_— —_. | 
1900 SUPPLEMENT—RECENT INTRODUCTIONS, &c. 475 
Landscape Gardening—continued. 
drained. Drains may be placed in the middle or on 
either side. Drives and walks must have gully—holes, 
with gratings, in sufficient number, according to the 
gradient of the ground. ‘The outlet pipes of the gully- 
holes must be 6in. above the bottom to allow spaces for 
the deposit of gravel displaced by rains. 
Turfed walks are more economical, but they must be 
kept clean by mowing them and trimming their edges 
frequently. 
The centre of an alley must never be of a higher 
leyel than that of the verges. From the lawn bordering 
an alley one should step down to the alley. The less 
apparent the walks and alleys are, the better is the 
general aspect of the garden. Both verges must be kept 
at the same leyel at the start, even if the ground is 
rising on one side and falling on the other. 
There are numerous forms of verges, 
ee 
which yary 
Fic. 509. SECTIONS OF ALLEYS, SHOWING RESPECTIVELY BAD 
AND GOOD DISPOSITIONS OF VERGES. 
according to circumstances. 
of good and defective dispositions of verges are 
shown. In Section A they are flat, as is very often 
seen; while A’ represents a better disposition, the walk 
being sunk a little, and the edges of the verges rounded. 
Sometimes the edges are seen (as in Section B) to be 
ent straight out as in a@ b, before joining the level of the 
lawn in 6 b. The lines a’ a’ of B’ are more deeply sunk, 
and of a better aspect. They may also be disposed as 
in ¢ ¢, putting the alley more in view. In Section C 
the ground is falling according to the line a b, and the 
broken line d e must not be imitated, while the section 
on a’ b’ in Section C’ could be replaced with advantage 
by d’ e’. When the ground is boggy, the alley must not 
rise abruptly over the level of the ground (as in ¢ d in 
D); it must be kept above the average surface (a’ b’ in 
D’) which is flooded, and be supported by the verges, 
é d’, which gradually join the level of the general _ 
surface. 
When the fall of the ground is too rapid, it may be 
interrupted now and again by steps of either wood or 
stone, between which the slope will be gentler. Stone 
steps must have a rustic appearance, so as to appear 
as if naturally found on the spot. They must not be 
higher than 4in. or 5in. each, and must also be wide 
enough to allow of taking several steps on each before 
getting on the next. Wooden steps are made with 
long branches either left whole or split in the middle; 
they are then fastened by stout pegs, inserted on the 
outside, or nailed against the latter when the pegs are 
inside. Their disposition must be the same as that of 
stone steps. 
In Fig. 509 a few sections 
Goop. 
Landscape Gardening—continued. 
Prantine. Plants are the fundamental ornament of 
nature, and therefore of the garden; and it is on their 
association that the charm of the Landscape mostly 
depends. Planting is, therefore, of paramount import- 
ance in Landseape Gardening. In the creation of a 
garden the formation of the ground may not be well 
harmonised—the waters may look artificial, the rocks 
may not be well disposed; but all these defects may be 
amended by a cleverly-arranged plantation. Failure in 
making a good choice of plants, or in grouping them 
well, is an iyreparable mistake. Each tree has its 
particular aspect and charm when well developed, though 
its wsthetic qualities may be differently appreciated. On 
the Continent one is accustomed to see trees with large 
erowns supported by naked trunks forming the woods, 
and they are appreciated there as much as those splendid 
isolated specimens which have been able to grow freely, 
and whose branches touch the ground. In 
England a tree is really only appreciated 
when its trunk is densely covered with 
branches. In the United States, inspired 
by the same taste, a tree is not allowed 
to haye its crown supported by a nude 
trunk, and gardeners there go so far as 
to top the heads of big trees. All opera- 
tions, however, which tend to modify the 
natural form and beauty of a tree ought 
C to be condemned. To cut isolated trees 
into any shape whatever is bad taste. Such 
proceedings may be tolerated when dealing 
with a mass; for instance, in the form of 
a straight avenue, an arbour, or a hedge, 
the lines of which are in harmony with the 
style of the garden. Without any con- 
sideration of species and stature, the 
beauty of a tree lies in the elegance and 
lightness of its general aspect. A tree with 
compact and regular foliage, its apparent 
surface not being broken by the projection 
of a few branches, is not of agreeable 
appearance. The white Horse-chestnnt is in 
this condition in its early stage, but it 
improves in appearance as it grows, and 
the branches of a fully-developed tree often 
droop to the ground. How inferior beyond 
any comparison is the glow of light falling 
on an unbroken mass of leaves compared 
with that falling on the noble outlines of an 
Oak or a Beech! What a variety of grada- 
tion of lights and shadows are produced by 
their prominent branches and deep recesses | 
Trees must not only be judged for their particular 
qualities as isolated specimens, but also for their effects 
when associated with other species; their position in the 
Landscape has to be studied. The variety in grouping is 
infinite, but it has been found that the best effects in 
nature are obtained when compact masses of trees cover 
the top of a hill, which they thus make to appear higher. 
The summits may be crowned by forests of Conifers. 
Below these should come trees in groups, then isolated 
specimens, and lastly, mere bushes, which, as it were, 
break away from the masses on the hill-side to unite 
themselves with the vales. 
Great variety of form and of colour, of light and of 
shadow, is brought into play. In the meadows groups 
of big trees should rise here and there. In order that 
big trees may produce a harmonious effect, they must be 
grouped with their natural associates in a Landscape, 
and the introduction of exotic species, though they may 
be hardy and of good appearance, must be avoided. A 
large bush of dark green, growing at the foot of a slender 
tree with foliage of a light hue, produces a_ happy 
contrast. A group of two trees produces a good effect 
only when one differs from the other in a yery marked 
manner. Groups of three trees are often met with in 
nature, but they are never of the same kind, or at 
least of the same strength. It is by their difference of 
size, and by the variety of their foliage, that they attract 
notice. An equilateral triangle presents a too regular 
aspect. A scalene triangle will be a better disposition 
for a group, and its appearance will be_ enhanced (if 
the triangle is large enongh) by planting a fourth 
specimen in the middle, especially if the different 
