STATUARY, TREILLAGE AND GARDEN FURNITURE. 



grey which is exactly complementary to the prevailing green of garden foliage, an advan- 

 tage which other woods do not share. It is obvious, too, that wood which requires 

 painting cannot be so satisfactory, for there must be more or less destruction, or at 



least disfigurement, of any climbers growing over the wood- 

 work every time the paint is renewed, and this is worse still 

 if any such preservative stain as Stockholm tar is used, 

 for the volatile emanations from it will have a bad effect 

 on the climbers for months after application. That all oak, 

 if in at all large pieces, will split more or less when 

 exposed to the weather, however well it is seasoned, need 

 not, I think, be considered a detriment, for it does not 

 appreciably weaken the work, and gives it a weathered and 

 rustic effect quite in harmony with its surroundings. 



Wherever oak posts are buried in the ground, they Burying 

 should be placed inside an ordinary glazed drain-pipe and oak posts. 

 the space between the two be filled up with cement. 

 The top of the pipe may be level with the surface of the ground, and the top of the 

 cement be dressed so as to slope away from the post on all sides. Even by this means 

 it is impossible to obtain an absolutely watertight joint between the wood and the 



CEMENT. 



DRY RUBBISH 



FIG. 213. 



FIG. 214. 



cement, for the latter shrinks somewhat in setting. It is therefore necessary to provide 

 that the small amount of wet which finds its way into the nick between the two shall 

 have a means of escape at the lower end, or the post will rot. This is easily done by 

 burying the lowest three inches or so of the post in dry material, such as clean gravel, 

 or broken stone or brick, and before filling in with the cement, placing a piece of felt, 

 rag or waterproof paper on the dry stuff to support the cement, and so prevent it from 

 mixing with the dry material until it has set. The wet will then run down the post 

 and get away through the dry filling at the bottom of the pipe (111. No. 213). 



The upper ends of all posts where exposed to the weather should be protected with 

 caps of wood or lead. These can be made to add very much to the appearance of the 

 post, especially if the caps take the form of ball-finials or small urns (111. No. 214). 



While these remarks on the choice and preservation of timber apply equally to all 

 garden furniture wholly or partly constructed of wood, they have particular force when 

 applied to trellis. 



163 



