86 



THE PAEKS AND GARDENS OF PABIS. [Chap. \'- 



while space for crowds could be provided to any extent upon 

 gravelled surfaces under groves of trees. The trees here are 

 for the most part in miserable health, and the new planting 

 exhibits examples of the most vicious work possible with trees, 

 young or old. Instead of clearing a portion of the ground and 

 thoroughly preparing and replanting it, young trees are planted 

 among old ones. They are planted in pits, the fresh soil of 

 which the old roots soon afterwards enter and exhaust, so 

 that neither in the air nor in the ground have the young trees 



a chance. The result is that 

 there is scarcely a fine tree in 

 the place. 



The general effect of the few 

 flower-borders in the gardens, seen 

 across the wide areas of gravel 

 before alluded to, and mixed up 

 with tubs, statues, chairs, railings, 

 and what-not, is from most points 

 of view deplorable. The whole 

 of the outer and larger portions 

 of the gardens show us, in fact, 

 the most lifeless and hopeless style 

 of gardening possible under stereo- 

 typed management that success- 

 fully conserves all the blemishes from generation to generation. 

 Much better is the portion near the Tuileries ruin, which used 

 to be known as the private gardens. Here, w ithout close-crowd- 

 ing, are shrubs which are allowed to growuntortured ; graceful 

 Ivy'edging^s gaflan dingjbhe borders of flo wers ; some green grass, 

 and fine-leaved plants. 



Stiff as this part near the site of the Palace is, in consequence 

 mainly of its wide straight walks, it owes none of this stiffness 

 to elaborate geometrical display of beds, or to coloured gravels 

 and the like. Ve getation, as in __aiijr_Itali an garde n which pro- 

 duce s a good imp ression, predominatcji. and relieves the effect of 

 the statuary or stonewOTFmtroduced. There are mixed borders 

 oreSective plants along most oOhe walks, while the squares 

 have open carpets o f turf in"" ibe cen tr al~partsl The mixed 

 borders Include Lilac-bushes, dwarfed by close annual cutting", 



vicious mode of Tree-plajtintg. 



