254 PARKS AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 



decoration are mostly coufined to Orders 3 and 4, \iz., 

 Coniferce and Taxacece, and in the method proposed they 

 are all placed in one locality. To counteract or contrast 

 with the bare and impoverished aspect during winter of the 

 deciduous tribes which pervade the arboretum, we would 

 recommend the severance of these evergreen orders into 

 generic, or even sub-generic, groups, which, if properly 

 distributed and connected, would tend to relieve the 

 effect adverted to, without their losing to any conside- 

 rable extent their rightful position in their own orders. 

 But even if their ordinal continuity were to suffer in- 

 terruption, it were better that it should be so, than that 

 they should all be confined to one place. We also re- 

 commend the employment of the ordinary evergreen 

 shrubs as promiscuous underwood in many of the tall 

 deciduous groups; this will not materially effect their 

 scientific character, while it imparts to the whole group- 

 ing a more clothed character, and improves the general 

 effect of the ornamental scenery. 



Hitherto we have been adverting to an arboretum 

 formally constructed as such, and of considerable extent ; 

 we may now view it as an appendage to the park and 

 pleasure-grounds of a comitry residence. In such a case 

 its site should be chiefly in the pleasure-grounds, where 

 it can be mingled with, or made to form a part of, the 

 dressed grounds. Such a position is generally advan- 

 tageous, as the walks and keeping of the environs afford 

 great facilities for the culture and the display of trees and 

 shrubs. We would however by no means recommend 

 the occupation of the whole grounds with a botanical 

 arboretum. A place of this description woidd present 

 numerous groups of a scientific character ; but the in- 

 cessant variation of the forms and foliage of the trees 



