60 The Arboretum. 



But it is the value of trees in ornamental scenery, that we 

 now intend to view them ; to show how far they are impor- 

 tant in artificial plantations, of greater or less extent, and to 

 give such information as will lead to the selection of those 

 which possess grandeur, stateliness, singularity, picturesque 

 beauty, symmetry, elegance and gracefulness of form — tex- 

 ture, verdure and variety of foliage — brilliancy in their au- 

 tumnal tints — beauty or fragrance of their flowers — color or 

 showiness of their fruit, and varied shades of their branches 

 or bark. These, pointed out to the planter, with engravings 

 representing the general form and character of the tree, can- 

 not fail to be a useful guide to all who wish to ornament 

 their grounds. 



In this object we shall be much indebted to the splendid 

 work of the late Mr. Loudon, which occupied many years of 

 his life, and to the completion of which he sacrificed his 

 health — the Arboretum Britannicum ; indeed so fully has he 

 searched out all the information which could be obtained, 

 that he has left little or nothing to add, even of those trees 

 which are indigenous to our own soil. But the great ex- 

 pense of that work (fiifty dollars) does not place it within 

 the reach of every individual, and we have thought that we 

 could not do a better service, than to give descriptions of 

 such as we know to be the most desirable, and such as may 

 be recommended for their many beauties, either of form, 

 foliage, flower or fruit. 



Our drawings will, in many instances, be copied from the 

 Arboretum. ; but where we have finer specimens growing 

 of our indigenous trees, they will be made from living speci- 

 mens. The engravings in the Arboretum^ are the most truth- 

 ful reprosentations, and were made by skilful artists, who 

 had studied the aspects of trees, so as to give them that 

 peculiar touch which characterizes one species or variety of 

 the same family from another. This is, indeed, one of the 

 principal features of that valuable work : no less than forty 

 different species and varieties of the hawthorn being figured, 

 showing the distinctive appearance of each. 



The engravings will be made of trees ten or twelve years 

 old, and drawn to a scale of a quarter or half an inch to a 

 foot. 



