42 
THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDES. 
right therein; but it will be observed that in the foreground 
the green is of great breadth, and some intensity—that, in 
fact, it is a more distinctive feature than the yellow. But 
look at the mid-distance. There the green groundwork is 
subdued in tone, and the yellow has gained in strength, so 
much so that the green is almost overpowered by it, and we 
call it—properly too-—“the field of the cloth of gold.” But 
now, observe the background. If the field extends to a suffi¬ 
cient distance from the eye, its farthest boundary is a sharp 
bright line of gold ; the green groundwork is lost altogether; 
the buttercups, which near our feet are scattered so that 
between every two or three tufts of flowers there are distinct 
hummocks of grass, are in the far distance packed so close as 
to present to the eye a solid golden band reaching across the 
field, and which, if there is a copse or a heath beyond, looks 
all the brighter and sharper by contrast. That these different 
appearances of the field are delusions, need not be explained. 
We see the distant buttercups at a lower angle than those 
that are near, and the gradual strengthening of the yellow, 
and weakening of the green, as the eye ranges across the field, 
are phenomena resulting solely from the different angles at 
which each successive distance is viewed : we look down into 
the grass at our feet; we look along the surface of the whole 
vegetation as we glance to the distant parts of the scene, and 
the horizontal line of vision passes through all the buttercups, 
and does not touch the grass at all. 
We can agree on two points—first, that the' change from 
a predominance of green to a predominance of yellow is per¬ 
fectly natural and easily understood; and, second, that it 
affords immense delight to the eye—so much delight, indeed, 
that the most fastidious colourist amongst us could scarcely 
wish for a finer effect than is every year produced by every 
meadow that is weli sprinkled with buttercups. Now, what 
is the idea of that scene when considered artistically ? The 
idea is, that one colour may dominate, may make other 
colours subservient to it, and so afford pleasure to the eye. 
We have a hint here of the value of what may be called 
dominant colouring, and which in bedding displays may be 
worked out to grand results. Let us suppose we have to 
colour a group of panel beds, or a geometric scheme on a 
terrace. By selecting one strong colour to determine the tone 
of the whole group, we secure, in the first instance, an idea; 
