THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 127 



and grows on rocky slopes mixed with Chamaecy- 

 paris obtusa (Retinispora) and other Conifers, and 

 its narrow, plume-like crown is thrust well above its 

 neighbors. 



Under the popular but misleading name of Cedar, 

 and to which the better name of Arborvitae should 

 be applied, are grouped a number of valuable and 

 decorative Conifers all of which are much alike when 

 young. In this stage they are either spire-like, col- 

 umnar, conical or narrow pyramidal in outline and 

 have dense scale-like foliage of varying hues of green. 

 Generally they are regarded as shrubs, but it is well 

 to remember that some of them rank among the 

 largest and most valuable of forest trees. For ex- 

 ample: the Giant Arborvitae (Thuja plicata or T. 

 gigantea as it is often called) of western North Amer- 

 ica, in the valley of the Columbia River grows 200 

 feet tall and has a trunk clean of branches for fully 

 100 feet. The story of this tree parallels that of 

 the Douglas Fir. It was first discovered on the 

 shores of Nootka Sound by Nee, who accompanied 

 Malaspina on his voyage round the world (1789-94) 

 but it was not introduced until 1853, when William 

 Lobb sent seeds to Messrs. Veitch, at Exeter, Eng- 

 land. Plants from this source were afterward brought 

 to eastern North America but none proved capable 



