1(564. 



ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. 



PART HI, 



miles from the metropolis ; six or eight poplars, taller than the house, often 

 obstructing its view, and overpowering and diminishing it by their magnitude 

 and stiffness ; while a few low trees, such as thorns and laburnums, mixed 

 with lilacs and other shrubs, would have formed subordinate groups and 

 masses to the house, and served to increase its effect in the landscape. This 

 poplar, or some equally fastigiate tree, should appear in all plantations and 

 belts that are made with a view to picturesque effect ; as in^g. 1523., where 



1523 



the outline is varied as well as the face of the plantation. Masses of round- 

 headed trees, such as Jig, 1524., though they might be seen to advantage in 

 some situations, when grouping with other objects, yet, when contemplated by 

 themselves, are quite uninteresting, from their dull and monotonous appearance; 

 but add the poplars, as injtfg. 1524 a., and you immediately create an interest, 

 and give a certain character to the group, which it did not before possess. 

 The causes are these : The poplars, which are taller than the other trees, are 

 so distributed as to break the mass into several groups, each terminating in a 

 point; and the central group, being larger than the others, predominates over 

 them, and forms the mass into a whole. The pointed heads of the Lombardy 



1524 



poplars also form a pleasing contrast to the round heads of the other trees, 

 and break the too uniform line exhibited in the sky outline of j%. 1524. The 

 branches of the poplars, rising stiffly upwards, contrast with, and render more 



