TREATMENT OF GROUND. FORMATION OF WALKS. 335 



removed, may be concealed with trees and vegetation, or 

 partially covered with vines and creepers. The latter often 

 have a beautiful effect in picturesque scenery, and we have 

 seen very charming pictures formed of over-arching cliffs 

 and groups of rock, upon which hung and i-ambled in 

 luxuriant profusion, a rich mixture of climbing plants. 

 Where rocks thus accidentally occur in beautiful scenes, 

 to which they, if left bare, would be inimical, they may be 

 wonderfully softened and brought into keeping bv a cover- 

 ing of the honeysuckle, the Ivy, the Virginia creeper, and 

 other species of the gayest and most luxuriant flowering 

 vines. 



Loose and detached fragments of rocks can never be 

 permitted to lie scattered about the lawn in any style. In 

 a scene expressive of graceful beauty, of course they would 

 be entirely out of place : and in a picturesque scene, they 

 should only be suffered to remain in spots where they have 

 some evident connexion with larger masses. If they were 

 allowed to lie loosely around, they would only give an air 

 of confused wildness, opposed to everything like the ele- 

 gance of tasteful art or the comfort of a country residence ; 

 but if only seen in particular snots where they evidently 

 belong, they will, by contrast, give force and spirit to the 

 whole. We do not now speak of large rounded boulders 

 or smooth stones, such as are seen lying about the soil in 

 some of our valley tracts, as such are void of interest, and, 

 unless they are large, or in some degree remarkable, they 

 ought to be at once removed out of the way. Character- 

 istic and picturesque rocks, are those with firm, rugged, and 

 distinct outlines, externally covered with a coating of 

 weather stains, dark lichens, or mosses, and which meet 

 the eye with a mellow and softened tone of color. 



