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Woods." The pendulous variety is especially graceful, having slender droop- 

 ing branches, densely clustered with small spray, or twigs, which produce 

 light and shade, elegance and beauty, scarcely to be surpassed by any other 

 tree, more especially when divested of its foliage. It is indigenous amongst 

 rocks in the Highlands of Scotland, — 



" Where weeps the Birch, with silver bark 

 And long dishevelled hair." 



These two varieties may be grouped with the American birch and the 

 cut-leaved birch, (the American taking the centre); also with the Gle- 

 ditschia triacanthos, and crimson and double pink thorns, which being placed 

 on the outside, besides blending well with the group, are all proper associates. 



The Cut-leaved Birch (Betula lacinata) is a particularly elegant tree, 

 of similar habit to the common weeping birch, but with uniformly deep 

 serrated leaves. It may be associated with that just named, and may take 

 the centre of a group of hemlock spruces, Babylonian willows, rosemary- 

 leaved willows, &c. 



The Paper Birch (Betula papyracea) is also an elegant tree, of somewhat 

 rapid growth ; its leaves of a rather larger size than the common birch. 

 This tree sheds a thin paper-like bark in the summer months, which gives 

 the stem at that time a singularly ragged appearance. It should take the 

 centre of the various birches to which I have referred. 



Of the Beeches, the purple-leaved (Fagus sylvatica purpurea) is a large, 

 quick-growing tree, perhaps equal in vigour and size to the common beech, 

 of which it is a variety. Loudon says that " there was a tree of this kind at 

 Envilla, sixty feet high, covering a surface ninety feet in diameter." It is 

 striking and particularly handsome; but, on account of its deep colour, 

 and the strong contrast which it forms with other trees, it is precluded 

 from a too general introduction. It is suitable, 'however, for the centre of a 

 group of common, or of the fern-leaved beeches, or of limes. 



The Cut-leaved Beech (Fagus incisa) is a vigorous growing tree, with 

 elegant, narrow, serrated leaves, having regular tiers of branches, thickly set 

 with feathery spray. Its form is stiffer and more upright than that of the 

 common beech, but it is very handsome. It is well suited to form the centre 

 of a mass of common birches and oaks, cut-leaved hornbeams, or alders, or, 

 indeed, to blend with others of its own family. 



