1st. Concentric line c D; box, Syringa m., Jasminum fruticans, Syringa m., &c. 1st. Concentric line ca; the preceding box, Philadelphus cor., lilac, Philadelphus cor., &c. 1st. Concentric line A D; Philadelphus cor., lilac, Philadelphus cor., Jasminum fruticans, Syringa media. 2nd. Concentric line c D; Esculus rubicundus, laburnum, Judas tree; laburnum, Judas tree, laburnum; Judas tree, laburnum, Kalreuteria. 2nd. Concentric line D A; the preceding Kalreuteria, laburnum, Prunus m., Esculus rubicundus. 2nd. Concentric line A c; the preceding Esculus rubicundus; flowering ash of the central line. The three Masses 1, 2, and 3, are allied together. 1. By means of the lilacs of the first concentric lines. 2. By means of the tufts of Prunus m., and of laburnum, of the second concentric lines. 3. By means of the syringas of the first concentric 4. By means of the flowering ash and the Esculus rubi- B. Examples of Harmonies between Masses not subordinated together, but in proximity. The Mass No. 1, composed almost exclusively of Bengal roses, which retain their leaves a long while, is allied, 1. To the Mass No. 2, the line of which is formed of white lilac, almond laurels, and syringas, separated from each other by Bengal roses. Harmony is then established by means of the same species, and increased by means of an analogous foliage; for that of the Bengal roses harmonises perfectly with the leaves of the almond laurels, and that of the box tree, which terminates the Mass 2. 2. To the Mass No. 6, by means of a border on the side of the meadow or lawn, composed solely of pink and white Bengal roses. 3. To the Mass 4, by the foliage of the box. The Mass No. 2 of the second line of a to d' is planted with laburnums and Judas trees; and the Mass No. 4, of which the second concentric line includes the laburnums and the Judas trees, is allied to the Mass No. 6, of which the line on the side of the alley v is parallel. The Mass 4 allies itself to a neighbouring mass, composed in the following manner: 1st. Concentric line; Rhus cotinus, rose bush; Rhus cotinus, &c. Between the Rhus plants there is an interval of six feet and a half. 2nd. Median line; almond laurel, tufts of Judas tree, sycamore, laburnum, Esculus rubicundus, Judas tree, satin maple, laburnum, laurel, black ash. The effect of the Rhus cotinus, covered with its fruit, is most agreeable during autumn. C. Example of Harmony between Masses more or less distant from each other. Harmonies are established between distant masses by the same means as they are between neighbouring masses, except that the interval which exists between the first requires that at the principal points of view from which they must be presented simultaneously to the eyes, the forms and the colours which connect them should be plainly perceived. The foliage in the masses being much more abundant than the flowers, the shades of their greens will not differ so much among each other as the colours of their flowers; conse quently, the distant masses, whatever be the variety of their respective foliages, are always in harmony of form and colour if they have been planted according to our rules; and if they are composed solely of ligneous plants which lose their leaves in winter, or solely of evergreens, which do not lose them: but, in the opposite case, that is to say when the distant masses are formed, the one of deciduous trees, and the other of evergreens, some remarks must be made relative to the conditions of harmony, which are the more necessary as landscape gardens generally fail in this respect. For where masses of deciduous trees are found, a clump or a mass of evergreens are almost always out of keeping. To remedy this defect, we must multiply the groups or masses of evergreens, so as to establish between all of them this same correlation which is required by the deciduous trees; but it is not necessary that the trees should occupy a space equal to that occupied by ordinary trees, it is sufficient if their forms recur at suitable intervals. In a word, for evergreens to produce a good effect, they must compose only an ensemble which unites itself where it intercalates with the ensemble of the masses of deciduous trees. We may oppose allspice trees to pines, cedars, larches; different groups composed of three or four trees only, sufficient to harmonise a large space of ground occupied with two or three groups, composed of half a hundred similar trees. (804.) 9th RULE.-There are certain cases where the want either of perspective or harmony requires in a large mass a line of trees which is neither concentric with its circumference, nor identical with the central line, if there be one: such for example as the line PR which is found in the Masses 1 and 2 (Pl. 4); for if the planting of this line be correct and consequent of the preceding principles, it is necessary that the trunks which design it, beyond the concentric plantings, be in the points of intersection of the line P R, with the concentric lines and the central line, if there be one; and the trunks must be as much as possible at equal distances from each other, and in places which, if they were not planted with trees, would be with some plants which compose concentric lines. This rule, necessary in many cases, gives to our system of planting a generalisation which it would not have without it, and by putting it in practice we establish a relation where there would have been none. I shall remark that these lines must generally be composed of plants slightly bushy, a little taller than those in front, and it will almost always suffice to have them placed at wide intervals apart. In fact, they must be regulated with respect to the height of the plants which are both behind and in front of them. (805.) 10th RULE.-After tracing the lines of plantations, and putting in the stakes to mark out the centre of the holes to be dug, we must draw upon grey paper lines representing those of the masses we intend to plant, taking as many equidistant points as there are stakes in the corresponding lines of plantation; we then fasten wafers on these points, or little circles of paper of the colours of the flowers or the foliage of the plants, according to the desired effect. We may extend this rule to an ensemble of mass on the same system. By this means we can judge of the harmony of the colours of flowers with the different hues of green produced by the vegetation of which we may compose a mass, and consequently rectify any detect before we begin to plant. Although this rule is more especially applicable to the masses of flowers of which the whole extent may be seen at a single glance, it is also advantageous for plants which are intended to act by their foliage. A system of masses thus represented will be very suitable to enable us to appreciate not only the effect of plants composing each of them, but also the general effect of subordinated masses and of near and of distant masses. It will be very useful in enabling us to appreciate the distribution of green trees in the ensemble of the composition, as we can distinguish the principles of those which lose their leaves by wafers or small circles of a dark-green, different from those we employ for the others. A similar plan, always easily made, will permit a landowner-when once his masses are planned, their concentric lines traced, and the species to be planted determined upon -to order from the nurseryman the exact number of each species he requires. For a landowner there is in fact no plan more simple or more suitable for representing exactly, I do not say every tree which enters into the composition of the masses, but still the shrubs, bushes, underwood, and also the herbaceous plants which form part of it. CHAPTER IV. ON THE PRINCIPLES UPON WHICH THE SYSTEM OF PLANTING DESCRIBED IN THE TWO PRECEDING CHAPTERS IS BASED. (806.) It will not be useless to give a résumé of the principles upon which the system of planting described in the preceding chapters is based; the details into which I have entered may have made us lose sight of the ensemble of these principles, and this résumé appears to me indispensable to facilitate their application to those who would observe them. 1. Principle of Height. (807.) Whenever we see an object occupy a greater extent in space than we had expected before seeing it, its height becomes a striking quality, independent of every other. Thus we admire the height of a tree which surpasses the dimensions we regard as common to individuals of its species. 2. Principle of Form. (808.) One of the principal elements, in our judgment, of the effect of an object observed, is the form under which it appears. Consequently, plants, particularly isolated trees and clumps, must be trained in height so as to take the form which is most advantageous to them: and this leads us to reflect that the form of the greater part of the trees of our forests is not natural to them; for if we had not raised them by removing their lower branches, instead of the trunks being straight as we see them, they would only appear as |