THE BLOSSOMING OF AUTUHX. 21 



features of the seasons ; and in this work of 

 reproduction Autumn has been fully represented. 

 Photographic skill has, too, been brought into 

 play and with marvellous and increasing success 

 to delineate the scenes of Nature in fac-simile, 

 and when it shall have succeeded, as it seems not 

 unlikely that it will, ere long, in reproducing not 

 merely the forms but the colours of natural ob- 

 jects, it will have left little else for the landscape 

 painter but imaginative subjects, or imaginative 

 combinations of ' effects,' which it may not be in 

 the power of photography to compass. If 'high 

 art 5 as art should then suffer, it will merely 

 be another instance of the triumph of science and 

 Nature over mere art. 



Meanwhile we depend, mostly, for our coloured 

 pictures upon the artist and designer. Yet 

 though these have provided us plentifully with 

 coloured flowers we have had few leaves, and 

 those which have been drawn for us have been 

 summer leaves. If we look into books we shall 

 find an abundance of coloured representations 

 of blossoms with green leaves added to make 

 pleasant contrast. But in this country, coloured 



