October, 1912 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
form of creative work. One of them is 
skilled in wood carving and his work bench 
is stocked with the tools which his work 
requires and drawers below the bench con- 
tains plans, pictures and diagrams of work 
which is to be done or else is under way. 
Another of the two has developed a talent 
for photography and his apparatus with a 
tiny closet for a dark room, occupies an- 
other corner of the workshop. Another 
corner is fitted with looms and other de- 
vices for weaving rugs and other fabrics 
the designs for which are studied from 
the pieces on exhibition in various galleries 
or museums. This particular workshop 
fills the greater part of the garret of an 
old-fashioned house and the young workers 
declare that whatever skill they have ac- 
quired in their work, together with their 
pleasure in attaining it, has been very 
largely due to their having a place where 
they could have their carving tools, photo- 
graphic chemicals and hand looms without 
inconveniencing the other members of the 
family. 
The most modest space will suffice for 
such a workroom and in most instances a 
very small place will be adequate. It may 
be in a garret, basement or in a building to 
itself, the requirements being, of course, 
that it be quite dry, and heated during cold 
weather even if by only the most primitive 
of stoves. A fair amount of daylight 1s, of 
course, necessary and some kind of illu- 
mination at night—gas if possible, or a 
lamp, though, of course, the best light 
would be electricity with one portable light 
attached to a cord that it may be used to 
illuminate certain spots upon which work 
is being done. A sink will, of course, be of 
help particularly if it he provided with hot 
as well as cold water. 
A strong and solid work bench should 
be provided, though a heavy table can be 
made to answer the purpose. A vise is 
required for almost any form of carpentry 
or craftsmanship where an object must be 
held rigidly in position and the vise is usu- 
ally placed at the edge of the work bench. 
The tools may be placed in racks, for if 
they be kept in chests or drawers it will 
usually be found that the tool required 1s at 
the bottom of the pile. Then, too, if a 
rack be used or if the tools are hung in 
some way it will be much easier to keep 
their edges in an accurately sharpened con- 
dition, which is the pride of every crafts- 
man and which is necessary for successful 
work. 
PROTECTING FRUIT TREES 
OUNG fruit trees often suffer in 
Winter from the depredations of rab- 
bits and mice. The best way to prevent 
damage by these pests is to paint the 
trunks of the trees with pure white lead 
and raw linseed oil. Another and simple 
plan is to wrap tarred paper around the 
trees or to use wire screening. Some peo- 
ple have found strips of wood veneer easy 
to handle and satisfactory as to results. 
Smearing the trees with fresh liver or 
blood is a method often adopted in rural 
sections. Feeding the rabbits by cutting 
off branches and throwing them on the 
snow is a humane way of meeting the 
trouble they cause. Rabbits work on top 
of the snow and mice underneath. A 
simple way to circumvent the latter is to 
make mounds of earth around the trees in 
the Fall and to tramp down the snow 
when it falls. Corn stalks may be set 
closely about small trees and tied to- 
gether with wires in such a way as to 
prevent either rabbits or mice reaching 
the bark. 
Have a Home Like This 
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Vitralite Booklet and Sample Panel 
finished with '61.’? Test it. 
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as shown in these sections, is Warm in Winter, 
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The lining is vermin proof; neither rats, mice, 
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