26 TREATMENT OF SLOPING GROUNDS. 



fully placed at the very point they occupy to increase the 

 desired natural effect. Where the shore is less occupied by 

 a huge mass of rock, and yet is steep, a good-sized stone, set 

 here and there in the water, is very effective. The shore 

 line should be diversified by pushing out a cluster of stones 

 at one point, and at another flanking a bay with a broad 

 long rock with its base in the water. At the lowest part of 

 the bank there may be arranged with good effect a sandy 

 beach. 



The rocks, I should explain, must not be clustered too 

 thickly on a bank. There should be plenty of jplant space 

 between the rocks, otherwise they will appear to be simply 

 an artificial heap of stones. Some rocks will of course be 

 contiguous, but many of the others should in that case be 

 kept farther apart. I doubt if, in most cases, such a bank 

 should have more than half its surface covered with rocks. 

 The rest should be turf, vines, or trees and shrubs, and the 

 manner of using grass and plants in rockwork is a distin- 

 guishing mark of the best landscape-gardening art. 



This reference to trees and shrubs leads me to the con- 

 sideration of the remaining and specially important part of 

 the treatment. of sloping grounds, namely, the use of turf 

 and plants of all kinds in connection with rockwork. The 

 illustrations show many large trees and shrubs mingled with 

 the rocks, and numerous Virginia creepers and other vines 

 trailing over their surface in such a manner and thickness 

 as to relieve the solid character of the stony masses. 



It is important to observe the practice of so pruning and 

 training vines in such places as to always leave exposed 

 something of the general effect and contour of the rock. 



