Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-04-25
AgrfeaItaral.
About Evergreens.


Almost anything green is charming
in winter. This is especially true of
evergreen trees. After the severe
trosts of autumn have done their
work of dismantling the forests and
hanging all nature from ils velvety
green to a dusky brown, and winter
in all its rigor is upon us then it is
that the evergreens appear most con-
spicuous, standing forth in their beau
ty and glory. In travelling about
the country and noticing the naked
appearance Of many dwellings,, sur
rounded by scarcely tree or shrub
of any kind to relieve their loneli-
ness, we are led to wonder how the
occupants can endure such state of
things, when a few trees of different
kinds would, especially if evergreens,
add so much to the cheerfulness of
the place, by affording delightful
shade in summer, and robbing the
winter months Of much Of their dreari-
ness.
This deficiency of trees and shrub
berry around our farm houses may be
the result of lack of taste in some
instances, and in others, the want of
experience in handling the evergreen.
Some people have the idea that the
spruce of all kinds are very difficult
to transplant, so as to make them
live. This is not the case if the ope-
ration of transplanting is performed
at the right time. If the trees have
been well treated in the nursery, they
may be transplanted at the same time
as deciduous trees but the safest
and best time to transplant ever
greens is late in the spring, wheI the
sap is in circulation, and the tree has
started to grow. If done well at this
time there can scarcely be a failure
1t is, however, more difficult to re-
move spruce from forests, for the rea-
son that not having been previously
transplanted, they consequently have
comparatively few fbrous roots, and
when taken from thicket and set in
open ground, they are more liable to
dry up and die before new roots can
be formed to supply to moisture lost
by every evaporation. Still, this liza
bility should not deter any one from
planting a few evergreens around his
dwelling, even if he finds it necessary
10 go to the 70 rests to procure them.
Notwithstanding the country is great
ly deficient in the matter of tree
planting, yet there is a growing inter-
est in it, and there are many situa-
tions that have been literally changed
to paradise by liberal use of trees
and shrubbery.
There is great variety Of the class
Of trees called evergreens that are
undoubtedly worthy of note, but we
will mention only few well-known
and hardy sorts that will succeed well
everywhere, grow rapidly, and make
beautiful trees, viz, Norway spruce,
Scotch pine, hemlock, white cedar,
halsam fir, and white pine. The six
varieties form a bulk of all the ever
greens planted in this country. Some
Of these are not only beautiful when
grown singly, or forming groups, but
are also beautiful as well as useful
in forming hedges, screens and wind
breakers. For such purposes the
hemlock, aIbor vite and Norway
spruce are the best Hedges made Of
rvergreens are not necessarily expen-
sve. Plants from two to three feet
in height can be purchased from six
to ten dollars a hundred and perhaps
for less in larger quantities and if
set at distance of two or three feet
apart in the row, will in a few years
form a compact hedge that will be
found useful as we'll as ornamental
Hin Wallingord( Conn. Circular