The Pine Family 147 



of a single tree is made conspicuous by its light-colored foliage. It 

 never forms stands of any large extent and is worthy of only casual 

 interest. The bark is very thick, approaching, in this respect, 

 Douglas fir. On a 1 7-inch tree it was ij inches thick. When it 

 develops to timber size it has a long, clear bole and short crown. It 

 is rather deeply rooted. It is the most intolerant of the conifers, which 

 makes reproduction of the scattered individuals in dense, mixed 

 stands difficult. Reproduction of the trees near timber-line is also 

 poor on account of the severity of the climate and the raw humus 

 covering the soil, which is unfavorable to the germination of the 

 small.larch seeds." 



Its wood has never become of commercial value. 



VII. THE 



Genus Thuja 



These are the trees, or at least some of the trees, which are 

 commonly known as cedars. The true cedars, however, are 

 an old-world genus. Their Latin name, cedrus, was first 

 applied to the cedars of Lebanon. The origin of the word is 

 unknown but some have associated it with the name of the 

 brook Kedron near Jerusalem. No trees have been so often 

 mentioned in history, poetry or prophecy as the cedars of 

 Lebanon, and the name "cedar" spread to many kindred types, 

 among them the arbor-vitae. 



The name ' 'arbor-vitae" or tree of life was first used by Charles 

 de 1'Ecluse, better known by his Latin name -Carolus Clusius, 

 an herbalist of the sixteenth century. About the middle of 

 the eighteenth century the great Linnaeus reduced the naming 

 of plants to a system and gave to a very large number the 

 names which they now bear. He gave to this genus the name 

 "thuya" also spelled "thuja," which he adopted from Tourne- 

 fort, a writer of the preceding century. The word "thuja" is 

 supposed to be derived from a Greek word signifying sacrifice, 



