156 TREES IN NATURE, MYTH & ART 



times less, between the forest, man's early, 

 natural shelter, and the artificial shelters he has 

 built for himself The forest has often an 

 architectural appearance ; so has an avenue of 

 limes, or elms, or beeches. It is only an ap- 

 pearance, however. In a building, columns, 

 walls, roof, are all united to form a whole. In 

 forest or avenue each tree is a separate whole, 

 detached from the others. Trees grow differ- 

 ently, spreading out on every side, when they are 

 widely separate from each other, and not limited 

 by neighbourly claims to light and air ; but even 

 when they are crowded together each stands 

 separately, if not alone. No tree asks for 

 another's help, as one column needs the help 

 of another to carry a lintel or an arch. One 

 tree may shield another in a storm ; but that is 

 not active aid ; it is only passive aid, due to 

 accident of position. If, then, we are to find 

 architecture in trees, we must look for it in the 

 single tree ; and we shall not look in vain. 



The Roman architect and writer, Vitruvius, 

 said that a good building should have three 

 qualities, stabilitas, utilitas, venustas — stability, 

 utility, beauty. Do trees possess these qualities } 

 Clearly they have stability, not always adequate 



