DUNDEE NURSERY. 
21 
Massachusetts last winter, far off on a hill we saw T a row of evergreens. There^ 
said I, is a tree from the Rockies, which proved to be true. As the name in¬ 
dicates, it is even colored, the same the year around. But you say: What a 
marvelous beauty this has—-ermine and emerald blended. Such a sheen! A 
tree dressed in glory! What is it? It is a robe of matchless beauty the great 
horticulturist has given these Conifers, making them the most attractive of 
anything on earth. They are held in reserve for these later days, when nature 
and art unite to make home, lawn and landscape so attractive to the eye of 
taste. Note the contrast of this rare color with the deep green of the pines. 
There are one or two of these on the princely estate of Mr. Hunnewell at Wel- 
lesly. They are true to their nature—some trees put on wonderous beauty 
w 7 hile young, but these retain their attractiveness down to old age, and wear 
their brightness, as a Christian does his joy, to the very last. 
"But in order to see these trees in all their glory, you should see them 
"while bearing their cones. Here is a grove of them. All are dressed in their 
marvelous attire of silver and green. On one tree the blossoms are of a deep, 
rich purple. What a contrast to the other hues! But this other tree has 
blossoms and cones of the brighest green—another contrast. The cones grow 
erect at the top of the tree. They are perfect in form and about the size of an 
ear of sweet corn. As they mature in their perfect symmetry, these colors 
seem to deepen, and then from the cone that clear gum exudes; the sun shines,, 
and it sparkles like crystals. Take this grove then, with the sun shining 
brightly upon it, v T ith its green and silver, its purple and crystal, and it seems 
almost too beautiful for earth. From the small plantings of this tree in the 
east one has no conception of its coming symmetry and grace, its beauty of 
mingled tints; and yet at the east I note that these trees do as well as in th’eir 
own habitat, and you will soon have these mountain treasures there, that will 
hold the stranger spellbound by their unique beauty. I have tried selecting 
seeds from the rarest specimens, and find that among the thousands now com¬ 
ing up, most of them fairly sparkle with silver.” 
DOUGLAS SPRUCE.—Seudotsuga Douglassi. 
This is emphatically the tree for the million. While on a visit to the east¬ 
ern nurseries, I noted in almost every instance that it was the most rapid grow¬ 
er of all the conifers. Sometimes the complaint is made that it grows too fast, 
and is not compact enough for the lawn tree, yet on my grounds they seem to 
have the perfection of form. The foliage is soft and somewhat resembles the 
Hemlock, hence the name (resembling the Hemlock). In the mountains it is 
a grand tree. It reaches from the Rockies to the Pacific slope, and our Chief 
of Forestry, B. E. Feanow, tells us that he never on earth saw such a burden 
of lumber to the acre as that produced by this tree in the west. We are of the 
mind that the seeds from the Conifers gathered on the Pacific Slope are ten¬ 
der, while those gathered in Colorado produce hardy trees, which endure both 
drought and cold. 
The lumber of this tree is very strong, and is invaluable for timber, joists 
and scantlings, and makes good lumber for finishing, though like the Hemlock, 
it is easily split. In color it is like the Red Wood of the Pacific Coast. * 
I want to call your attention to one feature of this tree. In the deep 
gorges and on the north side of the mountains, as you reach the high altitudes 
you will find them of the deep blue type—literally sparkling with silver. Seen 
at a distance they are often taken for Pungens. These trees should be sought 
out and cultivated, for in addition to their rich coloring, they have more 
flexible grace than the rigid Pungens. 
