334 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



results satisfactory, not only to good taste, but also to utility. 

 We therefore pass that over, and in the subsequent remarks will 

 advert more to the disposition of varieties in ornamental planta- 

 tions in relation to form. 



We will presume that the outlines of an existing plantation 

 require to be bi-oken, and, to accomplish this, it is necessary to 

 plant a group, or single trees, on the verge of this plantation. 

 In doing this, regard must be had to what the body of the planta- 

 tion is composed of. The introduced group ought to be the same ; 

 by this means harmony and unity are produced, while if trees 

 entirely different were planted, the opposite would be the effect. 

 If, however, in the planting of a protuberance, or group, it is 

 found necessary to make that protuberance more apparent, and 

 show a more decided recess in the outline, one or two distinct 

 trees, not too dissimilar in shape, but possessing greater depth of 

 colour, may be introduced with advantage, without in any way 

 detracting from the harmony. 



In general planting for ornament, it is held by some that mixed 

 plantations furnish the greatest amount of beauty. Now this is 

 a matter that is by no means clear, and cannot in our opinion be 

 held as an arbitrary axiom. On the contrary it is subject to 

 very great objection. By mixing up all varieties in general 

 planting, there is no real variety, as the eye is always seeing the 

 same thing, and, as Repton says, "Variety is destroyed by the 

 excess of variety." But by grouping certain kinds by themselves 

 this is not the case, because the eye passes from one gi^oup to the 

 other, and hence receives, as it were, a fresh impression. We are 

 therefore inclined to think that, as a general rule, the promiscuous 

 mingling of varieties in a plantation is a mistake, and we would 

 under all circumstances prefer the planting of each separate 

 species in groups. These may be large or small as the cii'cum- 

 stances may admit, but done in such a way as to prevent them 

 from palling on our sense of beauty, by conveying an idea of 

 sameness. 



Another point which we would refer to here is, what we 

 would call the associations of trees. Different varieties of trees 

 have attached to them certain attributes by association, either 

 arising from historical connection, peciiliarity to certain soils or 

 localities, or in connection with their generally-applied uses ; and, 

 as the creation of objects of interest is one of the first considera- 

 tions of the landscape gardener or planter, it is well that this 



