October 15—I recently visited a fow of Juniper trees, planted along the edge of a drive, 4nd was thinking what a handsome decoration they made when a friend standing by said, "Sorry, but I can't stand Junipers—to me they always look dull and dissolute." Now "why Should these trees have an evil reputation? fs it because of their connection with the favourite cordial of the wicked known as gin or mother's ruin? A learned authority on the subject of trees wrote, for example, "In the manufacture of London gin (a corruption of Geneva) oil of turpentine is said to be substituted for the Juniper berries, and is perhaps one of the least noxious ingredients." On the other hand I find from no less an authority than the Book of Kings (Bk. 119, 1V, V & V1) that when the prophet Elijah was fleeing from the wrath of Jezebel (a dame of doubtful reputation, I believe) he lay down beneath a Jüniper tree to rest and was promptly supplied with the local equivalent of cakes and ale. Personally I am all for the Juniper and must hasten to record what happened in my garden this morning in connection with one of these trees.
Maggie, my friendly Magpie, came flying down from the nest she is even now repairing against next Spring and landed in a tall Juniper tore away a large berry and held it in her beak. looked puzzled as if she didn't know how to deal with it....then, as if seized by inspiration, flew down to the bird-bath and, standing on its edge, washed the berry thoroughly in the water; then, looking nervously round at mie, gulped it down and proceeded at once to drink heavily of the water in which she had washed it. A sort of "chaser" as my American friends would say. All of which makes me even more favourably disposed towards the Junipers I have so recently planted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.