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  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  May, 
  1907 
  

  

  The 
  Summer 
  Veranda 
  

  

  By 
  Esther 
  Singleton 
  

  

  ITHIN 
  the 
  past 
  few 
  years 
  the 
  veranda 
  

   has 
  come 
  to 
  mean 
  something 
  more 
  than 
  its 
  

   dictionary 
  definition 
  — 
  "a 
  kind 
  of 
  open 
  

   portico 
  formed 
  by 
  extending 
  a 
  sloping 
  

   roof 
  beyond 
  the 
  main 
  building." 
  Built 
  

   of 
  ample 
  or 
  cosy 
  proportions, 
  supported 
  

   by 
  columns, 
  inclosed 
  by 
  a 
  stone 
  or 
  wooden 
  balustrade 
  or 
  

   framed 
  in 
  by 
  flower 
  boxes, 
  decorated 
  with 
  ornamental 
  

   plants 
  or 
  bright 
  blooms 
  in 
  jars 
  or 
  baskets, 
  protected 
  from 
  

   the 
  sun 
  by 
  striped 
  

   awnings 
  or 
  grass 
  or 
  

   bamboo 
  curtains, 
  and 
  

   made 
  comfortable 
  

   with 
  easy 
  chairs, 
  

   tables, 
  rugs, 
  and 
  cush- 
  

   ions, 
  it 
  has 
  become 
  a 
  

   most 
  important 
  fea- 
  

   ture 
  of 
  the 
  American 
  

   summer 
  home. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  country, 
  

   where 
  the 
  tall, 
  thick, 
  

   and 
  glistering 
  hedges 
  

   of 
  holly, 
  box, 
  yew, 
  and 
  

   hawthorn 
  and 
  the 
  

   high 
  brick 
  walls, 
  

   which 
  so 
  delightfully 
  

   screen 
  one's 
  premises 
  

   from 
  the 
  gaze 
  of 
  the 
  

   world, 
  are 
  almost 
  un- 
  

   known, 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  

   to 
  live 
  upon 
  one's 
  

   lawn 
  in 
  privacy. 
  The 
  

   veranda 
  offers 
  a 
  com- 
  

   promise 
  between 
  in- 
  

  

  1 
  — 
  Bamboo 
  Screens 
  Are 
  Both 
  Popular 
  and 
  Useful 
  in 
  the 
  Modern 
  Veranda 
  

  

  doors 
  and 
  outdoors, 
  and 
  has 
  developed 
  into 
  a 
  species 
  of 
  

   open-air 
  room 
  the 
  furnishing 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  quite 
  as 
  important 
  

   as 
  that 
  of 
  any 
  other 
  room 
  in 
  the 
  house. 
  

  

  In 
  our 
  Southern 
  States 
  the 
  delights 
  and 
  uses 
  of 
  the 
  ve- 
  

   randa 
  have 
  long 
  been 
  known. 
  The 
  visitor 
  to 
  Charleston, 
  

   Savannah, 
  New 
  Orleans, 
  and 
  other 
  cities 
  (where, 
  by 
  the 
  way, 
  

   it 
  is 
  often 
  referred 
  to 
  as 
  the 
  "gallery" 
  or 
  the 
  front 
  or 
  back 
  

   "po'ch"), 
  one 
  is 
  astonished 
  to 
  find 
  not 
  only 
  every 
  house, 
  but 
  

   every 
  floor 
  of 
  the 
  house 
  supplied 
  with 
  a 
  veranda 
  extending 
  

  

  around 
  its 
  three 
  or 
  

   four 
  sides, 
  as 
  the 
  case 
  

   may 
  be, 
  and 
  screened 
  

   from 
  the 
  public 
  eye 
  by 
  

   shutters, 
  the 
  small 
  

   slats 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  

   opened 
  to 
  admit 
  air 
  

   and 
  light. 
  Here, 
  in 
  

   warm 
  weather, 
  the 
  in- 
  

   habitants 
  not 
  only 
  sit 
  

   and 
  eat, 
  but 
  frequently 
  

   sleep 
  as 
  well. 
  

  

  These 
  Southern 
  ve- 
  

   randas 
  are 
  not, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  fur- 
  

   nished 
  with 
  any 
  eye 
  to 
  

   decorative 
  effect; 
  it 
  is 
  

   in 
  the 
  more 
  wealthy 
  

   States 
  of 
  the 
  North 
  

   that 
  the 
  veranda 
  is 
  

   found 
  in 
  its 
  glor 
  y. 
  

   In 
  the 
  homes 
  of 
  mil- 
  

   lionaires 
  it 
  sometimes 
  

   exhibits 
  not 
  only 
  

   luxurious 
  but 
  ex- 
  

  

  2 
  — 
  The 
  Increased 
  Use 
  of 
  Verandas 
  as 
  Sitting- 
  and 
  Dining-rooms 
  Requires 
  Ample 
  Areas 
  

  

  