Note 45 — PETER KALM’s TRAVELS. (continued 2)

The red Juniper-tree is another tree which I have mentioned very frequently in the course of my account. The Swedes have given it the name of red Juniper, because the wood is very red and fine within. The English call it red Cedar, and the French Cedre rouge. However, the Swedish name is the most proper, as the tree belongs to the Junipers45. At its first growth it has a deal of similarity to the Swedish Juniper46, but after it is grown up it gets quite different leaves. The berry exactly resembles that of the Swedish Juniper, in regard to its colour and shape; however, they are not so big, though the red Cedar grows very tall. At Raccoon these trees stood single, and were not very tall. But at other places I have seen them standing together in clusters; they like the same ground as the common Swedish Juniper, especially on the rising banks of rivers, and on other rising grounds, in a dry, and frequently in a poor soil. I have seen them growing in abundance, as thick and tall as the tallest fir-trees, on poor dry and sandy heaths. Towards Canada, or in the most northerly places, where I have seen them, they commonly choose the steep sides of the mountains, and there they grow promiscuously with the common Juniper. The most northerly places where I have found them wild in the woods, is in Canada, eighteen French miles to the southward of the Fort Saint Jean, or St. John, in about 44° 35′ North Latitude. I have likewise seen it growing very well in a garden, on the island of Magdalene47, belonging to the then governor of Montreal, Monsieur le Baron de Longueuil. But it had been got at more southerly places, and was transplanted here. Of all the woods in this country, this is without exception the most durable, and withstands putrefaction longer than any other; it is therefore employed in all such cases where it is most liable to rot, especially for all kinds of posts which are to be put into the ground. Some people say, that if an iron be put into the ground along with a pole of cedar, the iron would be half corroded by rust in the same time that the wood would be rotten. In many places both the fences, and the posts belonging to them, are made of red cedar. The best canoes, consisting of a single piece of wood, are made of red cedar; for they last longer than any others, and are very light. In New York I have seen pretty large yachts build of red cedar. Several yachts which go from New York to Albany, up the river Hudson, are built in a different manner, as I have mentioned in the first volume48. In Philadelphia they cannot make any yachts or other boats of red cedar, because the quantity and the size of the trees will not allow of it. For the same reason they do not roof their houses with red cedar shingles; but in such places where it is plentiful, it makes excellent good roofs. The heart of this cedar is of a fine red colour, and whatever is made of it looks very fine, and has a very agreeable and wholesome smell. But the colour fades by degrees, or else the wood would be exceedingly proper for cabinet work. I saw a parlour in the country seat of Mr. Norris, one of the Members of the Pensylvanian House of Assembly, wainscotted many years ago with boards of red cedar. Mr. Norris assured me that the cedar looked exceedingly well in the beginning, but it was quite faded when I saw it, and the boards looked very shabby, especially the boards near the window had entirely lost their colour; so that Mr. Norris had been obliged to put mahogany in their stead: however, I was told, that the wood will keep its colour if a thin varnish is put upon it whilst it is fresh, and just after it has been planed, and if care is taken that the wood is not afterwards rubbed or hurt. At least it makes the wood keep its colour much longer than commonly. Since it has a very pleasant smell, when fresh, some people put the shavings and chips of it among their linen to secure it against being worm-eaten. Some likewise get bureaus, &c. made of red cedar, with the same view. But it is only useful for this purpose as long as it is fresh, for it loses its smell after some time, and is then no longer good for keeping off insects. It is sometimes sent to England, as timber, and sells very well. In many places round Philadelphia, in the seats of the gentry, there was commonly an avenue, with a row of these trees planted on both sides, leading from the high road to the house. The lower branches were cut, and only a fine crown left. In winter, when most other trees have lost their leaves, this looks very fine. This tree has likewise a very slow growth; for a stem, thirteen inches and a quarter in diameter, had one hundred and eighty-eight rings, or annual circles and another, eighteen inches in diameter, had at least two hundred and fifty, for a great number of the rings were so fine that they could not be counted. This tree is propagated in the same manner as the common Juniper-tree is in Sweden, viz. chiefly by birds, which eat the berries and emit the seeds entire. To encourage the planting of this useful tree, a description of the method of doing it, written by Mr. Bartram, was inserted in a Pensylvania almanack, called Poor Richard Improved, for the year 1749. In it was explained the manner of planting and augmenting the number of these trees, and mention is made of some of the purposes to which they may be employed.