144 PARKS AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 



wlieie early shelter is wanted. It is verv liable to be 

 injured by hares, when young. 



The Silver Fir is one of the noblest of our hardy 

 firs ; rather tender when young, but growing rapidly 

 afterward ; and when old, it forms a truncated cone 

 of great height, and is stately, massive, and ornamen- 

 tal, both on the lawn and in the park. P. Douglasii 

 is a Californian species of great size. We have known 

 it, in this country, add ten feet to its height in three 

 seasons. Its foliage is of a lighter hue than that of 

 the preceding, yielding therefore a less massive effect; 

 but it forms a handsome lawn tree. P. nobilis is a 

 magnificent tree in its native forests, on the Columbia 

 river. It has proved itself quite hardy, in cold dis- 

 tricts of this country, and is a most desirable tree for 

 ornamental purposes. The Hemlock Swuce is a hand- 

 some, low tree, approaching to the yew in character, but 

 is of a paler green, and, on account of its dwarfish 

 stature, is used principally in the shrubbery. 



The Conunoji Spruce Fir \i very extensively phuited, 

 and suits a great variety of soils, though it prefers a 

 moist, loamy one. Wiiere it has room and shelter, it 

 grows into a tall, stately, tapering cone. When young 

 and densely planted, it afibrds a close and effective 

 shelter, and it even forms a good hedge, in upland dis- 

 tricts. It has a livelier efi'ect in masses than the Scotch 

 fir. P. Ifenziesii, or Menzies' Spruce^ is a very hand- 

 some pyramidal tree, with a vivid light-green foliage, 

 which, with the silvery lines on the under side of the 

 leaves, imparts to it a gay and graceful character. It 

 is well adapted for groups and masses in woods and 

 pleasure-grounds. 



P. Morinda, the Himalayan spruce, is a large treo 



