THE RENOVATION OF OLD PLACES. 239 
these medleys of trees and shrubs — the bold cutting or digging-out 
of the poorest trees, the re-arrangement of the shrubbery, so that 
the sunlight may play with the shadows of those that remain, upon 
some open breadth of velvety grass — and there will stand revealed 
a mass of beautiful home adornments that the place bare of large 
trees and mature shrubs will envy. Sometimes old fruit-trees that 
have had an air habitually expressive of hard times and low living, 
with a little pruning, and extra feeding, and the well-to-do air that 
a new green lawn-carpet gives them, will assume a new dress of 
foliage, and wear it with such luxuriant grace that they become the 
most pleasing of trees — scarcely recognizable as the same which so 
lately wore a dejected air. 
In renovating old grounds that are filled with mature trees and 
shrubs, the first thing to be decided on is the amount of clean 
cutting-out to be done ; — what had better be entirely removed in 
order that something better may be developed. “ Trimming-up,” 
instead of cutting-out, is the common error of persons ignorant of 
the arts of sylvan picture-making; an error invariably defended 
with the potent plea of — “/don’t believe in cutting down shade 
trees.” It is the semblance of a good reason, and the best excuse 
that can be given for ignorance in an art which can only be taught 
by example to those who are not born with landscape mirrors 
in their hearts. It is only necessary, however, to show a dense 
grove of high-trimmed trees on one side, and then a similar grove 
one-third of which has been cut away to make clear openings of 
sunny lawn through it, and give the remaining trees room to spread 
their bending boughs to meet the grass, to feel the difference be- 
tween art that mars, and art that reveals natural beauty. 
Yet in regard to “trimming-up” there may be occasions for 
some exceptional treatment. Noble growths of evergreens grow- 
ing to the ground sometimes fill the grounds of a small place, 
obstructing the views over the lawn to a serious extent ; what they 
conceal being a more important part of the beauty that may be 
developed than is their own beauty. To destroy the trees may 
leave too great a void ; to leave them as they are is to retain the 
gloomy expression that results from lack of sunny lawn and bright 
vistas under the boughs of trees. In such cases we would trim 
