Of these a Christmas Spruce should have a free stand, 

 though it would there assume dimensions which we cannot 

 forever set aside in our space. But there is no need to 

 retain such Spruce after it reaches a height of fifteen feet 

 when it should be replaced by a young one. For the children 

 to be able to decorate some kind of a Christmas tree in their 

 own grounds is a delight with charms entirely its own. I 

 mention here that these Spruces will suffer a great deal of 

 abusive treatment, and, if space should not permit a better 

 place, they may be planted where they will develop rather 

 one-sided. The other coniferous tree is the Larch. We 

 have to select far more deciduous plants than evergreen 

 ones, partly because the latter would render the grounds too 

 damp, partly on account of the charms with which the decid- 

 uous shrubs surprise us when nature again dons its green 

 dress. And at that very time the Larch is the brightest 

 green shade tree we have. In the midst of winter its slender 

 branches are as attractive as a string of beads. And these 

 purplish cones forming already on young specimens, is a 

 baby's ear shaped more daintily? 



Ere I pass on to other plants of woody growth, I have to 

 mention a list of those offering characters which are either 

 meaningless to a child, or of such strange expression that, 

 for such reason only, the child will pay attention to them. 



Foremost amongst them are the Fuchsias and the Lobster 

 Claw (Clianthus and Erythrina). A child will make free to 

 some extent with the former for the simple reason that it 

 meets with those blooms wherever it beholds a garden. But 

 there is chill about the flower which forbids the child to show 



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