XVI 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



February, 1908 



J 



Kinnear Pressed Radiators 



Selected for 



THE SINCER BUILDING, NEW YORK 



Ernest Flagg, Architect 



THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD 



These Radiators were chosen only after the 

 most rigid examination and exhaustive test of 

 all the radiators in the market, the tests 

 thoroughly demonstrating that Kinnear 

 Pressed Radiators exceeded every possible 

 requirement for efficiency and durability. 



In the Tower alone the use of these Radiators 

 effects a sainntf of 100 tons in weiglit. 



The economy of enormously valuable space 

 was another consideration, no radiation on 

 earth requiring so little space as Kinnear 

 Pressed Radiators. 



What applies to the Singer Building applies 

 to any other structure, regardless of size. 

 The small office building, store or residence 

 that installs these Radiators (weighing less 

 than one-third as much as cast-iron) reduces 

 cost of construction and gains materially in 

 space required. 



And remember that when desired, Kinnear 

 Pressed Radiators may be placed 



On the Wall- Off the Floor 

 Out of the Way 



If you are building you owe it to yourself 

 to investigate this modern radiation before 

 deciding what you will install. 



Write for Catalog "D " for any desired in- 

 formation. 



THE PRESSED RADIATOR CO. 

 PITTSBURGH, PA. 



J 



Clovers 



We are the lar- 

 gest growers of Clo- 

 vers and Timothy- 

 seed in the world. 



e make a great 

 special ty of 



Timothy Medium Red Clover 



Mammoth Red Clover 



Alfalfa Clover Alsike Clover 



Blue and Red Top Grasses 



Salzer's 20th Century strain of above 

 seed is positively the purest seed on earth. 



SALZER'S 



Great Catalog 



Contains a splendid array 

 of pedigree seeds for the 

 American Farmer. It's the 

 only original seed book pub- 

 lished — brim full of bristling 

 seed facts. It is gladly 

 mailed to you, also samples 

 of clovers upon receipt of 10c 



to cover postage. 



John A. Salzer Seed Co. 



14 High St.. LaCrosse, Wis 



leaf mold should be given, and right here the 

 compost heap will be found of value, as it 

 affords a very fine quality of leaf mold, which 

 when applied to the top of the soil puts it in 

 the best possible condition for sowing seed. 

 Seed sown in the open ground should be sown 

 deeper than in the house or hotbeds, from one- 

 eighth to one-half inch, according to the size 

 and nature of the seed. They should be 

 pressed firmly into the soil and well watered, 

 covered with a newspaper or similar protec- 

 tion, and watched that they do not dry out or 

 the soil become baked or hard. Many failures 

 to grow plants from seed occur right here. 

 The seed may be good and germinate in due 

 time, but if there is a hard crust of earth 

 above it the plant can neither thrust its leaves 

 through it nor the sun nor rain reach it to 

 nourish it, consequently it perishes. Where 

 coarse seeds are planted at some little depth 

 it will be a good plan to stir the soil lightly 

 occasionally with a light rake or trowel, tak- 

 ing care not to disturb the seed ; this produces 

 a dry dust mulch, very favorable to the germi- 

 nation and growth of the seed. 



SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED 



By Eben E. Rexford 



M 



RS. S. H. A. asks if a hemlock hedge 

 can be clipped safely in November. 

 Yes. But it is better to make a sys- 

 tematic pruning in summer, while the annual 

 growth is being made, and a sort of supple- 

 mentary pruning, or clipping, after the com- 

 pletion of that growth. The first pruning 

 prevents the production of many branches 

 which would have to be sacrificed later, thus 

 economizing the vital force of the plant to 

 a considerable extent, and preventing its being 

 wholly wasted, as it would be if branches were 

 to be allowed to full)' develop before, and 

 then had to be cut away. Pruning while 

 the hedge is making its yearly growth encour- 

 ages the production of several branches to 

 take the place of those cut away, thus causing 

 a general thickening up. A second pruning 

 is simply a sort of "finishing touch, ' to put the 

 hedge in symmetrical shape after the work of 

 the season has been completed. 



Another correspondent (M. C. ), wants some 

 information about cosmos. She has planted 

 it early in spring, for several years, and has 

 succeeded in growing plants four to six feet 

 tall. These would be loaded with buds at the 

 coming of frost. Would we advise fall plant- 

 ing ? No, because the plant is so extremely 

 tender that its seeds would not survive the 

 winter. The best way to secure early flower- 

 ing plants is by starting them in a hotbed. 

 If one does not have this convenience, the seed 

 may be sown in pots, in the living-room, as 

 early as March. Care must be taken, however, 

 to prevent the seedlings from becoming weak 

 and spindling before the time comes for put- 

 ting them into the ground. This can not be 

 done until all danger from frost is over. 

 By watering moderately, airing well, and 

 keeping the temperature below seventy de- 

 grees, it is possible to grow seedling plants 

 healthily in the house. One can almost al- 

 ways procure young plants of the local florist, 

 in spring. Quite recently a strain has been 

 introduced which the seedmen claim will come 

 into bloom in July, thus making it possible 

 to grow the plant satisfactorily in our northern 

 States. This variety is somewhat dwarf in 

 habit, growing to a height of about four feet. 

 The old, tall-growing sort is so beautiful, 

 when well grown, that it is worth taking a 

 good deal of trouble for. If one is without a 

 hotbed, we advise arranging with some neigh- 

 bor who has one to grow this plant from seed 

 sown as early in the season as possible. 



NEW BOOKS 



The Story of the White House. By 

 Esther Singleton. The McClure Com- 

 pany, New York, 1907. 2 vols. Price, 

 $5.00. 



It seems strange that so important a sub- 

 ject as the most famous of all American 

 houses should have waited so many years for 

 its history to be written. Miss Singleton has 

 gathered into two abundantly illustrated vol- 

 umes, entertaining and instructive matter from 

 histories, memoirs, travels, biographies, dia- 

 ries, letters, ofHcal documents and newspapers, 

 and produced a work that is a distinct contri- 

 bution to American history. She has kept 

 strictly to the social life of the Presidents and 

 their families while occupants of the Executive 

 Mansion, and avoided all prejudice or political 

 bias in the selection and treatment of new ma- 

 terial. 



The building was known as "The Presi- 

 dent's House" and the term "White House," 

 which became popular about 1830, was 

 made the official name only by President 

 Roosevelt. The building of the President's 

 House and the forms, etiquette and cere- 



— Van Dorn 

 Iron Works Co. 



PRISON, HOUSE®. 

 STABLE WORK 



JOIST HANGERS 



[LAWN FURNITURE 



FENCING, ETC. 



CLEVELAND, OHIO 



. 



PATENTED 



Standing Seam 

 ROOF IRONS 



OLINCH right chrough th« 

 ^ standing seam of metal 

 roofs. No rails are needed 

 unless desired. We make a 

 similar one for slate roofs. 



SEND FOR CIRCULAR 



BERGER BROS. CO. 



Superintendent Wanted 



American preferred, for an 



Estate of About 100 Acres near New York 



40 or 50 acres woods. In addition to being a com- 

 petent superintendent, applicant must be a lover 

 of nature and thoroughly familiar with the habits 

 of wild flowers, trees and shrubs. No work under 

 glass required. Address E. G. F., care American 

 Homes and Gardens, Box 773, New York. 



We are the largest builders of pleasure boats in the world. We sell 

 you full size working patterns, knock-down frames and materials 

 from bone-dry stock, at half the price asked by others. We use 

 these patterns and stock every day in building our regular boats. 

 You are not buying theories. Catalog free. 

 DETROIT BOAT CO. Ho. 83 Bellevue Ave., Detroit, Mich. 



