ON WOOD AND PLANTATIONS. 125 



ouildings, and natural or artificial objects, uniting -we.l with 

 other forms and doing violence to no expression of scenery, 

 from the numerous breaks in the surface of their foliage, 

 which reflect differently the lights and produce deep 

 shadows, there is great intricacy and variety in the heads 

 of many round-topped trees ; and therefore, as an outer 

 surface to meet the eye in a plantation, they are much 

 softer and more pleasing than the unbroken line exhibited 

 by the sides of oblong or spiry-topped trees. The sky 

 outline also, or the upper part of the head, varies greatly 

 in round-topped trees from the irregularity in the dispo- 

 sition of the upper branches in different species, as the 

 oak and ash, or even between individual specimens of the 

 same kind of tree, as the oak, of which we rarely see 

 two trees alike in form and outline, although they have 

 the same characteristic expression ; while on the other 

 hand no two verdant objects can bear a greater general 

 resemblance to each other and show more sameness ol 

 figure than two Lombardy poplars. 



" In a tree," says Uvedale Price, " of which the foliage 

 IS everywhere full and unbroken, there can be but little 

 variety of form ; then, as tke sun strikes only on the 

 surface, neither can there be much variety of light and 

 shade ; and as the apparent color of objects changes 

 according to the different degrees of light or shade in 

 which they are placed, there can be as little variety of 

 tint ; and lastly, as there are none of these openings that 

 excite and nourish curiosity, but the eye is everywhere 

 opposed by one uniform leafy screen, there can be as 

 little intricacy as variety." From these remarks, it will 

 be pei'ceived that even among round-headed trees there 

 may be great difference in the comparative beauty of 



