406 ScJceWs Lajidscape-Gardening. 



gether. It is only then that art is capable of uniting woods 

 like nature, and of adapting detached groups and single trees of 

 one wood, as it trenches upon another, to efface or conceal 

 their boundary line. In small plantations, however, where the 

 uniting groups are only from 50 ft. to 100 ft. in diameter, this 

 cannot well take place without giving rise to confusion in the 

 main forms, by these detached small groups, which would be in- 

 jurious to the picturesque. 



In these cases this union and transition can only be made to 

 approach nature and the picturesque, by the irregular advancing 

 or retreating outline of the groups, and their bold and deep in- 

 dentations into each other. 



2. But, in this cooperation of nature in conjunction with art, 

 many other considerations must be had in view in planting 

 grounds in the natural style, which are no less important to the 

 landscape-gardener ; these are : 



(1.) The creation of beautiful forms, which would be admired 

 by the landscape-painter. 



(2.) The formation of many varied harmonising picturesque 

 transitions among the different sorts of trees and shrubs. 



(3.) The application and effect of the different shades of colour 

 of the leaves, and of the stems and branches of the trees and shrubs. 

 (4.) Guarding against planting slow-growing trees behind or 

 between those of a rapid growth, or low trees among tall ones, 

 where they perish, leaving unsightly gaps and interruptions in 

 the beautiful undulating line, which, even in plantations, should 

 every where be apparent. 



3. Nature expresses herself only by chance in a picturesque 

 form ; art, on the contrary, has expressly this end in view. 

 The great intent of nature is, in general, merely to consign her 

 plants to those places where they will be nourished and propa- 

 gated, without regard to whether the trees and shrubs which are 

 brought into contact have a picturesque effect or not; hence, it is 

 not every scene in nature that can serve as a model for landscape- 

 painting, or is worthy of imitation. Art, on the contrary, endea- 

 vours to attain both. If this is accomplished, as it is frequently 

 very possible to do, she enriches her plantations, at the same 

 time, with numerous exotic trees and shrubs; then, with the 

 trifling advantage over nature before mentioned, she steps for- 

 ward and names her creation a garden. 



Beautiful forms are produced, however, in the first place, 

 when many trees or shrubs of the same family are arranged in 

 large masses, and for the following reasons. Trees of the same 

 family have a greater similarity to each other than trees of dif- 

 ferent families : their growth, their forms, the form of their 

 branches and leaves, and their colour are almost the same ; 

 consequently, they will present themselves to the eye in more 



