9© The Landscape Gardening Book 



mer, and the prevailing south and west breezes will, either of 

 them, strike two sides of the building. 



It is very easy and always very wise to work out shade out-of- 

 doors on the ground, using rather long stakes. Where there is not 

 much space this is particularly advantageous; the direction of 

 the stake's shadow will of course be the direction of the tree's 

 shadow. Very exact locating of a tree is sometimes necessary 

 to get shade just where it is wanted. 



Always bear in mind that the promotion of individual growth 

 is not the most desirable thing to foster in tree planting. Sym- 

 metrical specimen trees are interesting, impressive and sometimes 

 very beautiful as specimens, it is true, but the effect of many 

 solitary, evenly branched individuals, even though irregularly 

 placed, is never equal to masses planted so closely that their 

 branches intermingle and crowd. Remember too, that though 

 it may make no great difference when viewed from a distance, 

 it always assures more charm in a plantation to set two trees of 

 the same variety from six to eight feet apart than to use a single 

 tree anywhere. Once in a great while circumstances may war- 

 rant the planting of just one, but very, very rarely. 



The species to be used is always a matter for the exercise of 

 very great restraint and caution, and one ought really to know 

 something about trees before venturing to select. It is better 

 to employ many of one or two kinds than one of many kinds; 

 and although there must be a certain amount of diversity to 

 prevent monotony, we should ever be mindful of the fact that 

 Nature continually presents thickets, and groups, and patches, 

 dominated by one variety. Sometimes there are a few of one 

 or two others, but many times not. If it is a beech wood there 

 may be a few chestnuts, a sweet-gum here and there, and now 

 and then a tall, straight maple or an oak, but these are scattered. 



