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APPLICATION OF THE GREEN BLOT, TO A GROUP OF 
FERN. 
In illustrating this theory of colours, it is not necessary to confine myself 
to flowers, as it is equally applicable to every other object in nature; and 
there being few flowers whose petals are coloured with green, and of these few 
none of a favourable tint, the mind naturally directed chooses some other object 
to exemplify this blot by: but we need not go far in search of one, or even 
quit the vegetable tribe, for there are numberless plants that, independent of 
their flowers, are of thenpelves picturesque subjects for the pencil: of these, 
the common ivy trailing round the decayed trunk or branch of an old tree 
the wild hop clinging with graceful wreaths and festoons to the larger shrubs 
for support, together with the whole tribe of graces and ferns, may be enu¬ 
merated as beautiful subjects ; and capable of being so disposed, as to produce 
a very pleasing effect; most of them comprising all the tints wanted. 
We will suppose this blot to be a branch or group of fern, growing at the 
side of an hedge, with some little ground round it. The fern leaf affords all the 
varieties of green, from the most vivid brilliant colour, next to yellow, down 
to a very deep shade, next to blue, its harmonizing tint; and to which it may 
extend, if necessary, to give so much depth to the effect. 
For the contrasting tint, we must apply elsewhere; and its neighbour, 
the bramble, will afford all that is wanted; for in the leaves of that shrub are 
to be seen the most beautiful variety of dark reds, sufficient to oppose all the 
different greens in the fern ; and a small trailing branch of it might, with pro¬ 
priety, be thrown in, so as to supply all the reds wanted in this composition. 
The purplish grey, often seen in the heath and around where the fern 
grows, would very well oppose the almost yellow green in some of its leaves. 
With these materials, then, we proceed to colour the group : but from the form 
