HEIGHT OF GARDEN WALLS. 



75 



trellising walls — amongst which may be 

 stated, the preservation of the wall, the 

 greater uniformity of heat to the branches, 

 the almost impossibility of insects finding 

 shelter, and the economy of time in ar- 

 ranging the branches. As a substitute 

 for trellised walls, when the preservation 

 of the wall is a consideration, many," and 

 ourselves amongst the number, "use 

 studs, or eyed nails," similar to those 

 figured above, " projecting about half an 

 inch from the wall; to these studs the 

 branches are fastened" (Practical Gar- 

 dener, 2d edition, p. 41) by passing 

 twine, after being saturated with pyro- 

 ligneous acid, through the eyes. The old 

 system of using shreds and nails should 

 be abandoned, as not only extremely de- 

 structive to the wall, but as incurring an 

 unnecessary annual expense in the pur- 

 chase of nails and shreds, as well as 

 affording shelter for insects, and an ex- 

 cellent nest for them to lay their eggs in. 

 The constant practice of driving in nails 

 by the thousand, and pulling them out 

 again, is most destructive to a wall, and 

 tends more than anything else to bring 

 it to decay. These eyed studs cost 

 very little, if more than the common 

 cast-iron wall nails in ordinary use. They 

 are driven in, if in a new wall, before the 

 mortar becomes fully set; and if in an 

 old wall, at any time as the trees advance 

 to require them. They should be set in 

 lines, and always in the joints, never in the 

 bricks, and at distances apart according 

 to the kind of tree to be secured to them. 

 When once in, they do not require to be 

 ever removed ; and should, as will some- 

 times occur, any of them come in con- 

 tact with the larger branches, they are 

 easily broken off close to the wall by the 

 use of a blunt chisel and hammer. All 

 the walls at Dalkeith are furnished with 

 them, as well as many gardens where we 

 have been consulted. 



Trellised walls are much used in 

 France ; but this appears to be for the 

 purpose of moderating the excessive heat 

 during the day : with us, the heat is not 

 so great as to require such a precaution. 

 Indeed, experience seems to prove that 

 the practice is rather injurious than 

 beneficial, while the expense of trellising 

 a wall with either galvanised iron or 

 copper wire is very considerable. The 

 best mode of construction, however, is 



to secure upright wrought-iron bars to 

 the wall by bats 1^ inch in breadth, at 

 a distance of from 6 to 8 feet apart, these 

 uprights being perforated with holes 9 

 inches apart for peaches, and 12 inches 

 for other fruit trees. The wires are 

 drawn through them in a horizontal 

 direction, and firmly secured at the 

 extreme ends with nuts and screws. The 

 cost of trellising a wall in this manner, 

 if under 10 feet in height, will be from 

 eight to ten shillings per lineal yard. — 

 (Vide Estimates and Prices.) 



One objection to iron wire for such 

 purposes is its liability to rust ; and 

 although much has been said in favour 

 of galvanised iron and paints of various 

 kinds, we confess we have our doubts as 

 to the efficiency of either the one or the 

 other. A preparation has been used by 

 Dr O'Shaughnessy for coating the Indian 

 telegraph wires with, which we think 

 deserves attention in this country for 

 coating all sorts of exposed iron-work, 

 as it is not only cheap, but is said on 

 good authority to have resisted the heat 

 and damp atmosphere of India. It is 

 made by boiling one-fourth of resin with 

 three-fourths of fine sand. As soon as 

 the composition becomes cool, it is as 

 hard as a stone. — (For other modes of 

 protecting iron, vide Principles of Hot- 

 house Building.) 



§ 6. — HEIGHT OF GAKDEN WALLS. 



The majority of opinions upon this sub- 

 ject are in favour of walls from 10 to 12 

 feet high. Some, however, advocate them 

 being much higher; while others contend 

 for their being below the last of these 

 heights. Our own opinion is, that 10-feet 

 walls for a garden of from 2 to 3 acres' 

 extent are sufficient, and that 12-feet 

 walls are sufficient for gardens of the 

 largest size. In conformity with this 

 opinion, we have built the principal 

 walls at Dalkeith exactly 12 feet high — 

 except, of course, such as have hothouses 

 built against them — and the secondary or 

 surrounding walls from 8 to 10 feet. It 

 is always better to extend the walls in 

 length, than to lessen the length by in- 

 creasing the height. 



Nicol, one of our best garden archi- 

 tects, after approving of their being from 



