Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-15

make their way through 1t to the light and
me smooth, gray trunks rising not too
thickly, bearing aloft the waving, misty
cloud OF green, all allure the tired rambler to
draw near tarry among them awhile and
forgetting his perplexIties and troubles, sim
ply give himself up to rest and quiet, while
they whisper in soft murmurs of that which
lus to calmness and repose. "The groves
were Gods first temples" and worthy
temple, even though dedicated to the wor-
ship of the Highest, is an ancient pine
forest. In that shade and silence mans soul
is called to worship and undevout indeed Is
he who has no consciousness Of reverence and
alteration rising from his heart 10 that of his
Maker, when lie wauders in and out among
the moss-covered trunks and beneath the
majestic shade of such q forest.
The SPRUCE, though IL may be found
growing in swamps and lowlands, yet finds
its true home in the free, fresh air of the
mountain side, and may even cover the sum-
nit, reaching greater elevation than any
other large tree, though the Yellow, and |
especially the White, Birch, press close after
II. II is because of this tree that the Green |
Mountains are green, and it probably covers |
Il much greater area in our State than any |
other tree. Our spruce forests are far more |
extensive and far wilder than those Of Pine,
and thin; II is so ~ most parts of New
England. They are also more silent and
sOmOrc. No one can understand the true
influence OF a forest unless he has wandered
for hours through its long corridors, alone,
or with some trusted and tried friend. Hour
after hour, perhaps day after day, on aud
on through the unending shade, with no
sound TO break the profound stiffness, except
the dull football on the messy path, or the
| cracking of interfering branches, or the marsh
| scream OF the blue jay, or half smothercd
twltter OF sparrow frightened Vt the sound
| OF Ito own voIe-this must be the experience
of one who would hear the voice of the forest
and learn its lesson. think that in the
Spruce forget as In no other docs the feeling
of loneliness helplessnoss and awe take
possession of one, and, yet, it is not dismal,
but very pleasant there. You feel that
something is calling into action that which
is high and noble within you and making it
1 stronge.
The ground Is not smooth and free from
heritage as it so often is in a White Pine
forest, but here there is a richly variegated
carpet OF soft vclvety moses, with here and
there tufts Of plImy ferns. or even
whole plantations ri them, waving their
finely cut f.onds with every breeze which can
reach them, Here and there Jagged mass
OF rock looks out from under its messy
covering stern and grand; on every side
rise the large, smooth, brown columns, and
far above is the dark swaying mass of foil
age, through whose dense shade only now
and then u flash Of sunlight penetrates or a
bit OF TIE blue above Is tisibla. Here YOU
feel as never before the vastness and the
majesty of nature. No day dreams, no light
aud idle fancies here, but real, earnest, deep
thought. No tlnkle of fairy music comes to
your ears, it would be discordant if it did,
but you may think that you catch some
strains of the mighty hymn of alteration
which, since the beginning, all created things
ba C necessarily c..lntcd 20 thei, Creator and
ours. High and noble thoughte and pur.
poses have come 10 you, life 10 more real
and earnest to you because OF your day
in the mountain forest If it Is not so you
have not opened your cars to the voice Of the
J forest, nor nor your heart to Its impressive
| influence.
/, 1t is the Rlacl, spruce o. which have
been writing. There is smaller WHITE
! SPRUCE which is not uncommon in some
| parts of the State.
, The glossy leaves of the HEMrocr make
: il one OF The biightes, OF our everereens, aul
/ one of the handsomest. A Hemlock hedg,
well kept and thrifty is, think, the fines
l to be had, and the large, isolated trees art
, sometimes very noble in appearance ant
/ graceful in form. 1t does not usu.lly co.laa
in great forests, out forms groves and 1t lovel
well to associate with other trees, a!
} beeches, birches and oaks Most Confer,
5 ere rather sQmbrp IN their DART, every day
robes, but u the spring, when they rcsponl
! 10 the Joyous greeting Of the warm sunshiu,
! and the mellow atmosphere they cover thei
| sternncss with tender green. 1t Is at this
G time, when the old leaves and the new, tn,
s dark green and the light, are blended, tina
oil ,Oat ttrn titrn all
r buoyant and smiling they lag aside thei
soberness and smile in accord with thci
' surroundings. The IIcmluck, however i
c never Il gloomy tree but yet its supreme
r hour is in the spring when the long, archin!
= twigs each beais its exquisite tassels, as ii j,
8 very gludness that springtlmc is come. Ne
v there is one sight more delightful than this
/ Ii you can flnd where the Hemlocks ant
c White Birchos are intermingled, you vii
C search long ere you can behold prettie
sight. Certainly our woodland scenery vii
G not afford H. lne!c you nave tue pur
white stems of the Birch and the dark brow
c of the Hemlock, aud the mingled shades o
+. green and the varied forms of leaves an,
: such brightness such delicate blendings, sucl
q elegance aud grace nature docs nut Oft,
i combine in u single picture, and it fills tn
|. eye and the heart and dwells with us througl
4 many long day an ever returning joy, an,
r we are glad for 1t glad that our eyes can Sc
/ such sights and our hearts feel their beauty
# glad that Nature is so beautiful and that W.
n may love her,
Y The LARCH, OF lamara.k, IS c Confer
!, but, an exception to the general rule, no
c evergreen, and it is all the prettier for tina,
c II is often not well grown and more or les
b imperfect, but fine Larch is a superb tree
c shapely and elegant None of our tree
|. celebrate the advent of spring in so soft
c role or mo.e Charming amer-.d hue an
n when the flower clusters develop 1t
!. deckcd with rubies, rich ard fine. Ruby an
}, emerald and then it is glorious, but lh
/. ruby does not stay in very few days tn
G crimson decpens aud finally In the cone
1t becomes purple, less brilliant, but still fine
e The Larch IS much larger and more valua
II BILE tree farther north than 1t is here.
f The WHITE CEDAR, or Arbor Vitae, whic
r. is so commonly 1seu for hedges, thoug
@ growing larger in some other localities no
8 where exhibits inner form o. more compac
r and luxurant foliage. Its rounded, conica
l. outline and light, often yellowish green leave
c and branches readily distinguish 1t from an
# other tree Its little-scae like leaves ar,
n pressed so close to the branches that Their
s seem to he none at all, but there are host
G of thsm, no t.ee has more, end the branche
n may grow so freely that tile tree is enc com
!, pact mass, hardly n twig being ysibl
t through the green covering
i Not unfrequently the Red CEDAR, whicl
r is juniper, grows near the Arbor Vita an,
a each forms a fine background TOR the othe
both as to color and form, the dark, almos
8 black, green of the sharp needles OF the ON
and its stiff. prim outline being very unlik
r the more rounded and easy contur of tn
other. There are two other species o
@ Junipef in the state, common enough il
2 mountainous regions and on dry hillsides
v Neither Is of large growth and ono canno
, raise itself from the ground, but weakly lay
5 its branches upon the surface, forming, how
4 ever, not seldom very pretty rosettes some
!. jumpers are really tleshy cones.
Another tree too weak IN stand alone mn