RED CEDAR {Juniperus virginiana L.) 



AVERY valuable tree found in all classes and 

 conditions of soils — from swamp to dry rocky 

 ridges — seeming to thrive on barren soils where few 

 other trees are found. It is scattered throughout 

 the State except in the high mountains, but it is 

 most important in the middle section. 



There are two kinds of leaves^ usually both kinds 

 being found on the same tree. The commoner kind 



is dark green, minute and scale-like, clasping the 

 stem in four ranks, so that the stems appear square. 

 The other kind, usually appearing on young growth 

 or vigorous shoots, is awl-shaped, quite sharp- 

 pointed, spreading and whitened. 



The two kinds of flowers are at the end of minute 

 twigs on separate trees. Blooming in February or 

 March, the male trees often assume a golden color 

 from the small catkins, which, when shaken, shed 

 clouds of yellow pollen. The fruit, which matures 

 in one season, is pale blue, often with a white bloom, 

 one-quarter of an inch in diameter, berry-like, enclos- 

 ing one or two seeds in the sweet flesh. It is a 

 favorite winter food for birds. 



The bark is very thin, reddish brown, peeling off 

 in long, shred-like strips. The tree is extremely 

 irregular in its growth, so that the trunk is usually 

 more or less grooved. 



The heart wood is distinctly red, and the sapwood 

 white, this color combination making very striking 

 effects when linished as cedar chests, closets and 

 interior woodwork. The wood is aromatic, soft, 

 strong and of even texture, and these qualites make 

 it most desirable for lead pencils. It is very dura- 

 ble in contact with the soil, and on that account is in 

 great demand for posts, poles and rustic work. 



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