14 FOREST TREES OF CALIFORNIA. 



rapidly tapers to an attenuated top. Whole groves of the 

 typical tree may be sometimes seen forty to fifty feet high, 

 from a body eight to ten feet in diameter of the most per- 

 fectly free and unmolested development in relatively rich 

 soil at the head of Carson River, or in a few of the most 

 favorable cold alpine valleys. 



The bark is of light cinnamon color; fibers somewhat 

 shreddy, which beautifully interlace, and are nicely netted. 

 The finely, as it were, braided cord-like twiglets are remark- 

 ably condensed or matted, thickening the final spray. Thus 

 it well maintains the expression of rigorous vitality, alto- 

 gether suited to the perilous regions it inhabits — that is, 

 along rocky mountain sides, mostly in close contiguity to the 

 line of perpetual snows ; or for the California Sierras, say up 

 to about ten thousand feet altitude. It has also a very 

 extensive range of country from Pitt River to east of the 

 Cascades, in Oregon, and throughout our high Sierras, and 

 towards the Rocky Mountains, until it meets the Red Pencil 

 Cedar, or Eastern Juniper (J. Virginiana), in the Zuni Moun- 

 tains of Xew Mexico, and even into Texas. The wood of 

 this, however, is not so red inside, nor so fragrant, but lighter 

 and yellowish ; is equally durable, and of like value. The 

 tiny leaf-scales are fringed on the margins (the Eastern leaf 

 margins smooth), and branchlets four-angled; leaf-scales 

 mostly in threes, often in pairs, blunt tipped or scarcely a 

 little sharp, more resinous, and silvery sheened; in the 

 young state the glands are obscure ; manifest enough in age. 

 The blue-bloomed berries rather large, over a third of an 

 inch in diameter, spheroidal, one or more seeded ; the color 

 beneath the bloom brownish, and sweeter tasted ; when 

 heated or burned, exhales a delightful aromatic incense, 

 both exhilarating and highly salubrious. They also furnish 

 boughs and twigs for a durable esculapian bed for the feeble 

 pilgrim who is wise enough to spend a season of rejuvenation 

 in the mountains and spread his primitive couch of them 

 beside their all-glorious camp-fires. As these ecstatic aromas 

 excite the affections and promote grateful perceptions, whence 

 is all true adoration and blessedness, it is no wonder the 

 prophet felt the angel touch him, an angel of health, if no 

 other; nor that our sage ancesters burnt the Juniper around 

 their dwellings to keep away evil spirits, or exorcise the 

 demons of infection and every sort of plague, and held that 

 an especially fortunate family, which was willing and well 

 to do, withal so scrupulously neat as to strew faithfully their 

 floors every Friday with some of these branches. We dare 

 say along their devout footpaths arose some hallowed incense 

 from the family altar. 



Finally, if we view this tree securely sheltered from its 

 manifold misfortunes that overtake it in its more exposed 



