﻿XVI 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  February, 
  1907 
  

  

  SAN 
  I 
  TAS 
  

  

  The 
  Washable 
  Wall 
  Covering 
  

  

  SANITAS 
  is 
  the 
  20th 
  Century 
  wall 
  covering 
  because 
  it 
  is 
  

   the 
  most 
  enduring, 
  the 
  most 
  cleanly, 
  the 
  most 
  satisfactory 
  

   hanging 
  made. 
  It 
  is 
  better 
  than 
  paper 
  because 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  

   tear 
  or 
  fade 
  and 
  because 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  kept 
  fresh 
  and 
  bright. 
  A 
  

   damp 
  cloth 
  cleans 
  it. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  as 
  beautiful 
  as 
  any 
  material 
  now 
  sold 
  for 
  walls, 
  and 
  

   its 
  range 
  of 
  patterns 
  includes 
  printed 
  burlaps, 
  plain 
  tints, 
  

   tapestry 
  and 
  floral 
  designs 
  and 
  many 
  glazed 
  tiles 
  and 
  tints. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  no 
  room 
  of 
  a 
  house 
  which 
  cannot 
  be 
  beautified 
  

   by 
  SANITAS. 
  

  

  Write 
  for 
  samples 
  and 
  room 
  sketches. 
  

  

  The 
  Leatherole 
  Company 
  

  

  24 
  East 
  22d 
  St. 
  New 
  York 
  

  

  SYKES 
  

  

  TWO 
  BEST 
  LATHS 
  IN 
  -THE 
  WORLD 
  

  

  ^ 
  

  

  METAL 
  LATH 
  a 
  ROOFING 
  CO. 
  N,L 
  u 
  Ei 
  kSr 
  ,c> 
  

  

  JRBROOKSfiCo.cu^S'0« 
  

  

  iFloorsSidewalk 
  Lights, 
  

  

  F 
  EVERY 
  DESCRIPTION. 
  

   Send-^p 
  Catalogue. 
  

  

  edition 
  

  

  DE 
  LUXE 
  

  

  "THROUGH 
  FRISCO'S 
  FURNACE" 
  

  

  Illustrations 
  of 
  seven 
  modern 
  steel-frame 
  buildings 
  at 
  San 
  Francisco 
  that 
  withstood 
  the 
  earthquakes 
  and 
  fire 
  

   of 
  April 
  18, 
  1906, 
  with 
  reports 
  on 
  the 
  rust-resisting 
  qualities 
  of 
  Dixon's 
  Silica- 
  Graphite 
  Paint 
  on 
  the 
  

   steelwork. 
  Write 
  for 
  a 
  free 
  copy 
  of 
  Book 
  No. 
  B 
  106. 
  

  

  JOSEPH 
  DIXON 
  CRUCIBLE 
  CO., 
  JERSEY 
  CITY, 
  U.S.A. 
  

  

  much 
  is 
  said 
  about 
  them, 
  the 
  amateur 
  is 
  given 
  

   the 
  impression 
  that 
  these 
  are 
  the 
  very 
  things 
  

   she 
  ought 
  to 
  buy. 
  This 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  case. 
  These 
  

   are 
  the 
  things 
  for 
  her 
  to 
  let 
  alone 
  until 
  some 
  

   one 
  else, 
  who 
  can 
  afford 
  to 
  experiment 
  with 
  

   them, 
  has 
  proved 
  them 
  meritorious. 
  Then, 
  

   if 
  she 
  sees 
  fit 
  to 
  do 
  so, 
  she 
  can 
  add 
  them 
  to 
  

   her 
  list, 
  but 
  now 
  her 
  attention 
  should 
  be 
  con- 
  

   centrated 
  on 
  plants 
  about 
  whose 
  merits 
  there 
  

   can 
  be 
  no 
  question 
  — 
  the 
  good 
  old 
  kinds 
  

   which 
  have 
  done 
  splendid 
  duty 
  for 
  a 
  genera- 
  

   tion 
  or 
  more, 
  and 
  which 
  will 
  continue 
  to 
  be 
  

   grown 
  after 
  ninety-nine 
  out 
  of 
  every 
  hundred 
  

   "novelties" 
  have 
  passed 
  into 
  the 
  oblivion 
  of 
  

   worthless 
  plants. 
  

  

  The 
  best 
  flowers 
  for 
  the 
  amateur 
  are 
  : 
  Aster, 
  

   balsam, 
  phlox, 
  petunia, 
  marigold, 
  calliopsis, 
  

   verbena, 
  portulacca, 
  pansy, 
  cschscholtzia, 
  

   snapdragon, 
  scabiosa, 
  stock, 
  mignonette, 
  

   sweet 
  alyssum, 
  nasturtium, 
  sweetpea, 
  and 
  

   morning 
  glory. 
  I 
  would 
  not 
  advise 
  any 
  be- 
  

   ginner 
  to 
  try 
  growing 
  all 
  these. 
  Better 
  con- 
  

   centrate 
  the 
  first 
  year's 
  work 
  on 
  a 
  few 
  kinds, 
  

   and 
  endeavor 
  to 
  grow 
  these 
  few 
  well, 
  than 
  to 
  

   "scatter 
  one's 
  ammunition." 
  

  

  The 
  plants 
  in 
  the 
  window-garden 
  ought 
  to 
  

   be 
  blooming 
  well 
  now. 
  Give 
  weekly 
  appli- 
  

   cations 
  of 
  fertilizer. 
  Turn 
  them 
  at 
  least 
  once 
  

   a 
  week, 
  to 
  prevent 
  them 
  from 
  being 
  drawn 
  

   so 
  much 
  to 
  the 
  light 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  danger 
  of 
  

   their 
  becoming 
  permanently 
  one-sided. 
  Shower 
  

   them 
  frequently. 
  Three 
  times 
  a 
  week 
  is 
  

   three 
  times 
  better 
  than 
  once 
  a 
  week. 
  Six 
  times 
  

   a 
  week 
  is 
  better 
  still, 
  in 
  the 
  living-room, 
  

   where 
  the 
  air 
  is 
  hot 
  and 
  dry. 
  

  

  Keep 
  all 
  fading 
  flowers 
  cut 
  off. 
  Allow 
  no 
  

   dead 
  or 
  dying 
  leaves 
  to 
  remain 
  upon 
  your 
  

   plants. 
  Never 
  pick 
  off 
  these 
  leaves 
  and 
  leave 
  

   them 
  on 
  the 
  soil 
  or 
  among 
  the 
  pots, 
  as 
  that 
  is 
  

   a 
  sure 
  means 
  of 
  encouraging 
  and 
  perpetuating 
  

   disease. 
  Burn 
  them. 
  

  

  Stir 
  the 
  soil 
  in 
  the 
  pot 
  frequently. 
  This 
  

   prevents 
  weeds 
  from 
  growing. 
  It 
  also 
  allows 
  

   air 
  to 
  get 
  to 
  the 
  roots 
  of 
  the 
  plants 
  and 
  facili- 
  

   tates 
  evaporation, 
  thus 
  safe-guarding 
  many 
  

   plants 
  against 
  all 
  danger 
  of 
  sour 
  soil. 
  Let 
  in 
  all 
  

   the 
  sunshine 
  possible, 
  and, 
  along 
  with 
  it, 
  

   plenty 
  of 
  fresh 
  air. 
  

  

  HOW 
  TO 
  START 
  EXTRA-EARLY 
  

   VEGETABLES 
  FOR 
  HOME 
  USE 
  

  

  By 
  S. 
  L. 
  de 
  Fabry 
  

  

  THE 
  growing, 
  or 
  better, 
  starting 
  of 
  early 
  

   vegetables 
  three 
  to 
  four 
  weeks 
  ahead 
  of 
  

   time 
  is 
  simple. 
  An 
  old 
  soap 
  box, 
  a 
  little 
  

   rich 
  soil, 
  a 
  sunny 
  window 
  corner, 
  good 
  seeds, 
  

   and, 
  still 
  better, 
  care, 
  and 
  the 
  thing 
  is 
  accom- 
  

   plished. 
  You 
  don't 
  need 
  any 
  greenhouse 
  : 
  a 
  

   small 
  table 
  placed 
  near 
  the 
  window 
  in 
  the 
  

   kitchen 
  or 
  sitting-room 
  will 
  suffice 
  to 
  hold 
  

   two 
  boxes 
  of 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  an 
  ordinary 
  soap 
  box, 
  

   and 
  in 
  them 
  enough 
  plants 
  of 
  a 
  variety 
  suited 
  

   for 
  the 
  wants 
  of 
  an 
  average 
  family 
  can 
  be 
  

   grown. 
  

  

  Two 
  soap 
  boxes 
  are 
  sawed 
  in 
  half, 
  cross 
  

   wise, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  sides 
  are 
  from 
  four 
  to 
  five 
  

   inches 
  high. 
  Then 
  the 
  box 
  is 
  filled 
  with 
  rich 
  

   garden 
  soil, 
  well 
  mixed 
  with 
  about 
  one-quarter 
  

   of 
  fine, 
  well-rotted 
  manure, 
  and 
  is 
  ready 
  now 
  

   to 
  receive 
  the 
  seed. 
  

  

  Good 
  seed 
  is 
  of 
  importance, 
  and 
  only 
  re- 
  

   liable 
  seed 
  men 
  should 
  be 
  patronized. 
  Other- 
  

   wise 
  the 
  care 
  and 
  labor 
  will 
  be 
  lost. 
  After 
  the 
  

   boxes 
  are 
  filled, 
  the 
  soil 
  should 
  be 
  well 
  watered 
  

   with 
  luke-warm 
  water 
  and 
  the 
  seeds 
  planted 
  

   while 
  the 
  soil 
  is 
  still 
  moist. 
  

  

  Little 
  furrows 
  are 
  drawn 
  lengthwise 
  with 
  a 
  

   piece 
  of 
  wood 
  about 
  two 
  inches 
  apart, 
  the 
  seed 
  

   placed 
  in 
  them 
  so 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  touch 
  one 
  an- 
  

   other. 
  The 
  furrows 
  are 
  then 
  lightly 
  covered 
  

   with 
  soil, 
  and 
  the 
  boxes 
  are 
  placed 
  on 
  a 
  small 
  

  

  