Every Boy's Book: A Complete Encyclopaedia of Sports and Amusements Part 112

The best and purest white fire is made of 24 parts of nitre, 7 of sulphur, 2 of red a.r.s.enic, and 1 of lamp-black.

SPUR FIRE.

9 parts of nitre, 4 of sulphur, and 3 of lamp-black, well rubbed together.

BLUE LIGHTS.

These are made of 4 parts of sulphur, 2 of nitre, and 1 of powder, and are rammed into squib-cases the contrary way.

PORT OR WILDFIRES.

Saltpetre 4 parts, meal powder 6 parts, and sulphur 3 parts. The composition to be moistened with linseed oil.

SLOW FIRE FOR WHEELS.

Saltpetre 4 parts, sulphur 2 parts, and meal powder 2 parts.

DEAD FIRE FOR WHEELS.

Saltpetre 5 parts, sulphur 1 part, lapis calaminaris 1 part, and antimony 1 part.

CAUTIONS.

Such are the principles and methods by which fireworks may be made; but we would advise our young friends to be very cautious, and never to attempt making any fireworks by candle-light; always to select some outhouse for their operations; to see that no iron or steel implements are about the place in which their fireworks are being manufactured, or they may go off before they wish it; to use wooden or bra.s.s implements in the bruising, grinding, and sifting of their mixtures; and never to bring the fireworks, or any of their ingredients, into the dwelling-house, or they may suddenly receive a

"Heavy blow and great discouragement."

TO MAKE AN ILLUMINATED SPIRAL WHEEL.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Procure a circular horizontal wheel two feet in diameter with a hole quite through the nave, then take four thin pieces of deal three feet long each, and three-quarters of an inch broad each. One end of each of these pieces is to be nailed to the felloe of the wheel at an equal distance from one another; and the other end nailed to a block with a hole in its bottom, which must be perpendicular with that in the block of the wheel, but not so large. The wheel being thus made, a hoop planed down very thin must be nailed to the felloe of the wheel, and wound round the four sticks in a spiral line from the wheel to the block at the top; on the top of this block a case of Chinese fire must be fixed, and on the wheel any number of cases, which must incline downwards and burn two at a time. The axis of the wheel must be a little longer than the cone, and made very smooth at the top, on which the upper block is to turn and the whole weight of the wheel to rest. The entire framing of the wheel, with its connecting tubes, is shown in the above cut.

THE GRAND VOLUTE.

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Should my young friends wish to prepare a grand volute illuminated with a revolving wheel; the first step is to procure a large circular wheel, and on its rim lay as many four-ounce cases as will complete the circle, only allowing a sufficient distance between the cases that the fire may pa.s.s free, which may be done by cutting the upper part of the end of each a little shelving. On each spoke fix a four-ounce case about three inches from the rim of the wheel. These cases are to burn one at a time. On the front of the wheel form a spiral line with strong wire, on which tie port-fires, placing them on a slant with their mouths to face the same way as the cases on the wheel; all these port fires must be fired with the second cases of the wheel. Let there be a series of wooden spokes all made to screw into a block into the centre. When the large wheel begins to discharge the fireworks, the spiral wheel will of course revolve and produce a very beautiful illuminated cone.

A BRILLIANT YEW-TREE.

To prepare a brilliant yew-tree, a frame like the one represented in the drawing must be firmly attached to the ground. When the branches are fixed, place illuminating port-fires on the top of each, as many as is convenient; behind the top of the stem fasten a gerb or white fountain, which must be fired at the beginning of the illumination on the tree. A series of these, varying in the angular directions taken by the boughs, produce a very fine effect.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Such are a few general directions respecting the making of fireworks; but we have again to advise our young friends to be cautious of the gunpowder, and to keep away from the fire, or from a light, or from flames, steel, iron, or any other matter likely to cause a spark.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

GARDENING.

"'Tis a delightful task To rear the tender flower, to see the bud Put forth its bloom, the little seedling sprout From its dark grove, to meet the sunbeams, and To drink the gracious rain. Here Innocence May well amuse herself, and blithe Industry Make mate with ants, and bees, and busy things, From morn to evening daily."--MARTIN.

Gardening is one of the most delightful occupations for young persons.

It combines innocent amus.e.m.e.nt, exercise of the healthiest kind, skill, forethought, method, taste, and is full of instruction,--leading the mind, not only to the wonderful operations of nature, but to the great Originator and Preserver of all things.

Gardening was the first of the arts. Before man had fallen from his "high estate," and lost his heirs.h.i.+p of heaven, he was placed by his Creator in a garden, and ordered to dress it and to keep it. The sustenance of man in all countries is derived, directly or indirectly, from the vegetable kingdom: it is supposed that he first made his appearance in that fertile and fruitful land from whence we get our best gra.s.ses. It was natural, then, that some rude kind of gardening should first occupy the attention of primitive man. In a savage state, now, in many countries, plants supply all the wants of man to an extent greater even than we are apt to suppose, from the necessity and possibility of a greater variety of animal food in our own climate.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MISCELLANEOUS.--GARDENING, FENCING, ETC.]

From the earliest times of profane history, gardens are alluded to. The gardens of the Hesperides abounded with fruit of the most delicious kind, and the hanging gardens of Babylon were among the wonders of the world. The gardens of the Persians are called by Xenophon, "delightful places, fertile and beautiful;" and the gardens of Alcinous abounded with fruits, grapes, and various horticultural wonders. The philosophers of Athens walked in ornamental gardens, among shady groves, statues, and fountains.

There are many so-called styles of gardening, but these are readily divisable into two varieties--the geometrical and natural style. In the first may be comprised all gardens laid out with straight or geometrical lines. In the second, which is often called the English style, we include gardens and parks where the irregularity that we observe in pretty wild places, or in Nature's own gardens, are preserved more or less judiciously and tastefully. On the one hand, we take Nature for a model; on the other, we merely apply geometrical lines to the garden and its contents. As the geometrical garden is merely a thing of straight lines, it is very much easier to dispose than the natural, with which a great many people make sad mistakes, and then blame the style instead of their own taste. It is very much easier to make straight walks, and circles, and figures of all kinds in a garden, than to imitate on a small scale the variety, and indefinite, ever-pleasing character exhibited by Nature where she most attracts us with floral beauty.

However, to see some specimens of the various styles of gardens will give a better idea of their worth, and main features, than any reading.

We will indicate a few of the places where good examples are to be seen.

The Crystal Palace is perhaps the best place to observe their differences, particularly as most boys visit that attractive place. The great terraces and fountains are, of course, in the geometrical style; while the more remote, or outer parts of the grounds, are a good example of the natural or English style of laying out grounds. The irregular "lakes," surrounded by vegetation, the rock cropping out here and there, the natural-looking grouping of fine trees, and the freely rolling beautiful green gra.s.s mounds, &c. are, though perhaps not the most frequented, certainly among the best features of the Crystal Palace. The Royal Botanic Gardens in the Regent's Park is also a good, a very good example of the best method of laying out gardens in the English style.

It is disfigured, however, by a small, mean kind of geometrical garden, which we must not be supposed to praise. On the other hand, the garden of the Royal Horticultural Society at South Kensington is a capital example of a completely opposite style--the Italian and geometrical; and once having seen these, any boy can at once distinguish between the two, and probably say which he most admires.

In France, during the reign of Louis XV., the bad and artificial method was carried to excess;--clipped hedges, always laid out in straight lines--flower-beds tortured into fantastic shapes--trees cut into the form of pyramid haystacks, animals, &c. The gardens were like the manners and dress of that period, in which scarcely anything natural was left. The Dutch imitated the French: and this kind of gardening continued to prevail till attacked by Addison, in the "Spectator," and Pope, in his Fourth Moral Epistle.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A GARDEN IN THE TIME OF LOUIS XV.]

However, the boy's garden is so small as a rule, that to attempt any kind of ambitious "laying out" would be nonsense; and having thus explained what is meant by different "styles" in gardening, we proceed to show how the boy's garden should be laid out.

ON LAYING OUT A SMALL GARDEN.

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The size of a piece of ground which we should recommend to the young gardener ought to be about 33 yards long, and about 25 broad. It should be divided into four portions, as in the diagram. A B C D are four paths, 5 feet wide, which might be gravelled, and the edges should be planted with box, or some neat and tiny flowering plant. The borders should be about 2 feet in width; and this, with the breadth of the path, will take 9 feet, or 3 yards, from the 25 yards of width; which will leave 11 yards, or 11 yards broad, for each of the four compartments.

The length of the four compartments--reduced by 9 feet, or 3 yards, as before, for the cross-path and two borders--will allow each of the four compartments to be 15 yards in length; so that each quarter of the garden would contain 15 yards multiplied by 11 yards, and would equal 165 square yards, which again multiplied by 4, would give 660 square yards of surface, which would be amply sufficient for a young person to obtain something like an idea of gardening, and at the same time be a profitable advantage. This will be found too large, however, except for those who wish to work at gardening in earnest, and have, moreover, plenty of time and thought to give to the matter. One half the size will be found to suit a greater number. In such, the same plan and proportioning may be carried out.

PLANTING THE GROUND WITH TREES, FLOWERS, ETC.

In the foregoing diagram, the borders are for flowers, and the other parts of the compartments for the raising of vegetables; but here and there a s.p.a.ce should be left for the planting of fruit-trees, rose-trees, currants, gooseberries, raspberries, &c. The places marked by dots (*) are where fruit-trees may be planted, which should consist of some of the best sorts of apple, cherry, pear, and plum-trees, which ought to be planted from four to five yards apart. In the borders, rose-trees, both of the standard and common kind, might be planted, as indicated by the dots (*); and at the four corners, where the paths intersect, climbing-roses should be placed, having strong poles upon which their tendrils and branches may run. The s.p.a.ces in the border may be appropriated to the various kinds of flowers, at the choice of the young gardener.