60 THE CULTIVATED EVERGREENS 



The white spruce, Picea glauca {P. canadensis), most 

 decidedly requires a cool, moist, well-drained soil to be happy. 

 Under such conditions it forms a dense pyramidal habit. It 

 usually has light green-bluish foliage. The branches are as- 

 cending and horizontal, and often the branchlets are pendulous. 

 White spruce is largely planted and often placed in dry 

 sandy conditions where it is attacked by red-spider, and it 

 then presents an unattractive appearance. The writer has 

 often seen it in northern Ontario, Canada, in groves and 

 isolated, sixty to seventy feet in height, the individuals standing 

 alone densely branched to the base, in perfect symmetry, 

 and no spruce could appear more ornamental. A remarkably 

 dwarf interesting form of the white spruce is now known under 

 the name of P. glauca alhertiana conica. It was discovered by 

 J. G. Jack, of the Arnold Arboretum, near Loggan in Alberta 

 in 1904. It has a distinctly conical habit and is believed not 

 to grow at any time over three to three and one-half feet. This 

 interesting plant is now being distributed by some nurseries 

 and will be very valuable in formal gardening. 



The Norway spruce, Picea Abies (P. excelsa), is perhaps 

 planted more extensively than any other spruce in the North- 

 ern and Northeastern States. It is much to be regretted that 

 experience after many years shows it to be unfitted for this 

 country. The greater number of the Norway spruces in this 

 region after twenty-five to thirty-five years begin to go back- 

 ward. The tree is quite hardy, but the climatic conditions do 

 not seem to suit it. In dry sandy soil it invariably is attacked 

 by red-spider. Occasionally it is seen in adult age in healthy 

 condition in valleys or on slopes in deep, cool, moist, well- 

 drained soil. It is a magnificent forest tree in central 

 Europe. When a quick, effective, evergreen windbreak is de- 

 sired, provided the soil is fairly moist, it serves this purpose 



