- CEDARS. 109 
will not do, becoming at an early age ragged and un- 
sightly in appearance. Seed vegetates the second year. 
Protect from the sun when it first grows. It will never 
be extensively cultivated for timber, on account of its 
slow growth. 
COMMON JUNIPER. 
This tree is a native of both the Old and the New 
World, but our American variety is nothing more than 
a straggling shrub. It is the chief food of a great many 
varieties of birds. The European variety under favora- 
ble circumstances reaches a height of from eighteen to 
twenty feet, with a diameter of from six to eight inches, 
but in Europe they grow to a considerable size. The 
berries of this tree are used in the manufacture of medi- 
cines, and as an extract to flavor liquors, especially gin. 
The Scotch and Swedish varieties are chiefly used as or- 
namental trees, and as such merit attention. 
They are chiefly propagated by cuttings rooted by 
means of a bottom-heat. Great care should be taken 
to preserve the young trees from the frost, as a great 
many have been destroyed by severe winters. 
» 
THE CEDRAN-TREE. 
This is a species of the family of cedars, and is found 
indigenous only in Central America. It is of more 
stunted growth than any of its brethren of northern lat- 
itudes, and bears a large bean, similar in size, shape, and 
color to a horse-chestnut, but very brittle. To Mr. John 
P. Curry is due the honor of having first introduced this 
tree to public notice. His attention was first called to 
the cedran-tree while on the Isthmus as consulting 
engineer for the Panama Railroad Company, by ob- 
serving the neutralizing effect that its beans exercised 
upon a snake-bitten buzzard. The bird was struck by 
a rattlesnake, and then made its way to a cedran-tree, 
and after pecking at one of its beans flew off apparent- 
ly uninjured. A native to whom Mr. Curry related the 
