The Red Cedar 123 



are called "juniper berries." Inside each berry 

 are two or three tiny seeds. 



The cedar has red bark and a light, soft wood. 

 As the sweetness of the balsam comes from its 

 leaves, the fragrance of the cedar comes from 

 its wood. The younger wood on the outside of 

 the tree's trunk is almost white. Farther in, it 

 is dark red. In use cedar wood is very lasting. 

 It is much used for lining closets and chests. The 

 oil in the wood gives it a peculiar odor which pro- 

 tects the clothing placed in cedar chests from 

 moths and other insects. 



In early days the cedar post found wide use 

 in rustic fence lines, where it stood for years 

 without decay. Sometimes it is so used now, but 

 nearly everywhere it has become scarce and very 

 costly. Because of its fine, straight grain, the 

 wood of the cedar has long been used as a cover- 

 ing for the lead of pencils. The tree itself is never 

 very large, nor very handsome, yet it is one of 

 the most useful in America. 



