522 ON USEFUL AND BOOK I, 



will take place when the young trees now planting about 

 gentlemens' seats, and those in the hedgerows, are grown up. 

 Then the surrounding country will have a wooded appearance ; 

 and instead of the present effect, which, though bleak, is har- 

 monious, there will be a strong incongruity, arising from the 

 opposite expressions of richness, and bleak sterility. The next 

 change will be when these mountains are varied by wood; 

 then the separate effects will become blended instead of being 

 opposed, and in their room will be produced one harmonious 

 composition of richness, intricacy, and grandeur. 



SECT. V. OF THE DISPOSITION OF WOOD ON A RESIDENCE 

 WITH RESPECT TO QUANTITY. 



The wood surrounding a gentleman's seat should either be dis- 

 posed in groups, so close together as, at a small distance, to 

 appear a connected mass; or one or more large irregular 

 ,masses must be planted, to which all the groups and single 

 trees should seem to belong. 



The former method will have a good effect when the surface 

 is unvaried ; but can only be adopted with propriety, where 



