152 Forests and Trees 



This tree is much cultivated and is sold under a number of 

 horticultural names. 



Its distribution is confined to the coast region of British 

 Columbia and the islands along the coast. In the northern 

 part of its range it does not grow much above sea level, but 

 farther south is found at higher altitudes. 



IX. THE JUNIPERS 

 Genus Juniperus 



The junipers are shrubs or small trees with either scalelike 

 or awl-shaped leaves and strongly aromatic wood. 



They may be easily distinguished from all other conifers by 

 their fruit. This fruit is a cone in which the scales, instead of 

 being woody or leathery, are soft and fleshy. This turns the 

 cone into a globular fleshy fruit which is popularly known as 

 a berry. This berrylike cone is not only the best distinguish- 

 ing mark of the junipers, but gives them their greatest economic 

 value. Several drugs used in medicine are distilled from the 

 juniper berries, and the flavor of gin is due to the spirits being 

 distilled along with them. 



The wood is close-grained, firm, but easily worked and 

 strongly aromatic. Under the name of red cedar the wood 

 of some of the junipers is valuable commercially. It is used 

 for making boxes, in cabinet work and largely in the manu- 

 facture of lead pencils. Until lately it was practically the 

 only wood used for the latter purpose. 



i. ROCKY MOUNTAIN RED CEDAR. Juniperus scopulorum. 

 Sargent. 



This is a short, but somewhat stout tree of the moun- 

 tains of British Columbia. It seldom grows more than thirty 

 feet high, but at tunes has a diameter of two or three feet. 



