340 
[August, 
AMERICA N AG-R ICXJ RTTJRIST. 
your trees in hard clay, they 
would have been fools to 
grow. We recommend trench¬ 
ing in certain cases, hut do 
not approve, as a general 
rule, of bringing the poor soil 
to the top. Better throw away 
the poor soil, and fill all the 
hole with good surface soil. 
In a soil like yours, we should 
advise to subsoil the whole 
ground , and then to set the 
trees in the surface soil, ma¬ 
nuring the whole at the same 
time. Deep holes well filled 
are good, hut the holes should 
never be deeper than the soil 
is naturally freed from water, 
or is made so by draining.] 
“3. Wishing to start an 
Osage Orange hedge, I sent to 
a Western city for seed. Part 
of it I exposed to the action 
of frost, by mixing it in a box 
of damp sand. More than 
half of it came up and did 
well. The other part I pre¬ 
pared for planting by scald¬ 
ing it. Then, my ground not 
being ready, I deferred sow¬ 
ing for forty eight hours; but 
not fifty seeds ever sprouted. 
What was the matter ?” 
[Reply. Perhaps the seed 
was worthless—much of that 
from the extreme West is un¬ 
sound. But if ever so good, 
the severe scalding and par¬ 
ticularly the two days’ keep¬ 
ing after scalding, would be 
quite likely to entirely de¬ 
stroy its germinating power.] 
A.O.MQORE-DEL 
Model Trees, with Illustrations. 
There is as much difference in trees as in 
men. Some persons seem to think that a tree is 
a tree, and that is the end of it. If they want a 
certain number of shade-trees set out in their 
premises, or by the roadside, and can hire the 
job done, it satisfies them to know that the 
specified number are planted, the character of 
Fig. 2—A W ELL BALANCED EVERGREEN. 
the trees being a matter of little or no conse¬ 
quence. We often see persons who can not tell 
European Linden—a model form. 
a pine from a fir; and still oftener, those who 
can not distinguish between the various sorts of 
pines, spruces, arbor-vitse, elms, maples, etc. 
But the point we now have chiefly in mind, 
is, that there is a very great difference be¬ 
tween specimens of the same kind of tree. 
Every rock maple is not like every other rock 
maple; every Norway spruce is not like every 
other Norway spruce. Of every kind of tree, 
there are good, bad and indifferent specimens. 
Compare a white elm growing in a cold, swampy 
groimd, with one standing in a warm, rich 
loam. Compare one growing on a bleak hill¬ 
top, battered by the winds of fifty winters, its 
top one-sided, its limbs twisted, gnarled, and 
stunted, and its trunk covered with mosses— 
compare such an elm with one which has stood 
for half a century in a sheltered vale or rich 
plain, where its massive trunk braced below with 
buttresses, towers aloft, throwing high and wide 
its branches symmetrically on every side, and 
holding up a leafy dome in which majesty and 
grace are equally combined. Or take a magno¬ 
lia, or tulip-tree, or chestnut, with unhealthy fo¬ 
liage, or unbalanced limbs, or with the branches 
trimmed up like a liberty-pole, and compare it 
with one of the same name, but of better form, 
such as Mr. Downing loved to look upon and 
to describe, as “ stretching its boughs upward 
freely to the sky, and outward to the breeze, and 
even downward toward the earth—almost 
touching it with their graceful sweep, till only a 
glimpse of the fine trunk is had at its spreading 
base, and the whole top is one great globe of 
floating, waving, drooping, or sturdy luxuriance, 
giving one as perfect an idea of symmetry and 
proportion, as can be found 
short of the Grecian Apollo 
itself.” We give herewith, 
(fig. 1,) a model-tree of its 
kind, the European Linden. 
The difference in trees of 
which we now speak, is per¬ 
haps more marked among 
evergreens than deciduous 
trees, because their beauty de¬ 
pends so largely upon the 
symmetry and entireness of 
their branches from the 
ground to their apex. If the 
lower limbs are weak, or bro¬ 
ken, or unequally developed, 
or if there are unnatural gaps 
here and there in the outline, 
(fig. 3,) the tree will be almost 
worthless as an ornamental 
object. ■ It might answer for 
the forest, but not for a lawn. 
A lawn tree , especially of the 
coniferous tribes, should be 
well developed and complete 
from the top to the very 
ground. Such a tree implies 
—what a fine lawn implies— 
seclusion, refinement, taste, 
protection from rude hands, 
and from ranging cattle. In 
illustration of what we mean 
in a single case, take figure 2 
as a model Norway spruce. 
And among smaller trees suit¬ 
able for the lawn, take figure 
4, which may be called a 
sped ion of a model juniper. 
A park tree should have its 
lower limbs cutoff; for here 
it is understood that cattle, 
deer, or sheep, range, who would browse off the 
branches. Yet the upper portions of every such 
tree, deciduous or evergreen, should be well- 
balanced, and the trunk and foliage healthy; 
for a park is a pleasure-ground, and the trees 
are supposed to be selected and planted with as- 
J.TRENTS C 
Fig. 3—A Badly Trained Tree. 
eye to ornamental effect. A road-side tree should 
lie ol the same general, character as the park- 
