680 EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS. 



on the exterior of the tree, so that the stem and branches are 

 plainly seen through it. It is not a beautiful tree, and deserves to 

 be cultivated in ordinary grounds only as a curious souvenir of its 

 mighty family on the Pacific slope. Hoopes does not consider the 

 tree entirely hardy ; but we believe its hardiness is now pretty 

 generally conceded. It is unreliable in transplanting, and should 

 be bought in pots or bo.xes. 



The California Redwood. Sequoia sempervircns. — This and 

 the preceding being almost equally famous for size, and both 

 brought to notice about the same time, are often confounded. 

 Sargent makes the following description of their differences : — "the 

 foliage of the Sequoia sempemirens being flat, two-rowed and dark- 

 green, while that of the Washingtonia ( S. gigantea) is needle-shaped, 

 spirally alternate, and on the branchlets very close and regularly 

 imbricated like an arbor-vitae, besides being a light or yellowish- 

 green." It has been found too tender to succeed in the northern 

 States, but may grow healthily south of Washington. 



THE LAURELS. Laurus. 



The Noble Laurel or Sweet Bay. Laurus nobilis. — This is a 

 noble evergreen tree "or rather enormous shrub, sometimes growing 

 to the height of sixty feet, but always displaying a tendency to 

 throw up suckers; and rarely, if ever, assuming a tree-like charac- 

 ter " (Loudon). It is a native of the south of Europe and north of 

 Africa. It was a favorite tree with the poets of mythology, and 

 several of the Greek gods and goddesses were intimately associated 

 with its poetical legends. At what period of history its leaves 

 became emblems of victory is not known, but the Romans used 

 them on all occasions where bravery and success were to be 

 symbolized. 



The noble laurel is considered hardy in and near London, but 

 does not attain a great luxuriance north of it. It will probably be 

 liable to winter-kill north of South Carolina and the Gulf States, 

 though in favored locations it may thrive as far north as Richmond, 

 Va. It has a thick aromatic leaf, smaller and more slender than 



