ON PLANTING ISOLATED TREES. 
161 
single trees have no such effect. Grass, or plantations, which invariably ought to 
clothe the ground in the vicinity of artificial bodies of water, or of rivers that tra- 
verse estates devoted to pleasure, unite best with each other, or with the water, 
when the first is left in open glades, and the trees are congregated together in 
irregular groups. It is impossible, in short, to obtain that fine diversity of figure 
which should characterize the turf surrounding water as much as the water itself, or 
occasionally to hide the course or conceal the boundary of the latter, or to make, in 
some places, a glorious, but, nevertheless, limited, expanse of water and garden or 
park apparent, and, in others, to completely embosom a lake among trees, without 
employing plantations on a greater or less scale. Besides, the reflection of masses 
of trees in water is much more gratifying than that of single ones ; and specimens 
standing alone would tend to separate the turf into petty and paltry fragments. 
Again, if it be wished to exclude certain objects from the range of view at the 
mansion, or other prominent parts of the garden, or to shut out one portion of the 
estate or pleasure-grounds from another, it would be absurd, for this end, were the 
intermediate space extensive enough, to plant a great number of single trees ; 
because, however they might on the whole be arranged to effect the design from one 
or more positions, there would necessarily be parts, especially in winter, through 
which the things sought to be banished could be perceived. To accomplish 
such intentions, close planting is the only rational method. 
Having thus spoken of the spots where isolated trees should not be planted, we 
must treat of those to which they are most suitable. In every garden or park 
there are some flat or slightly-sloping pieces of turf, on which (save those imme- 
diately environing the house, and which should be reserved, to a distance compatible 
with the size and style of the building, for flowers, shrubs, or avenues alone) speci- 
mens of trees may be so disposed as to present aggregately a most sylvan aspect, 
while, at the same time, they individually invite examination and produce pleasure, 
keep out of sight the actual limits of a place, give an image of indefiniteness, and 
show to what perfection trees are capable of being brought by being grown on grass 
and kept apart from each other. 
Probably no spot without the garden boundary is better calculated to exhibit a 
fine specimen tree to advantage, than the slope of a trifling park eminence, which 
rises sufficiently high to prevent the top of the tree from cutting the horizon. 
Looked upon with the light-green grass for a background, its figure, and the dark 
masses of its foliage, are just obvious enough to excite all the pleasurable emotions 
they are formed for yielding, while they do not acquire that nakedness and con- 
spicuousness which are rather a drawback than an incentive to admiration. 
The same species, however, planted in the pleasure-grounds, whether on a slope 
of a similar kind, or a common plane, become far more interesting, from the feathering 
of their branches quite down to the turf ; cattle ordinarily eating the lower shoots 
in parks. Wherever, about a pleasure-garden, plantations were not essential, or 
shrubs more adapted to the locality, or beds and borders of flowers more charac- 
VOL. VIII. — no. xci. 
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