The Readers’ Service is prepared to 
PEA HOMES ar b era ‘we H E G A R D E N M A G A UY, I N EK 
Marcu, 1908: 
| B 
| ALABASTINE 
L SW, 
Are You Tired of Wall Paper Patterns? 
Then decorate your walls with Alabastine—in dainty tints to harmonize 
with the woodwork and furnishings of each room. The soft, velvety finish 
that Alabastine gives the walls makes the most restful and effective back- 
ground. You can do the work yourself, or employ a painter or decorator. 
When once the wall is finished with Alabastine you save all the fuss 
and bother of washing or scraping the old material from the walls when 
you are ready to redecorate. Simply cover up the rugs or carpet and the 
furniture, and then apply another coat of Alabastine in any desired tint. 
Alabastine 
The Sanitary Wall Coating 
therefore cuts the cost of decorating in half, and adds to the healthfulness of the home 
because it is the only absolutely sanitary material you can use. Alabastine neither 
fades, rubs off nor scales. It becomes a part of the wall and offers no breeding place 
for disease germs or insects. 
Alabastine is sold in carefully sealed and properly labeled packages at 50¢ for white 
andd5e for tints, by all Paint, Drug, Hardware and General Stores. See thatthe name 
Alabastine”’ is on each package before itis opened, either by yourself or the painter. 
Tell us the size of the rooms you wish to decorate, color of woodwork in each, and 
we will send you special detailed color plans in the genuine Alabastine tints and give 
you valuable information in regard to beautifying your home at small expense. 
Alabastine tint cards mailed free on request. 
The Alabastine Company, 924 Grandville Ave., Grand Rapids, Mich. 
a Eastern Office, Dept. Y, 105 Water Street, New York City. 
Gil 
For Dark, Shady Places 
There is no corner so shady but that certain ferns and plants will thrive 
there. There is no soilso light and sandy but that some of our hardy wild 
ferns will beautify it, For 25 years we have been growing these hardy ferns 
and flowers and know what is suited to each condition. Wecan supply 
ferns for the dark corner by the porch, or ferns and flowers, including our 
native orchids,in quantity, to make beautiful country estates. Wet and 
Swampy spots, rocky hill sides, dry woods, each may be made beautiful by 
plants especially adapted to them. Nothing adds greater charm to the 
home grounds than clumps of thrifty ferns. We also grow the hardy 
SO wieS wich require open sunlight — primroses, campanulas, digitalis, 
violets, etc, 
Write for my descriptive catalogue. It tells about this class of plants. 
EDWARD GILLETT, Southwick, Mass. 
ett’s Ferns and Flowers 
How to Plant a Strawberry Bed 
iG IS easy enough to grow good straw- 
berries and plenty of them by taking 
care of the little details in the beginning. 
First of all the land must be well prepared. 
It must be plowed or dug deeply and thor- 
oughly harrowed. Whatever fertilizers are 
given must be applied before plowing so 
that they will be well worked into the soil, 
and you can practically always gauge the 
amount of fertilizers given—the more manure 
the more berries. I have found that kainit 
will destroy the wireworm, and combined 
with soluble phosphate rock it increases the 
yield of my beds more than any other combi- 
nation of fertilizers. Planting is to be done 
as early as possible (usually in April), so 
the ground must be worked over the moment 
it is available; fall plowing is especially 
valuable therefore. 
My method of procedure is this: After 
the land has been thoroughly harrowed, I 
level it, then roll it to firm it and give a smooth 
surface to the marker. The distance to 
make the rows apart depends entirely upon 
| what system of culture is to be pursued. 
If the plants are to be grown in narrow or 
hedge rows, make the rows twenty-eight 
inches apart and set the plants eighteen 
inches apart in the row. The claim is made 
by this system all the plants obtain more 
air and light and do not crowd each other, 
and are easier to pick. If they are to be 
grown in wide, matted rows, make the rows 
thirty-six inches apart, setiing the plants 
| eight inches apart in the row. Advocates of 
this system say that if proper careis taken to 
distribute the runners or young plants in 
the row while hoeing instead of depending 
on the cultivator to push them into place 
the crop will be larger and the fruit of the 
best quality. 
Having determined on the system to be 
pursued, mark the land accordingly and it 
is then ready to receive plants. These can 
be taken from the bed intended for the 
season’s fruiting, cutting out only such plants 
| as may have strayed out between the rows, or 
from sections which seem the most crowded; 
but it is much better to grow a row of plants 
especially for the purpose. Such a row 
should be permitted to produce runners 
freely, and all efforts in cultivation directed 
to the production of the greatest number of 
healthy plants. When ready to plant the 
bed, this row is dug up in its entirety, and 
all the plants thrown in baskets for convey- 
ance to some suitable place for their prep- 
aration. 
Having selected a suitable place to prepare 
