IV 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



September, 1908 



m ~\ rYl'rjl 



HEATERS 



GURNEY HEATERS, measured by quality, economy and 

 efficiency, are the standard of value. 

 <I They are made of the best materials and by the highest grade of 

 mechanical and engineering skill; constructed under these conditions, 

 they are unequaled in durability. 



•fl There is also complete combustion of fuel and no waste of heat 

 units, thus insuring great economy. 



<J The GURNEY HEATER, made either for hot water or steam, 

 distributes the heat evenly and with a certainty that gives complete 

 satisfaction to the user. 



tj Easily installed in old or new buildings they appeal to those who 

 want to eliminate extra care and waste, or who want greatest value 

 for amount expended. 

 •J Send for illustrated catalogue. 



GURNEY HEATER MFG. CO. 



188-200 Franklin St., Corner Pearl St., BOSTON, MASS. 

 NEW YORK BRANCH, 12 East 42d Street 



Will You Aid the Fight 

 for Children? 



4,500 of them in New York City and 

 60,000 in the United States are being 

 crippled by tuberculosis of the bones 

 and glands. Many who are now 



In Pain and Helpless 



can be made 



Happy and Strong. 



They are innocent victims of dark, un ven- 

 tilated tenement homes and of ignorance 

 and neglect, which can and will be corrected 

 by aroused public interest. 



Despaired of 7 months ago, David will 

 soon be put on his feet, like Smiling Joe, by 

 the good care, good food, good cheer, sun 

 and salt air at Sea Breeze Hospital. 



In calling attention to these unnecessary 

 cripples and in showing how to cure them 



Sea Breeze Hospital 



is rendering a National Service. 



Prompt gifts are urgently needed to 

 continue this work. Will you help give 

 these little ones a fighting chance ? 



Can you not spare $1, $5 or $10 ? 



Sums large or small will be gratefully 

 acknowledged if sent to R. S. Minturn, 

 Treasurer, Room 225, No. 105 East 22d 



DAVID-Happy at Sea Breeze, Though Strapped ^ treet > ^ ew York. 

 Flat on His Back Day and Night 



NEW YORK ASSOCIATION FOR IMPROVING 

 THE CONDITION OF THE POOR 



R. FULTON CUTTING, President 



1843=1908. 



Building a Home. A Book of Funda- 

 mental Advice for the Layman About to 

 Build. By H. W. Desmond and H. W. 

 Frohne. New York : The Baker & Tay- 

 lor Co. Pp.' 222. Price, $1.80. 



The very accomplished editor of "The 

 Architectural Record" and his associate have 

 laid the building public under a distinct debt 

 of gratitude by this admirable volume. It is 

 "meaty" stuff, just the sort of practical ad- 

 vice every one needs who sets in to build, and 

 abounds in suggestions and ideas that those 

 who have already embarked on this moment- 

 ous task may well assimilate and profit by. 

 The text is comparatively brief, although pre- 

 sented in as many as seventeen chapters ; but 

 there is a distinct advantage in this since the 

 authors start out with the thought of present- 

 ing definite ideas, and many of these are bet- 

 ter stated briefly and in a concise way, than 

 with the elaboration of treatment many 

 writers are apt to affect. 



The little page describes the book as 

 "thoroughly illustrated," and it is truly that; 

 the illustrations', taken chiefly from photo- 

 graphs, being very numerous, and, on the 

 whole, admirably selected. Notwithstanding 

 the purpose of this book is to heighten the lay- 

 man's regard for architecture, the name of 

 no architect is given to any of the illustrations, 

 nor is their location or ownership cited. The 

 two latter points may not be of especial im- 

 portance, since it is much more important that 

 a good house has been built somewhere by 

 some one than to know where it is and who 

 owns it. But architectural progress is not 

 possible without the aid' of the architect, and 

 all the architectural progress noted and illus- 

 trated in this book has been accomplished in 

 the actual work of architects. It would have 

 been graceful to have recognized this debt 

 of house betterment by indicating the authors 

 of the various dwellings selected for illustra- 

 tion. Unless these architects had first built 

 these houses this book could not have been 

 produced in this way. Why, then, sup- 

 press them ? Moreover, the number of archi- 

 tects who are turning out successful houses — 

 houses successful in the widest use of the word 

 — are by no means numerous, and they are 

 clearly entitled to all possible credit for what 

 they have achieved. 



The book is one to be both read and studied, 

 and either process will yield pleasure and 

 profit. The authors attack their problem from 

 the humble platform of common sense, and 

 they tell their readers many things they ought 

 to know. As types of recent successful houses 

 their book will give equal pleasure, for the 

 selection has been w r ell done, and the illustra- 

 tion pages are crowded with interesting and 

 beautiful structures and details. It is a pleas- 

 ure to commend this book, which amply de- 

 serves the widest possible success. 



First Principles of Soil Fertility. By 

 Alfred Vivian. New York: Orange, 

 Judd & Co. Pp. 265. Price, $1.00 net. 



Professor Vivian intends this book pri- 

 marily for home reading, although also avail- 

 able as a text book for short courses. His 

 purpose is to show not only the value of good 

 soil, but how its value may be retained and 

 increased. He deals, therefore, with the fun- 

 damental fact of all agriculture, and has pro- 

 duced a book that, while confessedly not ex- 

 haustive, is amply complete in all practical 



