April — The Cherry-tree. 1 1 5 



XXIII. 



Cherry-tree — Aspen Poplar — Stem of the Birch — Birch trunks in Sun- 

 shine — Young Beech — Birch against the heavenly Azure — Young 

 leaves of Horse-chestnut — Their apparent newness — Dried old 

 Leaves — Old Scales — Their ornamental Utility — Dry Oak Foliage 

 — Last Year's Leaves of Bramble — Their rich Coloring — Principle 

 of Coloring in good Glass and Oil Painting — Deathly Opacity — Vig- 

 orous advance of many Plants — Nettles — Great Mullein — Arum — 

 Meadow Bittercress — Its Constellations — Marsh Marigold — Creep- 

 ing Bugle — Small-flowered Calamint — Broom in Flower — Broom 

 Yellow — Prudence in Art — Criticism of Nature — Fanatical Oppo- 

 sition to it — Artistic and Natural Color — The Materials of Art in 

 Nature. 



AMONGST the wild forest-trees in the Val Ste. 

 Veronique one of the finest is the cherry-tree, 

 which is believed to be indigenous here, and as the soil 

 and climate are most favorable to it, grows to such a 

 size that it may almost, in that respect, claim equality 

 with the oak and the beech. At the end of the first 

 week in April the wild cherry-trees are all in full bloom. 

 At a distance of fifty yards the flowers so entirely 

 eclipse the leaves that the latter are invisible, but the 

 young leaves take their place beautifully when you are 

 clos,e at hand, not only for their form (the cherry-leaf 

 is one of the most beautiful of all leaves for a good 

 designer), but for their color also, which is not crude, 

 as young leafage generally is, but enriched with a red- 

 dish brown. There is one huge old cherry-tree just out- 

 side the wood, with plenty of space for growth, and a 



