372 THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



to cease very soon to be fine. Lead is the best material for such foun- 

 ts in sculpture in our damp-laden atmosphere, as it discolours more 

 becomingly than stone or marble. This tendency to discolour in 

 blotches and afford a foothold for mosses and lichens, though a 

 blemish on statues, is an added charm to the necessary basins and 

 copings which should confine the waters of our fountain. A fountain 

 is a work of art and as such should always be placed in the more 

 formal portions of the grounds. The feathery spray of a jet is always 

 a beautiful thing but can be ill-placed — as for instance, in the centre 

 of a large and informal " piece of ornamental water." 



Vine-shaded bower. 



The fountain in the Temple is one of the most charming examples 

 of the single jet, rising from the centre of a circular basin and falling 

 back with a melodious splash. It has lost some of its charm since 

 it was surrounded by a clinker-built rockery in which nothing will 

 grow. This sort of fountain should be set in a grass plot, and a few 

 moisture-loving plants allowed to break the severity of its outline. I 

 remember one such, only about 5 feet in diameter, in a lawn near 

 London ; a simple brick and concrete basin with a jet in the centre, 

 which threw its spray up to the overhanging boughs of a stately 

 elm, and nourished one of the most splendid clumps of Osmunda 

 regalis I ever saw ; Flowering Rush too throve in its friendly 



