EVERGREENS 207 



ing gin. The juniper seed is two years in ger- 

 minating. Gardeners are fond of the juniper 

 tree, because it can be pruned to any desired 

 shape. The ancients thought it an emblem of 

 faith, because its heart was always sound. It 

 is supposed to ward off evil, and a spray of it 

 tacked upon the house door is as magical in 

 bringing good luck as the old-time horseshoe. 

 The Indian made his best bows of juniper wood. 

 The cedar family is much confused. There 

 are several varieties of the white cedar. The 

 arborvitae, or tree of life, and the northern cy- 

 press are perhaps the best known. The trees 

 are very much alike, and many people call them 

 "white cedar," and deem it classification 

 enough. The most noticeable difference is their 

 cones: those of the northern cypress being 

 round and variously decorated with points and 

 knobs, while those of the arborvitae are oblong 

 and made up of six or eight loose scales. The 

 savin or red cedar is the "real cedar." Its 

 wood has been used so extensively that it has 

 become a scarce article and very expensive. 

 Most of our supply now comes from the swamps 

 of western Florida. The cedar was held sacred 

 by the Indians. In some mysterious manner 

 they linked it with immortality and the powers 

 of the air, such as thunder, lightning, etc. 



