WINTER MEETING, 1880. 13 



ing character, that taken in connection with the tall spire-like habit of the 

 tree render it, even when planted singly, an object of great beauty. It some- 

 times browns in exposed positions in winter, but it regains its bright color 

 promptly with the opening of spring, and may be pruned or sheared into almost 

 any desired form with impunity. On this account it proves a very satisfactory 

 plant for close screens, even when they are to be kept at only a moderate 

 height. 



I however wish to be distinctly understood as disliking the practice of shear- 

 ing single trees of this or any other evergreen ; although there may be excep- 

 tional cases in which it would be admissible. I even more thoroughly repre- 

 hend the practice of cutting away the lower branches, which is sometimes, 

 however, felt to be necessary for the reason that the space assigned has come 

 to be too limited. If a Norway spruce is expected to develop its full beauty as 

 a mature tree, it should have a clear space of twenty or twenty-five feet in all 

 directions from the trunk. 



The Arbor Vita? is called hardy, although occasionally it has been known to 

 suffer. It has not the beauty of the hemlock, but transplants more easily. 

 In winter the great objection to it is the brown color it assumes, which in win- 

 ter detracts seriously from its beauty. 



WHERE TO OBTAIN TREES. 



The more common process is to go to the forest, select such young trees as 

 seem adapted to the purpose, dig them by cutting off all the roots at a few 

 inches distance from the trunk, thus cutting away probably nine-tenths of the 

 entire root system ; remove them from the shade and shelter of other trees, 

 and probably transfer them to the open ground, when they, while yet enfeebled 

 by the process, must be subjected to the full power of the summer's sun and 

 wind. This is doubtless many times done as a matter of economy, although 

 after such trees have died, and been several times replaced, with the loss of 

 several years time, as is usually the case, there would seem to be abundant 

 reason to doubt the wisdom and even the economy of this process. 



Nursery trees are usually thickly grown in the seed bed, and when but one 

 or two years old are taken up, the roots cut back and the seedlings thickly 

 planted in rows, where they are allowed to stand till they demand more space, 

 when they are again transplanted, and as a necessity the roots are again short- 

 ened and they are given a wider space for growth. Trees grown in this man- 

 ner are invariably found to have a dense mass of fibrous roots, and hence can 

 be transplanted with greater certainty, and will, moreover, recover from the 

 shock of removal with far greater promptness. Such trees are also more fully 

 hardened by exposure to the sun, a fact which adds greatly to their ability to 

 bear the shock of removal. 



"WHERE TO PLANT THEM. 



It is by no means uncommon to see a fine residence with suitable outbuild- 

 ings, standing exposed to the full force of westerly and northerly winds, even 

 where the farm appointments otherwise unmistakably indicate an owner in 

 easy circumstances and abundantly able to supply the needful protection. On 

 such a place they should, beyond doubt, be planted so as to shelter the house 

 and lawns, and the yards occupied by the farm stock, not merely as a matter 

 of comfort to man and animals, but also as au economical investment to save 

 the stock of fuel, and to economize the food consumed by stock in the process 

 of generating animal heat. This object subserved, I would next, if still need- 



