Sckell's Landscape-Gardening. 547 



out, because the great danger would be incurred of producing 

 an artificial transition, instead of one that is natural. 



2. In staking out hills and valleys, therefore, the whole art 

 consists in setting up single stakes to designate the place of the 

 former and its most elevated point; and to mark out the form 

 of the latter and the centre by poles. Many profiles of hills, as 

 well as valleys, on a large scale, can be formed from the pre- 

 ceding observations, and the essential forms and depths of the 

 concave lines of the valley in as natural a manner as possible, 

 and without both declivities being exactly the same. 



Those points, also, which the concave lines of the valley show 

 in the section, should be ascertained by the water-level, and 

 marked with pegs. Such geometrical operations are neces- 

 sary, as they point out to the mechanical labourer where, and 

 how deep, the earth ought to be excavated, so as not to occa- 

 sion unnecessary labour and expense ; but, in this, and also in 

 effecting the formation of the hill and valley, the practised eye 

 of the landscape-gardener, and the feeling for what is beautiful 

 in nature, will be found to be the best guides. 



3. In staking out the outlines of the woods, thickets, and 

 groups, the practice is very different. These must be performed 

 with the tracing-staff and with a bold hand, not minutely, but 

 only those principal large powerful outlines, which are capable 

 of producing the greatest effect, and which cannot be expected 

 from many small bends and turns. Such forest boundary lines 

 should often project in bold masses of wood, and they should 

 then recede in like manner, but without the repetition being the 

 same. 



We often observe on the outskirts of the natural wood very 

 considerable spaces quite void of trees, and running back into 

 the very depths of the forest, so that they become quite lost 

 to the eye. These recesses are always covered with the richest 

 green carpet of turf; and these, in the secret darkness of the 

 forest, are of equal importance in producing an exceedingly 

 agreeable effect, whether in the general landscape, or in the art 

 of gardening. The side of the forest the farthest from the sun 

 casts a powerful shade, which has a fine effect in the landscape ; 

 the other side, on the contrary, is in a full splendour of light; 

 and, at last, both are lost in a solemn darkness. 



4. When, therefore, a wood in a garden has similar bold and 

 expressive outlines; when light and shade are picturesquely 

 distributed over it; when the forms of the foreground, and also 

 that of the background, are beautiful, and clearly and dis- 

 tinctly separated from each other ; when the foreign and 

 native trees are mixed together in proud masses, and har- 

 moniously grouped ; when novelty of colour and form are every- 

 where apparent, and not to be seen in the natural landscape, 



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