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until the succeeding autumn. The leaves which we 

 speak of as such are not the only leaves which these 

 trees have, for the true leaves of most of the conifers 

 are represented by little scales, from the axils of 

 which the bundles of longer leaves, the conspicuous 

 leaves of the tree, are produced. 



While the spruces and firs usually retain their leaves 

 for a number of seasons, and some of our pines for a 

 shorter period, the white pine at least for but two years, 

 the larches, on the other hand, drop all of their leaves 

 each autumn, but not until they have turned quite a 

 bright yellow, after the manner of the leaves of the 

 maples and hickories. 



The American larch (Larix americana) or hackmatack, 

 as it is sometimes called, grows naturally in swamps in 

 Essex County. It is found in Wenham in some of the 

 wet depressions among the hills on the road from the 

 meeting-house to Asbury Grove, and it is also frequently 

 met with in the great swamp in Wenham, as well as in 

 the towns of Boxford, Middleton and Ipswich. There 

 are, in Salem, trees of this species at Mrs. George R. 

 Emmerton's on Essex street, at the rear of the stable ; 

 in Mr. James Dugan's garden on Dearborn street, and 

 a curiously distorted specimen by "The Studio" at the 

 corner of Summer and Chestnut streets. 



The European larch (Larix europea) has often been 

 planted for ornament. The leaves ai-e longer and the 

 cones larger than those of the American larch, and the 

 habit of the tree with its drooping branches is much 

 more graceful. There are beautiful specimens planted 

 with the Norway spruces in the grounds near Felt 

 street, and others in the Bertram estate on Dearborn 

 street. These last named trees, together with many 



