THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
327 
EVERGREEN CONIFERS. 
By Samuel C. Moon. Pennsylvania 
The aim of this paper shall be to encourage a more general 
planting of evergreens about rural and suburban homes and 
an enlargement of the number of species used for this pur¬ 
pose. I have no new varieties to exploit and no new dis¬ 
coveries to advance but simply wish to reiterate and empha¬ 
size the statement that the rural homes of our country need 
more evergreen trees about them. 
The proof of this statement must be conspicuously evi¬ 
dent to observing persons who travel about. A farm house 
or country home without a touch of greenness about its 
surroundings in winter, lacks an important element of rural 
beauty. Another very important need for evergreens, par¬ 
ticularly on the exposed quarter of a country home, is the 
protection which they afford as wind-breaks. The economy 
and comfort which such a barrier affords is not sufficiently 
appreciated. Fifty years ago the conifers that were planted 
about farmers’homes were limited to about ten species, viz.: 
Austrian, Scotch, and White pines, Norway and Hemlock 
spruces, Balsam fir, American and Siberian Arborvitaes, 
larch and deciduous cypress. These were good and useful, 
Kinds Recommended 
Among the conifers to be recommended for ordinarv 
planting I would include at least 50 species. These recom¬ 
mendations are based upon experiences and observations 
met with in south-eastern Pennsylvania and will no doubt 
differ somewhat from the results observed by those of larger 
experience. Long acquaintance with some of these species 
may cause a modification of opinion regarding them, but, as 
I know them, at present they are all giving satisfactory 
results in suitable locations. 
Abies concolor, or White fir, of the Pacific slope, is one of 
the newer conifers conspicuous by its long, light colored 
foliage and the light or yellowish bark on the young branches. 
It forms an elegant specimen and appears to be well adapted 
for general cultivation. It is rapidly increasing in popu¬ 
larity and is being planted as rapidly as good plants can be 
produced. Seedling plants vary considerably in sha'de of 
color; those with a bluish tint being especially valued al¬ 
though all shades of them are attractive and desirable. 
Abies Nordmanniana or Nordman’s fir. is one of the most 
Southern Nurserymen enjoying the Barbecued Dinner served by the Chase Nursery Co. 
and in the vicinity of ornamental nurseries they were planted 
more or less extensively, but there is a large field for mission¬ 
ary service on the part of nurserymen w r ho employ traveling 
salesmen in exerting themselves to push the sale of such 
trees and benefit mankind and our country thereby. I am 
not now arguing for the improvement of the lawns and large 
estates of wealthy land owners. Landscape designers and 
engineers take care of these and are probably doing their 
work fairly well. But the multitude of country home own¬ 
ers who are neither very wealthy nor very poor, Who do not 
consult landscape gardeners and who have not had their 
attention called to some of their own needs nor learned to 
appreciate them, require the sympathy, encouragement and 
assistance of the nurserymen. Every nurseryman who 
raises ornamental trees for sale, should have himself or else 
have in his employ one who has some knowledge about the 
simple arrangement and planting of home grounds and it 
should be his duty and his pleasure to freely assist his 
neighbors and patrons with suggestions in such lines, as 
occasion is presented. 
difficult plants to manage while young, and when well 
grown, one of the finest conifers. I am unable to explain 
why the terminal buds are so liable to injury or why it is so 
difficult to develop a new leader when necessary but these 
peculiarities and its impatience about being transplanted 
render it an uncertain subject, requiring especially careful 
treatment at all times; but the magnificence of well grown 
plants justifies an extra amount of care, labor and risk 
being bestowed upon it. Its persistent tendency to send 
down deep tap roots renders frequent transplanting neces¬ 
sary and unless they are moved every two or three years, 
plants are of little value when transplanted. Severe prun¬ 
ing of side branches is recommended but never of the 
terminal shoot. It is to be regretted that in some localities 
its foliage is occasionally browned by winter but in the 
vicinity of Philadelphia, in favorable situations, it is one of 
the choicest ornaments of a lawn. 
Abies balsamea, our common Balsam fir, Abies ferzeri , 
the Carolina Balsam fir, Abies Veitchii, a Japanese species; 
Abies Siberiea, better known as Abies pichta: Abies t ilicica 
