90 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



" Trees," observes Mr. Whately in his elegant treatise on 

 this subject, " which differ in but one of these circumstances, 

 of shape, green, or growth, though they agree in every other, 

 are sufficiently distinguished for the purpose of variety : if 

 they differ in two or three, they become contrasts : if in all, 

 they are opposite, and seldom group well together. Those 

 on the contrary which are of one character, and are distin- 

 guished only as the characteristic mark is strongly or faintly 

 impressed upon them, form a beautiful mass, and unity is pre- 

 served without sameness."* 



There is another circumstance connected with the colour 

 of trees, that will doubtless suggest itself to the improver of 

 taste, the knowledge of which may sometimes be turned to 

 valuable account. We mean the effects produced in the ap- 

 parent colouring of a landscape by distance, which painters 

 term aerial perspective. Standing at a certain position in a 

 scene, the colouring is deep, rich, and full in the foreground, 

 more tender and mellow in the middle-ground, and softening 

 to a pale tint in the distance. 



" Where to the eye three well marked distances 

 Spread their peculiar colouring, vivid green, 

 Warm brown, and black opake the foreground bears 

 Conspicuous: sober olive coldly marks 

 The second distance : thence the third declines 

 In softer blue, or lessening still, is lost 

 In fainted purple. When thy taste is cali'd 

 To deck a scene where nature's self presents 

 All these distinct gradations, then rejoice 

 As does the Painter, and like him apply 

 Thy colours : plant thou on each separate part 

 Its proper foliage," 



Advantage may occasionally be taken of this peculiarity in 

 the gradation of colour, in Landscape Gardening, by the crea- 



* Observations on Modern Gardening. 



