DECIDUOUS ORNAMENTAL TREES. 
169 
can just perceive a bright yellow stealing over the leaves, 
then a deeper golden tint, then a few faint blushes, until at 
length the whole mass of foliage becomes one blaze of 
crimson or orange. 
“ Tints that the maple woods disclose 
Like opening buds or fading rose, 
Or various as those hues, that dye 
The clouds that deck a sunset sky.” 
The contrast of colouring exhibited on many of our fine 
river shores in a warm dry autumn, is perhaps superior to 
any thing of the kind in the world : and the leading and 
most brilliant colours, viz : orange and scarlet, are produced 
by maples. Even in Europe, they are highly valued for 
this autumnal appearance, so different from that of most of 
the trees of the old world. Yery beautiful effects can be 
produced by planting the Scarlet and Sugar maples in the 
near neighbourhood of the ash, which, as we have already 
noticed, assumes a fine brownish purple ; of the sycamore, 
which is yellow, and some of the oaks, which remain green 
for a long time : if to these we add a few evergreens, as the 
White pine and hemlock, to produce depth, we shall have a 
kind of kaleidiscope group, harmonious and beautiful as the 
rainbow. 
When the maple is planted to grow singly on the lawn, or 
in small groups, it should never be trimmed up ten or twenty 
feet high, a very common practice in some places, as 
this destroys half its beauty ; but if it be suffered to branch 
out quite low down, it will form a very elegant head. The 
maple is well suited to scenes expressive of graceful beauty, 
as they unite to a considerable variation of surface, a pleas- 
ing softness and roundness of outline. In bold or picturesque 
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