308 
LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
Where rocks thus accidentally occur in beautiful scenes, to 
which they if left bare would be inimical, they may be 
wonderfully softened and brought into keeping by a cover- 
ing of the honeysuckle, the Ivy, the Virginia creeper, and 
other species of the gayest and most luxuriant flowering 
vines. 
Loose and detached fragments of rocks can never be 
permitted to lie scattered about the lawn, in any style. In 
a scene expressive of graceful beauty, of course they would 
be entirely out of place : and in a picturesque scene, they 
should only be suffered to remain in spots where they have 
some evident connection with larger masses. If they were 
allowed to lie loosely around, they would only give an air 
of confused wildness, opposed to every thing like the ele- 
gance of tasteful art or the comfort of a country residence ; 
but if only seen in particular spots where they evidently 
belong, they will, by contrast, give force and spirit to the 
whole. We do not now speak of large rounded boulders 
or smooth stones, such as are seen lying about the soil in 
some of our valley tracts ; as such are void of interest, and, 
unless they are large, or in some degree remarkable, they 
ought to be at once removed out of the way. Characteristic 
and picturesque rocks, are those with firm, rugged, and dis- 
tinct outlines, externally covered with a coating of weather 
stains, dark lichens, or mosses, and which meet the eye 
with a mellow and softened tone of colour. 
Roads and walks are so directly connected with opera- 
tions on the surface of the ground, and with the disposition 
of plantations, which we have already made familiar to the 
reader, that we shall introduce in this place a few remarks 
relative to their direction and formation. A French writer 
has remarked of them that they are 11 lesrubans qui attachent 
