66 PARKS AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 



Planting in the Park. — Planting is the principal means 

 of ornamenting the park; and accordingly trees and 

 sknibs ai-e the chief materials with which the designer 

 has to operate. On the presence or absence of these, 

 and on their due arrangement and distribution, will 

 depend the superiority which the lands of the park, thus 

 adorned, will have over lands of a similar character and 

 extent, but occupied simply as pastm'es. This difference 

 may be small at first, but it will be rapidly developed by 

 the yearly growth of the trees. In this department of 

 planting, various objects are to be kept in ^iew. Shelter 

 may be necessary in particular quarters -, seclusion, also, 

 is requisite. But the principal aim which the ornamental 

 planter has to keep in ^iew is, of com'se, scenic beauty. 

 To attain this end, particular attention must be given to 

 the nature of the surfaces which are to be planted; and of 

 these we shall now proceed to speak. 



Surfaces to be Planted. — Of these we may remark gene- 

 rally that their exact nature should be carefully ascer- 

 tained, their present and possible future physiognomy 

 should be attentively studied, and the amount and distri- 

 bution of the plantmg should be determined accord- 

 ingly. The planter will endeavour to bring out the 

 beauty which intrinsically belongs to the peculiar situa- 

 tion or may be ehcited from it. At the same time, he 

 will take care not to shut out whatever is picturesque in 

 the surrounding country fi'om the principal points of 

 "vdew. We have abeady said that a flat sm-face is the 

 least propitious to pictorial effect ; still, by skilful 

 management a certain amount of it may be accom- 

 plished, or, at least, a great improvement may be made 

 on a bald and uninteresting locality. On such ground 

 the artist will have to depend on his own power of 



