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Bald Cypress: The Sequoias. 311 



the roots, and excrescences called "cypress-knees" are thrown up 

 from the root where the growth is luxuriant and the soil damp. 

 These do not bear leaves, and often resemble bottles. The larger 

 o: es are conical and hollow, and are used for bee-hives, tar-buckets, 

 and other purposes. 



1276. The wood of the bald-cypress is reddish, soft, and easily 

 split, but it works smoothly and is very durable. It is largely 

 used for shingles, and is a valuable material for building, where 

 great solidity is not required. In the swamps along the southern coast 

 this timber is found buried, but still of excellent quality after thus 

 lying for an unknown period. 



1277. This tree, when young, has a regular pyramidal form, but 

 when older, a broad spreading top. It is easily cultivated, and 

 much esteemed on account of its delicate and elegantly pinnate 

 leaves, its slender spray, and bright green foliage, which becomes 

 red in autumn. In the Bartram garden, near Philadelphia, there is 

 a tree, planted by its founder, that is 130 feet high and beautifully 

 proportioned. 



1278. There are three grades of lumber from this tree known in 

 the timber trade the red, black, and white cypress, differing in the 

 color of the heart-wood. The red is most valued, is less liable to 

 split, and grows with a straight trunk, swollen at the base, the 

 top is small, and the wounded bark reddish. The others can scarcely 

 be distinguished from it until cut. There are two other species of 

 this genus, one in Mexico, and besides these others now found only 

 in fossil remains. 



1279. The bald-cypress, besides being exported in large quantities 

 as planks and shingles, is much used in the manufacture of doors, 

 window-sashes, and other building purposes. It scarcely has an 

 equal in durability when set as posts. 



THE SEQUOIAS. 1 



1280. There are but two living species of this genus the S. gi- 



1 Sequoia, known by the English name of George Guess, was a quarter- 

 breed Cherokee Indian, wholly illiterate, and without any knowledge of the 

 English or of the sound of any letter in written language. Having heard 

 of writing, he applied himself to the construction 'of a syllabic alphabet, 

 which, when once construed, became in a short time in common use among 

 his people, and so simple that it could be learned in a day. It consisted of 

 86 characters, each representing one syllable. Sequoia was forced to emi- 



