Trees and Shrubs 



17 



any one can obtain. Here is a proper field for 

 the ladies, who may transfer their embroidery 

 patterns in animated form into their gardens with 

 free play to their innate fine sense of color. 



A FINAL WORD ON AVENUES 



I by no means condemn regularity for ave- 

 nues, though they rarely look well planted in this 

 way until the trees have attained to a ripe old 

 age. But trees so planted are useful for various 

 purposes, such as a border for highways, for 

 avenues to large palaces, etc. Three points, how- 

 ever, must be observed here : first, the avenues 

 should be very wide, avoiding long stretches of 

 straight lines ; second, a double row of trees 

 should be set rather closely together on either 

 side wherever possible, these two rows being sub- 

 sequently again thinned out so as to permit the 

 remaining trees to attain to their normal growth; 

 third, only trees suitable for the purpose should 

 be taken ; that is, trees that are shapely, perma- 

 nent, and that throw a good shade. In our coun- 

 try elms and oaks in sandy soil, lindens, chest- 

 nuts, or maples in richer soil, and acacias in 

 protected positions. Money laid out on the soil 

 in the beginning to prepare it for the finer kinds 

 of trees is well spent, since poplars and birches, 

 which grow anywhere, are ugly in avenues and 

 not so enduring as other trees. Following a sug- 

 gestion which I brought home from Chelten- 

 ham, I am trying on my estate a method which 



