CONIFERS. 



131 



shrub, found native in the south of Europe, and fre- 

 quently met with in gardens. Its leaves have an acrid 

 bitter taste and a strong smell, and the whole plant 

 yields an essential oil, which possesses very active 

 qualities. The general properties of the plant are 

 stimulant and diuretic. It is prescribed sometimes in 

 cases of worms and gout. An ointment prepared 

 from the leaves, of a green colour, and having the 

 odour of the plant, is used as an issue to promote the 

 discharge from blistered surfaces. 



Juniper us Virginiana, red or Virginian cedar, is a 

 tree of great size and beauty. It sometimes grows to 

 the height of forty i'eet, and furnishes valuable timber, 

 which is used for parts of buildings, and other im- 

 portant purposes. It is found in North America and 

 the West Indies. The heartwood is of a red colour, 

 and moderately soft, and is used in the formation of 

 common cedar pencils. 



Jiinipcrii.i o.i' ./red ms, sharp cedar, or brown-berried 

 juniper, is a native of Spain, the south of France, and 

 the Levant, and was used in ancient times in the for- 

 mation of statues. Its wood furnishes, by distillation, 

 an empyreumatic oil, called cedar oil, which is used 

 as a vermifuge, and as an article of veterinary medi- 

 cine. 



Juniperus lycia yields a gum-resin, similar to oli- 

 banum. 



All the junipers are raised from seeds, which ought 

 to be sown in a light soil as soon as they arc ripe. 



Another important genus of this extensive order is 

 Cuprcssus, or cypress. 



Cupressm xcmpcrvircns, common, evergreen or fune- 

 real cypress, is a native of Cyprus and Crete, and 

 grows on Mount Ida. It is common in old gardens, 

 and is often planted in clumps of evergreens. In 

 consequence of the gloomy hue of the leaves, branches 

 of it were formerly placed before the doors of the 

 deceased, and were used at funerals. It furnishes a 

 valuable and durable wood, which resists the attacks 

 of insects, and is used in Crete, Malta, and the Levant 

 for the purposes of building. The tree was planted 

 by the Moors round their palaces, and by the ancient 

 and modern Romans in their villa gardens. The 

 doors of St. Peter's, which lasted from the time of 

 Constantine, for a period of 1 100 years, were made 

 of cypress wood. This is supposed to be the wood 

 of which the ark was made, and called in the scrip- 

 tures Gopher or Shittim wood. Cypress wood was 

 used by the Greeks in the time of Thucydides for 

 the coffins of their eminent warriors, and we find the 

 chests of the Egyptian mummies sometimes made of it. 



Cuprexsus thyoides, white cedar, is a middle-sized 

 evergreen, found native in North America and China. 

 In the United States it occupies large tracts of coun- 

 try, denominated cedar swamps. Its wood is soft, of 

 a red colour, and diffuses an aromatic odour. 



TfU'tis baccata, common yew, is a native of Britain, 

 the northern parts of Europe, and North America. 

 It is frequently cultivated in pleasure grounds, and 

 used to be clipped and fashioned in a most fantastic 

 and remarkable manner. From being considered a 

 lasting emblem of immortality, it was frequently 

 planted in churchyards, and the sight of it is conse- 

 quently apt to excite gloomy and melancholy ideas. 

 Pennant mentions a yew in a churchyard in the High- 

 lands of Scotland, at the entrance of Glen Lyon, the 

 remains of which measured fifty-six feet and a half in 

 circumference. In Wales and Ireland twigs of the 

 yew-tree are often carried at funerals. 



The yew was formerly looked upon as possessing 

 poisonous and deleterious properties, and was said to 

 prove fatal to an\' one who slept under its shade. 

 Hence it acquired the appellation of " deadly yew." 

 These notions, however, are now found to be totally 

 erroneous. The berries of the yew, which are of a 

 red colour, are quite innocuous, and do not possess 

 the poisonous qualities formerly attributed to them. 

 The leaves, however, are found to possess slight nar- 

 cotic properties. The wood of the tree is red, hard, 

 and beautifully veined. It is used by cabinet-makers, 

 and was in early times imported in large quantity for 

 the purpose of making bows. It was in those days 

 planted extensively to furnish bows to our warlike 

 ancestors, 



Who drew, 

 And almost joined the horns of the tough yew. 



In later times, since archery is less practised, the 

 cultivation of the yew is less attended to. 



The tree is propagated by seeds. It is well known 

 as the badge of the clan Fraser. 



Thuja occidcntalix is the common arbor vitac of our 

 gardens. It is a native of Canada and Siberia, and 

 sometimes acquires the height of thirty or forty feet. 

 The first specimen of the tree brought to Europe, 

 was planted in the royal garden at Fontarableau. in 

 the reign of Francis the First. The wood is used in 

 the formation of boats and inclosures, as well as in 

 the construction of houses. In England it is fre- 

 quently used by turners. The leaves are said to have 

 bec:i pre.-i'riljed in rheumatism. Another species, 

 Thuja orienlalis, is found in China. Thuja ar licit I at a, 

 or jointed thuga, yields a yellow brittle resinous 

 substance, having an acrid aromatic taste, to which 

 the name of sandarach is applied. It is employed as 

 a varnish. This resin is stated by some authors to be 

 a product of the common juniper. 



The coniferous or cone-bearing plants found in 

 Australasia are chiefly included under the genera, 

 Araucaria, Dammar a, Dacrydium, Cunninghaima, and 

 AKiiigin. 



Araitcaria. or Altingia excelsa, Norfolk Island pine, 

 is an immense tree, which sometimes attains the height 

 of two hundred feet, with a circumference of thirty 

 feet. The wood which it yields is not valuable, on 

 account of its want of durability and solidity. Its 

 bark yields a resinous substance. It does not thrive 

 well in the open air in this country. 



Species of the genus araucaria, similar to this, 

 would appear, by the researches of fossil botanists, to 

 have existed formerly in Britain. Araucaria Dom- 

 beyi or imbricafa, is a South American species, the 

 wood of which is valuable, and its seeds are eaten as 

 articles of food when fresh. 



Dammara oncntalis, Dammar pine (PI mis Dant- 

 mara of Lambert), is a native of Amboyna, and fur- 

 nishes a peculiar resinous matter. Some say that 

 liquid storax is procured from it. Dammara Australis, 

 Cowdie pine, or Kawic-tree of New Zealand, attains 

 the height of two hundred feet, and yields a light 

 compact wood, free from knots. Dacrydium ta.vifoliinti, 

 or Kakaterro, another New Zealand pine, is said to 

 equal the Cowdie pine in height. The branches of 

 this pine yield spruce. 



We have thus endeavoured to describe some of the 

 plants contained in this extensive order. They are 

 of great interest and importance to man, both on ac- 

 count of the valuable timber which they furnish, and 

 12 



