VINES AND CLIMBING PLANTS. 255 



doubt, has been the case when young trees in the full vigour 

 of growth have been completely encompassed and wound 

 about with the strong growing woody creepers ; but it so 

 rarely happens, (scarcely ever in the case of middle-sized 

 trees, on which vines are more generally planted,) that we 

 consider the objection of no moment. Indeed, were all this 

 true, the management of the growth of any vine, however 

 luxuriant,-is so completely within the power of the cultivated, 

 that by a very trifling annual attention, he can entirely pre- 

 vent the possibility of any injurious effects of this kind. 



The reader must not imagine from the remarks which we 

 have here made on the beauty and charms of climbing 

 plants, that we would desire to see every tree in an extensive 

 park wreathed about, and overhung with fantastic vines and 

 creepers. Such is by no means our intention. We should 

 consider such a proceeding as something in the worst possi 

 ble taste. There are some trees whose rugged and ung^race- 

 ful forms would refuse all such accompaniment ; and others 

 from whose dignity and majesty it would be improper to de- 

 tract, even by adding the gracefulness of the loveliest vine^ 

 Such, too, is never the case in nature, as, for one tree deck- 

 ed in this manner, we see a hundred which are not, and 

 the very rarity of the example imparts additional beauty and 

 interest to it when it appears. This should be the case in 

 all artificial plantations ; and he who has a true and live- 

 ly feeling for the beautiful and picturesque, will easily 

 understand at a glance where these expressions will be 

 strengthened or weakened by the addition of more grace 

 and elegance. A few scattered trees here and there, with 

 whose forms the plans adopted harmonize, draped and fes- 

 tooned with the most appropriate climbing plants will be all 

 that can be properly introduced in any scene, unless it be 



