240 THE CEDAR. 
the rise of water, which must, however, be so near that the 
roots may be able to reach the aqueduct. The majesty and 
beauty of the cedar in Scripture is ascribed to a similar 
cause: “The waters made him great,” etc. The celebrated 
cedars at Chelsea have become greatly decayed since the 
removal of a pond from which their roots derived nourish- 
ment. When Lebanon was the glory of Syria, Ezekiel, evi- 
dently a close observer of nature, had the most ample field 
for observation, and no doubt, on the banks of the streams, 
which were sustained by the melting snows at the hottest 
season of the year, he had observed the cedars rise to a 
height and magnificence which were not attained by those 
differently situated. “Thus was he fair in his greatness ; 
in the length of his branches, for his roots were by great 
waters.” The nature of the tree remains unaltered, and all 
modern experience points out a similar situation as best 
adapted to its full development. The tree does not admit 
of being pruned in root or branch. It has a strong pro- 
pensity to produce lateral branches of a great size, and the 
removal of these is found to yield no accession to the growth 
of the top-shoot. Deprived of its top the plant is not apt 
to form a leader, but becomes a gigantic bush of the wildest 
grandeur. When the top is preserved, the tree commonly 
rises in a broad conical figure, and when vigorous, will ad- 
vance about two feet yearly. After it has attained its 
height, the lateral branches continue to extend, until the full- 
grown tree presents a head with a broad, flat surface, and 
then, as Ezekiel expresses it, “his top is among the thick 
boughs.” When planted closely in masses, it rises like any 
other species of the pine tribe, with a straight naked trunk, 
and it scarcely differs in appearance from the larch, except in 
being evergreen. There are several seedling varieties of the 
tree; some have leaves of a silvery, glaucous hue, others of a 
deep green; some with branches upright, while others are of 
pendulous habit. The timber of British growth is of a brown 
colour, open in the grain and soft, and it does not support the 
reputation of the cedar either for strength or durability. 
