Eyes accustomed to the careless profusion that one may see even on a short railway journey in England are shocked to find nature so tractable both in land and water.
The Dutchman's pruning, however, is not done solely for the satisfaction of exerting control.

These millions of pollarded willows which one sees from the line have a deeper significance than might ever be guessed at: it is they that are keeping out Holland's ancient enemy, the sea.

In other words, a great part of the basis of the strength of the dykes is imparted by interwoven willow boughs, which are constantly being renewed under the vigilant eyes of the dyke inspectors.

For the rest, the inveterate trimming of trees must be a comparatively modern custom, for many of the old landscapes depict careless foliage--Koninck's particularly.

And look, for instance, at that wonderful picture--perhaps the finest landscape in Dutch art--Rembrandt's etching "The Three Trees".