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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



July, 1906 



The whole process only took fourteen days from start 

 to finish. Of course, all this means an immense saving of 

 time to the flower grower. All kinds of retarded plants are 

 exceedingly easy to grow and do not require any great 

 amount of forcing. The principal point to bear in mind in 

 their culture is that all roots must be well thawed before 

 they are placed in a warm situation, and that the growing 

 plants should be shaded from strong sunshine. 



There is no doubt that plant retardation has a great fu- 

 ture before it. As the system extends, the gardener will 



would be an impossibility. No amount of artificial heat 

 would take the place of the rays from the solar orb. This 

 will apply to all kinds of fruit-bearing plants. 



At the present time experiments are being actively pursued 

 on both sides of the Atlantic to see whether it is not possible 

 tc discover some light which would have the same effect on 

 vegetation as has the sun. Science is familiar with the com- 

 position of the solar rays to a large extent and it does not 

 seem an unreasonable thing to seek for an artificial substi- 

 tute. As a matter of fact the rays from an acetylene lamp 



Lihum Auratum After 

 Retardation 



Azaleas are Good Subjects for Retardation. Potted 

 Specimens are Brought into Flower at Any Time of Year 



be able to turn the seasons topsy-turvy and produce flowering 

 plants at any time of the year. Were it possible to apply 

 this method to fruit trees it is obvious that a tremendous 

 step would have been taken. But in this direction there lies 

 a great difficulty. It is quite likely that an apple tree, for in- 

 stance, might be kept from starting into growth in the 

 spring and held in a latent state all summer through. Then 

 early in the autumn the tree might be placed in a glass house, 

 when it would almost certainly burst into flower and leaf. 

 With the diminished power of the sun which is characteristic 

 of the winter months, however, the development of fruit 



have been found to approximate very closely to sunlight. 

 So much is this so that fairly well developed plants have 

 been produced which have never known the daylight, the 

 whole course of their existence having been spent under the 

 influence of acetylene light. Still up to the present the ex- 

 periments tend to show that there is something in sunlight 

 which has not as yet been demonstrated by analysis; some 

 magical influence of which human beings are conscious but 

 cannot explain. The secret is worth finding out, for arti- 

 ficial sunshine in combination with plant retardation would 

 place the gardener in a wonderful position. 



Concrete Garage of Dr. Van Etten 



Concluded from page 39 



thickness and on forms, in a similar manner to that in which 

 the floors are built. The stairs, steps and even the hood 

 over the front porch, are constructed of concrete, which are 

 in themselves a most interesting form of building. 



On all the exterior wall surfaces after the forms were re- 

 moved, the walls, partitions and roofs were given a smooth- 

 ing coat composed of one part of cement to two parts of 

 sand. After this was done, in order to reduce the cold tone 

 of the natural cement color, which is so objectionable to 

 many, the whole was given a coat of La Farge cement, 

 producing a smooth, soft, warm effect. 



The plan of the garage provides for lockers on one side, 

 and a handy work bench placed in front of the window on 

 the other side. Steps of concrete lead up to the second 

 floor, which contains the living quarters for the chauffeur, 



and consists of a living-room, kitchen, one bedroom and 

 bath. In this particular case the bedroom is very well 

 lighted and ventilated by a skylight, though an outside 

 window could be provided if desired. All of the rooms are 

 well fitted with all necessary appointments. A corner of the 

 living-room shows the angle of the roof which is only three 

 and one-half inches in thickness, between the inside and the 

 open air. The walls and ceilings of this floor were given a 

 sand finish coat of plaster. The court between the house 

 and garage has a wall built of concrete which is also worthy 

 of note. 



The rooms are dry and wholesome, and the temperature 

 is easily regulated both in summer and winter, while from a 

 sanitary standpoint, the evidence from the owner is thor- 

 oughly in its favor. 



