Q13 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Design for a Kristie Summer House. 
The violent contrast between the irregular yet 
graceful forms of trees and shrubbery, and the 
angular and precise finish of dwellings may be 
in some measure subdued by introducing into the 
house surroundings a rustic style of architec¬ 
ture, combining natural and artificial features. A 
Summer bouse may appropriately be of this 
character, particularly as the idea which should 
be prominent in a structure of this kind is that of 
unrestraint and inviting coolness, something out 
of doors and yet affording adequate shelter. The 
design above presented would be quite appropriate 
for some half-secluded nook in a large landscape 
garden, when it would add an attractive feature 
to the adjoining lawn. Something less pretend¬ 
ing and elaborate would answer better for grounds 
embracing not more than two or three acres. 
The general style, however, might be preserved. 
Rough, unbarked timber of fantastic shape is 
best for the construction of such buildings. Oak 
timber, although suitably gnarled is not sufficient¬ 
ly durable when exposed to the weather; it is 
checked by the sun, and the bark is easily loosen¬ 
ed and peeled off. Yew, larch, birch and the 
common locust (Rohinia pseudacacia), are the best 
woods for this purpose; the last named is almost 
indestructible, and its bark adheres very tena¬ 
ciously. The monotony of color may be relieved 
by introducing ornamental work of apple tree 
limbs, stripped of their bark, dried, and well var¬ 
nished. Wood work with the bark on may be 
varnished if desirable, by first washing with soap 
and water, and then, w-hen dry, with boiled lin¬ 
seed oil. The oil should be applied in hot sunny 
weather. In a few days two coats of “ hard var¬ 
nish ” can be put on, which will render the whole 
very durable. A dark oak color may be given to 
rough wood from which the bark has been peeled, 
by painting with a mixture of one quart of lin¬ 
seed oil, and two ounces of asphal- 
tum. The ingredients are boiled 
over a slow fire until fully incor¬ 
porated. As this mixture is high¬ 
ly inflammable, great caution is 
necessary in its preparation. It 
would be well to boil it out of 
doors. Garden settees, chairs, 
trellisses, etc., can be made of any 
wood and covered with this pre¬ 
paration, which will give them a 
rustic appearance little inferior to 
wood in tbe bark, and they will be 
quite durable.The structure 
here illustrated is somewhat large 
and elaborate. But simple, cheap 
ornaments may be readily provided 
for the plainest and most lowly 
country or village home. "We 
have seen a pleasant summer re¬ 
treat constructed with a few cedar 
poles, some set up for posts, and 
others fastened across with withes, 
or nails, and twigs were woven 
over the top and part way down 
the sides. Morning glories were 
planted around the border, and 
trailed on the whole. In another 
case the covering was made with 
larger twigs, and ivy trained up the 
sides and over the roof This 
looked quite pretty in Winter.... 
We speak often of such adorn¬ 
ments of home. They are readily 
secured ; they add to our comfort; 
they cultivate our tastes, and tend 
to soften the rough asperity of 
our hearts ; they render the homestead attractive 
to our children growing up around us, who will 
be likely to resist the allurements to city life and 
dissipation, in proportion to the number of pleas¬ 
ing objects with which the scenes of their child¬ 
hood are surrounded. 
Ornamental Trees—Hints for Amateurs. 
1. It often happens that the branches of choice 
trees get badly mutilated. This injury is done 
by snow-storms, by stray cattle, rude boys or 
careless workmen. Evergreens in particular are 
apt to suffer from cows’ horns. After growing 
several years upon the lawn unharmed, develop¬ 
ing their limbs in perfect symmetry on every side, 
and shooting their spiry tops high in the air, the 
delight and pride of their owner, unruly cattle 
sometimes break into the guarded enclosure and 
in a few moments spread desolation around them. 
Alas, what can the proprietor now do, to repair 
this waste ! Those luxuriant limbs can not be 
fastened on again, those unsightly gaps can never 
be filled up ! - Not so fast, dear Amateur. 
Plant one or two more trees of the same sort by 
the side of the mutilated ones, select a good 
branch or branches, and graft or in-arch them inlo 
the damaged trees. I f the work is well done, it 
will succeed ; the new branch may afterwards be 
severed from the parent tree, and that tree then 
be taken away. This process of in-arching is 
fully described in Vol. XVI, page 184. 
2. Trees are often injured by strong winds 
blowing uniformly from any direction. This hap¬ 
pens most frequently, perhaps, with evergreens, 
when planted in exposed situations such as the 
corner of a building, or any unsheltered eminence. 
The writer of this once had a Norway Spruce, 
which, as it came from the nursery, was of fault¬ 
less shape, and he wished to preserve its beauty. 
But in spite of his wishes, the lower branches on 
the west side, being exposed to almost constant 
winds, remained considerably shorter than those 
above and those on the east side. On the west 
side, the tree became oval instead of pyramidal. 
Setting his wits to work, and then his hands, the 
writer did 1 his: He shortened in the longer 
branches above, making them a little shorter 
than the lower tier of limbs. The long branches 
on the east side were also cut in a little. Tbe 
ends of these pruned limbs were covered with 
shellac varnish. Then, to give the lower branch¬ 
es tbe best possible chance to grow, he got a car¬ 
penter to make a light and handsome piece of 
lattice work, six feet long and fo-ur feet high, 
painted it green and set it up on the exposed side 
of his favorite tree, some three feet distant from 
the ends of the limbs. This so broke the force of 
the winds, that in two years’ time, the lower 
branches shot out with new vigor, and have ever 
since kept in advance of those above. This hap¬ 
py result has overpaid the labor a thousand fold. 
3. To keep a lawn in complete order for many 
years, it is necessary to replenish it occasionally 
with new seed and with manure. But in re¬ 
seeding, great, pains should be taken to get pure 
seed. Do not take every man’s word in regard 
to grass-seed ; but examine the article, before 
purchasing, with a good magnifyingglass, to make 
sure, if possible, that it contains no foul weeds ; 
else, you will soon have your grounds over-run 
with docks, thistles, white daises, and the like. 
And in manuring, a good coat of old, well-rot¬ 
ted barn-yard manure is perhaps the best thing 
that can be applied. Yet, it sometimes happens 
that stable manure is full of the seeds of weeds. 
When there is reason to suspect this, one had 
better substitute for it some kind of fertilizer, 
which is free from this objection, like bone-saw¬ 
ings, Peruvian guano, or wood-ashes. 
Simple, Cheap, and Pretty Trellises for 
Semi-Climbing' Plants. 
These may be of various devices, according to 
taste and fancy, but for simplicity, beauty and 
ease of construction, we have found nothing bet¬ 
ter than the one from which we have made the 
annexed engraving. 
To construct it take a straight grained pine or 
white-wood board, six to ten feet long, and say 8 
inches wide. Plane both sides, and with a 1 inch 
bit bore a hole through it edgewise 3 feet from 
the bottom end. Put a wire through this hole 
and clinch its two ends, to prevent tbe board from/ 
splitting down further than the sawing at A, 
Bore similar holes at B, and 0, and if a tall 
