ON WOOD AND PLANTATIONS. 85 



in its many variations. And we may add here, that effi- 

 cient and charming as is the assistance which all orna- 

 mental planters will derive from the study of the best 

 landscape engravings and pictures of distinguished artists, 

 they are indispensably necessary to the picturesque im 

 prover. In these he will often find embodied the choicest 

 and most captivating studies from picturesque nature ; and 

 will see at a glance the effect of certain combinations of 

 trees, which he might otherwise puzzle himself a dozen 

 years to know how to produce 



After all, as the picturesque improver here will most 

 generally be found to be one who chooses a comparatively 

 wild and wooded place, we may safely say that, if he has 

 the true feeling for his work, he will always find it vastly 

 easier than those who strive after the Beautiful ; as the 

 majority of the latter may be said to begin nearly anew 

 choosing places not for wildness and intricacy of wood, but 

 for openness and the smiling, sunny, undulating plain, 

 where they must of course to a good extent plant anew. 



After becoming well acquainted with grouping, we 

 should bring ourselves to regard those principles which 

 govern our improvements as a whole. We therefore must 

 call the attention of the improver to the two following 

 principles, which are to be constantly in view : the pro- 

 duction of a whole, and the proper connexion of the parts. 



Any person who will take the trouble to reflect for a mo- 

 ment on the great diversity of surface, change of position, 

 aspects, views, etc., in different country residences, will at 

 once perceive how difficult, or, indeed, how impossible it 

 is, to lay down any fixed or exact rules for arranging plan- 

 tations in the modern style. What would be precisely 

 adapted to a hilly rolling park, would often be found entire- 



