In looking over the evergreens in this vicinity, we find Abies Frazerii doing remarkably well; Menzesii, the same; Webbiana and Smithiana, poor, and much out up.

Evergreens #1

Mr. Editor, - Will you allow me a corner of your Editor's Table, on which to lay still another " word " for evergreens, provided the word be short? I feel honored by the notice Mr. Sargent has taken of my essay. He has laid the republic of American planters under great obligations, by his extensive and careful experiments with the newer trees, both deciduous and evergreen; and his opinion on the subject in question deserves the greatest deference. Yet, is it not possible for him to mistake in his judgment of the hardiness of trees in other soils and climates than his own ? All horticulturists know that the distance of a hundred miles north or south, makes a wonderful difference in the hardihood of trees and plants. Not a few choice ornamental trees and shrubs, hardy at Rochester and Newburgh, are hopelessly tender in Oneida County. In the town where I reside, the Isabella grape generally ripens; in a village only nine miles distant, but several hundred feet higher, it never matures. Is it not, therefore, quite possible that some evergreens, " perfectly hardy" at Fishkill Landing, may not be so throughout Central New York, for which region alone I ventured to speak.

A word or two now in detail. Mr. Sargent misapprehends my remarks in reference to Pinus ponderosa. I did not represent it as tender, but simply compared its color and general habits with those of the Austrian pine, and said it bade fair to excel the foreigner, " but had not yet been fully tested." Of its hardiness I could not doubt, a specimen in my own grounds having passed through several winters without the slightest injury.

And so of several other pines. The reader of the first " word" must have seen that due honor was therein paid to Pinna Cembra, P. Laricio and P. Pumilio, though mentioned by their popular, instead of their scientific names. As to Pinus Excelsa, the fact still remains - I grieve to say - that, by the testimony of many witnesses, it is not hardy in this portion of Central New York. The wrecks of several fine specimens may be seen hereabouts, any day.

As to the heresy of making Picea Pichta synonymous with the Cracovian juniper, the printer must bear the responsibility of that. The brackets were not mine.

In "feeding" evergreens, there may, undoubtedly, be mistaken pains. A tree whose vigor is at all questionable, should not be stimulated into a succulent growth. But in the article reviewed by Mr. Sargent, the writer was professedly speaking only of hardy trees. Nor in the case even of these, is it desirable to induce a rank growth: their beauty is seriously impaired thereby. But there is so great a difference on the score of looks, between an evergreen standing in cold, wet, clayey ground, and one thriving in a warm and kindly soil, that I do not, after all, think it was far from wisdom to advise people (the majority of whom are so apt, from sheer laziness, to let their trees "go to grass" to "feed them with generous food, that they may make a vigorous growth, and always wear the bright hues of health".

In conclusion, allow me to say that seldom have I spent a pleasanter day than one passed, a few summers ago, among the evergreens, hardy and tender, at Wodenethe.

Clinton, New York. Respectfully yours, A. D. G.

Evergreens #2

Mr. Barron, the gardener at Elvaston Castle, protects the leading shoots of the most rare and valuable kinds of evergreens which are liable to sustain injury from frosts, by suspending a green bell glass over the leading shoot in autumn, till the plants are well established. This prevents moisture from settling on the top, and maintains a more equal temperature round that part. Mr. Barron puts on the glass thus early, because he is of opinion that much of the injury is done in autumn, for he frequently finds, by cutting transversely through the incipient bud, that it is brown, and sometimes quite dead; hence, these glasses are suspended before the severe autumn frosts occur. No stronger proof of the value of this precautionary measure could be adduced than that trees so protected at Elvaston are never injured, while others left to take their chance are stunted, miserable-looking bushes. If we want good cedars of Lebanon, for instance, in America, this plan should be tried; after the tree is well grown, the necessity ceases, as we have remarked at several places the past season; but we would not confine the experiment, which would not be costly, to any one species of evergreen.

Evergreens #3

An Address, by S. R. Parsons, before the Rural Club of New York, November 19, 1874.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Rural Club:

Some time ago I had occasion to discourse to you upon jewelry and hardware - the precious and the common among trees and plants.

I spoke more particularly of the deciduous, and only glanced at evergreens. I could not approach them, save with reluctant steps, tor we were then gathering up our dead from the worst battle field they had ever known - a battle field where insect combatants were not, but where two powerful conquerors - frost and sun - had slain their victims by thousands.

That battle, however, being over, the recuperative powers of the past two years have restored us much of the old beauty, although we miss still the forms of many friends who were once our pride and joy.

We learn to look upon that disaster as an accident - as an unusual diversion of the forces of nature. A house may be destroyed by lightning, but we do not hesitate to build another. So we go on now, gathering around us all that is beautiful in nature, while art lends its aid in the grouping and coloring.

The jeweller, before setting his diamond, prepares for it the more gross material; so I will endeavor to present to you, by their common names, as far as possible, first those evergreens which are valuable for a ground work, although deficient in the qualities requisite for the best effects when planted singly.

Planting

Assuming that you have a lawn of several acres, the first effort will be to plant its outside lines so thickly as to hide it from the outer world and give it that retiracy which is the charm of a country home.

For immediate effect, the trees used for this purpose should be about ten feet apart, provided the planter has nerve enough to transplant or cut them down when they interfere with each other.

For this purpose, among the best will be found the Norway Spruce.

This tree transplants well, grows rapidly, and when small is one of the most beautiful of trees. Its beauty loses, however, after ten feet; often looks well at twenty; and from twenty to forty feet frequently becomes so rusty, thin and ill-favored that it is worthy only of the axe. Occasionally, however, I have seen a single specimen, or perhaps a whole belt, preserve its thickness and thrifti-ness even to fifty or sixty feet. These are only exceptions; unthriftiness, when large, is the rule.

When small, the young growth is luxuriant and the pendant form of the soft wood gives it a very graceful appearance. The Norway Spruce cannot be dispensed with for any form of planting.

While transplanting easily, under favorable circumstances, its roots arc very impatient of cold winds, and ten minutes exposure of them to such, even if not freezing, are sufficient to kill the tree.

For this ground work the Austrian Pine and the Scotch Fir come next in order by their compactness, rapid growth and patience of pruning where interference occurs. The bright green of the former and the bluish tint of the latter, form a marked contrast. For single specimens, the Austrian Pine will also be entitled to a prominent place.

Next will come the graceful and refined Hemlock, a native of our own forests, and suc ceeding much better when planted among other trees. However fine in its native habitat, it here loses its beauty as it becomes larger. This can be retained, however, by judicious trimming. No tree, not even the Yew or Arbor Vitae, bears the shears better, or is better adapted to the topiary or artificial style.

The White Pine will come next for this ground work, although the wide spread of its branches better adapt it for positions where more room can be given. This is the noblest of all the Pines; rich, feathery and majestic it towers above them all, and the music of its leaves gives a charm possessed by no other tree.

Those I Have named being used for the ground work, the taste of the planter must be relied upon for grouping or planting singly some of those which I will name in the order of their size and merit.