274 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
inch long, spreading nearly horizontally, except at the apex of the 
shoots, those at the base of each shoot much shorter and more boat- 
shaped than the others, glaucous above, except on the margins. 
Flowers diccious, axillary, minute, with imbricated scarious brown 
bracts at the base of the catkins. Galbules the size of small peas, 
green until they have attained their full size, after which they do not 
ripen till the autumn of the year succeeding in which they were 
formed, when they become purplish-black with a white bloom like 
that on the sloe. Seeds trigonous, brown, unequal. 
Common Juniper. 
French, Genévrier commun. German, Gemeiner Wachholder. 
The juniper, which is an evergreen shrub, is common in all the northern parts of 
Europe, both in fertile and barren soils, but it abounds on chalk downs and limestone 
hills. On the sides of hills its trunk grows tall, but on the tops of rocky mountains 
and in bogs it is only a shrub. The juniper is mentioned in the Bible, in the First Book 
of Kings, as the tree under which the prophet Elijah took refuge in the wilderness of 
Beersheba, when fleeing from the persecutions of King Ahab. It was known to the 
Greeks, who used its berries medicinally, though they thought its shade unwhole- 
some. Pliny says the juniper has the same properties as the cedar, adding that in his 
time it grew in Spain to a great size, but that wherever it grows its heart is always 
sound. He says that a piece of juniper wood, if ignited and covered with ashes of 
the same wood, will keep on fire for a whole-year. The botanists of the middle ages 
appear to have had a high opinion of the virtues of the common juniper. Tagus 
asserts that its berries will cure all diseases, and Mathiolus that its virtues are too 
numerous to mention. ‘Turner, as quoted by Mr. Loudon, says, “ The juniper groweth 
most plenteouslie in Kent; it groweth also in the bisshopryche of Durram, and in 
Northumberlande. It groweth in Germany in greate plentye, but in no place in 
greater than a lyttle from Bow, where at the time of year the feldefares fede only of 
juniper’s berries, the people eate the feldefares undrawen, with guttes and all, because 
they are full of the berries of the juniper.” Culpepper says, “ This admirable bush is 
scarce to be parallel’d for his vertues,” and he then enumerates a list of diseases 
which the berries will cure long enough to tire the most credulous. Gerarde says, 
“Tt is most certain that the decoction of these berries is singular good against an 
old cough, and against that with which children are now and then troubled, called 
the chincough.” He adds, “ Divers in Bohemia do take, instead of other drinke, the 
water wherein those berries have been steeped, who live in wonderfull good health.” 
He says also, ‘‘ The smoke of the leaves and wood drives away serpents and all infee- 
tion and corruption of the air, which bring the plague or such like contagious diseases. 
The juice of the leaves is laid on with wine, and also drunke, against the bitings of 
the viper.” The wood is finely veined, of a reddish yellow tint, and very aromatic. 
It is valuable for veneering, and for turning cups and other small articles; the smaller 
stems make good walking-sticks. It makes excellent fuel, and in Scotland and Sweden 
is used for smoking hams. The bark is made by the Laplanders into ropes. The 
berries are, however, the most useful product of the juniper. Many kinds of birds 
feed on them, and, when crushed and distilled, they yield an essential oil. In Holland, 
and to a certain extent in this country, they are used to flavour gin. In some parts 
of France a kind of beer is made from the berries with barley, called genévrette. Itis 
bright, sparkling, and is said to possess diuretic properties. The common name git, 
