98 



PARKS AND PLEASUEE-GROUNDS. 



habit of the tree. This contrast is one of the sonrces 

 of the successional beauties of the seasons. 



Sect. IL The Colours of Trees. 



The tints of colour exhibited in trees are, perhaps, as 

 numerous as their forms. To advert at present only to 

 the foliage, — the normal colour of the leaves is green, but 

 how diversified are its shades ! In the deciduous class of 

 trees these shades range from the silvery grey of the Hun- 

 tingdon willow and white poplar through the light green 

 of the larch and lime, the full green of the sycamore 

 and oak, to the dull, dilute green of the alder. And in 

 the evergreen species the shades pass from the silvery or 

 glaucous tints of the Atlas and Himalayan cedars to the 

 dark green of the holly and yew, and the almost black- . 

 green of the aged Scotch fir. Here, then, are abundance of 

 colours for the landscape artist, — colom"s requiring from 

 him most attentive consideration, and on the skilful and 

 harmonious employment of which the success of his 

 work will in a measure depend. We have selected the 

 names of a number of trees and shrubs usually employed 

 for decorative purposes, and arranged them under the 

 different shades of green respectively exhibited by them. 

 Om- readers will understand that we have designedly 

 omitted the abnormal tints, such as occur in the purple 

 beech and in the variegated hollies and sycamores ; and 

 that in some of those given the shades named are only 

 approximations. On some poor clayey and wet soils, 

 common and Portugal laurels have a light yellowish 

 tint. In the shade the hemlock spruce and common 

 yew .preserve a dark green ; in exposed situations they 

 are sometimes of a brownish green. 



