PLANTING FOR LANDSCAPE EFFECT. 



Outlying Such a plantation of forest trees may often be greatly helped by planting, at 



groups suitable points, outlying masses of thorns or other native trees of lesser growth, but this 



round large WO rk should be done with extreme care to ensure that such groups have a proper relation 



plantations. to tne mam mass an( j are no t obtrusive, nor of sufficient size to compete with it. The 



greatest care will have to be taken too that they do not obstruct the sweeping lines of 



a vista or break the continuity of the greensward. Planting more often fails aesthetically 



from this cause than from any other, trees being dotted about on open lawns and 



grass glades in an irritating and meaningless manner. 



Such outlying groups are particularly useful where the plantations, though probably 

 originally planted for artistic effect, have been enclosed within a thorn or beech hedge 

 in order to make better cover for game. Such a hedge cannot but look hard and inci- 

 sive, and masses of thorn, gorse or broom planted outside it to break its line and conceal 

 it at those points where it tends to be most intrusive, are invaluable. Along the Dee- 



FIG. 348. GROUP OF LONDON PLANE IN HYDE PARK. 



side in Aberdeenshire Nature has effected this arrangement unaided, colonies of self-sown 

 silver birch flanking the Scotch fir plantations on the hillsides. 



Small Besides the large plantation and its outlying spurs, we may have the small group 



groups of of timber trees. That these have a distinct charm of their own will be at once seen by 

 forest trees, reference to the several photographs of such arrangements which are given (111. Nos. 

 346 to 349). Even where such groups are planted in a symmetrical manner, Nature 

 achieves a large measure of success in giving them a pleasing outline, as may be seen 

 from illustration No. 349, but, of course, if they are originally planted more as they 

 would grow if self sown, a better and more natural effect must result. Repton recom- 

 mended making a wide hole and planting half-a-dozen trees of one species in it, one 

 foot apart, and leaving them to fight it out for themselves as to which should take the 

 lead, and, although to do this in every case would look rather obvious when repeated 

 indefinitely, still they may be planted near enough together to form one homogene- 

 ous mass of foliage, and preferably in odd or indivisible numbers to each group, so 



270 



