﻿124 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  April, 
  1907 
  

  

  Monthly 
  Comment 
  

  

  PRIL 
  is 
  the 
  very 
  busiest 
  month 
  in 
  the 
  year. 
  

   To 
  those 
  living 
  in 
  the 
  country 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  period 
  

   of 
  continuous 
  effort, 
  put 
  forth 
  at 
  all 
  hours 
  

   of 
  the 
  day, 
  and 
  only 
  ceasing 
  at 
  night 
  

   through 
  sheer 
  lack 
  of 
  ability 
  to 
  proceed 
  

   without 
  rest. 
  It 
  is 
  tiresome, 
  of 
  course, 
  as 
  

   all 
  labor 
  is, 
  and 
  exhausting 
  as 
  well; 
  but 
  the 
  

   results 
  of 
  good 
  effort, 
  well 
  applied, 
  will 
  in 
  the 
  end 
  yield 
  

   ample 
  compensation. 
  For 
  on 
  what 
  is 
  done 
  now 
  will 
  depend, 
  

   in 
  large 
  measure, 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  personal 
  enjoyment 
  one 
  is 
  to 
  

   derive 
  from 
  one's 
  country 
  house. 
  Whether 
  one 
  grows 
  vege- 
  

   tables, 
  flowers, 
  or 
  fruits, 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  all 
  times 
  when 
  

   plans 
  must 
  be 
  realized 
  and 
  the 
  necessary 
  preliminary 
  labor 
  

   expended 
  that 
  results 
  be 
  assured. 
  And 
  it 
  pays, 
  and 
  pays 
  well. 
  

   Not 
  financially, 
  of 
  course, 
  for 
  unless 
  one 
  makes 
  a 
  business 
  of 
  

   living 
  in 
  the 
  country 
  one 
  must 
  be 
  prepared 
  for 
  all 
  sorts 
  of 
  

   expenses 
  for 
  the 
  pleasure 
  of 
  doing 
  so. 
  But 
  it 
  will 
  pay 
  in 
  satis- 
  

   faction 
  and 
  in 
  enjoyment; 
  and 
  that, 
  in 
  some 
  respects, 
  is 
  the 
  

   greatest 
  of 
  all 
  compensation. 
  

  

  But 
  the 
  labors 
  of 
  April 
  are 
  not 
  confined 
  to 
  those 
  put 
  forth 
  

   by 
  man. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  awakening 
  month 
  of 
  nature, 
  stirring 
  from 
  

   her 
  profound 
  sleep 
  during 
  the 
  cold 
  months 
  of 
  winter. 
  The 
  

   grass 
  is 
  never 
  so 
  fresh 
  and 
  green 
  as 
  when 
  it 
  takes 
  on 
  its 
  first 
  

   growth 
  of 
  spring 
  and 
  envelops 
  the 
  hills 
  and 
  fields 
  with 
  their 
  

   first 
  coating 
  of 
  verdure. 
  The 
  flowers 
  seem 
  never 
  so 
  lovely 
  

   as 
  when 
  the 
  earliest 
  of 
  the 
  season's 
  blooms 
  first 
  open 
  their 
  

   gentle 
  cups 
  of 
  beauty. 
  Gorgeous 
  as 
  the 
  countryside 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  

   late 
  fall, 
  its 
  then 
  splendid 
  beauty 
  seems 
  almost 
  coarse 
  com- 
  

   pared 
  with 
  the 
  soft 
  greens 
  of 
  spring. 
  And 
  later 
  will 
  come 
  

   the 
  blossoming 
  of 
  the 
  trees 
  and 
  their 
  leafing, 
  and 
  all 
  nature 
  

   is 
  clothed 
  with 
  its 
  great 
  new 
  garment, 
  never 
  so 
  lovely 
  as 
  when 
  

   fresh 
  and 
  new, 
  unsoiled 
  with 
  the 
  summer's 
  heat. 
  There 
  are 
  a 
  

   thousand 
  things 
  to 
  watch 
  and 
  love 
  in 
  this 
  joyous 
  season, 
  thou- 
  

   sands 
  and 
  thousands, 
  the 
  very 
  smallest 
  with 
  a 
  rare 
  beauty 
  

   of 
  its 
  own; 
  and 
  all 
  yours, 
  for 
  your 
  own 
  delighting, 
  if 
  you 
  will 
  

   but 
  look, 
  and 
  gaze 
  and 
  understand. 
  

  

  No 
  ONE 
  should 
  move 
  into 
  the 
  country, 
  even 
  for 
  a 
  tem- 
  

   porary 
  sojourn, 
  without 
  being 
  alive 
  to 
  its 
  beauties, 
  and, 
  to 
  

   speak 
  somewhat 
  pedantically, 
  aware 
  of 
  its 
  advantages 
  as 
  a 
  

   place 
  of 
  residence. 
  One 
  must 
  love 
  the 
  country, 
  or 
  be 
  pre- 
  

   pared 
  to 
  love 
  it, 
  or 
  one 
  had 
  better 
  remain 
  away 
  from 
  it. 
  It 
  is 
  

   quite 
  true 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  have 
  space 
  and 
  air 
  in 
  suburban 
  

   and 
  rural 
  districts 
  which 
  are 
  never 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  built-up 
  

   portion 
  of 
  a 
  city; 
  but 
  to 
  move 
  out 
  into 
  the 
  country, 
  especially 
  

   as 
  a 
  place 
  of 
  permanent 
  residence, 
  with 
  such 
  ideas 
  as 
  the 
  sole 
  

   motives, 
  is 
  tolerably 
  certain 
  to 
  end 
  disastrously. 
  One 
  must 
  

   have 
  a 
  real 
  affection 
  for 
  hills 
  and 
  fields 
  and 
  trees 
  and 
  woods, 
  

   for 
  flowers 
  and 
  farms, 
  for 
  live 
  stock, 
  perhaps, 
  for 
  the 
  quiet 
  

   of 
  country 
  living 
  by 
  all 
  means. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  vastly 
  dull 
  other- 
  

   wise. 
  If 
  the 
  banging 
  of 
  the 
  trolley 
  gong 
  is 
  essential 
  to 
  your 
  

   repose 
  at 
  night, 
  never 
  for 
  a 
  moment 
  imagine 
  you 
  can 
  sleep 
  in 
  

   the 
  perfect 
  stillness 
  of 
  the 
  country, 
  where 
  no 
  noise 
  sounds 
  

   louder 
  at 
  night 
  than 
  the 
  hum 
  of 
  the 
  insect, 
  unless 
  it 
  be 
  the 
  

   hooting 
  of 
  an 
  owl 
  or 
  the 
  ceaseless 
  song 
  of 
  the 
  whip-poorwill. 
  

   Don't 
  try 
  it 
  at 
  all 
  unless 
  you 
  like 
  it; 
  don't 
  try 
  it 
  unless 
  you 
  

   think 
  you 
  are 
  going 
  to 
  like 
  it; 
  and, 
  better 
  still, 
  don't 
  try 
  it 
  if 
  

   you 
  think 
  you 
  are 
  going 
  to 
  like 
  it 
  without 
  a 
  preliminary 
  

   temporary 
  sojourn. 
  In 
  a 
  general 
  way 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  easiest 
  thing 
  

   in 
  the 
  world 
  to 
  buy 
  country 
  real 
  estate 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  sometimes 
  some- 
  

   what 
  difficult 
  to 
  sell 
  it, 
  especially 
  if 
  you 
  are 
  in 
  a 
  hurry 
  to 
  do 
  so. 
  

  

  In 
  endeavoring 
  to 
  get 
  the 
  best 
  for 
  one's 
  money 
  in 
  building 
  

   a 
  house, 
  attention 
  is 
  chiefly 
  directed 
  to 
  the 
  matter 
  of 
  cost. 
  

  

  That, 
  of 
  course, 
  is 
  so 
  important 
  a 
  subject 
  that 
  it 
  can 
  never 
  be 
  

   lost 
  sight 
  of, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  often 
  a 
  quite 
  mistaken 
  idea 
  to 
  regard 
  it 
  

   as 
  the 
  one 
  essential 
  thing 
  in 
  house 
  building. 
  A 
  successful 
  

   building 
  operation 
  is 
  one 
  in 
  which 
  a 
  due 
  economy 
  is 
  exercised 
  

   at 
  every 
  stage. 
  There 
  should 
  be 
  no 
  waste, 
  either 
  of 
  materials 
  

   or 
  of 
  funds; 
  there 
  should 
  be 
  no 
  waste 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  poor 
  ma- 
  

   terials 
  or 
  improper 
  construction. 
  The 
  builder 
  or 
  owner, 
  as 
  

   the 
  case 
  may 
  be, 
  is 
  entitled 
  to 
  full 
  value 
  for 
  his 
  money. 
  There 
  

   are, 
  however, 
  other 
  considerations 
  which 
  enter 
  into 
  the 
  build- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  a 
  house, 
  or 
  which 
  should 
  do 
  so, 
  considerations 
  quite 
  as 
  

   important 
  as 
  getting 
  good 
  material 
  and 
  good 
  workmanship. 
  

   And 
  these 
  may 
  be 
  summed 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  phrase, 
  questions 
  of 
  art 
  

   or 
  questions 
  of 
  beauty. 
  The 
  person 
  who 
  spends 
  five 
  thou- 
  

   sand 
  dollars 
  for 
  his 
  house, 
  or 
  ten 
  times 
  as 
  much 
  or 
  more, 
  is 
  

   entitled 
  to 
  an 
  artistic 
  return, 
  quite 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  a 
  material 
  re- 
  

   turn. 
  His 
  house 
  must 
  not 
  only 
  be 
  well 
  built, 
  but 
  be 
  good 
  to 
  

   look 
  at, 
  or 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  as 
  great 
  a 
  failure 
  as 
  a 
  house 
  as 
  any 
  

   structure 
  can 
  be. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  no 
  new 
  doctrine, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  one 
  that, 
  even 
  in 
  this 
  day 
  

   of 
  architectural 
  progress 
  and 
  interest, 
  is 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  under- 
  

   stood 
  or 
  appreciated. 
  One 
  has 
  but 
  to 
  look 
  at 
  the 
  multitude 
  

   of 
  dwellings 
  even 
  now 
  in 
  progress 
  of 
  erection 
  to 
  realize 
  how 
  

   many 
  houses 
  are 
  being 
  built 
  without 
  due 
  regard 
  to 
  esthetic 
  

   questions. 
  There 
  is 
  nothing 
  easier 
  than 
  to 
  injure 
  an 
  exquisite 
  

   landscape 
  by 
  a 
  commonplace 
  dwelling, 
  and 
  the 
  thing 
  is 
  so 
  

   easy 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  being 
  done 
  everywhere, 
  to-day, 
  to-morrow, 
  and 
  

   perhaps 
  for 
  many, 
  many 
  days 
  to 
  come. 
  The 
  reason 
  for 
  this 
  

   state 
  of 
  things 
  is, 
  of 
  course, 
  very 
  clear; 
  people 
  do 
  not 
  care; 
  

   they 
  do 
  not 
  know; 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  understand. 
  And, 
  of 
  course, 
  

   it 
  is 
  easy 
  to 
  ask: 
  Why 
  should 
  one 
  spend 
  money 
  for 
  a 
  mere 
  

   matter 
  of 
  looks 
  when 
  one 
  neither 
  cares 
  nor 
  understands? 
  

   There 
  is 
  no 
  answer 
  save 
  to 
  regret 
  that, 
  to 
  such 
  persons, 
  is 
  

   given 
  the 
  ability 
  to 
  build 
  houses. 
  

  

  Beauty 
  in 
  houses, 
  as 
  in 
  all 
  kinds 
  of 
  buildings, 
  is 
  not 
  some- 
  

   thing 
  to 
  be 
  purchased 
  by 
  the 
  cubic 
  yard 
  or 
  by 
  the 
  foot; 
  it 
  is 
  

   not 
  something 
  added 
  on 
  to 
  a 
  house 
  after 
  the 
  structural 
  parts 
  

   have 
  been 
  finished 
  with, 
  but 
  is 
  itself 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  structure. 
  

   In 
  other 
  words 
  the 
  beauty 
  of 
  a 
  house 
  begins 
  with 
  the 
  ground 
  

   plan; 
  it 
  is 
  added 
  in 
  the 
  materials; 
  it 
  is 
  increased 
  in 
  the 
  shapes 
  

   and 
  forms; 
  it 
  is 
  finally 
  achieved 
  in 
  the 
  completed 
  structure. 
  

   It 
  is 
  not 
  given 
  to 
  every 
  one 
  to 
  accomplish 
  beautiful 
  results 
  

   even 
  with 
  painstaking 
  care 
  and 
  effort. 
  Because 
  one 
  is 
  an 
  

   architect 
  and 
  has 
  been 
  trained 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  details 
  of 
  his 
  pro- 
  

   fession 
  does 
  not 
  make 
  him 
  a 
  beautiful 
  designer 
  nor 
  even 
  a 
  

   judge 
  of 
  beauty 
  of 
  any 
  kind. 
  The 
  trained 
  man 
  is 
  more 
  likely 
  

   to 
  accomplish 
  a 
  beautiful 
  result 
  than 
  the 
  untrained; 
  the 
  archi- 
  

   tect 
  will 
  be 
  more 
  apt 
  to 
  design 
  a 
  beautiful 
  house 
  than 
  the 
  

   builder 
  or 
  carpenter 
  whom 
  one 
  calls 
  in 
  because 
  he 
  is 
  so 
  cheap; 
  

   but 
  the 
  mere 
  employment 
  of 
  an 
  architect 
  will 
  not 
  ensure 
  a 
  

   beautiful 
  house; 
  else 
  why 
  are 
  so 
  many 
  commonplace 
  houses 
  

   built 
  by 
  architects? 
  

  

  Never 
  build 
  a 
  house 
  unless 
  it 
  is 
  well 
  built. 
  Never 
  build 
  a 
  

   house 
  unless 
  it 
  is 
  suited 
  to 
  the 
  needs 
  of 
  its 
  owner 
  and 
  is 
  sani- 
  

   tary 
  and 
  healthful 
  in 
  every 
  respect. 
  Never 
  build 
  a 
  house 
  

   with 
  poor 
  materials 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  poor 
  way. 
  And 
  never 
  build 
  a 
  

   house 
  unless 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  good 
  looking 
  one, 
  possessed 
  of 
  real 
  beauty, 
  

   if 
  possible, 
  but 
  at 
  least 
  handsome 
  enough 
  to 
  escape 
  being 
  

   embarrassing 
  to 
  the 
  trees 
  and 
  grasses 
  that 
  surround 
  it. 
  Not 
  

   all 
  of 
  these 
  rules 
  are 
  followed 
  in 
  designing 
  modern 
  houses, 
  

   but 
  this 
  would 
  be 
  a 
  more 
  beautiful 
  world 
  — 
  and 
  a 
  better 
  one 
  — 
  

   were 
  they 
  regarded, 
  as 
  they 
  should 
  be, 
  as 
  universally 
  

   essential. 
  

  

  