HOUSE, AREA, AKD WINDOW GAEDENIXG. 



variety of purposes, bemg capable of effective use on 

 the floor, or placed upon a table in various positions. 



Boxes. — Where windows go 

 down to the floor of a room, plants 

 in pots do well and look well in 

 boxes. If prettily grained wood be 

 selected, it is better not to paint 

 them, but merely to give them one 

 coat of size, and then two or three 

 coats of varnish ; this will be an 



and to give a finish to the box. Another way of 

 finishing ofE the angles of a box of this kind is to put 

 on pieces of small wood mouldings, 

 which can be bought or made in 

 many patterns and sizes. It looks 

 best when these mouldings are of 

 a darker colour than the wood of 

 the box. They should be fastened 

 on with needle-points before the 

 box is varnished. 



Some people may like to carry 



Fig. 7.— Wire. 



Tig. 9.— China on Stand.' 

 Jaaoini£aes. 



Pig. 8.— Wire. 



effectual preservative of the wood 

 for use in-doors, and bring out the 

 beauty of its grain. We shall 

 have more to say about the con- 

 struction of boxes of this kind when 

 we come to treat of those required 

 on window-sills, which must be 

 painted to preserve them from rain 

 and damp weather. If boxes for 

 in-door use are neatly dovetailed 

 at the comers they will want no 

 farther decoration. But if the 

 amateur wishes to make his own 

 boxes, and is not enough of a 

 cabinet-maker to undertake this 

 dovetailing, let him nail the box 

 together, and cover the angles with 

 strips of L-shaped brass, which he 

 can fasten on with brass-headed screws. These 

 strips should be of very thin metal, as they are not 

 so much wanted for stren^^h as to hide the nail-holes. 



Fig. 



the moulding all round each side 

 of the box, to which there is only 

 this objection, that unless veiy 

 securely put on along the top edge 

 it is very liable to be pulled off in 

 moving the box about ; and house- 

 maids, who never get up too early, 

 must move them for sweeping, and 

 are not likely to be very thought- 

 ful how they move such things. 



Those who wish for more deco- 

 ration on the sides of their boxes 

 can tack on Fir-cones cut in Halves, 

 and arranged in patterns, one way 

 of doing which is shown in Fig. 11. 

 Pieces of rustic stick, &c., also 

 admit of being used to oroament 

 boxes in rustic fashion in a great 

 These when varnished have a very 

 pretty effect. Virgin cork is a great boon to a 

 clumsy carpenter, as it covers all defects in con- 



10. — China Jardiniere on short 

 Stand. 



variety of ways. 



