THE SPRUCE, ETC. 



291 



Norway Spruce. Tlie Norwa } r s P ruce is another hand- 

 Ficea excelsa. some species, which is generally seen 

 in private grounds. This tree grows 

 from 50 to 120 feet high, according to circumstances ; 

 in the forests of Norway its long, drooping 

 branches and tall figure form a conspicu- 

 ous feature of the landscape. A num- 

 ber of varieties assume extraordinary 

 if not grotesque shapes ; a 

 certain weeping form, which 

 may be seen in the Ar- 

 nold Arboretum, is a 

 most peculiar, bare- 

 branched, snaky-look- 

 ing character, which 

 can not fail to attract 

 notice. 



The needle of the Norway spruce is slightly 

 curved, about seven eighths of an inch long, and 

 olive-green. The cone is four and a half or five 

 inches long, and is pendant; its color is light red- 

 dish brown, and the rigid scales are square-pointed. 



The bald cypress is a funereal-look- 

 Southern Cypress, ing tree of the Southern swamps, 

 Taxodium distichum. w } 10se picturesque, spirelike contour 

 and grim stateliness are qualities not without a cer- 

 tain charm. It is found in swampy lands from Mary- 



Norway Spruce. 



