104 
LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
buildings, and natural or artificial objects, uniting well with 
other forms and doing violence to no expression of scenery. 
From the numerous breaks in the surface of their foliage, 
which -reflect differently the lights and produce deep 
shadows, there is great intricacy and variety in the heads 
of many round-topped trees ; and therefore, as an outer 
surface to meet the eye in a plantation, they are much 
softer and more pleasing than the unbroken line exhibited 
by the sides of oblong or spiry-topped trees. The sky 
outline also, or the upper part of the head* varies greatly 
in round-topped trees from the irregularity in the dispo- 
sition of the upper branches in different species, as the 
oak and ash, or even between individual specimens of the 
same kind of tree, as the oak, of which we rarely see 
two trees alike in form and outline, although they have 
the same characteristic expression ; while on the other 
hand no two verdant objects can bear a greater general 
resemblance to each other and show more sameness ol 
figure than two Lombardy poplars. 
“In a tree,” says Uvedale Price, “of which the foliage 
is everywhere full and unbroken, there can be but little 
variety of form ; then, as the sun strikes only on the 
surface, neither can there be much variety of light and 
shade ; and as the apparent color of objects changes 
according to the different degrees of light or shade in 
which they are placed, there can be as little variety of 
tint ; and lastly, as there are none of these openings that 
excite and nourish curiosity, but the eye is everywhere 
opposed by one uniform leafy screen, there can be as 
little intricacy as variety.” From these remarks, it will 
be perceived that even among round-headed trees there 
may be great difference in the comparative beauty of 
