30 LANDSCAPE GARPENIIVO. 



as different as possible from the easy, flowing outline of the 

 group.* 



" Were it made the object of study," said Price, " how 

 to invent something, which, under the name of ornament, 

 should disfigure a whole park, nothing could 

 be contrived to answer that purpose like a 

 t. clump. Natural groups, being formed by trees 

 of different ages and sizes, and at different distances from 

 each other, often too by a mixture of those of the largest 

 size with others of inferior growth, are full of variety in 

 their outlines ; and from the same causes, no two groups 

 are exactly alike. But clumps, from the trees being gene- 

 rally of the same age and growth, from their being planted 

 nearly at the same distance, in a circular form, and from 

 each tree being equally pressed by his neighbor, are as like 

 each other as so many puddings turned out of one com- 

 mon mould. Natural groups are full of openings and 

 hollows, of trees advancing before, or retiring behind each 

 other ; all productive of intricacy, of variety, of deep 

 shadows and brilliant lights : in walking about them the 

 form changes at every step ; new combinations, new lights 

 and shades, new inlets present themselves in succession. 



* A friend of ours, at Northampton, who is a most zealous planter, related to 

 U3 a diverting expedient to which he was obliged to resort, in order to ensure 

 irregular groups. Busily engaged in arranging plantations of young trees on 

 his lawn, he was hastily obliged to leave home, and intrast the planting of the 

 groups to some common garden laborers, whose ideas he could not raise to a 

 point sufficiently high to appreciate any beauty in plantations, unless made in 

 regulai forms and straight lines. " Being well aware," says our friend, " that 

 if left to themselves I should find all my trees, on my return, in hollow squares 

 or circular clumps, I hastily threw up a peck of potatoes into the air, one by 

 »ne, and directed my workmen to plant a tree where every potatoe fell! 

 Tlius, if I did not attain the maximum of beauty in grouping, I at least had 

 something not so offensive as geometrical figures." 



