THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
3f5 
steeping the wood in hot water, for it may peel off on its own account 
when the work has taken its final place in the garden, and render it 
unsightly, and a prey to weather. When the bark is removed, the 
timber presents a naturally polished surface, in many instances, as, 
for example, yew, holly, and oak, extremely beautiful, and susceptible 
of improvement by the application of a preservative coat of varnish. 
And here we will again remark that wood in its natural colour, or 
at most with the improvement of a stain, is much to be preferred to 
painted wood, whenever circumstances admit of its use with pro- 
priety. Even common deal plank, when employed as the inner 
lining of a summer-house, only needs to be coloured with oak stain 
and varnished to present a fine mellow appearance, far more in 
unison than paint would be wuth a garden scene, especially if var- 
nished yew, holly, and oak, and unbarked hazel rods and pine-cones, 
constitute the principal ornamental features. One word more on 
this subject. Varnish is varnish all the world over, and needs no 
explaining; but sometimes oil is rubbed in as a substitute, and 
another substitute is a mixture of gold size and boiled linseed oil. 
These are good preservatives, and afford a good tone of colour, but 
utterly inadmissible on any part of the wood-work which one’s dress 
is likely to come in contact with. As to the oil, pur et simple , it 
generally sinks into the texture of the word, but remains unabsorbed 
about the neighbourhood of hard knots, to make oily prints of those 
knots upon the backs of those who submit themselves for the 
operation. As for the second, it never becomes thoroughly hard, 
December. 
