i8a 



A. Norby, Madison, S. D., writes: "The Dwarf Mountain 

 Pine as I have it, is hardy but grows up too high for a dwarf 

 and is not compact enough. There may be better strains." 



The Spruces. 



The spruces are distinguished from the pines by having 

 the leaves arranged one in a place and pointing outward all 

 around the twig, like the spokes of the wheel. In the pines 

 the needles are arranged in clusters or sheathes, from two to 

 five in a sheath, depending upon the variety. As a class, 

 the spruces are much slower in growth than the pines and 

 must be considered more from the ornamental standpoint. 

 The chief beauty about the spruce is its perfectly symmetri- 

 cal habit of growth, forming a cone, thus making it attractive 

 from the time it is a foot high. Some might object to this 

 primness and sedateness of habit but a well developed spruce 

 tree standing in the open where it has a chance for proper 

 development must be regarded as a jewel among trees to be 

 sheltered from all enemies. Of these dogs are the worst, 

 especially while the tree is young. Dogs, by the way, are 

 very destructive to young evergreens on the lawn and should 

 be kept at a distance while the trees are young, vby a low bar- 

 rier of poultry netting. Dog urine kills the foliage and 

 causes the death of young trees. 



Norway Spruce. 



Norway Spruce. (Picea excelsa, Link.). Native of 

 northern Europe and ranging eastward into Siberia, merging 

 gradually into Picea obovata, Ledeb. (Picea excelsa, var. 

 obovata^ Koch.) This is distinguished by the absence 

 of bloom, the leaves being plain green, and by the large 

 cones which are from 5 to 7 inches long. It is the 

 most common spruce in the nurseries, the seed being easily 

 obtainable from western Europe. It is a hardy, beautiful 

 and popular tree in the eastern states but does not enjoy the 



