170 Home landscape 



a feeling of depression, all the worse when we go to 

 parts of our islands blessed with a very heavy rainfall. 

 There are handsome and airy avenues which do not 

 hide the landscape from view, but avenues as most 

 commonly seen are not always wisely formed and would 

 be often better away. Where the drive is broad and 

 the margins are free on both sides, with the trees in 

 groups as at Powis, the effect is much better. If there 

 is not the space and conditions to plant avenues well it 

 is best to have none, and this applies to such places 

 especially. Good examples of avenues rightly made 

 are to be seen at Dalkeith, Powis, Heythrop, and other 

 places in England and France. 



As to the trees to plant in avenues, the best is usually 

 the native tree. I have seen some picturesque avenues 

 of Scotch Fir, but the Californian Pines we cannot trust 

 for this purpose. When avenues of Araucaria or of 

 Wellingtonia have been tried they are failures, and the 

 avenue plan is against the successful culture of these 

 trees. Among Elms for avenues the best is the Moun- 

 tain Elm, which is less dangerous than the Common 

 Elm. The Plane also makes a noble avenue tree. 

 Beech does very well occasionally, but is apt to be 

 blown over when old. 



Cedars of Lebanon are the grandest of all exotic 

 trees for an avenue, but there should be plenty of 

 room and a picturesque position for the best effect to 

 be made of this noble tree. 



A beautiful and picturesque avenue may be made 

 where the drive going towards the house runs through 

 woodland of varied trees. Here the effect of an 

 avenue is gained without doing hurt to the landscape, 

 and shelter and shade and all the gains of an avenue 



