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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



December, 1908 



CORRESPONDENCE 



The Editor of American Homes and Gardens desires to extend an invitation to all its readers to send to the Correspondence Department inquiries on any matter 

 pertaining to the decorating and furnishing of the home and to the developing of the home grounds. 



All letters accompanied by return postage will be answered promptly by mail. Replies that are of general benefit will be published in this Department. 



Problems in Home Furnishing 



By Alice M. Kellogg 

 Author of "Home Furnishing: Practical and Artistic" 



HOLDERS FOR FIRE PIECES 



S THERE any way," writes T. H., of Indiana, "to fasten 



my fire pieces to the fireplace ? The poker and tongs keep 



slipping on the smooth tiles of the hearth with unpleasant 



frequency. Please suggest something practical." 



There are two ways of holding the fire pieces. One is shown 



in the illustration, where brass braces are fastened against the 



wooden uprights of the mantel. With bricks or tiles at this point, 



I 



Holders for fire pieces 



however, it becomes necessary to drill holes, and if this process is 

 objectionable the second method may be preferred. This is to use 

 a brass holder or stand for the fire pieces. The construction of this 

 piece of furniture may follow the general lines of the andirons 

 and fire pieces, as well as their material. 



DRAPING A BRASS BED 



E. M. B., of Massachussetts, writes: "Can you give me any 

 instructions as to how a canopy for a brass bed should be draped? 

 There are projecting rods from the top with a bar that runs hori- 

 zontally, like the foot of the bed. Should the top space that is above 

 the bed be covered? If so, how?" 



The heavy festoons, elaborate rosettes and ornate materials that 

 were in vogue a hundred years ago for dressing the bed have grad- 

 ually disappeared and simpler, more sanitary ideas now prevail. A 

 light-weight material, like madras, organdie, etamine, muslin or 

 grenadine, in white or ecru, gives a dainty effect without the need 

 of a lining. If cretonne or a figured material is preferred there 

 are cretonnes and muslins, printed or woven on both sides. The 

 space at the top of the canopy is usually covered by shirring the 

 goods, and the rod across the front is then hung with a straight 

 valance or frill, carrying it around to the sides where a long 

 length hangs from the top below the mattress. The space at the 

 back is filled with a length of the material gathered on the top back 

 rod. If something more finished looking than a plain hem is de- 

 sired, a cotton edge or fringe may be added. 



( Continued on Page xii) 



Garden Work About the Home 



By Charles Downing Lay 



PLANTING ABOUT A BUNGALOW 



i 1 



I 



ENCLOSE a photograph of a bungalow at my farm, which 



I use in May chiefly," writes C. J. M., of Boston. "I intend 



setting out the following shrubs about it: Pyrus japonica, 



Spiraea arguta, Forsythia and common lilac. 



"I am uncertain whether the colors should be in rows against each 



other or in masses by the sides of each other. What is the most 



effective grouping for these shrubs, and can you suggest any others 



which bloom in May?" 



I should use Pyrus japonica with great restraint as it is a rampant 

 grower, reaching ten to twelve feet in height and spreading by 

 underground shoots until it is twenty feet or so in diameter. It is 

 often attacked by scale. When in bioom it is striking and brilliant 

 but after that it is stiff and lacks charm. 



Spirea arguta is one of the best spireas; S. Van Houttei is sim- 

 ilar, but larger. S. Thunbergi is a good low shrub. 



Instead of the common lilac you might plant the variety Souvenir 





BUNGALOW 



[Jilt--; 





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Cornvj 





Planting about a bungalow 



de Ludwig Spaeth (deep reddish purple), or Marie LeGray (white), 

 which have larger flowers in bigger racemes. 



The Forsythias all flower about the same time. Either jF. sus- 

 pensa, F. intermedia, or F. viridissima would do, though F. suspensa, 

 and its varieties, fortunei and sieboldi, could be tied on the walls or 

 on the piazza. 



The pink flowering plum, Prunus triloba, or even the beach plum, 

 P. maritima, art beautiful and make a pleasing contrast with the yel- 

 low Forsythias. 



The Shad bush, Amelanchier canadensis, has white, starlike 

 flowers before the leaves. It is a common shrub or small tree, but 

 it is infrequently seen planted about houses. 



Azaleas are always brilliant and charming in May. The Ghent 

 and Mollis sections range in color from whites and yellows to pinks 

 and salmons. The native Azalea vaseyi is the most beautiful of all. 

 It has medium sized pink flowers. All deciduous azaleas have rather 

 poor foliage, but you will not mind this if you see them only in May. 



The Dogwood, Cornus florida, should never be left out of any 

 ornamental planting. I can't imagine its being overdone. 



Magnolias are the most astonishing of all our flowering trees. M. 

 stellata is a small one which does not look exotic in the summer as 

 some of the others do. It blooms with the Forsythia. 



(Continued on Page xiv) 



