xvi AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
November, 1909 
The Comfort of the 
The Bell System has become the nerv- 
ous system of the business and social 
world. 
The comfort it affords the women in the 
homes of America cannot be measured. 
Do you measure it in considering the 
value of your Bell telephone ? 
The mother of children can find out 
where they are at any particular hour of 
the day—and how they are—even though 
their visits carry them to the country village 
or the city hundreds of miles away. 
The husband on a trip talks from his 
hotel room to his wife at home. 
There is a world of comfort in the 
knowledge that you can talk together at 
a moment’s notice, wherever you may be. 
Telephone 
The Bell telephone has a special value 
because it is everywhere—because at sight 
you feel a familiar acquaintance with a 
Bell instrument or a Bell sign. 
There are over 4,000,000 Bell stations. 
You cannot use them all, but from time to 
time you have areal vital need for one. 
Which one you cannot foretell. 
There are six billion calls over the tele- 
phones of the Bell System every year. 
Many of these are comforting calls from 
afar, calls whose actual money value can 
no more be reckoned than the value of the 
happiness which one man has and another 
man cannot buy. 
The very existence of the Bell telephone 
service has its value to you, even at mo- 
ments when you are not using it. 
The Bell Long Distance service offers, ready 
recruited for your call, the largest body of active 
business men inthe world. If youhave atelephone, 
avail yourself of its long distance possibilities. 
The highest type of public service can be achieved only by one policy, one system, universal service. 
The American Telephone and Telegraph Company 
And Associated Companies 
Every Bell Telephone Is the Center of the System 
XXVIII. Rules, Tables and Useful Information. 
MUNN & COMPANY, INC. 
cru Practical Steam and == 
Hot Water Heating and Ventilation 
By ALFRED G. KING 
402 Pages. Containing 304 Illustrations 
An original and exhaustive treatise, prepared for the use of all engaged 
in the business of Steam, Hot Water Heating and Ventilation 
VI. Pipe and Fittings. VII. Valves, Various Kinds. 
Price $3.00 
| ang standard and latest book published. Tells how to get heating contracts, 
how to install heating and ventilating apparatus. Describes all of the prin- 
cipal systems of steam, hot water, vacuum, vapor and vacuum-vapor heating, 
together with the new accellerated systems of hot water circulation, including 
chapters on up-to-date methods of ventilation; fan or blower system of heating 
and ventilation; rules and data for estimating radiation and cost, and such other 
tables and information as make it an indispensable work for heating contractors, 
RS 8 journeymen steam fitters, steam fitters’ apprentices, architects and builders. 
i This work represents the best practice of the present day and is exhaustive in 
> text, diagrams and illustrations. 
NT. RS ON I. Introduction. 
CONTAINING CHAPTERS ON paratus. IV. Boiler Surface and Settings. V. The Chimney Flue. 
VIII. Forms of Radiating Surfaces. IX. Locating of 
Radiating Surfaces. X. Estimating Radiation. XI. Steam-Heating Apparatus. XII. Exhaust-Steam Heat. 
ing. XIII. Hot-Water Heating. XIV. Pressure Systems of Hot-Water Work. XV. Hot-Water Appliances. 
XVI. Greenhouse Heating. XVII. Vacuum Vapor and Vacuum Exhaust Heating. XVIII. Miscellaneous 
Heating. XIX. Radiator and Pipe Connections. XX. Ventilation. XXI. Mechanical Ventilation and Hot- 
Blast Heating. XXII. Steam Appliances XXIII. District Heating. XXIV. Pipe and Boiler Covering. 
XXV. Temperature Regulation and Heat Control. 
II. Heat. l1I. Evolution of Artificial Heating Ap- 
XXVI. Business Methods. XXVII. Miscellaneous. 
Valuable Data and Tables Used for Estimating, Installing and Testing of Steam and Het-Water and Ventilating Apparatus are Given 
361 BROADWAY, NEW YORK CiTY 
It is possible to collect some of them in the 
woods and have them do well in the house. 
Adiantum croweanum is the best maiden- 
hair fern. ‘The others can not stand the dry 
atmosphere. 
The Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata Bos- 
tonensis) is the most reliable fern in the house. 
Its varieties, N. Scotti, dwarf, N. Sholz; and 
N. Whitmani, plumed, are possibly improve- 
ments on the type. 
Pteris Wilsoni, crested fern, P. Victoriae, 
silver variegated and Crytomium Falcatum, 
holly fern, are excellent varieties. 
Pandanus JV eitchi, the screw pine, is a plant 
with green-and-yellow-striped leaves. 
Almost any palm can be grown in the house 
with little trouble, and they are the most 
beautiful of all so-called decorative plants. 
Some are too large for the ordinary house, 
but the following are reasonable in size and 
satisfactory. Cocos Weddeliana is a small 
delicate affair of slow growth and, therefore, 
often used in fern-dishes. 
Kentia Belmoreana is dwarf, spreading in 
habit, and quite hardy in the house. 
Phoenix Roebelenii, said to be as hardy as 
a Kentia and resembles Cocos Weddeliana. 
The most charming plant of all to grow in 
the house is a lemon, orange or grapefruit 
tree. They need a sunny window, and an old 
plant will take up much room, but their pic- 
turesque habit, good foliage and fragrant 
blossoms make them quite worth while. They 
are more likely to do well in a country house 
than in the city, because gas seems to be fatal 
to them. ‘They can be grown from seed, but 
it is a slow proceeding and the fruit will be 
worthless, so it is much better to buy a grafted 
plant which will bear fruit that is of some 
value. 
POTTING SOIL 
The best soil for all plants, whether grown 
indoors or out, is what florists call a good 
potting-soil. The proportions are sometimes 
varied slightly, but in general it consists of 
equal parts of well-rotted leaves and rotted 
sods with the addition of old manure and a 
little sharp sand. Rotted sods with old 
manure and sand (if it is lacking) is the 
easiest soil to get in most places and it is 
good enough for any plant. Some plants need 
special care, but almost none of them need 
special soil. Moisture, light and air are far 
more important factors in plant growth than 
soil. 
WATERING PLANTS IN THE HOUSE 
Watering potted plants is not a difficult 
thing, yet improper watering is the cause of 
many failures. It takes only a small intel- 
ligence to determine by touch whether the 
earth in a pot is dry or moist, and if it be 
dry to water it until it is moist. If the earth 
is moist, of course, there is no need of water- 
ing. Watering too often is only harmful when 
the drainage from the pot is not good, or when 
the pot stands in a saucer full of water. Pots 
which are put in a jardiniere or bowl should 
be lifted whenever they are watered to see that 
there is no water standing in the bowl. 
Nothing except complete dryness is worse for 
an ordinary house-plant than to have the earth 
about it constantly saturated. It should be 
moist but not wet. 
PREPARING THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 
FOR NEXT YEAR 
In October or November the vegetable 
garden should be gotten ready for the next 
season. Rake up and burn all the old vines, 
cornstalks and weeds, spread on as much 
manure as you can afford, and spade it over 
thoroughly. Next spring you will be ready to 
plant as soon as the ground is fit to work and 
much valuable time will be saved. I believe 
this is the best practise quite aside from the 
saving in time. 
