ARBOR VIT.E. 53 



in the shrubbery, not only by its perpetual 

 greenness, but by the singularity of its flat 

 spreading branches, and the minuteness of 

 its leaves, that cover the young branches like 

 the scales of fish. The flowers which appear 

 in the spring, are produced from the side 

 of the young branches, pretty near to the 

 foot-stalk; the male flowers grow oblong 

 catkins ; and between these, the female 

 flowers are collected in the form of cones. 

 When the male flowers have shed their 

 farina, they soon drop off; but the female 

 flowers are succeeded by a cone of a knotted 

 or cornered ovate shape, of a beautiful grey 

 colour, which encloses seeds of an elliptic 

 globular shape and of a pale hue. 



, The arbor vitae is well adapted to screen 

 private walks or low buildings, as it gives out 

 branches near the ground ; but it has a som- 

 bre appearance, unless associated with more 

 cheerful foliage, or ornamented by some gay 

 climbing plant, as the everlasting pea or the 

 flaming nasturtium ; but no flower contrasts 

 so beautifully with this exotic evergreen as 

 our native bindweed, whose white convol- 

 vuluses appear with peculiar grace when sus- 

 pended from arid enlivening the tree of life. 



" Each give to each a double charm, 

 As pearls upon an jflEthiop's arm." 

 E 3 



