ON WOOD AND PLANTATIONS. 129 



should, in all scenes where an expression of peculiarly 

 irregular kind is not aimed at. 



The larch, to which we shall hereafter recur at some 

 length, may be considered one of the most picturesque 

 trees of this division ; and being more rapid in its growth 

 than most evergreens, it may be used as a substitute for, 

 or in conjunction with them, where effect is speedily 

 desired. 



Ohlong-headed trees show heads of foliage more length- 

 ened out, more formal, and generally more tapering, than 

 round-headed ones. They differ from spiry- 

 topped trees in having upright branches instead 

 of horizontal ones, and in forming a conical or 

 '"he"a(fed tree's"] pyramidal mass of foliage, instead of a spiry, 

 tufted one. They are mostly deciduous; and approaching 

 inore nearly to round-headed trees than spiry-topped ones 

 do, they may perhaps be more frequently introduced. 

 The Lombardy poplar may be considered the representa- 

 tive of this division, as the oak is of the first, and the 

 larch and fir of the second. Abroad, the oriental cypress, 

 an evergreen, is used to produce similar effects in 

 scenery. 



The great use of the Lombardy poplar, and other 

 similar trees in composition, is to relieve or break into 

 groups, large masses of wood. This it does very 

 effectually, when its tall summit rises at intervals from 

 among round -headed trees, forming pyramidal centres 

 to groups where there was only a swelling and flowing 

 outline. Foimal rows, or groups of oblong-headed trees, 

 however, are tiresome and monotonous to the last degree , 

 a straight line of them being scarcely better in appearance 

 than a tall, stiff, gigantic hedge. Examples of this can be- 



