328 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



shoiild have the appearance, at any distant point, of forming a 

 principal feature of the park. The objects in this arrangement 

 are various. It gives shelter and the appearance of wai'mth to 

 the mansion, and can be utilised for covering up any necessary 

 outbuildings which may interfere with its appearance ; at the 

 same time, it can be made effective in closing up from the 

 mansion any object not pleasing to the view in its immediate 

 vicinity, such as stables or other buildings necessary to the 

 establishment. From this main body or mass must then diverge 

 all the lesser plantations, strips, or individual trees — in other 

 words, the further distribution of trees in the park, which must, 

 however, in all instances be relative to this initial point. 



In laying out this central body care should be taken to pi-eserve 

 all fai'-stretching views from the mansion, either by vistas through 

 the mass, or by larger openings, such as glades or partially 

 enclosed spaces of grass, in order that fi-om several points at the 

 mansion, or in the private grounds, pleasing views of distant 

 objects may be preserved, as well as views of the farther woods 

 in the park, or beyond its limits. 



In forming the more distant plantations, the shape which they 

 are to take must be settled very much in accordance with the 

 general nature of the gi'ound, as well as their relation to the main 

 body. If the general surface of the ground is level, as in many 

 parks in the midlands of England, straight avenues and individual 

 trees are quite admissible, or even groups to give breadth at 

 certain points ; and an informal mass on any point which will 

 not obstruct a view may be introduced with good effect. The 

 ground being level, the natural consequence is, that any given 

 area looks much less than the same extent would do if it was hilly 

 or rolling, and the introduction of properly distributed individual 

 trees, groups, avenues, or, it may be, larger masses, gives an idea 

 of extent, or lengthens the distance, which is here so much 

 required. 



Should the ground be hilly or rolling, the treatment is differ- 

 ent. Avenues should be avoided as much as possible — in fact, 

 avenues on uneven surfaces are, as a rule, not in good taste, being 

 too formal. The hills or rising ground should be ])lanted in 

 irregular masses, and the lower ground left free from trees, because 

 ])lanting the hills always increases the effect, while planting the 

 valleys, and leaving the hills bare, diminishes the idea of extent. 

 These masses should be so distributed as to permit of views of the 



