492 
JOURNAL  Oi:  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
November  26,  1903. 
Trees  of  the  Bible.- 
Most  of  the  aiboreal  growths  which  nourished  in  J3i))le  days  are 
familiar  to  us  in  cur  own  country  at  the  present  time,  yet  some  we 
have  little  or  no  knowledge  of.  at  any  rate  from  personal  experiem  e. 
d'lius  among  larger  trees  the  Oak,  the  Poplar,  and  the  Fir  and  the 
Cedar  were  then,  as  nowy  plenteously  in  evidence,  while  among  smaller 
kinds  the  Box.  the  Almond,  the  \Villow.  and  the  Olive  (though  the 
latter  not  of  course  with  us)  may  he  instanced.  Several  kinds  are,  as 
will  he  illustrated  in  due  course,  wrongly  translated,  or  at  least 
roi)re.senting  a  diffei’ent  tree  to  that  understood  now'adays. 
It  may  he  taken  for  granted  that  the  most  typical  tree  over 
Palestine  generally,  was  the  Olive,  while  probably  the  one  most 
lenownedin  the  northern  portion  was  the  Cedar  of  Lel^anon.  As  to 
the  former,  it  was  one  of  the  staple  resources  of  the  country,  and 
all'orded  large  results,  either  by  its  food  and  oil  or  the  usefulness  of 
its  wood.  It  was  synonymous  with  plenty  and  joy.  hence the  oil  of 
gladness.”  Abundance  of  oil  was  produced  from  the  little  black  fruit, 
for  which  there  was  an  extensive  use  among  all  classes,  as  among  the 
Italians  of  to-day.  Its  wood,  being  tough  and  hard,  was  manufactured 
in  various  ways  for  buildings  or  making  implements. 
As  we  know  from  imported  nicknaeks  in  oriental  depots,  it  takes  a 
very  .smooth  and  beautiful  polish.  Palestine  was  W'ell  fitted  for  its 
growth,  as  well  on  the  richer  portions  as  on  the  rugged  hill  slopes,  and 
even  now  they  render  a  tolerable  account  of  themselves,  though  the 
rich,  chalky  surface  loam  has  Ijeen  largely  -washed  away,  leaving  not 
much  else  but  the  bare  rock. 
They  appear  to  live  a  great 
many  hundred  years,  and  it 
is  not  impossible  some  may 
be  existent  to-day  that  flou¬ 
rished  in  antiquity,  espe¬ 
cially  those  al^out  the 
garden  of  Cethsemane, 
liard  against  the  iNIount  ef 
Olives.  Many  appear  at 
the  present  time  rather  an 
eyesore  or  relic,  like  some 
of  our  own  old  Oaks,  of  a 
more  prosperous  day  long 
past,  s  -)  gnarled  and  twisted 
and  lifeless  do  they  appear. 
The  Cedars  of  the  Leba¬ 
non,  which  grew  in  large 
numbers  in  this  district, 
were  specially  used,  for 
their  durability  and  excel¬ 
lence,  in  the  building  of  the 
Temple.  They  were  the 
emb'lem  of  strength  and 
majesty,  and  in  this  sense 
are  employed  figiu’atively 
more  than  once  in  the 
Psalms  of  David.  Thus 
they  shall  grow  like  a 
Cedar  of  Lebanon.”  Fine 
spreading  monarchs  of  their 
kind  they  undoubtedly  wmre, 
and  wudl  endow'ed  to  be  as 
kings  over  their  fellows, 
being  without  question  the 
handsomest  of  all  trees. 
The  Elm  spoken  of  by  Hosea  was  not  this  tree,  ))ut  the  Terebinth, 
or  Teil  tree,  and  it  is  thought  by  some  that  it  was  the  Innden  tree 
upon  wdiich  .ludas  hung  himself.  It  is  scarcely  knowm  what  is  meant 
by  the  Bay.  Not  unreasonably  it  may  be  considered  merely'  a  general 
term  and  as  an  emblem  of  luxuriance  ;  some,  however,  deem  it  to  be 
the  Oleander.  Neither  is  it  known  what  the  gopher  wood  was,  though 
perhaps  the  Pine.  Other  misnomers  are  the  Hazel,  which  yvus 
presumably  the  Almond.  This  was  common  enough  throughout 
Palestine,  and  it  may  be  remembered  that  Aaron’s  rod  wdiieh  budded 
was  of  the  Almond  kind.  The  ^lyrtle.  too.  was  a  freipient  growth  in 
manv  ])arts,  and  seems  to  have  attained  a  considerable  height,  thougli 
the  Box.  on  the  other  hand,  grew  to  no  great  dimensions. 
We  now  come  to  the  Sycamore,  wliieli  i.s  mentionecl  more  than 
once,  but  the  most  familiar  passage  to  us  will  Ire  that  of  St.  Luke 
which  relates  how  Zaechaeus,  being  small  in  stature,  made  use  of  one 
growing  by  the  road-side  to  climb  into  on  an  important  occasion,  to 
see  the  better.  But  we  must  bear  in  mind  here,  again,  it  is  not  what 
we  now  call  a  Sycamore,  Imt  one  of  the  Fig  kind,  though  of  a  wild 
and  unpalatable  fruit.  Thus  it  is  recorded  that  the  prophet  Amos  w-as 
a  herdman  or  gatlierer  of  tlie  tVild  Fig.  apparently  for  the  swine  or 
otlier  cattle.  It  w'as  found  chiefly  on  the  plains  of  the  .Jordan.  Of 
i'brs  there  were  large  numbers  and  of  several  varieties,,  tlie  w'ood  of 
\vluch  was  u.-)ed  in  building  and  for  other  multitudinous  purposes. 
Also  the  ( )ak  was  represented  by  many  species,  perhaps  the  commonest 
being  the  Hex  or  Evergreen  Oak,  which  were  very  abundant  in  parts. 
The  tree  under  w'hich  Abraham  reposed  on  the  plains  of  Mamre,  in 
connection  with  the  birth  promised  to  Sarai,  is  supposed  to  have  been  | 
an  Oak,  the  vei’v  tree  being  eonfldently  pointed  out  to  one  at  the 
present  day  at  Hebron,  though  indeed  it  requires  no  pointing  out, 
being  a  single  magnificent  specimen,  carefully  enclosed  and  evidently 
of  hoai-y  age,  yet  still  flouri.shing  in  a  remarkable  manner. 
The  writer  ])0ssesses  at  this  moment  an  interesting  souvenir  of  it 
in  the  shape  of  a  very  fine  acorn,  a  fitting  offspring  of  so  illustrious  a 
tree,  being  of  a  most  unusual  size,  and  picked  up  from  under  its  wide 
spreading  branehes  some  few  years  ago.  while  on  a  visit  to  El  Khalil, 
or  Heln'on.  It  w'as  an  Oak  wdiich  caused  Absalom’s  tragic  end,  and 
Deborah,  the  nurse  of  Kcbecca,  we  read,  was  buried  underneath  one. 
— J.  CAIt.MOOIF.-C'HEALES. 
- - - 
The  Liliacese.*  . 
{Continued  from  page  435.) 
The  trilic  Agapantheao  contains  two  genera  of  half-hardy  plants, 
which,  how'ever,  may  lie  successfully  cultivated  outside  in  a  sheltered 
position.  Agapanthus  is  a  handsome  plant  of  easy  culture,  producing 
large  umbels  on  a  long,  nude  scape.  Agapanthus  umbellatus  is  the 
generally  cultivated  species.  It  is  said  to  have  been  cultivated  at 
Hampton  Court  as  early' as  1692.  There  are  four  varieties — umbellatus 
Mooreanus,  a  dwarfer  form,  with  more  erect  leaves;  umbellatus 
Leiehtlini,  a  handsome  variety,  having  large,  pale-blue  flowers ; 
umbellatus  maximus,  the  lai'gest  and  handsomest,  and  there  is  a  white 
form  of  this  wdiieh  is  desirable,  but  scarce.  The  double-flowered 
umbellatus  is  of  no  great 
merit. 
The  Tulbaghias  are 
chiefly  greenhouse,  rhizo- 
matous,  perennial  herbs, 
the  foliage  of  which,  unfor¬ 
tunately,  exudes  a  distinct 
alliaceous  odour  wdien 
touched.  T.  violaeea  bears 
erect  umbels  of  violet  pur¬ 
ple  flowers  oil  slender 
scapes  about  two  feet  high. 
The  flowers  are  very'  freely 
produced  out  of  doors  in  a 
sheltered  position.  Accord¬ 
ing  to  a  past  Kewite,  it 
should  receive  nearly  aqua¬ 
tic  treatment,  but  the  plants 
on  the  Palm  house  terrace 
cannot  be  said  to  receive 
aquatic  treatment,  yet  they 
produce  flowers  freely  in 
July.  T.  Ludwigiana,  from 
the  borders  of  Kaffir-land, 
has  its  outer  perianth 
greenish  purple  and  the 
inner  yellow'. 
The  next  tribe  (Millece) 
will  be  treated  briefly,  for 
of  the  five  genera  included 
in  it  two  are  monotypic, 
and,  with  the  exception  of 
Brodima,  they  are  not  gene¬ 
rally  cultivated.  Andro- 
stephium  violaeea  is  pretty 
neai'ly  hardy.  It  is  allied 
to  Broditea,  and  w'cll  adapted  for  frame  culture,  yet  can  safely  be 
grown  out  of  doors.  It  produces  five  to  six  violet  coloured  flowers 
in  an  umliel,  liorne  by  a  scape  6  inches  high,  and  it  is  native  of 
Texas. 
Also  monotypic  is  Bessera  elegans,  w'hich,  by  reason  of  its  varia¬ 
bility,  has  received  various  specific  names.  Its  flow'crs  are  scarlet  or 
white,  and  attain  a  height  of  from  1  to  2  feet,  being  produced  from 
July  to  September. 
Leucoeyrne,  a  genus  of  three  to  four  half-hardy  species,  natives  of 
Chili,  requires  the  same  cultural  treatment  as  Ixia.  They  produce 
umbels  of  white,  lilac,  or  blue  flowers  in  July  or  August.  L.  alliacca 
(lilac)  and  L.  ixioides  (white  or  pale  blue)  are  the  best  species. 
Massonii  comprises  twenty-five  species,  natives  of  S.  Africa,  which  are 
characterised  by  the  presence  of  a  scarious  involucre  surrounding  the 
umbel.  M.  pustulata  and  M.  jasminiflora  are  the  best  Species.  Of 
the  genus  Daubenva,  aurea  and  fulva  are  the  most  interesting  species. 
Tuibe  5;  Hyac'IXTHE.e. — Here  we  have  ten  genera,  many  of  which 
are  spring-flowering  plants,  characterised  by  their  racemose,  rarely 
spiked,  infloreseenee.  Dipcadi  is  a  genus  closely  allied  to  Oaltonia, 
containing  both  hardy  and  half-hardy  species.  For  greenhouse  culture 
D.  erytheraeeum  and  D.  hyaeinthoides  may  be  selected;  whilst  1). 
filamentosum  and  D.  serotinum  are  adapted  for  out-of-doors  culture. 
For  greenhouse  decoration  during  spring  find  early  summer 
Lachenalias  are  admittedly  of  vast  utility.  The  genus  contains  many 
species,  some  with  erect  and  others  with  drooping  flowers.  To  this 
*  A  paper  read  before  the  Kew  Gardeners’  Guild  by  Ponald  MacGregor. 
