THE RENOVATION OF OLD PLAGES. 239 



these medleys of trees and shrubs — the bold cutting or digging-out 

 of the poorest trees, the re-arrangement of the shrubbery, so that 

 the sunlight may play with the shadows of those that remain, upon 

 some open breadth of velvety grass — and there will stand revealed 

 a mass of beautiful home adornments that the place bare of large 

 trees and mature shrubs will envy. Sometimes old fruit-trees that 

 have had an air habitually expressive of hard times and low living, 

 with a little pruning, and extra feeding, and the well-to-do' air that 

 a new green lawn-carpet gives them, will assume a new dress of 

 foliage, and wear it with such luxuriant grace that they become the 

 most pleasing of trees — scarcely recognizable as the same which so 

 lately wore a dejected air. 



In renovating old grounds that are filled with mature trees and 

 shrubs, the first thing to be decided on is the amount of clean 

 cutting-out to be done ; — what had better be entirely removed in 

 order that something better may be developed. " Trimming-up,'' 

 instead of cutting-out, is the common error of persons ignorant of 

 the arts of sylvan picture-making ; an error invariably defended 

 with the potent plea of — " /"don't believe in cutting down shade 

 trees." It is the semblance of a good reason, and the best excuse 

 that can be given for ignorance in an art which can only be taught 

 by example to those who are not born with landscape mirrors 

 in their hearts. It is only necessary, however, to show a dense 

 grove of high-trimmed trees on one side, and then a similar grove 

 one-third of which has been cut away to make clear openings of 

 sunny lawn through it, and give the remaining trees room to spread 

 their bending boughs to meet the grass, to feel the difference be- 

 tween art that mars, and art that reveals natural beauty. 



Yet in regard to "trimming-up" there may be occasions for 

 some exceptional treatment. Noble growths of evergreens grow- 

 ing to the ground sometimes fill the grounds of a small place, 

 obstructing the views over the lawn to a serious extent ; what they 

 conceal being a more important part of the beauty that may be 

 developed than is their own beauty. To destroy the trees may 

 leave too great a void ; to leave them as they are is to retain the 

 gloomy expression that results from lack of sunny lawn and bright 

 vistas under the boughs of trees. In such cases we would trim 



