PARK TIMBER 253 



with the prospect be avoided. Where the hills or elevations 

 are few in number, it is usually possible to clothe them all 

 more or less with clumps, and leave at the same time 

 abundance of open ground between and around them. But 

 in very undulating or broken ground the most prominent 

 elevations must be chosen only, or breadth will be sacrificed 

 to an undesirable extent, and the view obstructed in too 

 many directions. This must be especially guarded against 

 in the fore- and middle-grounds, where the function of clumps 

 is rather to break up the view into two or three parts than 

 to form back-grounds or hide the sky-line; and in such 

 situations this may be obtained by small groups. The farther 

 back the ground lies from the principal point of view, the 

 larger the clumps may be, until they merge into a belt or 

 screen which forms the chief object on the horizon. 



It is obvious that the proper effect of clumps can only 

 be seen when viewed from the correct point, and therefore it 

 is hardly possible to lay down more than very general rules 

 for their formation. But it may be taken for granted that 

 all prominent points, such as the summits of hills, the crests 

 of ridges, and the edges of valley slopes, should be more or 

 less clothed with clumps of one form or another, while the 

 lower ground, valleys, etc., should be kept fairly open. On 

 the face of steep slopes, on which the ground is broken, 

 it is often difficult to decide where the clumps should stand 

 and what should be left fairly open. The best effect is 

 usually produced when the top of the slope is practically 

 entirely covered with trees which gradually thin out as 

 the hill is descended, and isolated clumps are only needed 

 towards the base, as already pointed out in a previous 

 chapter. 



But it is rather the form and character of clumps that 

 require consideration here. In nine cases out of ten, park 

 clumps are given the most tasteless form that it is possible 

 to select, namely, that of the circle. It is only natural that 

 ground which requires fencing, as that occupied by all clumps 

 must be when first planted, should be fenced in the most 

 economical manner, and for that reason circular patches of 

 ground are usually enclosed for the purpose. There can be 

 little or no objection to this in theory, as the fence is merely 



