HOUSE AND GARDEN 
250 
October, 1911 
TE 
O UR latest contribution to 
modern bathroom equipment 
is the vitreous porcelain cistern. 
This snow-white cistern is made 
in one piece of vitreous porcelain 
ware; glazed inside and out. it 
is sightly, non-stainable, easily 
cleaned and enduring. 
It obviates the defects of the 
wooden cistern with metal lining 
-— the peeling and discoloration of 
the exterior varnish — the corrosion 
and leaking of the inner metal 
tank—warping of the wood itself. 
The difference in cost is slight. 
MODERN File complete line of Mott products 
PLUMBING includes plumbing fixtures for every 
conceivable purpose. Our Booklet, Modern 
Plumbing”, contains illustrations of 24 bathroom 
interiors ranging in cost from $74 to $2,000. Sent 
on request with 4 cents to cover postage. 
The J. L. Mott Iron Works 
' 1S2S OVER EIGHTY YEARS SUPREMACY 1911 
Fifth Ave., and Seventeenth St., New York 
BRANCHES: Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia. Detroit, Minneapolis, 
Washington, St. Louis. New Orleans, Denver, San Francisco. San 
Antonio, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland (Ore.), Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, 
Columbus, O., Kansas City, Salt Lake City. 
CANADA : 138 Bleury Street, Montreal 
■•V-'.v 
HI 
■ ■- 
! ? 
gil..IIIMHillllll .. .. Mill... .. 
lIllll.lllllllll'lM 
The Charm of Your Garden 
Pompeian Stone Furniture reproduced from the 
masterpieces that have made the Old World gar¬ 
dens famous, add a charm to your garden that 
is a source of continued delight. 
The bench illustrated is on the grounds of Mr. 
F. Hi. Humphreys, Morristown, N. J. 
Our catalogue O, of Garden and Hall Furniture 
mailed on request. Booklet K, “City back yards,” 
will appeal to city dwellers. 
THE ERKINS STUDIOS, Inc. 
226 Lexington Ave. - - New York City. 
Factory: Astoria, Long Island. 
face, and the pumice cuts the gloss to in¬ 
sure the flowing of the finishing coat. 
Rubbing with rotten-stone and water 
makes a bright polish or finishing coat. 
For an “eggshell” finish, the final coat is 
rubbed with powdered pumice and pure 
raw linseed oil. 
Even four coats of varnish make a 
sheet only as thick as writing paper. It 
takes from six to nine hundred coats, ex¬ 
perts say, to build up a surface an inch 
thick. 
All ready-made varnish leaves the fac¬ 
tory ready for use, and if good results are 
desired, the goods should be used as re¬ 
ceived. Sometimes varnish in a barrel 
will get a little heavy by standing when 
the vent is left open, permitting evapora¬ 
tion. In such a case a small quantity of 
turpentine, added at least twenty-four 
hours before using, should not be detri¬ 
mental ; but thinning under other condi¬ 
tions is inadvisable. 
Indoor varnish should not be applied 
when the temperature of the room is below 
46 degrees F. Cold will chill it so it will 
nor flow evenly, and its drying will be 
greatly retarded. Uniform summer heat 
of at least 70 degrees is desirable until the 
varnish has set. Exterior varnish should 
be applied before noon during cool 
weather, so it will set before the chill which 
comes at sunset. 
A shellac finish is a handsome one, but 
as eight to twelve coats are required for a 
first-class job, it is expensive on account 
of the labor. It makes a handsome and 
lasting finish for interior trim, and also a 
good floor finish. Never use shellac about 
a fireplace where it will be very hot, as it 
may melt and blister. 
Floors should be in perfect condition 
before applying the first coat of varnish, 
for every little scratch and imperfection 
will show. Wash as little as possible before 
the first coat of varnish is applied; sand¬ 
paper will answer better in most cases of 
new wood. If there are indications of 
sap, then a coat of shellac should be given 
the wood, which when dry should be well 
sandpapered to remove the shellac from 
the fibre, but to leave a coating in the pores. 
The floor should be absolutely clean and 
dry before applying the finish and .the 
room free from dust. There should be no 
sweeping anywhere in the house to raise 
dust, until the varnish sets. 
In finishing old floors that have been 
waxed, the wax must be entirely removed. 
This may be done by cleaning the floor 
thoroughly with naphtha, using a stiff 
scrubbing brush. 
A Shaded Tulip Border 
(Continued from page 217) 
ender, lilac, heliotrope and violet, from the 
delicately tinted Kate Greenaway to the 
deep bluish purple of Ronald Gunn, said 
to be the bluest of the Darwins. 
We planted our bulbs on the 15th of 
November, making a trench six inches 
In writing to advertisers please mention House and Garden. 
