The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1852-12-10
By A, J. DOWNING.

may strictly be called an ornamental tre
NOT a tree planted for is fruit nth
orchard, orgrowlngfor timber in the for
est, but standing alone in the lawn o
meadow glowing in groups in the pleas
ure ground, cyer-arching the roadside,
or bordering some stately avenue. d
Is itnot, first Of all, that such tree
standing where il can grow untouched
and develop itself on all sides, is one o
the finest pictures Of symmetry and pro.
portion, that the eye can any where
meet with2 The tree may be young
or il may be old, but If left to nature,
!, is sure 10 grow into sume form that
courts the eye and satisfies H.. II may
branch out boldly and grandly, like the
Oak; lis top may be broad and stately,
like the Chestnut; or dropping and ele-
CANT, liko the Elm; OF delicate and airy,
like the Birch; bat il is sure TO grow
into the type.form-eiiher beautiful or
piciuresque--ihat nature stamped upon
lis species, and which is the highest
beauty such a tree can possess. Il Is
true that nature plants some trees, like
,he Fir aud Pine, in the assures Of the
rock. and on the edge Of tbe precipice
that she twists their boughs and gnarls
their stems by storms and iempes,s--
thereby addingto their picturesque pow
erin sublime and grand scenery; but as
general truth, itimay be clearly stated
that the beautiful, in tree Of any, kind,
is never SO fully developed. as when, in
genial soil and climate, il stands quite
alone, stretching its boughs upward free-
" the sky, and olitward to tho breeze,
and even downward towards the earth -
almost touching il with their graceful
sweep, till only glimpse Of the fine
trunk is had in all its spreading base and
the whole top is one great globe Of wav-
ing, flpaling, dropping or sturdy luxuri-
ance, giving one as perfect an idea Of
symmetry and proportion, as can he found
short OF :be Grecian Apollo itself.
We have taken the pains 10 present
This beau ideal OF fine ornamental tree,
10 our readers. in order 10 contrast ii
with another picture, not from nature,
but by the hands Of quite another mas
Ter. 3
This tnasteF is the man whose passion
is 10 prune trees. To his mind, there is
nothing comparable 10 the satisfaction Of
trimming tree. A tree in state Of
nature, is.a no more respectable object,
than an untaned savage. 1t is running
to waste with leaves and branches; and
has none Of the look Of civilization about
il. Only lei him use his saw for shor
time, upon any young specimen, just
growing into adolescence, and throwing
out its delicate branches like fine fall
Of dsapery, 10 conceal its naked trunk ;
aud you shall see how he will improre iis
appearance. Yes. he will trim up those
branches ill there is tail, naked stem,
higher than his head. That shows that
the tree has been taken care of--has been
irimmed--ergc, trained and edncaied in.
30 look OF respectabliiy. This is bis
great point--.tl,e fundamental law Of syl-
van beauty in his m,nd--a bare pole ,ci
a top Of foliage at the end Of Il. If he
cannot do this, he may content himself
with thinning out the branches TO lei in
:be light, or clipping them at the ends to
send the heads upwards, or cutting out
the leader TO make il spread laterally.--
But though the trees formed by these Int
fer modes Of pruning are well enough,
they never reach that exalted standard.
which has for its type, a pale as bare as
ships mast, with only a flying s,udding
sail Of greeu bonghs at ,he end Of i,.*
= We suppose this very common pleas
urs-for il mus. he pleasurc- which so
many persons find in trimming up orna
mental trees, is based on f sling that
trees, growing qui'ein the natural way,
must be capable Of some ameloya,ion by
sr,; and as printing is usually acknowl,
edged to be useful in developing certain
points in frui, tree; like good purpose
will be reached by the use Of the knife
upon an ornamental tree. But the com.
parison does not hold good, since the
objects aimed at, ale essentially different.
Pruning, at least all useful pruning, as
applied 10 fruit trees, is applied for tie
purpose Of adding To-, OF diminishing, or
otherwise regulating the f'uiJulness Of
the Tree; and this, in many cases, is eff
fecied at the acknowledged diminution
of the growth, luxuriance and beauty of
the ,ree--so far as spread Of branches
and prodigality of folilge 60. But even
here, the pruner, who prunes only for the
sake of using Il Q knife, (ike hear,less
young surgeons in hospitals, not unfre-
,quenlly goes too far, inj'res the perfect
maturity Of the CROP, and has,ens the de-
cline Of she tree; by depriving il Of the
fair proportions which nature has estab-
lished between the leas and the fruit.
But for the most part, we imagine that
we complain Of, is want Of perception
Of what is truly beautiful in en- orna-
mental tree. liseems to us indisputable,
that no one who has any perception Of
the beauiifnl ii neture, could never doubt
for Q moment, that fine single Elm, OF
Oak, such do we may find in the valley