250 PARKS AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 



are to be regulated according to the closer or more re- 

 mote characters of the prevailing affinities. 



It is only in the botanic garden^ in the public park, or 

 in private grounds where botanical characters are in high 

 consideration^ that an arboretum, in its full extent, can 

 be arranged on strictly scientific principles. Even in 

 these the system can be carried out with rigid preci- 

 sion only at the expense of some baldness, and with no 

 small allowance of the dotting nuisance. For the sake of 

 pubhc instruction, or for other purposes, a very complete 

 collection may be desirable — the larger the better, we 

 would say ; but as no eye can possibly command 2500 

 trees and shrubs at once, we should be disposed to recom- 

 mend the free use of those tall and conspicuous genera 

 and species which are naturally fitted to harmonize the 

 more discordant elements of the scenery. It must be 

 remembered that in every collection of trees there are 

 a variety of considerations which must be taken into 

 account, particularly in connection with private resi- 

 dences. There is the interest arising from the rarity 

 of the species and the completeness of the assemblage — 

 qualities that will have preponderating weight where 

 botanical partialities are strong. There is the satisfac- 

 tion derived from contemplating the beauty and magni- 

 tude of particular specimens of trees ; and that will be 

 chiefly affected by the lovers of arboriculture in itself. 

 And the student of the picturesque will be attracted by 

 the peculiar physiognomy of uncommon plants and by 

 the scenic effect of the whole. Some of these features 

 of an arboretum, as separable Jfrom its strictly scientific 

 character, we shall endeavour to review in the following 

 section. 



