﻿8 
  4 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  March, 
  1907 
  

  

  Monthly 
  Comment 
  

  

  HE 
  open 
  season 
  for 
  country 
  houses, 
  and 
  in- 
  

   cidentally 
  for 
  all 
  the 
  delights 
  of 
  the 
  joyous 
  

   summer-time, 
  is 
  about 
  to 
  open. 
  All 
  the 
  

   world 
  is 
  agreed 
  that 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  a 
  welcome 
  

   change. 
  The 
  old-timers 
  will 
  renew 
  the 
  

   pleasures 
  of 
  past 
  springs 
  and 
  summers, 
  and 
  

   the 
  newcomers 
  will, 
  with 
  much 
  trepidation, 
  

   no 
  doubt, 
  make 
  their 
  first 
  acquaintance 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  as 
  a 
  

   place 
  of 
  residence. 
  Those 
  who 
  know 
  the 
  country 
  will, 
  of 
  

   course, 
  eagerly 
  welcome 
  every 
  familiar 
  sight 
  and 
  sound; 
  

   those 
  who 
  go 
  into 
  it 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  time 
  will 
  have 
  mingled 
  sen- 
  

   sations 
  of 
  pleasure 
  and 
  dismay. 
  The 
  truth 
  might 
  as 
  well 
  

   be 
  admitted 
  first 
  as 
  last; 
  for 
  country 
  living 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  wholly 
  

   unmixed 
  joy, 
  and 
  those 
  who 
  are 
  not 
  accustomed 
  to 
  it 
  should 
  

   venture 
  forth 
  prepared 
  for 
  all 
  sorts 
  of 
  things, 
  and 
  be 
  as 
  

   ready 
  for 
  the 
  unexpected 
  as 
  for 
  what 
  is 
  naturally 
  looked 
  for. 
  

   There 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  spot 
  on 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  globe 
  that 
  has 
  not 
  its 
  

   drawbacks 
  as 
  a 
  place 
  of 
  residence. 
  It 
  is 
  true 
  that 
  people 
  of 
  

   large 
  means, 
  who 
  keep 
  house 
  on 
  a 
  large 
  scale, 
  with 
  a 
  retinue 
  

   of 
  servants 
  and 
  all 
  the 
  paraphernalia 
  of 
  human 
  greatness, 
  

   have 
  few 
  reasons 
  to 
  complain 
  of 
  their 
  lot. 
  Even 
  the 
  ennui 
  

   that 
  besets 
  these 
  folks 
  is 
  not 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  location 
  of 
  their 
  

   country 
  estates, 
  but 
  to 
  their 
  own 
  shortcomings 
  in 
  not 
  being 
  

   able 
  to 
  enjoy 
  as 
  they 
  should 
  all 
  their 
  advantages. 
  But 
  the 
  

   person 
  of 
  average 
  means, 
  and 
  the 
  person 
  of 
  small 
  means, 
  

   who 
  go 
  out 
  into 
  the 
  country 
  for 
  economy's 
  sake, 
  are 
  bound 
  

   to 
  meet 
  with 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  inconvenience 
  and 
  perhaps 
  with 
  a 
  

   number 
  of 
  disappointments. 
  There 
  is 
  but 
  one 
  word 
  to 
  be 
  

   said 
  to 
  such 
  as 
  these: 
  Wait. 
  Any 
  new 
  place 
  is 
  certain 
  to 
  be 
  

   different 
  from 
  the 
  old, 
  and 
  what 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  inconveniences 
  

   and 
  drawbacks 
  this 
  year 
  will 
  be 
  smoothed 
  away 
  and 
  forgot- 
  

   ten 
  next 
  season. 
  There 
  is 
  vastly 
  more 
  joy 
  to 
  be 
  had 
  from 
  

   living 
  in 
  the 
  country 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  city; 
  but 
  one 
  needs 
  to 
  be 
  

   accustomed 
  to 
  this 
  new 
  form 
  of 
  life, 
  needs 
  to 
  want 
  to 
  live 
  it, 
  

   needs 
  to 
  be 
  satisfied 
  with 
  what 
  one 
  has. 
  In 
  the 
  end, 
  one 
  may 
  

   rest 
  assured, 
  all 
  will 
  come 
  right. 
  

  

  One 
  serious 
  error 
  that 
  the 
  newcomer 
  is 
  apt 
  to 
  make 
  in 
  

   moving 
  out 
  into 
  the 
  country, 
  and 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  more 
  than 
  

   once 
  referred 
  to 
  in 
  these 
  pages, 
  is 
  the 
  mistake 
  of 
  trying 
  to 
  do 
  

   too 
  much. 
  Of 
  course 
  one 
  must 
  have 
  one's 
  vegetable 
  garden; 
  

   flowers, 
  too, 
  are 
  equally 
  necessary; 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  hard 
  to 
  get 
  along 
  

   without 
  a 
  horse 
  and 
  trap; 
  chickens 
  are 
  apparently 
  the 
  easiest 
  

   thing 
  in 
  the 
  world 
  to 
  raise; 
  and 
  a 
  cow 
  is 
  perhaps 
  both 
  useful 
  

   and 
  necessary. 
  It 
  is 
  at 
  once 
  apparent 
  how 
  the 
  bill 
  of 
  ex- 
  

   pense 
  will 
  mount 
  up. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  difficult 
  for 
  a 
  man, 
  actively 
  

   engaged 
  in 
  business 
  in 
  the 
  city, 
  to 
  attend 
  to 
  all 
  these 
  

   matters 
  himself 
  — 
  not 
  forgetting 
  the 
  inevitable 
  lawn-mowing 
  

   — 
  and 
  have 
  any 
  rest 
  and 
  comfort 
  from 
  his 
  home 
  life. 
  The 
  

   expense 
  of 
  a 
  man 
  to 
  do 
  the 
  outdoor 
  work 
  is 
  considerable, 
  and 
  

   one 
  soon 
  finds 
  one 
  is 
  spending 
  much 
  money 
  for 
  comparatively 
  

   small 
  return, 
  small, 
  that 
  is, 
  compared 
  to 
  the 
  labor 
  and 
  money 
  

   expended. 
  The 
  wiser 
  course 
  will 
  be 
  to 
  get 
  settled, 
  and 
  fully 
  

   settled, 
  before 
  undertaking 
  the 
  unaccustomed 
  tasks 
  that 
  

   most 
  country 
  labor 
  involves; 
  and 
  then, 
  when 
  you 
  do 
  under- 
  

   take 
  to 
  spread 
  out, 
  to 
  go 
  slow. 
  Don't 
  do 
  too 
  much 
  the 
  first 
  

   year, 
  the 
  second 
  year, 
  or 
  even 
  the 
  third 
  year. 
  First 
  get 
  com- 
  

   pletely 
  accustomed 
  to 
  your 
  environment, 
  and 
  then 
  begin 
  in 
  a 
  

   small 
  way. 
  

  

  A 
  GOOD 
  deal 
  of 
  harm 
  is 
  done 
  by 
  the 
  zealous 
  over-advocat- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  the 
  advantages 
  of 
  country 
  life. 
  Quite 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  

   books, 
  and 
  some 
  few 
  periodicals, 
  set 
  forth, 
  in 
  the 
  most 
  allur- 
  

   ing 
  way, 
  the 
  superlative 
  merits 
  of 
  this 
  form 
  of 
  living. 
  They 
  

   will 
  tell 
  you 
  how 
  your 
  home 
  may 
  be 
  self-supporting 
  from 
  the 
  

  

  crops 
  of 
  fruits 
  and 
  vegetables 
  you 
  will 
  raise; 
  how 
  large 
  an 
  

   income 
  you 
  may 
  derive 
  from 
  your 
  hens, 
  how 
  profitable 
  it 
  

   will 
  be 
  to 
  raise 
  various 
  animals. 
  Much 
  of 
  what 
  is 
  offered 
  to 
  

   an 
  inquisitive 
  world 
  on 
  these 
  subjects 
  is 
  true, 
  and 
  is 
  put 
  forth 
  

   in 
  perfect 
  good 
  faith; 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  well 
  to 
  remember 
  that 
  what 
  

   A 
  or 
  B 
  had 
  done, 
  C 
  and 
  D 
  could 
  not 
  possibly 
  accomplish 
  

   under 
  any 
  circumstances. 
  In 
  other 
  words, 
  our 
  modest 
  writers 
  

   on 
  these 
  interesting 
  topics 
  naturally 
  keep 
  in 
  the 
  background 
  

   the 
  personal 
  equation, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  one 
  chief 
  reason 
  of 
  their 
  

   success. 
  This 
  is 
  quite 
  as 
  important 
  an 
  element 
  in 
  raising 
  

   things 
  in 
  the 
  country 
  as 
  winning 
  success 
  in 
  any 
  phase 
  of 
  life, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  point 
  that 
  is 
  raised 
  much 
  too 
  seldom. 
  Interesting 
  

   and 
  accurate 
  as 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  directions 
  for 
  carrying 
  on 
  rural 
  

   activities 
  are, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  a 
  distinct 
  advantage 
  to 
  the 
  beginning 
  

   in 
  such 
  matters 
  to 
  remember 
  that 
  the 
  chances 
  are 
  he 
  will 
  

   accomplish 
  very 
  much 
  less 
  than 
  the 
  author 
  who 
  has 
  been 
  in 
  

   the 
  business 
  long 
  enough 
  to 
  write 
  a 
  book 
  about 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  winter 
  time 
  and 
  very 
  early 
  spring 
  are 
  not 
  looked 
  

   upon 
  with 
  favor 
  by 
  the 
  purveyors 
  of 
  country 
  real 
  estate 
  as 
  

   the 
  best 
  season 
  for 
  their 
  operations; 
  yet 
  the 
  inquiring 
  settler, 
  

   looking 
  about 
  for 
  a 
  suburban 
  or 
  rural 
  residence, 
  could 
  do 
  

   worse 
  than 
  begin 
  his 
  discoveries 
  at 
  such 
  times. 
  The 
  person 
  

   who 
  is 
  new 
  to 
  country 
  life, 
  and 
  who 
  proposes 
  to 
  adopt 
  it 
  per- 
  

   manently, 
  will 
  have 
  the 
  country 
  all 
  the 
  year 
  round. 
  He 
  must 
  

   stay 
  there 
  in 
  all 
  seasons, 
  In 
  the 
  pleasant 
  days 
  of 
  summer 
  and 
  

   the 
  cold, 
  unpleasant 
  days 
  of 
  winter. 
  A 
  country 
  road 
  in 
  

   winter 
  time 
  is 
  not 
  always 
  calculated 
  to 
  arouse 
  enthusiasm 
  for 
  

   travel 
  along 
  it; 
  yet 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  precisely 
  the 
  road 
  you 
  

   will 
  have 
  to 
  travel, 
  morning 
  and 
  evening, 
  every 
  day 
  of 
  the 
  

   year. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  an 
  illumination 
  into 
  the 
  variety 
  of 
  country 
  

   life 
  to 
  see 
  such 
  thoroughfares 
  at 
  the 
  worst; 
  it 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  so 
  

   desirable 
  for 
  the 
  real 
  estate 
  man. 
  

  

  By 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  spring 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  architectural 
  ex- 
  

   hibitions 
  will 
  have 
  come 
  to 
  an 
  end. 
  A 
  few 
  years 
  ago 
  the 
  only 
  

   show 
  of 
  this 
  kind 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  was 
  that 
  given 
  by 
  the 
  

   Architectural 
  League 
  of 
  New 
  York; 
  now 
  nearly 
  every 
  con- 
  

   siderable 
  city 
  has 
  its 
  architectural 
  exhibition, 
  every 
  city, 
  that 
  

   is, 
  which 
  is 
  large 
  enough 
  to 
  support 
  an 
  art 
  show 
  of 
  any 
  kind. 
  

   These 
  exhibitions 
  have 
  increased 
  in 
  interest 
  from 
  year 
  to 
  

   year, 
  and 
  the 
  care 
  taken 
  in 
  their 
  preparation 
  and 
  the 
  number 
  

   of 
  persons 
  who 
  view 
  them 
  may 
  confidently 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  

   evidences 
  of 
  a 
  broadening 
  public 
  interest 
  in 
  architecture. 
  

   There 
  are 
  few 
  subjects 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  public 
  at 
  large 
  stand 
  in 
  

   better 
  need 
  of 
  information, 
  and 
  while 
  the 
  exhibitions 
  of 
  

   architectural 
  drawings 
  are 
  but 
  silent 
  forces, 
  they 
  undoubtedly 
  

   help 
  in 
  an 
  important 
  and 
  useful 
  work. 
  The 
  exhibitions 
  of 
  

   the 
  Architectural 
  League 
  of 
  New 
  York, 
  whose 
  twenty-second 
  

   annual 
  show 
  was 
  held 
  this 
  winter, 
  have 
  come 
  to 
  be 
  regarded 
  

   as 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  of 
  the 
  series. 
  In 
  a 
  measure 
  this 
  is 
  so, 
  

   since 
  New 
  York 
  is 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  greatest 
  architectural 
  

   activity 
  of 
  the 
  country; 
  but 
  the 
  exhibitions 
  in 
  other 
  cities 
  

   have, 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  years, 
  come 
  forward 
  into 
  well 
  earned 
  

   prominence, 
  due 
  partly 
  to 
  the 
  exceeding 
  care 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  

   selection 
  of 
  exhibits, 
  partly 
  to 
  the 
  taste 
  shown 
  in 
  their 
  ar- 
  

   rangement. 
  New 
  York 
  can 
  no 
  longer 
  boast 
  the 
  only 
  archi- 
  

   tectural 
  exhibition, 
  and 
  since 
  there 
  are 
  other 
  active 
  archi- 
  

   tectural 
  centers 
  it 
  is 
  quite 
  as 
  well 
  there 
  should 
  be 
  exhibitions 
  

   elsewhere. 
  While 
  it 
  is 
  true 
  these 
  exhibitions 
  have 
  taken 
  on 
  a 
  

   more 
  and 
  more 
  pictorial 
  character, 
  the 
  great 
  fact 
  is 
  that 
  they 
  

   are 
  held, 
  and 
  that 
  laymen 
  whose 
  interest 
  in 
  buildings 
  is 
  of 
  

   a 
  peculiarly 
  personal 
  and 
  non-technical 
  character, 
  visit 
  them. 
  

   To 
  get 
  people 
  to 
  look 
  at 
  architectural 
  drawings 
  is 
  the 
  first 
  

   step 
  toward 
  getting 
  them 
  to 
  understand 
  them. 
  

  

  