134 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



elegant and beautiful tree, not less on account of the silvery 

 white bark of several species, than from the extreme delicacy 

 of the spray, and the pleasing lightness and airiness of the 

 foliage. In all the species, the branches have a tendency to 

 form those graceful curves, which contribute so much to the 

 beauty of trees ; but the European Weeping birch is pecu- 

 liarly pleasing as it grows old, on that account. It is this 

 variety which Coleridge pronounces, 



" Most beautiful 



Of forest trees — the Lady of the woods." 



And Bernard Barton, speaking of our native species, says, 



•" See the beautiful Birch tree flincr 



Its shade on the grass beneath — 

 Its glossy leaf, and its silvery stem ; 

 Dost Ihou not love to look on them?'' 



The American sorts, and particularly the Black birch, start 

 into leaf very early in the spring, and their tender green is 

 agreeable to the eye at that season ; while the swelling buds, 

 and young foliage in many kinds, give out a delicious though 

 faint perfume. Even the blossoms, which hang like little 

 brown tassels from the drooping branches, are interesting to 

 the lover of nature. 



" The fragrant birch above him hung 

 Her tassels in the sky, 

 And many a vernal blossom sprung, 

 And nodded careless by." 



Bryant. 



Nothing can well be prettier, seen from the windows of the 

 drawing-room, than a large group of trees, whose depth and 

 distance is made up by the heavy and deep masses of the ash, 

 oak, and maple, and with the portions nearest the eye or the 

 lawn terminated by a few birches, with their sparkling white 



