Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-04-11

EvERGREESs T0R SHADE.

The winters in this northern latitude are
SO long and gloomy that any device by
which our dwellings and their surround
ings may be rendered more pleasant and
attractive at this season would seem de-
sirable. The maple, the elm, the locust
and the horse chestnut afford fine shade
during summer; the former of these is
one OF the most beautiful and clcanly as
well as the most numerous of our northern
trees, and its adaptation for shade tree is
| very properly appreciated But summer
| does not always last. A few hard frosts
In autumn change the landscape, and
those deciduous trees that but few1 days
before were clothed in their garb Of green
ness and beauty now put on garments of
mourning; their leaves soon begin to drop
and shortly lie crisp under our feet. Cold
northwesters now sing dirges through the
branches, and we instinctively withdraw
from the contemplation and impatiently
wait for the return Of spring and the
opening of the buds.
10 relieve in some degree our dwellings
from the gloom Of winter, let there be
evergreens alternated with deciduous
trees; these are by no means unsightly in
summer; they afford beautiful contrast
and pleasant variety from the usual mo-
notony, and fine retreat for birds to
build their nests and chirp their mathis.
without whose company domestic life
would seem imperfect. The spruce and
balsam are clean, and have compact tops
but the former is to be preferred for the
greater density of its top, its less rapid
upward growth, and its capacity of sup
porting limbs quite near the ground,
which upon the balsam fall off in its rapid
@ oh cE o,.1 %Lo
reached the desired height-say ten to
twenty. five feet--they should be checked
by cutting off the tops and the ends Of the
branches, and made to resemble . cone.
With judiciOus trimming once in two years
the trees will srow more dense in top,
aud what is quite important, will grow no
larger. When the SHOWS pile up and the
winds howl, it is relief to look out and
behold something that has survived the
general desolation.
Evergreens may be transplanted with
out losing one in twenty. In the spring,
soon after the frost is out of the ground,
select trees of the best form, from four to
six feet in height, with limbs near the
ground-thOse in open land are preferred,
the sward will aid in holding the earth
about the roots-and with spade cut
through the sward one and half feet
from the trunk, sevsring such roots as
come in the way. The spade will often
be the tool needed, but sometimes a bar
will be convenient. A few trees send out
one or two large roots; these it will be
safest to avoid, as by cutting them off the
tree would be likely to die, or at best
make slow progress for few years. A
hole should be made large enough to re-
ceive some fertilizer, if the land is in bad
heart, such as leaf mould, or in its absence
few shovelfuls of loan. The tree
should then be carefully put in an upright
position at the same depth as when taken
up, and the hole filled with fine rich soil.
The weight of earth adhering to the roots
will generally render it unnecessary to
stake them up.
l have transplanted the spruce and bal
sam in this manner, and do not remember
Of losing any, though few have been
larger than named above. Try q few Of
these, ye lovers Of civilization and domes-
tic shade, and you will not regret the ex-
penditure Of little labor in this direction
when the earth is mantled in snow, the
streams locked up and the mercury at
zero.-"C," in Vermont Farmer.