EVERGREEN ORNAMENTAL TREES. 229 



by many persons to surpass in excellence that of the Norway 

 Spruce. The young shoots also enter into the composition 

 of the celebrated Spruce beer of this country, a delightful 

 and very healthy beverage. And the Hemlock not only 

 furnishes a vast quantity of the joists used in building 

 frame-houses, but supplies the tanners with an abundance 

 of bark, which, when mixed with that of the oak, is highly 

 esteemed in the preparation of leather. 



We regret that the fine evergreen trees both of this coun- 

 try and Europe, which compose the Pine and Fir tribes,. 

 have not hitherto received more of the attention of planters. 

 It is indescribable how much they add to the beauty of a 

 country residence in winter. At that season, when, during 

 three or four months the landscape is bleak and covered with 

 snow these noble trees, properly intermingled with the groups 

 in view from the window, or those surrounding the house, 

 give an appearance of verdure and life to the scene which 

 cheats winter of half its dreariness. In exposed quarters, 

 also, and in all windy and bleak situations, groups of ever- 

 greens form the most effectual shelter at all seasons of the 

 year, while many of them have the great additional recom- 

 mendation of growing upon the most meagre soils. 



In fine country residences abroad, it is becoming customa- 

 ry to select some extensive and suitable locality, where all 

 the species of Pines and Firs are collected together, and al- 

 lowed to develop themselves in their full beauty of propor- 

 tion. Such a spot is called a Pinetum ; and the effect of 

 all the different species growing in the same assemblage, and 

 contrasting their various forms, heights, and peculiarities, 

 cannot but be strikingly elegant. One of the largest and 

 oldest collections of this kind is the Pinetum of Lord Gren- 

 ville at Dropmore, near Windsor, England. This contains 



