THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 375 



steeping the wood in hot water, for it may peel off on its own account 

 when the work has taken its final place in the garden, and render it 

 unsightly, and a prey to weather. When the bark is removed, the 

 timber presents a naturally polished surface, in many instances, as 

 for example, yew, holly, and oak, extremely beautiful, and susceptible 

 ol improvement by the application of a preservative coat of varnish 

 And here we will again remark that wood in its natural colour, or 

 at most with the improvement of a stain, is much to be preferred to 

 painted wood, whenever circumstances admit of its use with pro- 

 priety. Even common deal plank, when employed as the inner 

 lining of a summer-house, only needs to be coloured with oak stain 

 and varnished to present a fine mellow appearance, far more in 



unison than paint would be with a garden scene, especially if var- 

 nished yew, bolly, and oak, and unbarked hazel rods and pine-cones, 

 constitute the principal ornamental features. One word more on 

 this subject. Varnish is varnish all the world over, and needs no 

 explaining; but sometimes oil is rubbed in as a substitute, and 

 another substitute is a mixture of gold size and boiled linseed oil. 

 These are good preservatives, and afford a good tone of colour, but 

 utterly inadmissible on any part of the wood-work which one's die.-:' 

 is likely to come in contact with. As to the oil, /»«;• et simple, it 

 generally sinks into the texture of the word, but remains unabsorbed 

 about the neighbourhood of hard knots, to make oily prints of those 

 knots upon the backs of those who submit themselves for tin; 

 operation. As for tho second, it never becomes thoroughly hard, 



December. 



