Xll 



INTRODUCTION 



the border. It requires ample room, however, as its wide-spreading branches 

 come out close to the ground and often occupy a space two-thirds the height of 

 the tree. It is better not to prune off these lower branches as their habit of growth 

 makes the tree especially desirable as a background for the lawn. 



Among the ornamental conifers an almost bewildering variety of foreign 

 species are offered by the larger nurseries. Firs, spruces, hemlocks, arbor vitas, 

 cedars, cypresses and pines all have their representatives from the most remote 

 regions of the globe. As we should expect from our experience with other plants 

 some of the most distinctive of these come from Japan. Many people are familiar 

 with pictures of Japanese landscapes to which the pine trees give such picturesque 

 beauty. Some of the most attractive of these pines have been introduced into 



SILVER BELL BLOSSOMS 



America and are generally available for ornamental planting. The Japanese Red 

 Pine is a tall species with bright green needles that grow in pairs. The Japanese 

 Table Pine has the picturesque character of the pines commonly seen in Japanese 

 gardens. It grows low in a spreading fashion that is most distinctive. The Small- 

 flowered Japanese Pine (Pinus parviflora) is another fine species with five needles in 

 a cluster and broad attractive cones of good size. 



Besides these various trees from foreign soils, a few little-known American 

 forms are coming into favor for ornamental planting. Many of these are more 

 likely to be grown as shrubs than as trees but are beautiful in either condition. 



