38 



The HaiiicuUmHst and Journal 



the remark, that every one should plant it 

 who owns sufficient room to allow its full 

 development. 



Menzies Spruce, the silvery foliage of 

 which makes it so conspicuous in its native 

 haunts, in the Rocky mountains, does not 

 succeed as we could desire in cultivation. It 

 is, however, generally hardy, but drops its 

 foliage prematurely. 



The Black Spruce is handsome when 

 young only, and cannot be recommended 

 with confidence. The new species just about 

 being introduced into cultivation, called 

 after our eminent botanist. Dr. Engelmann, 

 we trust will prove as beautiful as we have 

 seen it at the timber line, on Gray's Peak. 



The two new Japanese species, polita and 

 Alcoqueana, have proven hardy for the short 

 time they have been tested, and we expect 

 to be able to report favorably as to their 

 habit and general appearance. 



In the hemlock section, we claim for the 

 old, well known, common Hemlock Spruce 

 the rank of best. It combines elegance of 

 foliage with grace of habit and hardiness 

 of constitution. It is, in fact, one of the 

 few trees for the "million," either for 

 grouping, as a specimen, or for ornamental 

 screens. 



Already its numerous dwarf varieties are 

 being disseminated, as among our choicest 

 evergreen shrubs. The rare species from 

 the Pacific coast have not yet been suffi- 

 ciently tested to report upon, although giv- 

 ing evidence of exceeding beauty. Doug- 

 las^ Spruce, we must reluctantly add, is not 

 reliable at the north. 



In desci'ibing the Silver Firs, we feel at 

 a loss where to draw the dividing line be- 

 tween the really hardy, and partially hardy 

 species. 



Commencing with those which have given 

 satisfaction in the middle states, we trust 

 our readers will find sufficient beauty in the 

 list to gratify all their wants. 



The Nordmanri's Silver Fir stands by 

 itself, unquestionably the finest of its class. 

 We are pleased with its hardiness ; charmed 

 with its dark green hue ; and satisfied with 



its unexceptionable form and habit ; so that 

 we may rest assured that no other tree can 

 excel it in any of these respects. Possibly 

 the next in hardiness, is the most formal of 

 them all, the Siberian Silver Fir. It forms 

 a dense, dark-green, conical mass of small 

 branches and foliage, and is, on this ac- 

 count, particularly, pleasing. The Great 

 Silver Fir is a model of beauty, and ap- 

 pears to succeed with excellent results wher- 

 ever tested. We have seen it on the sum- 

 mits of the Sierra Nevada of California; on 

 the Rocky mountain range of Colorado, and 

 in the canons of the Wahsatch, in Utah ; and 

 everywhere it presented the same uniform, 

 elegant appearance. The Noble Silver Fir, 

 from Oregon and Northern California, is 

 also, as its name implies, a noble specimen. 

 The peculiar bluish-green hue of the foliage 

 renders it a conspicuous object in a collec- 

 tion, and not the least handsome either. In 

 its native localities it grows to an immense 

 size, which in all probability will be greatly 

 decreased in cultivation. 



The Cephalonian Silver Fir has given 

 very general satisfaction as far north as 

 Boston, and in more kindly climates it is 

 certainly a fine conifer. The regularity of 

 its branchlets constitute a marked peculiar- 

 ity in its habit. The newer Japanese spe- 

 cies, jirma, although comparatively a stran- 

 ger in our midst, is winning golden opinions 

 from all who have tested it in our climate, 

 and we therefore trust to class it with our 

 hardy conifers. 



We feel sorry that we cannot say a better 

 word for two well-known old friends — the 

 European Silver Fir, and the native Balsam 

 Fir. The former will not survive our cold- 

 est winters, and the latter has such a dis- 

 graceful habit of " thinning out " among the 

 lower branches, that we must reluctantly 

 give them up. We close our list with a 

 charming little dwarf — The Hudson Bay 

 Dwarf Fir ; which is unquestionably hardy 

 and valuable. 



Some cultivators ask, "What shall I do 

 with my trees ? " We answer, in the au- 

 tumn spread over the surface of the soil. 



