NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



115 



For the Neiu Eii^/nnd Farmer. 



THE CULTIVATION OF NATIVE TREES 

 AND SHRUBS. 



[Continued from Page 86. ] 



Mk. Cole : — The evergreens form an interesting 

 class of ornamental trees, which liave not received 

 that attention from cultivatois which their beauty 

 demands. We shall first speak of the natural or- 

 der Conifera?, embracing the pines, firs, junipers, 

 cypresses, spruces, larches, hemlock and yews. 

 The larches embraced in this order are deciduous 

 trees, and have been noticed. The first tree we 

 shall notice is the White Pine, known in England 

 as the Weymouth Pine. This tree is one of the 

 loftiest in our forests, having been seen 250 feet in 

 height, by G feet in diameter. It grows only in 

 the colder parts of our globe, being found in the 

 79th parallel of north latitude, and, on mountains, 

 it flourishes within 3,000 of perpetual snow. It is 

 easily cultivated, and of rapid growth, and when 

 taken up for transplanting with care, and a sod of 

 earth around its roots, it is almost sure to live and 

 grow. 



By this method, the pine, as well as all other 

 evergreens of this order, can be safely transplanted 

 at any season of the year, when the ground is not 

 frozen, and even then, by what is termed the fro- 

 zen ball method. We have removed in this way 

 the white pine, as well as many other kinds of ev- 

 ergreen trees, with success in the months of May, 

 June, July and August. The roots of the pine, and 

 some other evergreens, when uncovered by the 

 earth, and exposed to the air, consequently become 

 dry, and are quickly injured. As a general rule, 

 all evergreen trees succeed and flourish best, when 

 planted in groups, thus affording each other protec- 

 tion. When placed singly and alone, they are 

 sometimes injured very much by high winds, and I 

 have for many years observed, that evergreen trees 

 suffer more in the month of March, from dry, cold 

 and piercing winds, than at any other period of the 

 year. Tliis injury is noticed by the leaves and 

 branches becoming red and dry. In their native 

 habitat, they fondly protect each other, and it is 

 well to afford them some protection in their new 

 position. 



Beside, this grouping of trees in landscape gard- 

 ening is a suljject deserving of more attention than 

 we usually bestow upon it, as it is a feature of great 

 beauty, and some of our tender trees, shrubs or 

 plants will succeed well, and withstand our sever- 

 est winters by the protection they receive from a 

 clump of evergreen trees. 



Belts of evergreen trees planted on the north and 

 east side of our farm houses, are very desirable 

 from the shelter they aflljrd in winter. Trees can 

 be obtained iVom planting the seeds of the white 

 pine, but then it is a tedious and slow process; the 

 first shoots from the seed are weak and feeble, re- 

 sembling a small spire of grass, and very liable to 

 be thrown out of the ground by the frosts of winter. 

 The tr(;uble attending the raisins of the pine from 

 seed, can, I thuik, by us be avoided, as a plenty of 

 small young trees, suitable for transplanting, can 

 usually 1)0 obtained. 



Tiie Pilch Pine is a tree of no great beauty, fre- 

 quently associated with the Red Cedar, and grow- 

 ing on our most sterile hills, and as it will grow 

 and flourish in the most meagre soils, it is well 

 calculated to beautify in some degree, with its dark 



green foliage, our dry, rocky hill sides. The Red, 

 or Norway Pine, is found in Massachusetts, and 

 closely resembles Pitch Pine, but grows to a much 

 larger tree. These three species of pine, viz., the 

 Wliite Pine, Red Pine and the Pitch Pine, are the 

 only species that have as yet been discovered in 

 Massachusetts. Micheaux supposed that the yel- 

 low pine of tlie southern States, known to our car- 

 penters by the name of the hard pine, was to be 

 found on the Hudson River, near Albany. But 

 Doctor Torrey has as yet failed, as he informs us, 

 to discover it in New York. Should it be, liow- 

 ever, found in that State, it is not improbable that 

 it may occur in Massacliusetts. There are said to 

 be several large and beautiful pines, high up on the 

 slopes of the Sierra Nevada, California. These 

 will probably prove hardy in the middle States, and 

 perliaps in tlie northern States. Mr. Douglass dis- 

 covered in Northern California a pine tree blown 

 down, whicli measured two hundred and fifteen 

 feet in length, and fifty-seven feet nine inches in 

 circumference, at three feet from the roots, while 

 at one hundred and thirty-four feet from the root, 

 it was seventeen feet six inches in girth. The 

 cones measured sixteen inches in length. 



The Fir trees are distinguished from the pines 

 tjy thesr short leaves, and these being placed singly 

 upon their branches, instead of being collected in 

 bundles; and for their symmetry and pyramidial 

 form. The Fir Balsam is thought by many per- 

 sons to be the most l)eautiful of evergreen trees. 

 But after observing this tree for many years under 

 cultivation, we do not consider it worthy of the 

 high enconiums bestowed upon it. It is a compar- 

 atively short-lived tree, and is often past its prime 

 in forty years. We have indeed sometimes seen 

 some very handsome specimens of the Fir Balsam, 

 especially when young, but as they advance in age 

 they frequently become open and thin, by loosing 

 their leaves, the lower branches die, and the tree 

 has a ragged and unsightly appearance. 



We could point to many Fir Balsams, that have 

 been planted not more than twenty years, that have 

 ceased to be objects of beauty. The Double Bal- 

 sam Fir is said strongly to resemble the common 

 fir, and most people would not discover its distinc- 

 tive marks. It is smaller than the Balsam Fir, its 

 leaves are more numerous, of a rich appearance, 

 and diffusing an agreeable odor. T^Ir. Emerson says 

 it is to be found nowhere in Massacliusetts, except 

 on the top of Saddleback Mountain. It has been 

 called the Eraser Pine by Pursh, from its discover- 

 er, Mr. Eraser, who first noticed it on the moun- 

 tains of Carolina. 



The European Fir is, we think, a superior tree 

 to our own, as an ornamental tree. The fir found 

 in the forests of Germany, called the Silver Fir, rises 

 to the height of one hundred feet, and frequently 

 more, and is said to succeed well in Massachusetts. 



The Red Cedar is a connnon tree, found on our 

 dry, rocky hills. It has frequently a ragged appear- 

 ance, and its trunk is deeply ("urrowed. But when 

 the tree is taken young and trinuned of some of its 

 lower branches, its trunk becomes smooth and 

 straight, it forms a fine round head, and is a fine 

 tree. Cultivation in a rich soil improves the ap- 

 pearance of this tree very nmch. 



The Juniper, in this Slate, is a prostrate shrub 

 found in our dry, rocky pastures, spreading for 

 siweral feet in every direction, and is not worthy 

 of ])articular notice. The Yew or Ground Hem- 



