A FEW WORDS ON RUSTIC ARBOURS 



BY AN AMATEUR, NEW YORK. 



There, are no doubt, many persons among 

 your readers, who can indulge in costly 

 vases and expensive ornamental structures 

 as decorations for their gardens, but I am 

 sure there is a much greater number who 

 cannot, and who yet wish to give an air 

 of beauty to their gardens or grounds, To 

 all such, rustic buildings, rustic seats, rus- 

 tic chairs and vases, are invaluable resorts, 

 and I am not quite certain that they do not 

 more universally please, than the more 

 highly artificial form made by the aid of 

 the carpenter. 



One of the first and simplest rustic orna- 

 ments for the pleasure ground or garden, 

 is the rustic seat, which is seldom out of 

 place any where, except it be close by, or 

 directly within the house itself, and if the 

 house also is a rustic cottage, it is appro- 

 priate even there. After this come rustic 

 boxes and baskets for growing flowers, and 

 rustic garden buildings of various kinds. 



The most useful and most agreeable of 

 all these, is the simple rustic arbor, with 

 projecting roof, covered with thatch or 

 bark. I send you herewith (see frontis- 

 piece) sketches of two of these, copied 

 from a French volume on garden decora- 

 tions. I have had one of these executed in 

 a secluded spot, and the effect is highly 

 satisfactory, and a covered arbor like this 

 is agreeable at all seasons of the year, 

 when a walk in the garden is sought 

 after. 



Rustic work, made of the branches of 

 trees indiscriminately, and exposed to the 

 full action of the weather, perishes very 

 speedily. But if it is protected from the 

 rains by being under the shelter of an 



overhanging roof, as for example, covered 

 like these arbors, it will last from 10 to 15 

 years without repairs. But by far the best 

 material, where it can be obtained, is the 

 wood of red cedar, as it will endure for 20 

 years or more. The stems of young ce- 

 dars are usually straight, and may be split 

 in halves so as to form excellent pieces for 

 forming the inlaying or panel-work of the 

 insides of rustic arbors, as shown in the 

 figures ; and the larger limbs will form 

 good pilars and lattice work for the open 

 portions of the exterior. The frame of 

 such arbors as these, is made by setting 

 posts, cedar or other, with the bark on, at 

 the corners, and then nailing rough boards 

 between the posts, in those compartments 

 that are to be worked close. Over these 

 boards the halved or split rods, (those from 

 one to two inches in diameter, are prefer- 

 able,) are nailed on so as to form any 

 pleasing patterns which the taste or fancy 

 may dictate. 



A very little practice will enable any 

 common workman who can use a saw and 

 hammer to do the mechanical part of the 

 work, and even ladies of taste may find 

 much pleasure in planning and directing 

 such operations. I would also remark that 

 this is the best season for making all kinds 

 of rustic work — not only because it is the 

 right time for cutting the wood, in order to 

 have it retain the bark well, but also be- 

 cause the labor of garden workmen is much 

 cheaper now than at any other season of 

 the year. 



I have sometimes seen rustic work intro- 

 duced in excess, and then, like many other 

 things, it becomes ridiculous. In order to 



