46 
Isaac Hicks & Son, Westbury Station, N. Y.—Ebergreens 
White Spruce in the park of Mr. H. McK. Twombly, Madison, N. J. They screen the house from the entrance drive 
until a good point of view is reached. They also help stop the noise and smoke from the railroad. No evergreen surpasses 
the White Spruce in beauty, utility and health in that 1 ,000 acre park and arboretum. 
White Spruce, continued] 
The White Spruce is liable to suffer from the bad 
reputation of its relative, especially from those 
people who are not sufficiently alert to see the good 
things and learn the points of difference. One reason 
that people have not become acquainted with the 
merits of the White Spruce is because so very few 
of them have been planted in years past. Naturally, 
the European nurserymen do not grow many of 
them because their own species fit their conditions 
better and grow more rapidly. American nursery- 
men have not grown them because of the difficulty 
of starting them from seed. We do not know of any 
nurserymen in the eastern part of the United States 
White Spruce on the lawn of Mrs. John H. Cheever, next the 
ocean, Far Rockaway, L. I. It is on poor gravelly soil. The fiercest 
gales and salt spray only serve to make the foliage thicker. 
who have grown evergreens in large quantities from 
seed. One large Long Island nursery which, years ago, 
made a specialty of evergreens, gave up growing 
them from seed because of the difficulties in the 
first month. Our own first attempt largely failed. 
By scientific experiment to determine the proper 
temperature of the soil and degree of moisture and 
light, we got them past their infantile troubles. 
After they are a month old and have begun to form 
woody fiber in the stem and make the second whorl 
of leaves, they are easy to grow. 
Therefore, buy these little plants and plant them 
in beds. An economical way is to plow and harrow 
the ground smooth. Mark it off into squares of 
about 8 inches by a marker made like a big 
rake. Plant them with a dibber in the same 
manner as cabbage. Pack the ground firmly 
around the roots. Watering is not necessary 
if the ground is moist. Cultivate with a wheel 
hoe. In November mulch with 5 inches of 
leaves. Throw on a half-inch of soil to keep 
the leaves from blowing away. In spring, un- 
cover, but let the mulch remain between the 
plants. Very few weeds will appear, the 
mulch being cheaper than cultivation. In 
two or three years the plants will be i}4. to 
2}4 feet high or more, and can be planted 
out in their permanent positions and will 
need no cultivation, being strong enough to 
overcome the grass, weeds and bushes. This 
is easy, cheap and sure. Will you do it? 
The amount of capital needed has been the 
principal reason for not making large plan- 
tations of evergreens. The above is one way 
to overcome that objection. Many people 
buy land and do little or nothing to develop 
it for several years, when trees might be grow- 
ing this way. The land, rain and sunshine cost 
them practically nothing. A nurseryman has 
to charge for the use of his land. It is lack of 
knowledge, decision and foresight that pre- 
vents getting the most out of the investment. 
It is the wealthiest people who buy the small- 
est trees. They have the most foresight. 
Another way is to plant the little Pines or 
Spruces 3 inches to 1 foot high in the grass 
and briers, and let them alone. They will 
come along all right. 
