TREATMENT OF WATER. 31] 



produce breadth of effect and strong ricli coiitrasts, that 

 underwood should be employed to clothe many parts of the 

 banks. Without it, the stems of trees will appear loose 

 and straggling, and the screen will be so imperfect as to 

 allow a free passage for the vision in every direction. For 

 this purpose, we have in all our woods, swamps, and along 

 OUT brooks, an abundance of hazels, hawthorns, alders, 

 spice woods, winter berries, azaleas, spireas, and a hundred 

 other fine low shrubs, growing wild, which are by nature 

 extremely well fitted for such sites, and will produce 

 immediate effect on being transplanted. These may be 

 intermingled, here and there, with the swamp button-bush 

 (Cephalanthus), which bears handsome white globular heads 

 of blossoms, and the swamp magnolia, which is highly 

 beautiful and fragrant. On cool north banks, among 

 shelves of proper soil upheld by projecting ledges of rock, 

 our native Kalmias and Rhododendrons, the common and 

 mountain laurels, may be made to flourish. The Virginia 

 Creeper, and other beautiful wild vines, may be planted at 

 the roots of some of the trees to clamber up their stems, 

 and the wild Clematis so placed that its luxuriant festoons 

 shall hang gracefully from the projecting boughs of some of 

 the overarching trees. Along the lower banks and closer 

 margins, the growth of smaller plants will be encouraged, 

 and various kinds of wild ferns may be so planted as 

 partially to conceal, overrun, and hide the rocks and 

 stumps of trees, while trailing plants, as the periwinkle and 

 moneywort {Lysamachia nummularia), will still further 

 increase the intricacy and richness of such portions. In 

 this way, the borders of the lake will resemble the finest 

 portions of the banks, of picturesque and beautiful natural 

 dells and pieces of water, and the effect of the whole when 



