340 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



elegant traceries to much more purpose when contrasted against 

 heavy masses placed beyond thera. As the season of planting is near 

 at hand, we purpose to name a few subjects adapted to light up gar- 

 den scenes, and lend a peculiar beauty and interest to the lawns ; 

 and we are the more concerned to call attention to these because we 

 see many examples of the misuse of the more sombre materials, the 

 result being frequently an apparent contraction of the space allotted 

 for the pleasure grounds, and a monotony arising from the compara- 

 tive sameness of the forms and colours. 



It is of course impossible in any general remarks on such a 

 subject to indicate precisely the best modes of using any particular 

 tree, still there are certain principles of general applicability, and one 

 of these requires that there shall be perfect congruity between an 

 object and the associations that belong to the spot it occupies. Thus 

 one of the most elegant of la^n trees is the American weeping willow, 

 which by its very name and character may always be much more 

 appropriately placed near water than on a high dry bank or archi- 

 tectural terrace. Its very appearance reminds the spectator of water, 

 and at first sight of the tree he may reasonably look around him to 

 discover if he has come unawares to the border of a lake, or the 

 neighbourhood of a fountain. But given the proper accessories, and 

 there is no tree in our gardens that can surpass in grace and liveli- 

 ness of character the Salix Americana penduJa, and in the form of a 

 standard it is the most suitable tree that can be chosen for a fountain, 

 as the Kilmarnock weeping willow, S. cap-ea ijeyuhda, is equally at 

 home on the margin of a lake or stream. Leaving the aquatic scenes, 

 and considering what may be called the every-day wants of amateur 

 gardeners, we shall here recommend a few of the most elegant weep- 

 ing trees suitable for conspicuous positions on lawns, at angles of 

 intersecting walks, and to mingle with the less formal scenery of the 

 " banks andbraes " in gardens. There are several beautiful pendulous 

 varieties of elm, of which, perhaps, the most elegant is the Scampston 

 weeping elm, JJlmus montana pendida nova, a great improvement on 

 the better known and much admired T7. montana pendula. Of this 

 Scampston elm there is a variety with variegated leaves, which has a 

 remarkably elegant appearance when placed in a good position on a 

 broad sweep of lawn. For the fronts of shrubberies, and to beautify 

 a slope or half wild position, the small-growing Tllmus viminalis, 

 and its variegated form, are admirably adapted, and these may be 

 known by their slender twiggy character, and their small leaves, in 

 this respect being distinct from all other elms known. Where a 

 single weeping tree is required to "stand upon its own merits," or it 

 is desirable to X-)lant a pair which shall command attention for dis- 

 tinctness and beauty, Sophora J aponica pendida has no equal. This 

 tree is a native of Japan, and belongs to the Leguminous order, 

 being closely allied to the laburnum. It produces dark green 

 pinnated leaves, and when worked standard high grows somewhat in. 

 the form of an umbrella nearly closed, the long branches hanging 

 down all round the stem in an almost perpendicular direction. If 

 we had room only for one pair of weeping trees on a lawn, we are 

 inclined to think our final choice would fall upon Sophora Japonica 



