124 MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES UStiD IN BO&TlCULTURE. 



with rushes or the twigs of broom collected in the winter season, and 

 preserved in bundles so as to retain a certain degree of moisture to 

 prevent them from becoming brittle, and at the same time not to rot 

 them. In this country tarred twine of different degrees of thickness, 

 and bast matting procured by unravelling a mat, are almost the only 

 ties in use. Metallic wire and small copper wire have been recom- 

 mended, but they are only fit for tying labels to trees sent out of 

 nurseries to a distance. A leathern wallet, fig. 94, is found of great 

 use in pruning and nailing wall-trees, when the 

 Fig. 94. operator is standing on a ladder. It is suspended 



from his shoulder by straps, and contains a large 



fig. 95. 



Wallet for putting on 

 when nailing wall- 

 trees from a ladder. 



for a 

 line. 



garden- 



pocket for the shreds, nails, and 

 hammer, and two small pockets 

 over it for a knife and sharpen- 

 ing-stone. 



The garden-line, fig. 95, 

 consisting of an iron reel, a, 

 knob for winding it up, #, iron 

 pin, c, and a hempen cord of 

 any convenient length, is an 

 essential article ; as is a measur- 

 ing-rod, marked with feet and f ron ree i ana pin 

 inches, for laying off dimensions, 

 and a Gunter's measuring-chain, 

 for use on a large scale. A pocket foot-rule and a measuring-tape are 

 also useful. 



Ladders of different kinds and lengths are required for use in the 

 open garden and in hothouses. Figs. 96 and 97 represent a light 

 folding ladder, the sides of which may be constructed of yellow deal, 

 and the rounds or treads of oak. It is used in hothouses, and also in 

 the open garden, and may be of any length, from fifteen to thirty feet. 

 When the ladder is open for use, it has the appearance shown in fig. 

 97, d] when half shut, of e\ and when entirely shut, of fig. 96. 

 The section of each of the sides, or styles, is a semi-oval ; their junc- 

 tion, when the ladder is shut up, forms an entire oval in the section, as 

 shown in fig. 96. The rounds, or treads, are cylindrical; and, when 

 the ladder is shut up, they fall into grooves, hollowed out, of the same 

 form ; half of the groove of each round being in one style, and half in 

 the other, as indicated by the dotted lines a 6, in fig. 96. The 

 ends of each of the rounds turn on iron pins ; one end rests on a 

 shoulder, as at , while the other end is suspended from below the 

 shoulder, and turns on an iron or brass pin, as indicated by b. The 

 ends of the iron pins which pass through the styles are slightly riveted. 

 In every description of plant-houses, vineries, verandahs, conserva- 

 tories, aviaries, &c., a folding-ladder of this kind is a most con- 

 venient article ; because, when shut up, it may be carried through 

 a house much easier than a common ladder. For working among 

 climbing plants under glass, it is found to be particularly useful, as 

 it may be introduced in places where there is not room for a common 



