ON WOOD AND PLANTATIONS. lH 



support them. The weeping willow seeks an humble 

 scene — some romantic footpath bridge, which it half 

 conceals, or some grassy pool over which it hangs its 

 streaming foliage, 



' And dips 



Its pendent boughs, as if to drink.' " * 



The manner in which a picturesque bit of landscape 

 can be supported by picturesque spiry-topped trees, and 

 its expression degraded by the injudicious employment 

 of graceful drooping trees, will be apparent to the reader 

 in the two accompanying little sketches. In the iirst (Fig. 

 27), the abrupt hill, the rapid 

 mountain torrent, and the distant 

 Alpine summits, are in fine keep- 

 ing with the tall spiry larches and 

 [Fig. 27. Tioes in keeping.] firs, which, shooting up ou either 

 side of the old bridge, occupy the foreground. In the 

 second (F5g. 30), there is evidently something discordant 

 in the scene which strikes the spectator at first sight ; this 

 is the misplaced introduction of the large willows, which 

 ^x^/ \_^ belong to a scene very different 

 in character. Imagine a, removal 

 of the surrounding hills, and let 

 the rapid stream spread out into a 

 [Fig. 28. TrersOTit of keeping.] smooth peaceful lake with gradu- 

 illy retiring shores, and the blue summits in the distance 

 and then the willows will harmonize admirably. 



Having now described the peculiar characteristics of 

 these different classes of round-headed, spiry-topped 

 oblong, and drooping trees, we should consider the proper 



* Forest Scenery, p. 133. 



