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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



November, 1905 



ous bottom roots cut and a wooden bottom to the box 

 clamped on. The tree was then suspended in the hole, and 

 was gradually lifted up by the manipulation of jackscrews, 

 until it was at the surface, when the truck, was hauled upon 

 the lot, a curious affair, with two wheels in front and four 

 behind. In other words, behind there were two two-wheeled 

 trucks, while heavy scantlings extended lengthwise over them. 

 This was hauled to the tree, which was gradually jacked up, 

 and finally attached by heavy chains to the truck, and the 

 palm was suspended and just clearing the ground. Rails 

 were now laid, and by means of a pair of horses and block 

 and tackle the whole affair was run off the lot over the curb- 

 ing to the street. Two horses were now harnessed to the 

 pole, and the cavalcade moved slowly up the street, arriving 

 in less than an hour at the destination — shown in the photo- 

 graph. Here the same operation, only reversed, was re- 

 peated; the truck with the tree was run across the curb by 

 the block and tackle and slowly hauled over the excavation, 

 which was about six feet in depth, well supplied with rich 

 dressing. 



This was the most difficult part of the work, yet two men 

 manipulated the jackscrews so cleverly that the great palm 

 gradually sank out of sight. Once in perfectly horizontal 

 position the wooden sides of the box were unscrewed and the 

 tree and its earth-surrounded root stood without a crack. 



Equal parts of earth and dressing were now thrown in 

 and carefully tamped down, and finally the ground was 

 soaked and retamped. When the debris was cleared away, 

 the palm stood as erect and perfect as it had in its original 

 growing place, showing no evidence of shock of removal. A 

 few days later another palm, estimated at five tons weight, 

 was placed near the same house, adding materially to the ap- 

 pearance and value of the property, and certainly to its age, 

 so far as general effect was concerned. 



The ordinary fan palm, so common in southern California, 

 is so tenacious of life that comparatively little care is needed; 

 in fact, a block and tackle has been attached to one and the 

 trunk literally torn from the earth and replanted without 

 injury. One of the most notable examples of this tree mov- 

 ing was seen in Los Angeles several years ago when a fine 

 palm (Washingtonia) , estimated at fifty feet in height, was 

 taken from a ranch and hauled through the city to the 

 Southern Pacific depot, where it was replanted directly in 

 front of the entrance, where it still stands, a striking illus- 

 tration of what can be accomplished by the skilled tree 

 mover. A palm of very large size and goodly proportions 

 was hauled from Los Angeles to the town of Alhambra, 

 eleven miles distant, without injury; and there seems to be 

 no limit to the vigor of these trees, which add so materially 

 to the attractiveness of the country. 



Science for the Home 



The Dangers of Illuminating Gas 



HAT ordinary illuminating gas, such as is 

 generally used for household and public pur- 

 poses, is dangerous in itself and may be 

 dangerously used are facts that have well- 

 nigh escaped public attention. Dr. Henry 

 Leffmann, in a paper read before the Phila- 

 delphia County Medical Society, has performed a useful 

 service in calling attention to these matters, and his paper 

 presents a long array of startling facts and valuable sug- 

 gestions. Dr. Leffmann does not decry the use of gas in 

 itself for any domestic purpose; on the contrary, he recog- 

 nizes its value, which is very great. But he does insist, and 

 insists rightly, that most of the trouble lies in inefficient ap- 

 paratus and connections, and it is to these that he traces 

 most of the trouble. 



First of all, the use of improper rubber tubing is alarm- 

 ingly prevalent. Tubing of an inferior quality soon be- 

 comes unfit for use, and only the best should be used. Even 

 good rubber tubing is often improperly used. Gas stoves 

 for heating rooms, says Dr. Leffmann, should not have stop- 

 cock connections at the base unless attached by metal tubes 

 with tight joints to the house main. If attached by rubber 

 tubes, there is great danger of the gas being only turned off 

 below. This method of turning out the stove is the usual 

 one with women and children, who can not conveniently 

 reach the higher burner. The apparatus, however, should 

 be so constructed as to prevent the rubber tube, even when 

 of the best quality, remaining in free connection with the 

 house main when the gas is not lighted. 



Improvements should be made in the room stoves by 

 which a larger radiator effect could be obtained by a given 

 gas consumption. So far as he has been able to judge, the 

 principal heating effect is the distribution of the products of 



combustion through the room. This, of course, is unsanitary 

 and doubly so because the shortness of heat forbids the free 

 opening of windows. Dr. Leffmann believes that stoves for 

 heating purposes should be placed only where the products 

 of combustion can escape freely to the chimney. It must be 

 borne in mind that the carbon monoxide poisoning is not the 

 only danger in the use of gas. The products of normal 

 combustion are more or less toxic, and the products of im- 

 perfect combustion are still worse. 



All burners on the Bunsen principle should be provided 

 with collars for controlling the air supply, and the dealers 

 in these articles should be expected to instruct purchasers in 

 the use of the collar. The escape of the partially burned 

 hydrocarbons resulting from the striking back of burners is 

 very detrimental to health. 



The use of illuminating mantles with gas has become very 

 common of late years, and is a great advantage in several 

 ways. The mantle, however, may interfere with proper 

 combustion. It is not at all uncommon to notice a disagree- 

 able odor proceeding from these burners, and this is usually 

 due to displaced or worn-out mantles. The rubber tube 

 connecting the ordinary drop-light with the house main is apt 

 to be a source of danger for the same reason as noted in con- 

 nection with the stove; the gas may be turned off for con- 

 venience, at the base of the light, instead of at the original 

 attachment, and thus may leak into the rooms. 



In concluding his paper the author points out that these 

 points may seem trifling, but that practical experience has 

 shown that the dangers exist. A rational co-operation of 

 the makers of gas and gas stoves on the one hand, with 

 physicians and sanitarians on the other, will greatly improve 

 the condition of the air of our living-rooms. Like many 

 household problems this is often neglected. 



