834 
THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
ON MIXED PLANTATIONS. 
BT JOHK IIOEETSOB', 
Coneypark Nursery, Stirling. 
For this Essay the Author was awarded the Medium Gold Medal of the Highland and 
Agricultural Society of Scotland. 
In Two Paets. — Paet I. 
IHE skilful landscape gardener must be considered as a 
true artist. His art is a combination of the florist’s, 
forester’s, land-surveyor’s, architect’s, and painter’s ; 
for he is called upon at times to exercise the skilfulness 
which belongs to each of these several professions, or to 
give an opinion on matters practically connected with some of their 
departments. 
The effect which is produced in the appearance of a landscape 
by a judicious grouping of trees is very remarkable. Besides being 
in themselves objects of great beauty, they impart an agreeable 
variety of colouring and shading to the landscape, and serve to show 
off with advantage all other objects seen along with them, whether 
in their immediate neighbourhood or at a distance. A level plain, 
however well cultivated, looks tame and monotonous unless appro- 
priately relieved by strips or groups of planting ; and even a single 
tree in a park is often acknowledged to be a decided outset. An 
exposed cottage on a rising ground looks solitary, cold, and cheer- 
less ; but peering out from amidst trees, the same dwelling seems 
the very picture of peaceful comfort and happiness. In this latter 
aspect there appears to be a most appropriate and even necessary 
connection between the house and the trees, not merely because the 
planting is required for shelter, but it seems to be absolutely de- 
manded for the sake of its ornamental character. Such an example 
may serve to bring out the general principle, that a cottage being 
shown to more advantage when surrounded by a planting of trees, 
it should always be so provided and exhibited ; and if this may be 
assumed as a general principle, it suggests the existence of certain 
laws of ornament as belonging to the art of the landscape gardener. 
The application of these laws, however, must always depend on cir- 
cumstances ; for they cannot be so clearly defined as to entitle them 
to be considered as absolute, neither are they so doubtful and un- 
satisfactory as to warrant their being altogether neglected. 
In the formation of new plantations, much might be done to 
secure the beauty of the scenery by such an arrangement of the 
different varieties of trees as would form an agreeable shading to the 
landscape. The lights and shadows shown in a great picture are its 
principal attractions ; and, as they give expression to the design of 
the artist, it is upon them that his chief attention is bestowed. In 
the same way, the harmony of colouring presented in the natural 
landscape must likewise be considered one of its most engaging 
features ; and it should be the aim of the landscape gardener to 
