H ouse and Garden 
make vertical dials in wood as well as metals. There is but 
one limitation in his work, namely : in the size of casting. 
It would be difficult though not impossible to have a casting 
made of unusual size; but anything up to about eighteen 
inches by two feet is entirely practicable. I may say here 
that for an ordinary position, certainly for any sun-dial in a 
private location, this is amply large while two feet would be 
over-large for a dial-face. A letter just received by me from 
a stranger runs thus : 
“/ have had a dial-face cast for me in London for a hori¬ 
zontal garden-dial , and it is only sixteen inches in diameter, of 
octagonal form. 1 am deeply disappointed it is so small. Can 
you suggest to me any way by which I could increase its diameter?" 
Now of course it would be perfectly feasible to have this 
sixteen-inch face set into another top which should in a sense 
form a border to the original plate. This border might be 
four inches wide and thus make the whole dial top two feet 
in diameter. And the border could be engraved with a 
legend giving the name, date, latitude, motto—or what you 
will. But consider what a great pedestal a two feet wide 
face would require, what a mass of masonry and foundation 
it would need, and would not the whole dial be entirely dis- 
proportioned in size and effect in an ordinary garden ? 
As I have had scores and even hundreds of letters asking 
about sun-dials and nearly all of their writers wish to know 
the cost of securing an accurate calculation for a dial-face for 
a given position, I will give the prices charged by one who 
is of undisputed authority and capacity—Mr. John F. Cole, 
HIT ETIN 
A VERTICAL DIAL 
Designed by Air. J. T. Higgins for a House at 
Gloucester Alass. 
DR. H. H. FURNESS DIAL AT 
WALLINGFORD, PENNA. 
instructor in astronomy at 
Harvard University. He will 
calculate the hour-lines on a 
horizontal or south vertical 
dial for any given position for 
five dollars. The hour-lines 
for a declining dial for ten 
dollars. This of course, in¬ 
cludes the careful “ lay-out; ” 
the position of the substile and 
of the gnomon. He advises always the use of a brass 
protractor which he will furnish for five dollars additional. 
Another skilled dialler is Rev. Clarence E. Woodman, 
of New York City. He might be termed an amateur 
were he not the most skilful and accomplished worker in 
this line whom I know. His work is perfect, and his 
knowledge profound and authoritative. Some of the 
most exquisite and rare dials set up in the United States 
during the past three years have been made from his 
calculations and designs. As he is a priest, dialling is 
not of course his calling ; but many who have purchased 
simpler dials also owe to him the precision of their time¬ 
keeping. For it was from his mathematical calculations 
that the excellent dials manufactured by Mr. H. R. 
Mitchell were all designed. These dials were of several 
materials. The simplest was a fine quality of stoneware, 
the blue and gray ware known to us in old-time crocks 
and pots. This dial had a face eight and a half inches 
in diameter, with a solid brass gnomon. 1'he sun-edge 
of the gnomon was ground and polished, and the rest 
oxidized and secured to the face by strong brass bolts. 
The hour-marks and figures were filled in with dark blue 
enamel and were burnt in by a furnace. They were thus, 
when carefully mounted, wellnigh indestructible; and 
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