EVERGREENS AND OLD BOX 103 



needed to soften the contrast between garden and 

 grounds. 



The Norway Spruce is a good tree that has been 

 used too much because it is cheap and grows 

 quickly. It is too thick and dark and lowering to 

 plant very near the house, as it effectually shuts 

 out light and invites dampness. It is desirable to 

 have a few Spruce trees near at hand, however, for 

 in Winter they are the refuge of many birds that 

 are well protected by the close-knit foliage; robins 

 will make a grove of Spruce trees their home 

 through the Winter, and their presence is always 

 welcome. It is not a native tree but it has been 

 so widely cultivated that in many instances it nas 

 escaped. It is larger and altogether more majestic 

 than either the White or Black Spruce, and the 

 branches are more drooping; this last characteristic 

 gives it a melancholy expression which, as it is a 

 rather heavy tree, makes it unattractive to many 

 people. It is particularly beautiful amid snow- 

 clad surroundings, and dear to the hearts of chil- 

 dren on account of its association with Christmas, 

 a fact that should not be ignored, for the children 

 should be considered when the grounds are planted 



