324 LANDSCAPE GAIIDEN'ING. 



most beautiful accessories that are capable of being com- 

 bined with trees, as well as with buildings, gardens, and 

 fences. 



Some persons object to the growth of climbing plants 

 upon trees, that, by compressing the stems and tightening 

 themselves around the limbs of trees, they gradually check 

 their growth, and finally by preventing the expansion of 

 the trunk, put an end to the life of the tree. This, we 

 have no doubt, has been the case when young trees in the 

 full vigor of growth have been completely encompassed 

 and wound about with the strong growing woody creepers ; 

 but it so rarely happens (scarcely ever in the case of 

 middle-sized trees, on which vines are more generally 

 planted), that we consider the objection of no moment. 

 Indeed, were all this true, the management of the growth 

 of any vine, however luxuriant, is so completely within the 

 power of the cultivator, that by a very trifling annual 

 attention, he can entirely prevent the possibility of any 

 such injurious effects. 



The reader must not imagine, from the remarks which 

 we have here made on the beauty and charms of climbing 

 plants, that we would desire to see every tree in an 

 extensive park wreathed about, and overhung with fantastic 

 vines and creepers. Such is by no means our intention. 

 We should consider such a proceeding something in the 

 worst possible taste. There are some trees whose rugged 

 and ungraceful forms would refuse all such accompani- 

 ment ; and others from whose dignity and majesty it would 

 be improper to detract even by adding the gracefulness of the 

 loveliest vine. Such, too, is never the case in nature, as 

 for one tree decked in this manner we see a hundred which 

 aie not, and the very rarity of the example imparts 



