Big tree is the largest tree in the world. The General Sherman Tree is 

 280 feet high with a diameter of thirty-six and one-half feet. The General 

 Grant Tree is 264 feet high with a diameter of thirty-one feet. The known 

 ages of trees which have been cut is from 1 100 to 3250 years, but it is prob- 

 able that some of the largest standing trees may be of greater age. 



Big tree has been widely planted and does well in deep, rich soils. It has 

 a straight trunk with thick branches which at first are ascending, but later 

 curve downwards. The light green leaves are spirally arranged around the 

 branches. It makes a handsome lawn specimen, but should be given plenty 

 of room to develop a regular, conical outline 



JUNIPERUS 



The junipers (Juniperus) are widely scattered over the northern hemis- 

 phere extending as far north as the Arctic Circle and as far south as the moun- 

 tains of east tropical Africa and central China. This genus embraces about 

 thirty-five species, eleven of which grow naturally in the United States. The 

 best known is the southern red cedar (Juniperusvirginiana), an eastern species 

 which furnishes most of the pencil wood. 



Junipers are small trees or shrubs of pyramidal or columnar form and as 

 a rule have two kinds of foliage which are often found on the same tree. Cne 

 form of leaves are needle-like and prickly, while the other form are scale- 

 like, overlapping and arranged like those of the cypresses. The origin of the 

 name of Juniper is to be traced to the Latin words juvenis (young) and the 

 verb par ere (to produce). It was probably so named on account of its habit 

 of producing the two entirely different looking set of leaves. The junipers differ 

 from most of the conifers in bearing small berry-like fruits instead of cones. 

 The fruit of the juniper is used to give gin its flavor. 



The juniper has its accompaniment of myths and legends. It was con- 

 secrated to the Furies, the smoke of its green branches being the incense 

 offered to the Infernal Gods, while its berries were burnt at funerals to keep off 

 evil spirits. 



In the Bible much is written about the juniper in the wilderness where it 

 conferred the blessings of both shade and food to many a weary traveler. Job 

 pictures such a one who made a meal off the fruit of a juniper bush under 

 which he rested. On the other hand, Dr. Johnson, the renowned lexicographer, 



(29) 



