Dec. 1859 . 
AMEBIC AN AGKRICULTUBIST. 
365 
Rural Embellishments. 
By rural embellishments, we now refer not so 
much to lawns, shrubs, flowers and the like, as 
to architectural and sculptural ornaments, such as 
terraces, vases, sun-dials, fountains, and similar 
ivorks of art. We are not insensible to the sim¬ 
ple beauty of rustic ornaments—and in recent 
volumes have recommended them to general at¬ 
tention—but at present, we wish to speak of 
embellishments of a different sort. 
Terraces .—One great defect of many country 
places is the want of a proper connection be¬ 
tween the house and the grounds about it. The 
^building itself may be very fine, but it seems set 
down on the soil without any architectural union 
with it, no pleasing transition from the edifice to 
the scenes amid which it stands. To the eye of 
taste, there seems to be a demand for something 
like a raised platform of smooth turf, which shall 
play an obvious part in the architectural design. 
If the house be large and elaborately finished, the 
terrace may be of corresponding size and finish. 
It may be broad enough to contain a wide walk 
of smooth flagging stones or gravel; it may be 
surrounded by a low parapet or balustrade made 
of stone or of wood; and this balustrade may 
have pedestals at the corners and at various in¬ 
tervals, for vases of flowers. Or, it may be sim¬ 
ply a terrace of grass, raised a foot or more above 
the surrounding land, and kept neatly shorn 
throughout the Summer. In either style, it an¬ 
swers an excellent purpose. It is appropriate in 
connection with every order of architecture, 
though perhaps better suited to the Italian and 
Grecian, and happily carries out their design and 
expression. As some writer observes : “ The ter¬ 
race prevents us from launching at once from the 
threshold of the symmetric house, in the most 
abrupt manner, into a scene wholly composed of 
the most unsymmetric and desultory forms of 
mere nature, which are totally out of character 
with the mansion, whatever may be its style of 
architecture and furnishing.” 
Vases .—From terraces, the transition is natur¬ 
al to ornamental vases. These may be set on 
raised pedestals along the balustrade, or on sim¬ 
ple square stones or plinths at the corners of the 
terrace. Like the terrace itself, they answer the 
purpose of connecting the house and grounds ; 
they show that the architectural idea is carried 
a little beyond the residence, and that the senti¬ 
ment of taste is diffused over all the surround¬ 
ings of the home. 
Mr. Loudon highly recommends the use of 
these embellishments. When set near the house, 
he says, “ they harmonize admirably with the 
masonry and architectural forms with which they 
are surrounded.” When placed at a little dis¬ 
tance, “ they give pleasure by their contrast to 
the beautiful works of nature amid which they 
stand.” He also says : ‘‘they tend to create a 
taste for natural beauty in the spectator, since, 
paradoxical as it may seem, it is yet true, that 
we can only be instructed in the beauties of na¬ 
ture through those of art.The setting of 
beautiful vases before a person, is to familiarize 
him with beautiful forms, which he cannot help 
contrasting with ordinary shapes ; and according 
to his natural capacity for discerning forms, he will 
find in the vase a unity of tendency in the lines, 
a symmetry in its forms, and a richness, an intri¬ 
cacy and a character of art in its sculptured de¬ 
tails which will induce him to search for those 
qualities in other objects of art, and to observe 
every tendency towards them in the works of 
nature. He will find within him insensibly grow¬ 
ing a new interest in architecture and sculpture 
and painting, and all objects of beauty in the 
world around him.” 
As to the proper position of vases, every one 
must agree that they belong near the house. 
They are architectural or sculptured objects, and 
should appear to have some connection with the 
forms and lines of the edifice ; or at least, be so 
near that the one naturally suggests the presence 
of the other. Accordingly, they may be placed 
by the sides of the door-step, or on the terrace, 
or on the adjoining lawn, or at the intersections 
of walks further off, if they are within near view 
of the house. Where the grounds are all kept in 
high condition, vases may be distributed more re¬ 
mote from the dwelling, than would otherwise be 
allowable. “ To place a beautiful vase,” says 
Downing, ‘‘in a distant part of the grounds, 
where there is no direct allusion to art, and where 
it is accompanied only by natural objects, as the 
overhanging trees and the sloping (and unmown) 
turf, is in a measure doing violence to our reason 
and taste, by bringing two objects so strongly 
contrasted in direct union.” 
Vases should always be set upon a firm pedes¬ 
tal, or a block of hewn stone. Without some solid 
foundation of this sort, they have a temporary and 
insecure appearance-^they “ seem to have been 
left out by mistake.” The base of cut stone 
should rest upon a solid abutment of quarry stones 
laid below frost. So placed, they will always re¬ 
main in a perpendicular position, and will have a 
dignified and artistic aspect. 
Marble vases are too expensive for the major¬ 
ity of country residents ; but patterns of the finest 
classical vases may be had in cast iron, or terra¬ 
cotta, at a moderate cost. They can be bought 
in all our large cities, at prices ranging from 
$2.50, up to $100, according to size, and style of 
finish. The iron vases are intended, of course, 
to be painted white in imitation of marble, or 
some soft, neutral tint to represent stono. 
We have more to say on this general subject, 
hut must defer it to another number of our paper. 
---- -»o<~-- -- 
The Frazer’s Silver Fir. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
This tree about which you inquire, in your 
September issue, is one of the most beautiful of 
our native evergreens, and ought to be better 
known by our nurserymen, and rural improvers. 
I have frequently seen it, both under cultivation, 
and in its native localities, and can confirm all 
that has been said in its praise, by those who are 
acquainted with it. 
It was first discovered by Frazer in the moun¬ 
tains of Carolina, but is not confined to that lo¬ 
cality. It is found upon the summit of Grey 
Locke, near Williamstown, Mass., at an eleva¬ 
tion of 3,500 feet above the sea level, and a few 
miles from Burlington, Vt., in a swamp, not much 
above the level of lake Champlain. It is also 
found near Willoughby Lake, in the same state. 
It is probably found all along the Green Moun¬ 
tains, and Alleghany range, and only needs the 
exploration of botanists to bring it to light. In 
the localities mentioned, the tree is abundant, 
and might be procured in quantities by those de¬ 
sirous of transplanting them, either in the nur¬ 
sery, or in ornamental grounds. 
I saw the tree under cultivation, some fifteen 
years since, in the college garden at Williams¬ 
town, Mass., and in the grounds of the late Prof. 
Lasell, of that institution, who took a good deal 
of interest in it. More recently I have seen it in 
the grounds of Dr. John Wheeler, of Burlington, 
Vt., who considers it one of our finest evergreens, 
arc has taken some pains to bring it to the no¬ 
tice of amateurs. Nothing can exceed the beau¬ 
ty of the trees in his grounds, in the freshness of 
their early Summer foliage. Full grown trees are 
to be seen in the forest, near his residence. It 
has a more thick massive foliage than the com¬ 
mon fir, and is considered by all cultivators, with 
whom I have conversed, as a much finer tree. 
There can be no doubt of its hardiness, and 
adaptation to all the northern parts of our country. 
It is not yet cultivated generally, by nurserymen. 
The man who shall multiply it and introduce it 
to our rural improvers, will do the public a ser¬ 
vice, and find a sure reward for his enterprise. 
Connecticut. 
-■' 
A Summer-House Grape Arbor. 
In one of our recent excursions, we saw a 
very simple, easily made, cheap, and yet pretty 
structure, which answered the double purpose of 
a Grape Arbor, and a tight roofed Summer-House. 
The accompanying engraving is as correct a rep¬ 
resentation as we can give from a hasty pencil 
sketch made on the spot, and from memory. 
(This structure is at the residence of Mr. Mumma, 
just west of Mechanicsburg, Cumberland Co , Pa.) 
Four posts are set up about 10 feet apart, to 
form the corners ; these are of undressed cedar, 
if we remember rightly. At the hight of eight or 
nine feet, small timbers for plates are spiked on, 
and a four-sided roof, somewhat flat, runs to the 
center. Lattice work occupies about one-third 
of the space between the corners and also 
around the top of the two arched entrances 
on each of the four sides. The four corner 
posts are carried up five or six feet above the 
plates, and horizontal strips are nailed from cor¬ 
ner to corner. Tbe top edge of the upper strip is 
made wider and cut a little ornamental. From 
the peak of the roof, in the center, a square shaft 
rises a few feet, terminating in four points, be¬ 
tween which stands a rod supporting a weather¬ 
cock. A grape-vine upon each of the four sides 
runs up along the lattice work, and spreads out 
upon the horizontal strips. These were well load¬ 
ed with fruit when we saw them. The floor 
consisted of a bed of dry, spent tan-bark. 
The whole structure has a light, airy appear¬ 
ance, and when adorned with the fruitful vines is 
certainly ornamental. No great amount of labor 
or expense is needed to put up such a structure, 
and one of this, or similar form and make, might 
well be erected in a multitude of gardens. The 
more rustic the posts and other work, the better. 
