 

 foam birth and sea-nymph cradling among the coral 

 caves of the vasty deep, was wafted by Zephyrus, the 

 south wind, to the Island of C\'prus. 



The inhabitants of that sea-girt isle seem rather 

 to have affected a fine taste for the " exquisite " in 

 more than one direction. Venus, the goddess of 

 beauty, took a title from its name and became known 

 among students of the classics as the Cyprian goddess, 

 and this record seems to bear witness that the worship 

 of her there was by no means a neglected cult. For 

 fear of misconstruction it is only fair to add that the 

 leaders of scholastic opinion of that day and in those 



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