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simple colours, blue, red, and yellow, wben pure, or nearly pure, contrast 
agreeably togetber ; but in close contiguity cacli oi them absorbs, as it were, 
something of the shade which would result from a proper combination with 
the complementary colours of its neighbour,?. Por instance, red by the side 
of yellow assumes a slight tinge of violet, which is tlie complementary of 
yellow ; and the yellow a shade of green, which is the complementary of red. 
2nd. The colours comjdcmentai*}' to one auolber contrast advantageously. 
This is suificicntly evident by the approximation of yellow and violet — com- 
posed of red and blue; red and green — composed of yellow and blue; or 
blue and orange — composed of red and yellow. 3rd. The binary associations 
of composite colours will also produce pleasing results, because in each 
group all three of the elementary colours will be found re-united. That the 
contrasts will be strong and eflective maybe judged by bringing together 
violet (rod and blue), and oi’auge (red and yellow), or the former with green 
(yellow and blue). 4-th. But the results are poor or bad when simple 
colours are associated with mixed colour.s into whose composition they enter, 
as in this case only two of the primary colours are represented. Hence red 
contrasts badly with orange (yellow and red), and with violet (red and blue) ; 
blue with violet (red and blue), or with green (blue and yellow). Yet if the 
simple colour form but a smyll proportion of the mixed colour with which it 
is associated, the contrast will be sufficiently strong to please the eye. Thus 
a lively blue produces a good etfect by the side of a bright or yellowish 
green, and bright yellow by the side of a deep green in which the blue 
element predominates. But these two cases, as will be seen, come within the 
preceding rules, wliich shov/ tluit, hi a general sense, contrasts are agreeable 
in the same proportion as they are decided, oth- All eolorirs, simple or 
compound, are brightened by the -N-icinity of white, and, moreover, contrast 
with it in a most agreeable manner. AYhite has the additional advantage of 
improving bad combinations by being placed bet weeti the colours that do not 
look well together, as, for instance, between red a)id orange, red and violet, 
or violet and blue, Ac. Hence, this colour, so freely lavished in nature, 
plays an important role in decorative cnlturc. Gth. Witli the exception of 
white, all colours are weakened by the neighbourhood of black, which 
deprives tliem of a certain extent of their brilliancy. Dull or deep tints 
suffer especially when associated v.iih black — resulting, of course, from the 
feebleness of tlie contrasts. But as black in but few instances occurs in the 
Yegetable Kingdom, such contrasts could not bo effected, except between 
plants and the soil, wdieu this liittfi* is very dark, and the dull purple foliage 
of some plants, or the deep purple violet llowers of others. The combina- 
tions of colours in tlie dower garden are ooiumouly binary or ternary, rarely 
quarternary, unless llio green of tbe foliage be considered as t'.'king rank in 
these combinatioiis. The most commendable bi:tary combinations are 
as follows, which we arrange in the order of their respective merits : — 
(a) All colours, simple ^^^d compound, with white, though the 
brighter and inircr the colours the more pleasmg the contrasts ; 
for example, bright or deep blue with wdiiic. rose or red with white, bright 
yellow with white, orange with white, green with white, and violet with 
white. (J) The simple colours together, or with their complcmentaries, such 
as red and yellow, red and blue, yellow and blue, yelloAV and violet, orange 
and blue, and green and red. Ternary combinations are far less numerous, 
and in most cases white is an element; often, indeed, it is repeated. The 
following examples will enable one to judge: — AYhite, red, and green ; 
or white, red, white and green ; blue, orange, blue and white ; or 
white, orange, white and blue; white, yellow, violet and white ; or 
white, yellow, white and violet ; yellow, red, white and yellow ; white, 
red, blue and white ; or, better, white, rod, white and blue ; white, 
orange, green and v hite ; or, better still, by interposing vyhite between 
the orange and green ; \\ bite, orange, white and violet ; or, still more effec- 
tive, white, orange, white and violet; white, yellow, blue and. white ; or the 
same combinations with the yellow and blue separated by white. 
