144 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



April, igio 



Haute Lisse weaving; tiie workmen stand behind the loom. 



A loom for Savonnerie velvet carpet. 



a new part of the warp has to be formed, then the woof 

 is put in with the needle. Where the gap is too large, an 

 extra piece is woven on the loom, and is then joined on in 

 the piecing room. In this part of the shop are kept the 

 stored pieces of tapestry, old pieces are cleaned and re- 

 newed, etc. 



The Savonnerie velvet carpets are also woven at the 

 (loheiin works. It was as early as 1626 that the Savon- 



nerie establishment, then a separate factory, was founded 

 during the reign of Marie de Medicis, under Simon 

 Lourdet. Since 1826 these famous carpets have been pro- 

 duced at the Gobelin works. But they are now exclusively 

 used for wall hangings. One of the engravings shows the 

 method of weaving, which differs much from the tapestry 

 process. Here the workman is placed in front of the loom 

 and has the colored design suspended above him. 



Winter Diseases of House Plants 



How They May Be Prevented 



jlTH proper care it is possible to employ the 

 same plants for the adornment of the gar- 

 den and veranda in summer and the house 

 in winter, but species that flower profusely 

 in summer require rest in winter, and, 

 consequently, are not desirable house 

 plants. All plants, indeed, have alternat- 

 ing annual periods of activity and rest. This alternation 

 is most conspicuous in bulbous and tuberous plants, and it is 

 also suf^ciently obvious in woody plants which shed their 

 leaves in winter. lo this class belong most of our com- 

 mon trees and shrubs and also numerous ornamental species 

 — fuchsias, hortensias, roses, pomegranates, etc. — which in 

 winter are destitute of all beauty and, if they require protec- 

 tion, are usually stored in the cellar. 



But many evergreen foliage plants are also quite in- 

 active or dormant in winter. Among these are palms. 

 India-rubber plants, azaleas, camellias, and the very pretty 

 coffee plant, all of which are very desirable as house plants 

 because they retain the beauty of their toliage through the 

 winter and require comparatively little light and care. Yet 

 unfavorable conditions will cause the tips of palm fronds 

 to wither and dry up, and the leaves of India-rubber plants, 

 azaleas, and other species to lose their pert stiffness, and 

 droop, turn yellow, and finally drop off. 



Foliage plants are usually kept far too warm. Even 

 tropical plants are more apt to suffer from too much heat 

 than from too little. Plants should never be placed near 

 stoves or artificial lights, the direct radiations from which 

 are always injurious if long continued. The amateur natur- 

 ally thinks of the florist's greenhouse and endeavors to ap- 

 proximate to its temperature, as he conceives it, but the 

 greenhouse is by no means so hot as it seems to a casual 

 visitor. It is the humidity of the greenhouse that makes 

 it appear so hot, and humidity is precisely what is lacking 

 in the dwelling, especially if it is heated by steam or hot air. 



Errors in the location and treatment of house plants are 

 revealed by certain symptoms. The drying and hardening 

 of the tips of leaves indicate insufficient moisture in the 

 air, the drooping and yellowing of the foliage of plants 

 with large leaves show that the temperature is too high. 

 Another infallible symptom of excessive heat and dryness 

 is the appearance of various small insects. 



All house plants should be packed very carefully in non- 

 conducting material for transportation in cold weather, 

 especially if they are taken from a hot room or forcing 

 house without being hardened by remaining awhile in cooler 

 air. Recent experiments have proved that tender plants 

 may be killed by a few seconds' exposure to the open air in 

 cold weather. 



