285 



the case is very different where they are 

 absolutely spoiled, as in a thick wood of 

 firs. In that, there is no room for selection ; 

 no exercise of the judgment in arranging 

 the groups, masses, or single trees; no 

 power of renewing vegetation by pruning 

 or cutting down ; no hope of producing 

 the smallest intricacy or variety. If one 

 bare pole be removed, that behind differs 

 from it so little, that one might exclaim 

 with Macbeth, 



'< Thy air 



" Is like the first — a third is like the former — 

 " Horrible sight 1" — 



and so they would unvaried ly go on, 



", Tho' their line 

 4< Stretch' d out to the crack of doom." 



In contrasting the character of a close 

 wood of firs only, with that of the mixed 

 evergreen plantation which I have de- 

 scribed, I do not think I have at all ex- 

 aggerated the ugliness, and the incorrigible 

 sameness of the one, and the variety and 

 beauty of which the other is capable. I 



