COLOE 91 



no doubt as to which is the predominating color, 

 and all its good qualities are set off to advantage 

 by the presence of its complement, unlike it in 

 every respect. Such arrangements are very stim- 

 ulating. 



This stimulus is frequently taken advantage of 

 in winter planting, where a background of dark 

 evergreens is relieved and brightened by the bare 

 red branches of the dogwood (Cornus siberius) or 

 berry-bearing shrubs, such as the barberry, with 

 its bright red clusters. It is the contrast of com- 

 plementaries, present in unequal quantities, that 

 gives so festive an appearance to holly. 



Color has certain well-established psychological 

 phenomena: red is a powerful excitant; blue in 

 large quantities, and especially violet, is depress- 

 ing ; while the greens and browns are quieting and 

 restful, probably because we perceive so many of 

 them in nature. This is, of course, a broad gen- 

 eralization, for it is quite possible to find a green 

 that has a most disquieting influence and a red 

 that is almost soothing ; but in the main the state- 

 ment holds. Of course these effects are produced 

 by the elimination of other colors, and, as de- 

 scribed, will not often be noticeably present, but if 

 these phenomena are kept in mind, they will be 



