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bnly, and those stuck close together, the 

 firs were planted at various distances of 

 ten, twelve, or more yards asunder, and 

 that the spaces between them were filled 

 with the lower evergreens. All these would 

 for some years grow up together, till at 

 length the firs would shoot above them all, 

 and find nothing afterwards to check their 

 growth in any direction. Suppose such a 

 wood upon the largest scale, to be left to 

 itself, and not a bough cut for twenty, 

 thirty, any number of years ; and that then 

 it came into the hands of a person, who 

 wished to give variety to this rich, but 

 uniform mass. He might in some parts 

 choose to have an open grove of firs only ; 

 in that case he would only have to clear 

 awa} r all the lower evergreens, and the firs 

 which remained, from the free unconstrain- 

 ed growth of their heads, would appear 

 as if they had been planted with that de- 

 sign. In Other parts he might make that 

 beautiful forest-like mixture of open grove, 

 with thickets and loosely scattered trees ; 

 of lawns and glades of various shapes and 



