﻿September, 
  1907 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  IX 
  

  

  ORNAMENTAL 
  VALUE 
  OF 
  

   HARDY 
  REEDS 
  AND 
  GRASSES 
  

  

  By 
  Ida 
  D. 
  Bennett 
  

  

  FOR 
  large 
  beds 
  on 
  the 
  lawn 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  

   more 
  valuable 
  plants 
  than 
  the 
  Erianthus 
  

   ravennae, 
  whose 
  tall 
  flower 
  spikes 
  reach 
  

   an 
  altitude 
  of 
  twelve 
  feet 
  or 
  more. 
  These 
  may 
  

   be 
  easily 
  raised 
  from 
  seed 
  and 
  will 
  bloom 
  the 
  

   second 
  summer. 
  It 
  is 
  best 
  to 
  plant 
  the 
  seed 
  

   in 
  the 
  hot 
  bed 
  in 
  early 
  spring 
  and 
  after 
  the 
  

   other 
  plants 
  have 
  been 
  removed 
  for 
  outdoor 
  

   planting 
  to 
  transplant 
  the 
  erianthus 
  in 
  the 
  va- 
  

   cated 
  space 
  and 
  grow 
  them 
  on 
  there 
  until 
  time 
  

   for 
  planting 
  out 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  to 
  remain 
  the 
  

   following 
  spring, 
  or 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  transplanted 
  

   when 
  large 
  enough 
  into 
  a 
  cold 
  frame, 
  and 
  

   wintered 
  there 
  until 
  the 
  next 
  year. 
  

  

  For 
  combining 
  with 
  the 
  erianthus 
  there 
  is 
  

   nothing 
  more 
  handsome 
  than 
  the 
  Eulalia 
  ze- 
  

   brina, 
  with 
  its 
  foliage 
  barred 
  with 
  bands 
  of 
  

   white 
  and 
  its 
  sprays 
  of 
  feathery 
  flowers. 
  It 
  

   is 
  not 
  as 
  tall 
  or 
  robust 
  a 
  grower 
  as 
  the 
  eran- 
  

   thus, 
  but 
  is 
  so 
  distinct 
  and 
  handsome 
  in 
  color 
  

   as 
  to 
  be 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  striking 
  of 
  the 
  hardy 
  

   grasses. 
  The 
  two 
  may 
  be 
  combined 
  with 
  a 
  

   center 
  of 
  arundo 
  donax, 
  the 
  tallest 
  of 
  our 
  

   hardy 
  grasses. 
  The 
  arundo, 
  however, 
  will 
  not 
  

   stand 
  the 
  severe 
  winters 
  as 
  will 
  the 
  other 
  two, 
  

   and 
  requires 
  much 
  protection. 
  

  

  Where 
  these 
  tall 
  grasses 
  are 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  

   center 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  such 
  drooping 
  grasses 
  as 
  

   the 
  pampas 
  grass 
  or 
  the 
  Eulalia 
  gracillima 
  

   should 
  be 
  used 
  for 
  border, 
  both 
  of 
  these 
  hav- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  most 
  graceful, 
  weeping 
  habit, 
  the 
  stems 
  

   growing 
  upright 
  and 
  the 
  leaf 
  blades 
  drooping 
  

   downward 
  like 
  a 
  fountain 
  of 
  green. 
  All 
  of 
  

   these 
  may 
  be 
  grown 
  from 
  seed, 
  but 
  the 
  pampas 
  

   grass 
  is 
  not 
  hardy 
  at 
  the 
  north 
  until 
  two 
  

   or 
  more 
  years 
  old, 
  and 
  requires 
  considerable 
  

   protection 
  even 
  then, 
  but 
  by 
  taking 
  it 
  up 
  in 
  

   the 
  fall 
  and 
  wintering 
  it 
  in 
  a 
  warm 
  cellar 
  it 
  

   may 
  be 
  grown 
  very 
  successfully 
  in 
  cold 
  cli- 
  

   mates. 
  

  

  Certain 
  of 
  the 
  annual 
  grasses 
  are 
  very 
  beau- 
  

   tiful, 
  especially 
  when 
  grown 
  as 
  a 
  border 
  to 
  the 
  

   taller 
  sorts. 
  Among 
  these 
  none 
  is 
  more 
  beau- 
  

   tiful 
  than 
  the 
  Pennisetum 
  rueppelianum 
  or 
  

   purple 
  fountain 
  grass. 
  This 
  has 
  the 
  grace- 
  

   ful 
  fountain-like 
  habit 
  of 
  growth 
  and 
  showy 
  

   purple 
  plumes 
  of 
  flower 
  heads; 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  

   raised 
  from 
  seed, 
  flowering 
  by 
  mid-summer. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  effective 
  form 
  in 
  which 
  to 
  grow 
  

   these 
  ornamental 
  grasses 
  is 
  in 
  oval 
  beds 
  or 
  in 
  

   long, 
  hedge-like 
  rows. 
  As 
  a 
  border 
  or 
  hedge 
  

   there 
  is 
  nothing 
  finer. 
  Their 
  culture 
  is 
  sim- 
  

   ple, 
  the 
  necessary 
  conditions 
  being 
  a 
  deep, 
  

   mellow 
  soil 
  of 
  marsh 
  muck, 
  well 
  decayed, 
  and 
  

   a 
  liberal 
  quantity 
  of 
  old 
  manure. 
  They 
  re- 
  

   quire 
  an 
  abundance 
  of 
  water 
  during 
  the 
  grow- 
  

   ing 
  season, 
  but 
  no 
  water 
  should 
  be 
  allowed 
  

   to 
  stand 
  about 
  their 
  roots 
  in 
  winter. 
  A 
  good 
  

   way 
  to 
  manage 
  the 
  watering 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  of 
  or- 
  

   namental 
  grasses 
  is 
  to 
  pipe 
  water 
  into 
  it 
  and 
  

   keep 
  it 
  almost 
  a 
  swale 
  a 
  considerable 
  part 
  

   of 
  the 
  time. 
  The 
  plants 
  make 
  such 
  a 
  tough, 
  

   solid 
  network 
  of 
  roots 
  that 
  any 
  ordinary 
  wa- 
  

   tering 
  can 
  not 
  penetrate 
  them 
  once 
  they 
  have 
  

   dried 
  out, 
  so 
  that 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  any 
  artificial 
  

   watering 
  may 
  be 
  helpful 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  continu- 
  

   ous. 
  

  

  Where 
  one 
  does 
  not 
  care 
  for 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  

   solid 
  beds 
  of 
  grasses 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  low-growing 
  

   bamboos 
  may 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  taller 
  

   growing 
  grasses. 
  Bambusa 
  Metake, 
  which 
  

   rarely 
  exceeds 
  ten 
  feet 
  in 
  height, 
  and 
  pre- 
  

   sents 
  a 
  more 
  common 
  altitude 
  of 
  about 
  six 
  

   feet, 
  combine 
  very 
  effectively 
  with 
  the 
  grasses, 
  

   and 
  the 
  taller 
  B. 
  argentea, 
  B. 
  verticillata 
  and 
  

   B. 
  vulgaris 
  are 
  very 
  good 
  to 
  use 
  in 
  the 
  center 
  

   with 
  the 
  tall 
  grasses, 
  but 
  do 
  not 
  stand 
  the 
  

   wind 
  at 
  the 
  north 
  very 
  well, 
  and 
  need 
  to 
  be 
  

   taken 
  up 
  and 
  wintered 
  in 
  the 
  greenhouse 
  or 
  a 
  

   dry, 
  light 
  cellar. 
  Possibly 
  if 
  a 
  sufficient 
  pro- 
  

   tection 
  could 
  be 
  given 
  the 
  tops 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  

  

  Before 
  putting 
  up 
  this 
  season's 
  screens, 
  remember 
  that 
  it 
  isn't 
  the 
  

   frame 
  that 
  makes 
  the 
  screen 
  — 
  it's 
  the 
  material 
  within 
  the 
  frame 
  which 
  

   will 
  spell 
  the 
  difference 
  between 
  comfort 
  and 
  discomfort 
  for 
  you 
  this 
  

   summer. 
  

  

  Spend 
  this 
  summer 
  undisturbed 
  by 
  flies, 
  mosquitoes 
  and 
  other 
  insects, 
  

   by 
  screening 
  your 
  doors 
  and 
  windows 
  with 
  Pompeiian 
  Bronze 
  Wire 
  

   Cloth 
  because 
  

  

  it 
  affords 
  absolute 
  protection 
  against 
  insects 
  ; 
  

  

  it 
  can't 
  rust; 
  

  

  it 
  offers 
  no 
  obstruction 
  to 
  light 
  and 
  air; 
  

  

  it 
  is 
  practically 
  invisible 
  ; 
  

  

  it 
  is 
  indestructible; 
  

  

  it 
  will 
  never 
  lose 
  its 
  color, 
  either 
  by 
  chipping, 
  wear, 
  fading 
  

   or 
  other 
  causes; 
  

  

  it 
  is 
  immune 
  against 
  the 
  corrosive 
  action 
  of 
  salt 
  air. 
  

  

  Pompeiian 
  Bronze 
  Wire 
  Cloth, 
  of 
  which 
  we 
  are 
  the 
  originators 
  and 
  sole 
  manufacturers, 
  is 
  made 
  

   of 
  an 
  alloy 
  of 
  copper, 
  aluminum, 
  and 
  other 
  non-corrosive 
  materials, 
  and 
  combines 
  the 
  durability 
  of 
  

   these 
  materials 
  with 
  the 
  toughness 
  and 
  elasticity 
  of 
  steel. 
  

  

  Pompeiian 
  Bronze 
  Wire 
  Cloth 
  is 
  woven 
  on 
  our 
  improved 
  power 
  looms, 
  which 
  insures 
  accuracy 
  

   and 
  uniformity 
  of 
  the 
  meshes 
  in 
  warp 
  and 
  filling. 
  

  

  Pompeiian 
  Bronze 
  Wire 
  Cloth 
  is 
  in 
  color 
  a 
  facsimile 
  of 
  the 
  ancient 
  Pompeiian 
  bronzes, 
  and 
  is 
  

   so 
  delicately 
  shaded 
  as 
  to 
  render 
  the 
  cloth 
  almost 
  invisible. 
  The 
  color 
  is 
  produced 
  by 
  the 
  combination 
  

   of 
  the 
  materials 
  entering 
  into 
  the 
  wire 
  and 
  not 
  by 
  paint 
  or 
  lacquer. 
  

  

  Pompeiian 
  Bronze 
  Wire 
  Cloth 
  is 
  for 
  sale 
  by 
  all 
  leading 
  hardware 
  dealers. 
  

  

  Packets 
  containing 
  samples 
  of 
  Pompeiian 
  Bronze 
  Wire 
  Cloth 
  can 
  be 
  secured 
  free 
  by 
  writing 
  to 
  Department 
  K. 
  

   We 
  strongly 
  advise 
  sending 
  for 
  one 
  before 
  installing 
  screens, 
  as 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  the 
  means 
  of 
  making 
  this 
  summer 
  a 
  more 
  

   comfortable 
  one. 
  

  

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