DESOEIPTIVE ENUMBEATION OF TREES. 121 



its brandies, and is scathed and ragged. A 

 featliery branch here and there, among broken 

 stumps, has often a good effect, but it must arise 

 from the wild situation of the tree. On an 

 embelhshed lawn it would be improper. In all 

 circumstances, however, the Spruce Fir appears 

 best either as a single tree, or unmixed with any 

 of its fellows, for neither it, nor any of the spear- 

 headed race, will ever form a beautiful clump 

 without the assistance of other trees. 



The Silver Eir has very little to boast in point 

 of picturesque beauty. It has all the regularity 

 of the Spruce, but without its floating foliage. 

 There is a sort of harsh, stiff, unbending formality 

 in the stem, the branches, and in the whole 

 economy of the tree, which makes it disagreeable. 

 We rarely see it, even in the happiest state, assume 

 a picturesque shape. Assisted it may be in its 

 form, when broken and shattered, but it will rarely 

 get rid of its formality. In old age it stands the 

 best chance of attaining beauty. We sometimes 

 see it under that circumstance, shattered by 

 winds, adorned with Ivy, and shooting out a 

 few horizontal branches, on which its meagre 



