166 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



spreading tree, perhaps the White maple deserves most 

 praise, its outline and surface being, in many cases, quite 

 picturesque. There is no quality, however, for which the 

 American maples are entitled to higher consideration as 

 desirable objects in scenery, than for the exquisite beauty 

 which their foliage assumes in autumn, as it fades and 

 gradually dies off. At the first approach of cold we can 

 just perceive a bright yellow stealing over the leaves, then 

 a deeper golden tint, then a few faint blushes, until at 

 length the whole mass of foliage becomes one blaze of 

 crimson or orange. 



" Tints that the maple woods disclose 

 Like opening buds or fading rose, 

 Or various as those hues that dye 

 The clouds that deck a sunset sky." 



The contrast of coloring exhibited on many of our fine 

 river shores in a warm dry autumn, is perhaps superior to 

 anything of the kind in the world : and the leading and 

 most brilliant colors, viz. orange and scarlet, are pro- 

 duced by maples. Even in Europe, they are highly 

 valued for this autumnal appearance, so different from that 

 of most of the trees of the old world. Very beautiful 

 effects can be produced by planting the Scarlet and Sugar 

 maples in the near neighborhood of the ash, which, as we 

 have already noticed, assumes a fine brownish purple ; of 

 the sycamore, which is yellow, and some of the oaks, which 

 remain green for a long time : if to these we add a few 

 evergreens, as the White pine and hemlock, to produce 

 depth, we shall have a kind of kaleidoscope ground, harmo- 

 nious and beautiful as the rainbow. 



When the maple is planted to grow singly on the lawn, 

 or in small groups, it should never be trimmed up ten 01 



