214 Trees for Shade and Ornament 
and high towering, variously-shaped crown in later life; and 
in the picturesque and rugged beauty of the old and time- 
worn trees. Although they lack the interesting seasonal 
changes of the deciduous trees, the persistence of their foliage 
makes them especially effective for enlivening winter scenery, 
and for shelter. Special care is, however, necessary in the 
proper use and location of this family. 
On account of their shape, mode of growth, and relative 
inability to repair damage, they are not ft for street trees; 
but broad avenues with wide parking may be made attrac- 
tive by widely spaced spruces or firs (not in rows!). Their 
best use is in single specimens, or in small groups, to accen- 
tuate an elevation, or a boundary; or in masses for distant 
backgrounds, where they enliven the sky-line; or, in mixture 
with deciduous trees, in the woodland portion of the parks, 
when small groups fading out into a few scattered ones 
should be used; also in single specimens on a lawn, but not 
too frequently; finally, for the botanical interest in a “pine- 
tum.” Asa rule, they fit better into country places than 
into city parks, especially small ones, where they should be 
used sparingly and with great circumspection, since they are 
apt to suffer and become unsightly, especially during the 
transition period from youth to old age. Most of them 
being somber, they should not be placed near houses, but 
rather at a distance against a livelier background, using 
those with the most vivid shades of green grouped with the 
deciduous dark shades behind, or the dark shades massed, 
with bright-berried and bright-foliaged trees and shrubs 
in front. 
Generally speaking, conifers prefer light sandy well- 
drained soils and, with a few exceptions, they are unsuit- 
able for limestone soil. Their form especially depends on 
depth of soil. Pines belong preferably in well-drained sandy 
