142 LAWN-PLANTING FOR WINTER EFFECT. 



remaining part of the composition, it is well to place each 

 of these species, firs, spruces, and the like, by themselves. 

 Spruces we used to make up the mass of the background ; 

 but then there are spruces not only adapted for this pur- 

 pose, but suitable for general planting in the middle-ground, 

 and even for the most distinguished positions as objects of 

 special interest in the foreground. Any one looking at the 

 dense round or hemispherical shape of the Gregory spruce, 

 and at the taller though slow-growing columnar form of 

 the weeping spruce, would scarcely believe that this and 

 the common Norway spruce are so closely akin. The blue 

 tint of the Colorado spruce ( Picea pungens ) shows capacity 

 for varying color that is most invaluable for winter effect. 

 Alcock's spruce, from Japan, has also lovely variegations 

 of yellow, silver, and green, and the tiger-tail spruce (Picea 

 politaj, from the same country, is rigid, yellow, and charac- 

 teristic, and hardy and fine in many ways. 



The Oriental spruce is perhaps the most desirable of all 

 the spruces for both winter and summer landscape. Its 

 shining dense masses are remarkably hardy and striking. 

 It belongs rather in the background, as somewhat larger in 

 habit than the others. Nor should we neglect the beautiful 

 American white spruce, hardy, dense, and richly colored. 

 It grows more slowly than the common Norway spruce, but 

 eventually attains sufficient size to associate it more or less 

 with that evergreen. The most noteworthy spruces, how- 

 ever, for winter-landscape effects are the weeping hemlock 

 spruce and the weeping Norway spruce. The former is a 

 charming evergreen, graceful and picturesque with soft 

 curving lines. Its light color and delicate tendrils give it 



