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HAND-BOOK OF PRACTICAL 



of a darker shade in foliage, and more upright in its branches. 

 Both are valuable as screen hedges, or dwarf evergreen hedges, 

 as thej bear the shears well. Alba Cerulea, Excelsa Clan- 

 brasiliana, Elegans, Gergoryana, Mucronata, Parviformis, Pygmoza, 

 Canadenis Nana, Pumila, Nigra, Tortuosa Compacta are all classed 

 as dwarf trees. 



The Excelsa Inverta is a pendulous variety of the Norway 

 Spruce. The commonly well-known Norway Spruce and the 

 Hemlock Spruce are too well known to need a word. Both are 

 of value as specimen trees, wind breaks or hedges. There are a 

 number of other varieties, but none superior to those we have 

 named, unless it be the Himalayan. 



Sequoia Oigantea, — This is called the big tree of California, is 

 majestic in form, but too often it proves unreliable north of 42 

 latitude, below that it is all right, and situations, soils, with care 

 can grow it at the North. 



The Yew — Taxus. — This evergreen is all of the dwarf form. 

 There are rare foliaged varieties and many very compact, but 

 nearly, all of them brown badly from winter suns. The English 

 (Baccata) and Irish (Hibernica) sometimes grow to a height of 20 

 to 30 feet. The Nana, Stricta, Adpressa are among the best as 

 low shrubs, and Dovastonii pendula is fine as a weeping variety. 



WEEPING DECIDUOUS TREES. 



Within a few years the popular taste has been largely turned 

 to the introduction of drooping trees as objects of graceful 

 beauty, harmonizing with the smoothness and verdue of a lawn, 

 or the high keeping and neatness of a pleasure garden. Droop- 

 ing trees, like water fountains, are dangerous in the hands of 

 those who attempt their use in the decoration of grounds, with- 

 out possessing a considerable knowledge and good taste in the 

 composition of a landscape. Gracefulness and elegance being 

 the prominent characteristics of drooping trees, they are shown 

 to the best advantage either singly or in wide, yet tasteful 

 groups, or lawns, or borders ; where symmetrical art, rather than 

 the natural picturesque is sought to be embodied as the leading 



