EVERGREEN ORNAMENTAL TREES. 473 



SECTION IY. 



REMARKS ABOUT HALF-HARDY PLANTS AND THE NEWER 

 EVERGREEN ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS, WITH THE 

 METHOD OF ACCLIMATIZING AND EMPLOYING THEM. 



PERHAPS in no one way has the taste for planting 

 more developed itself since the first appearance of 

 Mr. Downing's book, especially during the past four 

 or five years, than in the increasing predilection 

 for evergreens, and prevailing desire not only to plant 

 the better known and more common varieties, but also 

 those of more recent introduction. 



Almost every one, even with the smallest place, now 

 plants not only the Norway spruce, and the Austrian 

 and Scotch pines, but is even desirous of trying his 

 hand upon deodars, cryptomerias and other varieties, 

 considered only as luxuries in Mr. Downing's day. 



The cost of these plants having been reduced from 

 one or two guineas apiece, to fifteen or twenty cents, 

 the ease with which they may be imported, at little or 

 no risk, and the facility with which they live, at least 

 for one or two years, to say nothing of the fashion for 

 evergreens now-a-days, are certainly very strong temp- 

 tations ; but the actual beauty, great variety and 

 contrast in character, habit, and color, and the entire 

 hardihood of a great many new sorts, and the vast 

 addition made by this class of trees to a winter's land- 

 scape, much more frequently seen now by owners of 

 country places than when the first edition even of this 

 work appeared, all combine to make it very desirable 

 that some authentic information should be given, which 



