33 



trees, fail to designate the kind of plants to be used, thus leaving to 

 mere chance the only features where artistic merit can be developed. 

 Some of the principal and most conspicuous effects that may be real- 

 ized from grouping and placing trees are as follows : 



1. The formation of distinct groups of the various species and varieties 

 of trees. In planting public parks, college and school-house grounds, 

 or private grounds, if of sufficient extent, a great amount of aiboricul- 

 tural interest will be iuduced by forming groups of certain families, 

 genera, or natural orders or plants. It might be presumed that this 

 mode of arrangement would sacrifice beauty, in order to carry out a 

 rneie mechanical system of disposition, such as may be seen in orchards, 

 and would prove monotonous, and destitute of that variety which re- 

 sults from a combination of different species. This is to a certain extent 

 true where the grounds are not extensive and the planting is confined 

 to one principal group. In that case the use of diversified materials 

 will invest the group with a greater variety of interest to the lover of 

 trees, and that also without impairing the landscape effect, if the ar- 

 rangement is properly carried out ; but where the, plantation is ex- 

 tended over several acres, the groups will be more definite and distinct- 

 ive in character if each is chiefly planted with the plants of one genus. 

 This may be partly illustrated by supposing that there are twelve prin- 

 cipal masses to be planted, and twelve species of trees are employed. 

 If each mass is composed of a mixture of the twelve species, theresult 

 will be twelve groups of precisely the same character; whereas if each 

 group is strictly confined to one species, the groups will be entirely dis- 

 similar, each forming a distinct feature. Thus groups of maples, oaks, 

 birches, elms, etc., will follow in succession; and where whole families 

 are thus connected, there will be sufficient difference in form and habit 

 of growth among the species to give variety to the group when inspected 

 in detail, and at the same time the mass will present distinctive fea- 

 tures peculiar to the genus represented. In ornamenting the grounds 

 of colleges and other seats of education this mode of planting is par- 

 ticularly appropriate, affording admirable facilities for studying the in- 

 dividual trees and comparing them with other species of the same 

 family. The beauty of this arrangement will depend upon the harmo- 

 nious connection of forms and adaptation of the respective growths to 

 certain positions in the groups. 



2, Planting evergreens with a view tojorming a distinct winter scenery. 

 No effective or perfectly satisfactory results will be produced from a 

 general intermixture of deciduous and evergreen plants. In forming 

 shrubbery borders this distinction is not so strictly important as it is in 

 the case of trees ; but even in the arrangement of shrubs afar more 

 polished and artistic finish will be given by placing the larger growth 

 of deciduous plants in the background, and bordering towards the front 

 with some of the low-growing evergreen species. One of the most de- 

 irable plants for an edging to % border of shrubbery j the Mahonio, 



28581 3 



