PLANTING 149 



be horizontal, vertical , or oblique. wiU also affect 

 the problem. 



Leaves may be grouped in masses, as in the 

 horse-chestnut, or may be scattered, as in the 

 American ehn. This will affect the texture of the 

 entire tree or shrub; but the texture of the leaf 

 itself is likewise of importance, as it affects the 

 appearance of the entire leaf mass both near at 

 hand and at a distance. It may be th jff T j; or thin, 

 rough or smooth . Leaf texture may easily be un- 

 derstood by comparing the leaf of the California 

 rubber-tree, thick, smooth, and regular, with the 

 small, thin, and serrated leaves of the white birch. 

 The leaves may be many or few in number, and 

 this too will affect the appearance. 



The . first characteristic of thfi, blossom- is „size, „ 

 which means its general appearance as a single 

 flower or a cluster, and may bejarge^as in the mag- 

 nolia; medium^ as in the PMladelphus ; or small as 

 in the spiraea. Blossom color will be discussed 

 under the head of color, and it is of the utmost im- 

 portance. 



In arrangement, the blossoms may be indi- 

 vidual, as in the rose of Sharon (Fig. 33), or 

 massed, as in the elder (Fig. 34), and this will af- 

 fect the problem to a considerable extent. For 



