372 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



October, 19 13 



Breakfast food served with pineapple and cream 



wheat that are now on the market and the prepared cereals. 

 Rye mush is also very good; sprinkle five heaping teaspoon- 

 fuls of rye meal into a quart of boiling water, add one tea- 

 spoonful of salt, bring to the boiling point, cover and cook 

 slowly in a double boiler for one and a half hours. 



A Mush of Cracked Wheat — Take a quart of clean 

 white wheat and put in a slow oven to parch, not brown. 

 Be sure that it is well dried, for therein lies its pleasant 

 flavor. Grind it in the coffee mill, then put into a double 

 boiler with enough water to make a thin gruel. Boil one 

 and a half hours, or until of a proper consistency. Eat 

 with cream and sugar, warm or cold, as preferred. Half 

 this quantity will be enough for a small family. 



Fruits eaten with cereals are most beneficial for the di- 

 gestive organs. The invasion of an acute or infectious 

 disease is due to the lowereci resistance of the individual. 



MOVING THE GARDEN INTO THE HOUSE 



HERE is no reason why one should be de- 

 prived of flowers in abundance just because 

 frost has nipped the garden blossoms. It is 

 a simple matter to transfer the garden to 

 the house and so go right along enjoying a 

 profusion of bloom for months to come. 

 Amateurs often do not realize that flowers which flourish 

 outside will frequently do almost as well in the house. 

 Many kinds may be lifted and carefully potted and after a 

 brief rest will continue blooming for many weeks. 



Best known of these obliging plants is the common 

 Geranium, which is unexcelled as a house plant. It is true 

 that a Geranium which has flowered freely all Summer 

 will not bloom as well as one which has been kept from 

 blossoming, but a considerable number of flowers will be 

 almost certain if the plant is cut back when taken into the 

 house. Probably the Begonias come next to the Geranium in 

 popularity among house-plant lovers. This is not to be 

 wondered at when the ease with which they can be grown 

 is considered, as well as the fact that they are lavish in their 

 display of blossoms. Begonias, too, may be grown in win- 

 dows which get only a little sun, while Geraniums plead 

 for sunshine without stint. They may be lifted and potted 

 in the Fall and will hardly cease blossoming. Few people 

 realize that Salvias make excellent house plants, but this is 

 a fact. Their brilliant scarlet blossoms are very cheerful, 

 too, when the outside world has been bereft of its flowers 

 and foliage. It is best to have young plants, just beginning 

 to bloom. Those started from cuttings made in August will 

 do nicely, but new plants may be made from the lower part 

 of the old ones, a bit of (the parent plant being included. 

 The blossoms must be cut just as soon as they begin to 

 fade and the plants need to be sprayed frequently to keep 

 the red spider in check. Then a wealth of blossoms will 

 be produced. 



Petunias as house plants are charming. The single kinds 

 may blossom a bit more freely than the double varieties, but 



the latter are especially fine. Although the plants which 

 have been growing in the garden will continue to flower, 

 it is a better plan to make new cuttings from old plants 

 some time before the end of the season. Petunias need 

 to be cut back sharply in order to bloom well and new cut- 

 tings may be made every few weeks, so as to ensure a succes- 

 sion of bloom all through the year. 



Among the other garden plants which may be taken into 

 the house are Cohaea Scandens, or Cup and Saucer Vine, 

 (w'hich should be cut back and potted before frost comes), 

 Carnations, Heliotrope, Wall Flowers, Lantanas and Snap- 

 dragons. It is not generally realized that the last may be 

 grown in the house, but they really make very attractive 

 and satisfactory house plants, if given a little care. 



When plants are taken from the garden and potted for 

 house culture, they must be cut back two thirds, and they 

 should be dug carefully without exposing the roots more 

 than is absolutely necessary. The soil in the pots must be 

 rich and porous. A good soil may be made by mixing equal 

 parts of leaf mold with good garden soil and adding a little 

 sand. Enough leaf mold may be bought for a few cents 

 from the nearest florist or it may be secured by going into 

 the woods with a basket. It is to be found in the hollow 

 places under a surface layer of leaves and is composed of 

 decayed leaves and other vegetable matter. Soil which is 

 too heavy for water to pass through quickly is not suited for 

 house plants. Drainage is most necessary and is promoted 

 by putting a few pieces of broken pot under the earth. The 

 addition of a few lumps of charcoal is also an advantage, 

 because the charcoal helps to keep the soil sweet, an im- 

 portant matter. After die plants have been potted, it is 

 well to keep them in a shaded spot out of doors for a few 

 days and to give water in abundance. Then, when they 

 are removed to the house, they will soon throw out new 

 shoots and begin to blossom. 



Often it is possible to have a Winter garden of annual 

 flowers, even when it comes as an after thought. Seedlings 

 frequently come up in the Fall and may be found even after 

 frost has cut down the larger plants, flourishing in some 

 protected spot. Nasturtiums may be secured in this way 

 and will make a charming display in the window garden. 

 Petunias and Sweet Alyssum are other plants which may 

 be started late in the season from chance seedlings found 

 in the border. 



There really is no reason for going without Winter flow- 

 ers, or if there is no garden to draw upon, seeds of several 

 charming Annuals may be sown in September and will give 

 good-sized plants in a few weeks. The list includes Nas- 

 turtiums, Morning Glories, Lobelias, Drummond's Phlox, 

 Sweet Alyssum and Mignonette. The seeds may be sown 

 in pots out of doors and the plants removed to the house 

 as soon as the weather begins to get cool. The Morning 

 Glories and Nasturtiums are pretty when planted along the 

 edge of a large box containing taller plants. The miniature 

 trailing Nasturtium is especially well adapted to pot culture 

 and blossoms the whole season through. Slips of English 

 Ivy may be started by thrusting them into any good soil and 

 keeping them moist. They do not require a sunny location, 

 or a very warm one. 



By sowing a few seeds and making a number of cuttings 

 in September, it is a simple 'matter to make the Winter gar- 

 den a thing of beauty and a joy at least all Winter. 



There is one shrub, the Abutilon, which may be taken into 

 the house in the Fall and which will flower profusely, es- 

 pecially if the buds have been kept picked all Summer, with 

 this plan in mind. Slips rooted during the Summer grow 

 rapidly and make good plants. Water in abundance is re- 

 quired, especially after blooming begins, and for this reason 

 itis well to make sure that the drainage is good. After a burst 

 of bloom, the Abutilon will rest for a considerable length 

 of time, and then less water will be needed for their care. 



