The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1893-01-26
THE CEDAR OF LEBANON.
A Tree Suitable for Northern Lawns
and Parks


A Tree Suitable for Northern Lawns
and Parks.
From Garden and Forest.
The cedar of Lebanon has stood for
generations throughout christendom as
the type for all thatsis majestic and re-
gal in forest tree. 1t has in modern
times been questioned whether the tim
Der with which Solomon rebuilt the
temple was that of the cedar. but, how
ever this may be, the trees are always
associated in the popular mind WIFI
stately religious ceremony, and the
groves of Lebanon have been objects OF
veneration by pious pilgrims for centu-
ries. The position which the tree holds
in Christian literature is we'll exemplifed
by the following passage from the "Spir-
it of the Hebrew Poetry" by Isaac Tay-
lor, who in describing the Lebanon
ranges and their trees, says: SIN ancient
times these rich slopes and valleys were
mantled with cedar, and the cedar, in it's
perfection, is as the lion among the
beasts and the eagle among the birds
This majestic tree, compared with 9TH
ers of it's class, has more of altitude and
volume than any Of them, it has more of
outrageous amplitude; especially it has
that tranquil aspect of venerable con
tinuance through centuries which so
greatly recommends natural objects to
speculative and imaginative tastes. The
cedar of Lebanon, graceful and seryicea-
BILE while it lives, has the merit of pre-
pairing in it's solids q perfume which
commends it when dead to the MODEST
uses. This wood invites the workman's
tool for every ingenious device, sand its
odOriferous substance is such as to make
it grateful alike in palaces and in tenn
PIES" AS matter of fact, it would be
difficult to exaggerate the impressive
ness of this tree even if it were not dig>
nified and almost hallowed by asssoca>
ton.
In volume two, page 14S, we have al
ready given a figure of one of the old
trees on Mount Lebanon, and in the
same issue is an illustration of pair of
wide branching old specimens, such as
are to be found in many of the stately
pleasure grounds of England, where this
cedar has been more generally plsAted
for the last 300 years than any other for
eign tree. In connection with the pie
lures, some account was given of the
remnants of the Lebanon forest, as de-
scribed by Sir Joseph Hooker, and the
illustration of page 607 shows one Of the
nine groups which remain in one OF
those elevated valleys. Only 400 OF the
trees survived at the time of Sir Joseph's
visit, and unlessithe seedlings are pro-
tected from fire, and from sheep and
goats, these particular forests will, il,
course of time, become extinct. The
largest trees remaining are some 40 feet
in girth, and the smallest ones are 4
inches. Other groups of this cedar havr
been discovered since the visit of Sir
Joseph Hooker, and, in fact, cedrus att
lantica, which is found in Algiers and
cyprus, and cedrus deodara of Himaiay
as, differ very little in botanical charac-
tiers from true G. ibani, although they
are quite distinct in appearance at all
stages of their growth. For some un>
known reason the cedar of Lebanon has
never been a favorite with American
planters, although it is hardy in the lat
itude of New York, and the few speci~
mems here which have attained the age
OF fifty years and upward are noble