Art Out-of-Doors 



tree-forms. This is so obvious a charac- 

 teristic that even the least artistic eye will 

 note it, the most thoughtless planter will 

 take it somewhat into account. But if we 

 may judge by the results we find all around 

 us in places where an intelligent landscape- 

 gardener has not been employed, few persons 

 pay any attention to other characteristics of 

 form. j\Iere chance or, at most, a thought- 

 less, abstract preference for some kind of 

 tree, seems much more often to have regu- 

 lated our planting than a clear realization of 

 intrinsic characters, accompanied by reflec- 

 tion with regard to the appropriateness of 

 one character or another to a special spot. 

 I have known an intending planter to ask 

 for elms, and yet not know whether he want- 

 ed American white elms which would grow 

 up into vase-like, drooping forms, or English 

 elms which would assume shapes almost 

 identical with the shapes of oaks. If a sin- 

 gle tree is wanted in a conspicuous position 

 a sugar-maple is chosen, perhaps, because 

 sugar-maples are known to be good trees," 

 although it would be less well in place vrith 

 its roundish head than a hickory with its 

 246 



