44 GROWING GOLD. 



spot in particular could be named, but with 

 what success the trees grow need not be said. 

 The spruce is also frequently planted with 

 deciduous trees, to form narrow belts, which 

 is nearly as bad as planting the spruce singly. 

 Were planters to calculate what such failures 

 cost them, it would be some sign of amend- 

 ment. It is no uncommon thing to see spruce 

 fir trees set as screens instead of dwarf ever- 

 green shrubs, laurels, &c. in places where 

 they either die or grow rapidly ; if the latter, 

 they soon expose the objects they were set to 

 hide, and when grown higher than the build- 

 ings, &c. they are generally blown down or 

 broken by the wind. Surely nurserymen 

 should have more compassion upon their 

 ignorant customers than to recommend such 

 unsuitable plants to them ; they cannot how- 

 ever be blamed very much, as it is natural 

 for a tradesman to endeavour to sell his goods. 

 And he has, perhaps, a right to assume that 

 his customers ought to consider his recom- 

 mendations as a matter of course, and be able 

 to detect those which have no legitimate 



