Sun-dials 377 



The dial-face is upheld by a carefully modelled tor- 

 toise in bronze, which is an equally suggestive em- 

 blem, connected with the tradition,, folk-lore, and 

 religious beliefs of both primitive and cultured peo- 

 ples ; it is specially full of meaning in this place. 

 The whole sun-dial shows much thought and aes- 

 thetic perception in the designer and owner, and 

 cannot fail to prove gratifying to all observers 

 having either sensibility or judgment. 



Occasionally a very unusual and beautiful sun-dial 

 standard may be seen, like the one in the Rose gar- 

 den at Yaddo, Saratoga, New York, a copy of rarely 

 beautiful Pompeian carvings. A representation of 

 this is shown on page 86. Copies of simpler antique 

 carvings make excellent sun-dial pedestals ; a safe 

 rule to follow is to have a reproduction made of some 

 well-proportioned English or Scotch pedestal. The 

 latter are well suited to small gardens. I have draw- 

 ings of several Scotch sun-dials and pedestals which 

 would be charming in American gardens. In the 

 gardens at Hillside, by the side of the Shakespeare 

 Border is a sun-dial (page 378) which is an exact 

 reproduction of the one in the garden at Abbots- 

 ford, the home of Sir Walter Scott. This pedestal 

 is suited to its surroundings, is well proportioned ; 

 and has historic interest. It forms an excellent 

 example of Charles Lamb's " garden-altar." 



On a lawn or in any suitable spot the dial-face can 

 be mounted on a boulder; one is here shown. I 

 prefer a pedestal. For gardens of limited size, much 

 simplicity of design is more pleasing and more fitting 

 than any elaborate carving. In an Italian garden, or 



