280 O^ FLOWEU PEGS. 



tliousand and odd can be cut from one cubic foot of timber, the 

 full value of which would be from Qd. to 2*. 6f/., according to 

 circumstances, but the average of 1*. or \s. 3d. would be a fair 

 estimate of tlie cost per foot for materials. Contrast tliis with a 

 couple of thousand of hooked sticks ]0 inches long, cut from tlie 

 spray or bi'anclies of trees, of sufficient strength to admit of being 

 hammeretl in driving: instead of packing tlieni into the compass 

 of a cubic foot, I find they would till the body of a cart — being 

 46 faggots, 10 inches by 9 inches, or about 27 cubic feet, and 

 nearly 2 cwt. 



The tiaining of a wall-tree could not be effected by means of 

 shreds pulling all one way, but it is accomplished readily by pulling 

 tiie branches riglit and left, and thus any distance or direction is 

 secured to the bearing wood. Now suppose a plant trained to 

 the face of the earth instead of to the face of a wall, there is 

 wanted tlie left-hand power to keep the shoot away from the 

 earth, as well as the riglit-hand power to keep it to the earth ; 

 and it is here that the forked prop is required, without which 

 the system of level training, which I am advocating, is imijrac- 

 tieable. 



By far the most beautiful flower-bed I ever saw was a crescent 

 of moss-roses, pegged down near the earth upon moss, so that 

 the flowers rose upright upon their own footstalks, and tlie 

 foliage had just room enough to fall witliout trailing upon the 

 ground. 



By means of pegs and props hundreds of rambling plants miglit 

 be trained or led where we please, that otherwise would g-et 

 entangled, and would not behave themselves either upon the 

 eai'th or tied to a stake in the air. Nearly half the suunner 

 labour of some flower gardens is the propping and tying of the 

 flowers ; and go where you may in tlie flowery days of summer, 

 you find gardening folks with sticks in tlieir iiands, and strands 

 of matting in their teeth to tie the flowers with. The system of 

 propping here detailed Avill at least support one-half of all tlie 

 hardy ornamental plants requiring props, and that at a cost of .50 

 per cent, less than is now required to do them. The foliage of 

 plants, instead of being bundled up in faggots to sticks, should 

 be exposed to sun and air, and this can only be done with an 

 amazing — I had almost saitl unreasonable — number of ties ; it is 

 therefore necessary, in developing this plan, to cheapen the props 

 before using them so extravagantly, for it must come to this at 

 last, tiiat every flower-head shall have a place to itself, and by 

 raising it higher or lower according to circumstances, great 

 beauty and variety will be produced. 



Besides bedding plants that are usually pegged, and rambling 

 plants that require tall sticks, there are things that want raising 



