VARIETY IN ORNAMENTAL PLANTATIONS. 



473 



had more genuine admirers, perhaps, than 

 any maple that ever grew. Its trunk rises 

 about seven feet before the branches, which 

 are very slim and thrown off. The original 

 top is nearly a semicircle, with branches 

 rather decurrent, top thick. For some six 

 or seven years, the main shoot has arisen 

 above the original head, and formed a 

 beautiful spire over its summit, so that its 

 present form is very prettily illustrated by 



ing breeze ; and in autumn, the time of 

 " the sere and yellow," who will not see 

 beauty there, in that fading foliage, in 

 comparison of which that of our present 

 avenues, composed of single species, is but 

 a pleasing monotony. 



In this age of rural improvement, when 

 parks are springing up by magic around a 

 thousand dwellings, and in places of public 

 resort, when tree-planting in our highways 



a spread umbrella. And who knows but '■ and byways is giving beauty to the public 



that other beech trees, planted out under 

 favorable circumstances, may assume equal- 

 ly fantastic forms. At any rate, they will 

 be beautiful in their expanding youth, and 

 grand trunks, and venerable heads, in 



thoroughfare and the solitary place, is it 

 not reasonable to hope that a reform will 

 present itself — that nature will be followed 

 more, and dull, monotonous art studied less ? 

 Now that the kind influences of spring are 



honorable age. Then there are also our ! again upon us, and nature is again wooing 



hickories, the ash in its varieties, the birch, 

 and, indeed, the different tribes of our syl- 

 van denizens. How beautiful they would 

 all be, interspersed by the tasteful hand of 

 fancy by the wayside, or in groups, flourish- 

 ing in each other's shade, and with shel- 

 tering arms shielding each other from the 

 sunshine and the storm. Then, too, our 

 beautiful evergreens, (we protest against 

 the use of the pruning knife, in their be- 

 half, — get such as have roots and health, 

 to nourish all their branches,) our long 

 neglected, but rich and beautiful he?nlock, 

 the pines in their variety, with the firs, the 

 cedars and spruces, thrown in to give va- 

 riety to the foliage of summer; to act chief 

 mourners in the desolations of autumn, and 

 scatter many a cheerful smile along our 

 pathway, through the rugged storms and 

 cheerless cold of our winters. 



Who would not love to wander through 

 such an avenue in spring, when nature is 

 bursting into life, and witness the varied 

 forms of leaf and flowers, as they expand 

 into perfect being ; to sit beneath their 

 shades in the heat of summer, when in 

 their fullness of verdure they woo the cool- 



us back to her fond embrace, by her resist- 

 less charms ; now that thousands are busy 

 in enriching their grounds wiih her noble 

 offerings, will not ma7iy of all the number- 

 less planters help to carry out this project, 

 of varied tree-planting. 



We are aware that the objection may 

 come up, that the farmer is in a busy sea- 

 son, and that others are engaged in pur- 

 suits that leave but little time for the em- 

 ployment ; therefore, they must put out 

 such trees as are most easily obtained, and 

 will be most likely to succeed. But let us 

 remember that we plant for ages ; that 

 other generations will arise to admire or 

 reprove our taste, and enter upon the reali- 

 ties of our creation, to enjoy the shades, 

 and gaze upon the beauties we have scat- 

 tered around. And in view of this, who 

 will not be stimulated to do well and wisely 

 what he undertakes ? The extra labor of 

 planting a tree well, — what is it, compared 

 with the success attending its performance? 

 Even if a few less are planted this spring, 

 or next autnmn, in consequence of the pains 

 to have it well done, a realization will be 

 found more than sufficient for the toil. 



