HOUSE AND GARDEN 
August, 1911 
derstood, notwithstanding the argu¬ 
ments of the decriers of upholstery, 
that good work of this kind makes 
for comfort as no other accessories 
of furniture-making do. 
There is in this furniture the in¬ 
troduction of the subtle curves which 
rendered delightful the forms of 
eighteenth century pieces. One of 
the failures of modern designers is 
in the misapplication of the curve to 
straight-line structure. The proper 
use of the curve relieves this straight- 
line style of asceticism. Two kinds 
of supports are used, with due re¬ 
gard for the forms of the pieces — 
the taper and the taper-with-the- 
spade-foot, and the square leg. The 
spade foot was first used to give the 
assurance of strength to a slender 
leg, and the combination is of great 
beauty in finely designed furniture. The value of these forms of 
supports as space-savers is appreciated by the modern house¬ 
keeper, especially in the dining-room. In some individual pieces 
the effect is enhanced by structural cabinet mouldings of excellent 
proportions, and traditional reedings. 
Suites of furniture, except when 
based on French formal assembling, 
are not frequently seen outside of 
hotel drawing-rooms, assembly-halls 
and official reception-rooms. The 
average householder is still under 
the influence of the supposedly 
artistic, no-two-pieces-of-a-style ob¬ 
session, and photographs of in¬ 
teriors of better-class houses often 
show cabriole-legged Chippendale, 
spindle-legged Windsor, and modern 
willow, all gathered in helpless in¬ 
congruity, in a strongly accentuated 
architectural setting. The furniture 
we have now become acquainted 
with, after inspection of its chief 
characteristics, and variants, seems 
to present itself as adaptable to 
many interiors, dignifying those of 
the humbler sort, admirably fitting 
those in which finely proportioned and refined and simple design¬ 
ing has been made an important factor. The surroundings should 
in no instance be fussy. The possessors of those creators of atmo¬ 
sphere—old china, old plate, and old prints — need not hesitate to 
(Continued on page 121) 
This piece, made with the ripest knowledge of how to 
make a practical dining-table, shows to advantage 
all the beauty of fine mahogany, placing no depen¬ 
dence upon carving or inlay. The camera slightly 
distorts the perspective 
Bringing Wild Flowers Into the Garden 
THE VALUE OF WILD FLOWERS DOMESTICATED-WHAT VARIETIES TAKE WELL 
TO CULTIVATION—SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NATURE LOVER’S GARDEN 
by Florence Beckwith 
T HERE is great danger that a large number of our native 
plants will, before many years, become entirely exter¬ 
minated. In fact, in the vicinity of our large cities, many species 
have already become extinct. This is partly because of the de¬ 
struction of our woods and forests which is constantly going on, 
and partly in consequence of the rapacity of those who wander 
into the country to gather flowers, and who not only pick every 
one they see but often pull 
the plants up by the roots. 
True lovers of nature 
like to seek the wild flow¬ 
ers in their natural habitats, 
where those which we have 
known for years greet us 
like old friends whom we 
are always glad to see. But 
year by year we have to 
travel farther to find them, 
and often we cannot take 
the time to do this espe¬ 
cially with the uncertainty 
of being able to find them 
after all our trouble; and, 
if we cannot go at just the 
right time, we miss them 
for the whole year. 
Many species of wild 
flowers, howeve r, take 
kindly to cultivation, and 
will abundantly repay the 
trouble of transplanting them. In this way we not only save them 
from the danger of absolute extinction, but we can also have 
them close at hand to enjoy. 
In nearly every yard or garden there is some nook in which 
the wild flowers will grow, and we have only to study them a 
little in their native haunts to determine which species will suc¬ 
ceed best in the locations which we are able to give them. It is 
often a great surprise to find 
how readily many species 
will adapt themselves to 
s e e m i n g 1 y adverse con¬ 
ditions, thriving luxuriantly 
and blossoming abundantly. 
The hepaticas take very 
kindly to cultivation, grow¬ 
ing - just as readily and vig¬ 
orously in the garden as in 
the woods, and blooming 
just as freely. In fact, they 
seem to try to repay one for 
the trouble of cultivation by 
growing larger and some¬ 
times doubling the number 
of their petals. In sunny 
spots the hepaticas will be¬ 
gin to bloom almost as soon 
as the snow goes off, and 
the blossoms are quite as at- 
tractive in their way as 
those of the trailing ar- 
Hepaticas grow just as readily and vigorously in the garden as in the 
woods and well repay the trouble of transplanting 
