156 WOOD AND GARDEN 



grass, with grey tufts that will be pink bell-heather 

 in summer, and upstanding clumps of sedge that teU 

 of ^oggy places. In front and to the right are dense 

 fir-woods. To the left is broken ground and a steep- 

 sided hill, towards whose shoulder the track rises. 

 Here are stUl the same kinds of trees, but on the 

 open hillside they have quite a different effect. Now 

 I look into the ruddy heads of the Thorns, bark and 

 fruit both of rich warm colouring, and iuto the upper 

 masses of the HolHes, also reddening into wealth of 

 berry. 



Throughout the walk, pacing slowly but steadily 

 for nearly an hour, only these few kinds of trees have 

 been seen. Juniper, Holly, Thorn, Scotch Fir, and Birch 

 (a few small Oaks excepted), and yet there has not 

 been once the least feeling of monotony, nor, returning 

 downward by the same path, could one wish anything 

 to be altered or suppressed or differently grouped. And 

 I have always had the same feeling about any quite 

 wild stretch of forest land. Such a bit of wild forest 

 as this small valley and the hilly land beyond are 

 precious lessons in the best way of tree iand shrub 

 plantiag. No artificial planting can ever equal that 

 of Nature, but one may learn from it the great lesson 

 of the importance of moderation and reserve, of sim- 

 phcity of intention, and directness of purpose, and the 

 inestimable value of the quality called "breadth" in 

 painting. For planting ground is painting a land- 

 scape with living things; and as I hold that good 



