140 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



December, 1915 



tMany years ago the huge Christmas tree which we are accus- 

 tomed to instal in our homes at the festive season would have 

 been considered out of place, except in a hall or large room where a 

 function on a more than ordinary scale was anticipated. Smaller 

 trees, from two feet to six feet high, were used, the lesser sizes in 

 pots or tubs. Several reasons might be advanced for this, the 

 chief, perhaps, being that the cost of tree ornaments in the olden 

 days was too great to admit of a lavish use of them, and a big tree 

 scantily adorned was, in consequence, hardly a thing of joy. In 

 these days large trees are available because of their cheapness, and 

 also because the question of trimming is solved by the abundant 

 supply of ornaments available, at ridiculously low cost. 



4 There is, however, a tendency in many homes to return to the 

 tree of small stature, for economic reasons of a different na- 

 ture. The vast number of suburban dwellings, each with its plot 

 of ground laid out as a garden of some kind, furnishes one sub- 

 stantial reason for the change, and it is surely only a matter of 

 a little time before "living" Christmas 

 trees will be quite popular. The sub- 

 urbanite, as a rule, takes a pride in 

 his home grounds, and spends as much 

 as he can afford to beautify them. He 

 looks askance at a beautiful Christmas 

 tree, shorn of its roots and part of 

 its stem, for which he must pay a dol- 

 lar or more, and which later must be 

 consigned to flames. A sheer waste, 

 he claims. Why not have smaller 

 trees, and after use plant them out in 

 the border or lawn? 



A tree to be utilized for this double 

 purpose must be absolutely hardy, 

 and able to withstand for two or three 

 years the treatment it is accorded. 

 Happily, we have conifers which are 

 admirably adapted to the purpose, 

 outside of the common Christmas 

 tree (Abies balsamea), which is indeed 

 the least desirable. Several of the 

 Spruces make beautiful subjects, but 

 in order to get the trees of the perfectly 

 symmetrical form necessary for a 

 tubbed specimen, seedling stock should 

 be secured. 



Oriental 



This Norway spruce is in a tub and has already served 

 twice as a Christmas tree. The bottom of tub was 

 knocked out the last time 



§ Among the 

 kinds readily 

 available for the two 

 purposes are, The 

 Norway spruce 

 (Picea excelsa), 

 hardy practically 

 everywhere, is a 

 good choice, being 

 exceedingly cheap 

 and able to stand 

 hard usage. It is, 

 however, of rather 

 rapid growth, which 

 makes its early rel- 

 egation to perma- 

 nent quarters a mat- 

 ter of necessity. 



Englem a nn ' s 

 Spruce (Picea En- 

 glemannii), is a 

 handsome tree, 

 especially in small 

 sizes, with bluish 



green foliage on the 

 newer growths. A 

 native of the Rocky 

 Mountains, its 

 hardiness is unques- 

 tioned. 



The Oriental 

 Spruce (Picea orien- 

 talis), has very dark 

 glossy green foliage. 

 Planted out, it keeps 

 dense and handsome 

 until old age is 

 reached. Its home 

 is in Western Asia 

 and it is quite hardy 

 anywhere that con- 

 ifers will grow at all. 



This white spruce was used indoors last Christmas 

 and then planted out in the border 



A tree of a light, frosty appearance 

 is the White Spruce (Picea alba or 

 canadensis) found native from Labrador 

 south, to New York. It is both hardy 

 and cheap, and makes a handsome 

 Christmas tree with its light bluish 

 green foliage, and a very desirable bor- 

 der subject to plant with darker ever- 

 greens. 



The Colorado Spruce (Picea pun- 

 gens), another native of the Rocky 

 Mountains, is a good, medium priced 

 subject. Its foliage is a glaucous green 

 in color, the needles very rigid and 

 sharp pointed. Its branches are very 

 regular and form in distinct whorls, 

 diminishing in size toward the top. 

 The blue colored varieties of this tree 

 are well known, they are a little more 

 expensive, but as decorative plants are 

 well worth the difference. The foliage 

 is silvery blue in color and quite dense, 

 much admired in a lawn specimen. 

 The bluest of these blue forms is known 

 as Koster's Blue Spruce, and is quite 

 high priced. The true form being pro- 

 pagated only by grafting from the origi- 

 nal stock. Great variety exists how- 

 ever in color and occasionally a seedling 

 form will be found closely approximating the imported kind. 



The Douglas Spruce (Pseudotsuga Douglasii), with its varieties 

 glauca and glauca elegans, steel blue, and brighter, are good sub- 

 jects, especially when their permanent quarters are reached, indeed 

 this is one of the most generally needful and reliable of the conifers 

 for all round purposes. 



A tree to stand the dual use here suggested must, of necessity, 

 be strong, well rooted stock, possessed of a good ball of fibrous 

 roots obtained through transplanting and careful root pruning. 

 Anv reliable nurseryman will have such stock. It is well to 

 order in advance of the time for use indoors, in order that the tree 

 may have a chance to get well established in the tub. When 

 planting out, the tree may remain in the tub for a year, or until the 

 root ball becomes too big. Some knock out the bottom of the tub. 

 Any unsightliness in the tub is easily concealed when it is brought in 

 another year by moss or fern leaves. Of course, a tree planted out in 

 a tub requires more attention during the summer than one not so 

 cramped and frequent watering is very necessary to its welfare. 



»l When trees of small size are used, it is possible to provide a 

 ^ tree for each member of a family, from baby to grandpa and 

 in sizes proportionate to age; and these trees, when growing along 

 •outside, become pets, as it were, particularly the baby's tree, which 

 perhaps may receive too much attention from its owner. 













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spruce in tub. Quite available for indoor purposes 

 and subsequent planting out 



