COLOURING OF GARDEN WALLS. 
11 
The unsightly appearance of garden walls, generally, is a continual 
eye-sore to every lover of neatness and good order; for, however, neat 
and orderly a garden maybe kept in other respects, if the walls which 
inclose it cannot lend its aid in embellishing the whole, it has but a 
dismal prospect to the discriminating eye. The belief that those 
most unsightly black walls will accelerate the maturation of fruits, 
lying close to them is incorrect; for, although, upon nice chemical 
experiments, it would appear to do so, yet, in practice it has certainly 
failed to demonstrate the fact; for the fruits both upon white and 
red walls are as forward as those upon the black; and I believe that 
fruit ripened upon light surfaces are, generally, better coloured, and 
higher flavoured than those from the black ; and, even if it were the 
case, that some little was gained by the blush, it cannot be an adequate 
recompense for so unsightly an object. The lightsome appearance of 
the Walls at Welbeck is cheerful, and neat; and as well as upon the 
fruit trees trained on them, will soon shew a most invigorating influ¬ 
ence upon the border crops; especially in spring and autumn. 
The job is not yet a perfect one until the brick joints are drawn, 
so as to deceive the eye of pretty good judges, that it is a neat faced 
brick wall; and which work, boys are soon taught to perform expe¬ 
ditiously and well. 
The preparation for drawing the joints is the same as for the wash, 
only rejecting the Ochres, and adding some finely sifted scoria from 
the iron Foundries, or Smith's forge, if the lime be too white, which 
gives them rather too artificial an appearance; but that may depend 
upon fancy or choice, as it will add but little to durability. In ap¬ 
plying, keep it well stirred up, as in the wash ; and take it up into 
garden bottom pans, for the convenience of application. 
The best tools I have found for facilitating the work, in drawing 
the joints, are painters’ ordinary sized sash-tools, tied flat, by two 
fine slips of wood laid on opposite sides of the bristles, as near to the 
handles as they can be placed, and only tying the two extreme ends of 
them tight together with pieces of strong thread; they will not slip 
off. As the sand, &c. will frequently fur up the brushes, and pre¬ 
vent them taking up the colour freely, have some water at hand to 
wash them briskly and occasionally, or they will not work free and 
expeditious. 
No straight edge is required, as the work is only impeded by the 
use of it, where the masons have run the joints with their jointing 
racer. John Mearns. 
P. S. One coiled rootless branch of the Purple Constantia Vine, 
introduced the 30th of March last, has produced 35 bunches of well 
