THE CONIFEROUS EYEEGEEEXS. 



The study of the coniferous evergreens is especially desir- 

 able early in winter, and for the lower grades may well cul- 

 minate at the time of the holiday festivities. 



These trees furnish the most important features of many 

 of our winter landscapes; they are of g-reat beauty as well 

 as of much economic value, and they give excellent opportu- 

 nities for studies of distinctive educational worth. Their 

 branches are easily obtained, and when brought into the 

 schoolroom are of decided decorative value. They may be 

 studied to great advantage in winter as they are available at 

 a time when it is most difficult to get material for nature 

 studies. 



In this study of the evergTeens especial emphasis should 

 be j)laced upon the native species. These are to be found in 

 fields and woods, where specimens may be gathered in abun- 

 dance. A very large proportion of the conifers planted for 

 ornamental purposes are exotic species, the determination 

 of which is frequently difficult, and which have not the 

 interest and associations possessed by the native sorts. An 

 exception, however, must be made in the case of the i^orway 

 spruce, which has been so generally planted for so long a 

 period that it is as abundant and -as widely distributed as 

 some of our native trees. 



In associating the evergreens with the animal life of the 

 winter season, the skillful teacher will point out the utility 

 of their seeds as food for the winter birds, and the great 

 benefit of their protection as homes, not oiily for the birds 

 but for rabbits and other animals that require shelter during 

 the winter months. The value to the trees themselves of their 

 slender leaves in shedding snow will of course be pointed out. 



In most localities it is a comparatively easy matter to get 

 abundant material for the study of the evergreens. This is 



