The American Red Spruce has a half drooping habit, especially of its young branches, and its whole form while rising to a cone is decidedly picturesque. As a tree to aid in creating a romantic effect on a rocky point, or to associate with the flowing ease and mellowness of water scenery, it is well suited; and so also from its limited size and irregular drooping yet airy form, counterbalanced by its dark and almost gloomy foliage, is it well adapted for planting in cemeteries.

The Norway Spruce. . Abies excelsa.- The Norway Spruce is now the popular evergreen tree for all planting. Unfortunately, it is used without regard to appropriateness of position or space, and hence, while beautiful in itself when allowed room for development, it frequently has to be so mutilated, in order to keep it within the limit which can be granted, that it is no more a Norway Spruce, or tree of beauty. Of the thousands sold and planted, few, comparatively, ever exhibit the character of grandeur and graceful beauty that belongs to the true Norway. Among the millions in nurseries, all grown from seed, a large number have no characteristics to ever make them trees of grandeur, while yet they may be trees of beauty. The planter in selecting should look for plants with long, pendent shoots, rather than stiff, erect, or horizontal ones, as it is only the former that will make trees of the greatest beauty. For masses or groups, this swaying, drooping, picturesquely-graceful habit is of less consequence than when the tree is to stand by itself and for hedge or belt screen growing, to which the Norway is well adapted, the close, stiff, erect-growing plants are probably the best.

The Norway bears the shears with impunity, but, except for hedges, or perhaps the shortening of an occasional irregularly extending branch, we consider the use of shears as a practice in clipping the trees as erroneous, and creating only a stiff bank or cone of green where there should be flowing lines and light and shade, varying with every breeze.

Pig. 63. - The Norway Spruce.

The Norway does the best in a light, rich loam, but will grow freely in any soil not wet. In positions where it develops itself folly as a single tree, or for grouping or massing, it is one of the very finest; but the planter who can give to it only an area of ten to fifteen feet diameter should substitute the American White Spruce in its place. As we have said, there are in the seed rows of growers many varieties, some of which are occasionally selected out and specifically named, and the experienced amateur or professional man can select from them trees to make a great diversity of form, habit of growth, and shade of foliage, by which he will add to the beauty of a park or small private grounds, and yet have all Norway Spruces.