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and judgment, bushes and stools of copse-wood mny be thus 

 composed, not only naturally and beautifully, but sometimes 

 they may turn out more beautiful than what are found in 

 nature. This is on the same principle of selection, that is 

 adopted by the painter, when he assembles many separate 

 beauties in one design, and thereby excels the beauty of any 

 existing individual of the same species. 



The materials of these compounds generally occur in 

 young plantations of seven or eight years' growth, or more, 

 in which the plants have not been overshadowed or unduly 

 drawn up, but have had some room to expand. The art 

 lies in properly working up these, so as to produce various 

 effects ; and chiefly in studying good contrasts ; in letting 

 the principal members of your group be tall and stemmy, 

 while the accessories are low and spreading ; and in a word, 

 in so blending the whole, as to attain, at once gracefulness 

 and variety. 



The two plants first put into the ground should be set 

 somewhat deeper than the others, and nearly upright. The 

 two or three next should have their roots crossed over to the 

 opposite sides of the pit in which they are planted, so as to 

 give them such an inclination outwards, as if they naturally 

 sprang in opposite directions, from one centre or stem which 

 had been headed down. This, if skilfully executed, will in 

 a surprising degree promote verisimilitude. And in order to 

 give the last finish to the group, small plants may here and 

 there be set in, or redundant branches pruned away, that un- 

 naturally cross or destroy the leading character of the rami- 

 fication. But as the business of composing copse is to make 

 a practical use of nature's own colours, it is as impossible 

 minutely to direct the work, as to direct the painter who 

 copies her, in giving the minutest touches of his pencil. 

 One rule more I may in a general way suggest, and that is, 

 never to overload the groups ; never copying nature in her 

 richer masses, but rather in her more simple combinations of 



