272 EVERGREENS. 



resembling each other, prove to be practically very 

 different, as that from the north, sometimes called 

 Platte river or Niobrara river cedar is entirely 

 hardy, and among the most valuable of all the 

 evergreens for a hardy wind break, while the 

 southern cedars are tender in the north. The objec- 

 tion to it for ornament is its discoloring so badly 

 in winter when it becomes unsightly. Its timber 

 is valuable for posts, or other uses that require an 

 indestructible material. Fence posts have stood 

 in sandy lands for forty years, and been still quite 

 sound. 



Silver Cedar. This is a species from the Rockies, 

 and like so many of those mountain evergreens, has 

 the same silvery cast, which makes it quite dis- 

 tinguishable from the foregoing. It is not hardier, 

 but holds its color better in winter, and is a more 

 beautiful tree at all times. 



American Arborvitce. This makes the best and 

 largest trees of all the Arborvitses, though there 

 are others that, for ornamental purposes, are supe- 

 rior. The Arborvitses do not have a foliage of 

 needles like the other evergreen coniferae,but have 

 a two-edged branchlet, with inbricated leaves, is 

 pungent, and the aroma from the bruised leaves is 

 pleasing. It stands shearing into any desired form, 

 and for this reason is much used in ornamental 

 architecture. In its native state it grows well up 

 to the Arctic ocean, generally in low or swampy 

 places, where it attains a height of 40 to 60 feet, 

 and is much used for telegraph poles. Is fairly 



