GARDENS NEAR THE SEA 



A number of years ago a friend, who had spent 

 much of his leisure in studying evergreens and rare 

 shrubs, planted at his country place about twenty- 

 five blue spruces from the Rocky Mountains. At 

 that time such trees were little seen among the orna- 

 mental planting of the northeastern states. Gradually, 

 however, they made their way into fashion. Last 

 summer a nurseryman passing through my friend's 

 place stopped to make him an offer for his blue spruces. 

 It was in four figures, since the trees were then large 

 and well developed. My friend refused the offer, but 

 could not help feeling gratified in discovering that his 

 investment in blue spruces had advanced at a rate 

 equal to that of some stocks and bonds. 



Another beautiful member of this family, a silver 

 and gold variety of the white spruce, is called "glory of 

 spruces." P. Engelmanni is very handsome, a Rocky 

 Mountain species not altogether unlike the blue spruce. 



The hemlock spruce, Tsuga Canadensis, a tree of 

 renowned loveliness, presents itself particularly for 

 planting in groups or through semi- wild woodlands, 

 inasmuch as it is one of the few evergreens that do 

 well in shade, often reaching there its finest develop- 

 ment. When the home ground is sufficiently large, 

 it can have no greater attraction than a grove of these 

 trees. At a short distance inland from the Sound are 

 two estates that, to my knowledge, were primarily 

 purchased for their natural hemlock groves. In June, 

 when the young growth is on the trees, these groves, 

 now well ordered, appear in verity to harbor the 

 sweetest woodland spirits. 



[38] 



