STAKES AND SUPPORTS. 485 STAKES AND SUPPORTS. 



stronger and more lasting than a wooden 

 stake of double its diameter, or even more, 

 will not present so much resistance to the 

 wind and weight of the plant that is tied to 

 it as the latter, owing to the small amount 

 of surface to press against the soil, and it 

 Would soon become loosened by the sway- 

 ing to and fro of the plant in a tolerably 

 high wind. In order to counteract and 

 overcome this manifest inconvenience, iron 

 flower stakes of this description, which, by 

 the way, are only used for the larger kinds 

 of plants, are furnished with a tripod-like 

 foot, as shown at A in the accompanying 

 illustration. By this contrivance a sufficient 



FEET FOR IRON FLOWER STAKES. 



degree of stability is attained, and the 

 slake itself may be brought close to the 

 plant without any chance of injuring it in 

 its main roots by the bottom of the stake 

 when driven into the ground. The 

 amateur who is desirous of utilising iron 

 rods or even iron wire not less than T \ inch 

 gauge for flower sticks may gain stability 

 for them by fitting the lower end into such 

 a wooden foot as is shown at B, which, 

 from the extent of its surface, will afford 

 enough resistance to the surrounding soil, 

 and be sufficiently resisted by it to prevent 

 any undue loosening, however high may be 

 the wind that blows against the plant that 

 is tied to it. 



Stakes and Supports, Natural. 



These are to be obtained in the country 

 fiom the cuttings of hedges, the lopping of 



trees, and the thinning of the undergrowth 

 in woods and coppices ; but dwellers in 

 towns of any size nlust seek them from the 

 Woodyard, whither they ate brought from 

 the country at certain seasons of the year 

 and stored by the owner of the yard, partly 

 for these purposes and partly for the pur- 

 pose of making wooden hoops for casks. 

 For the support of pea vines, or for sticking 

 small patches and rows of sweet peas, the 

 flat spreading boughs of the birch are the 

 best when they can be obtained, or the 

 larger and almost as flat bows of the beech, 

 hazel, c. The flatter the boughs, or in 

 other words, the more the branchlets of the 

 boughs extend from the main stems in the 

 form of a fan when spread out, and in the 

 same plane, the better and the more useful 

 they are, because the sides of the rows of 

 sticks, when thrust into the ground, will 

 be more regular in appearance, and can be 

 more trimly arranged. For scarlet beans 

 or scarlet runners, large sticks of this 

 description are extremely handy, when 

 they are allowed to climb as high as they 

 will, but for beans the more usual course is 

 to stick them on each side with a row of 

 slender poles, about I inch or a little more 

 in diameter at the bottom, tapering to 

 about % inch at the top, and about 6 fe<* 

 in height, or a little more. The pea sticks 

 are supplied at about 9d. to is. per bundle, 

 and the long bean sticks at is. 6d. per 

 bundle. The latter may, when fairly 

 straight and cut in two, be utilised as 

 flower sticks. All pea sticks, bean poles, 

 and other poles used for the support of 

 trees and plants, should be sharpened at 

 the bottom before being used, and dipped 

 in tar or a preparation of coal dust, mixed 

 to the consistency of cream and applied 

 like paint, to preserve the ends from the 

 effects of damp absorbed from the soil. 

 These slight poles, when split, are usefuj 

 for the ornamentation of summer houses, 

 vases, window boxes, &c. , in rustic mosaic, 



