STAKES AND SUPPORTS. 484 STAKES AND SUPPORTS. 



alyssum, the purple arabis, and the early 

 sorts of hardy rhododendron." These with 

 other kinds will make the garden look 

 bright and gay in early spring. 



Stakes and Supports, Attach- 

 ment of Plants to. 



As regards the :eans of attaching plants 

 w sticks and supports of all kinds, if it be 



MODES OF TYING TREE TO STAKE. 



a tree to a stake, or the stem of a hard- 

 wooded plant, such as the honeysuckle, 

 Sec., that may be tied without danger of 

 injuring the bark, tarred cord may be used. 

 Of course, climbing plants may be tied 

 loosely so as not to cut into the bark or 

 stem in any way ; but when a tree is tied 

 to a supporting stake, it must be bound to 

 it tightly. To prevent injury to the bark, 

 something soft must intervene between the 

 string and the tree and the stake. There 

 is nothing better for this purpose than a 

 piece of old Victoria felt carpeting, a strip 

 of which may be wrapped three or four 

 times round the stem, as shown at A in the 

 accompanying illustration, or folded to 

 form a wad, and placed on the side of the 

 tree opposite to that on which it is touched 

 by the stake, as at B ; but if the latter 

 mode be adopted, it is desirable to place 

 another thickness or two of the felt between 

 the tree and the stake, to prevent them 

 from being in absolute contact. The tarred 

 cord may then be lied as tightly as it is 

 possible to tie it. For tying plants and 



blooms of plants to sticks, &c., bast was 

 formerly used, obtained from Russian mat- 

 ting made of the inner bark of the lime or 

 linden tree. It was necessary to soak this 

 to render it tough enough for the purpose 

 for when dry it is extremely brittle. Of 

 late years it has been superseded by raffia, 

 a material obtained from the leaves of a 

 palm. This is sold by all nurserymen and 

 seedsmen, at about 6d. per pound. It is 

 very light, and the long strands are plaited 

 together in lengths of about three feet, or a 

 little more. The plait should be undone 

 and tied at the thick end, to render the 

 strands ready for use. The fibre is 

 extremely tough, and can be used just as 

 it is without soaking, which is a great- con- 

 venience. 



Stakes and Supports for Plants. 



These are numerous and various, com* 

 posing as they do flower stakes and sticks, 

 poles, sticks for peas and beans, stakes for 

 espalier-trained trees, trellises of all kinds, 

 with wire cordons stretched along the 

 ground, or on stakes, or in advance of the 

 surfaces of walls, with the holdfasts and 

 straining apparatus necessary for keeping 

 them in position and drawing them out to 

 a necessary state of tension. Of these, 

 some may be made both of wood and iron, 

 by putting iron rods into thicker wooden 

 feet, but most are made either of wood or 

 iron alone. 



Stakes and Supports, Iron 

 Flower. 



These have been introduced of late years 

 as being more desirable and lighter in ap- 

 pearance than wooden stakes ; but as they 

 are considerably less in diameter than 

 wooden sticks and stakes that would be 

 used for the same plants, they are not pos- 

 sessed of so much holding power, as it may 

 be termed, in the soil. For example, an 

 iron rod ^ inch in diameter, though 



