HOUSE AND GARDEN CORRESPONDENCE 
RE-MODELING A BATHROOM 
I wish to re-model my bath-room. It is not large, being 7x9 
feet. I shall have it fitted with all modern plumbing appliances 
and a porcelain tub. Kindly advise me as to treatment of side 
walls and floor. The floor is of maple; would you use linoleum 
on it ? There is one small, rather high window with leaded glass 
effect.—M. P. H. 
There is a very wide choice in color and style of tiles for bath 
room finish now to be obtained, one large manufactory making 
a specialty of meeting all needs in this line. If they are supplied 
with sample of color desired, they will guarantee a perfect match. 
These tiles are made in all finishes. One attractive treatment for 
bathroom is to use the blue and white tiles for its side walls. A 
band of the blue tiling at the floor line supports the white tiled wall 
to the height of 7 feet, where a narrow band of the blue is set. The 
ceiling, which is drop in effect and reaches to this blue line, should 
be painted in oils the exact white of the tiles. Wherever possible, 
the fixtures in a thoroughly sanitary bath room are now of glass; 
the rollers for towels are a new feature in this. Your floor of 
maple should be left unstained and finished with three coats of 
florsatin. Washable rugs in blue and white, carefully matching 
the shade of blue in the tiling, should be used. Blue and white 
casement muslin would make attractive curtains for the window; 
these to be made simply with a hem at the bottom and run on a 
rod at tbe top.— Margaret Greenleaf. 
RE-DECORATION OF A PARLOR 
In view of the many valuable suggestions given in your corres¬ 
pondence column, I am led to ask your advice in the matter of the 
re-decoration of my parlor. The house is of the ordinary city 
kind; the parlor used perforce as a living-room, and the dining¬ 
room is on the first floor. The parlor is eighteen feet by twenty- 
five, and the advice I wish to obtain is for the coloring of the walls. 
The carpet is of greenish blue in different tones. The paper sug¬ 
gested by the decorator is of light greyish green, the woodwork 
to be of ivory white. This does not altogether appeal to me 
and I would be obliged if you would tell me what you think of the 
effect, if you can suggest something better. Light yellow is on 
the wall at present, and I do not care to have the same again. 
Your advice will be much appreciated.—M. K. L. 
There is a paper this season with a design of English make which 
comes in two-toned soft blues for the side walls. With this comes 
an 18-inch frieze of hand blocked conventionalized floral design 
showing old rose and blues in varying tones softly mingled. The 
ceiling of this room should be tinted a soft shade of cafe-au-Iait or 
very yellow ivory. Over the lace curtains at the window, draperies 
of a brocade showing a design of roses in old rose with a suggestion 
of blue flowers and some green foliage on an ivory ground. This 
same brocade would look well if used as upholstery for some 
pieces of furniture in the room. If but one piece should be desired, 
a winged chair would be an excellent choice. You have failed to 
mention the exposure of your room in your letter. I have taken 
as a guide the fact that the decorator had suggested green for your 
side walls, and therefore suppose the room must be of southern 
exposure, otherwise some design in rich yellow would be your best 
choice, as there are certain shades of almost orange yellow, which 
show very beautifully with the blue greys of your carpet.— Mar¬ 
garet Greenleaf. 
DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE IN THE COUNTRY 
What is the best method of disposing of the sewage from a 
country house of moderate size where there is no general system 
of sewers ? I have access to a stream of running water, but hesi¬ 
tate to discharge into it on account of my neighbors below, as I 
believe no such use is made of it in this district.—L. T. C. 
Untreated sewage, that is, sewage not rendered innocuous by 
chemical or other means, should never be discharged into running 
water. The most inexpensive method of disposal is by means of 
leaching cesspools. These are built with walls of dry or unmortared 
stone, through the crevices of which the sewage will escape into 
the surrounding earth. Two precautions must be observed: The 
cesspool must be placed in sandy or other porous soil, as stiff, 
clayey soils would interfere with its operation, and it must be so 
located as to avoid the remotest chance of contamination of the 
water supply where this is drawn from wells or cisterns. This 
latter condition is of vital importance. A modification of this 
system is often used to advantage in which the wastes first empty 
into a water-tight cesspool, into which the solids settle, while the 
liquids flow by gravity into a second or dry wall cesspool, whence 
they lead away into the soil. This is a better method than the 
first, as a dry wall cesspool will, in time, become clogged, necessi¬ 
tating the building of a new one; but the first or water-tight cess¬ 
pool must be cleaned out occasionally as it fills with solids. A 
more expensive but very efficient method, and from a sanitary 
point of view a preferable one, is the subsoil irrigating system, 
which consists in principle of the substitution for the leaching cess¬ 
pool of a series of terra-cotta pipes with open joints about eight 
inches under ground, with grass, or in some cases, truck patches 
over them. This is generally known as the Waring system, and 
needs the supervision of an expert for its installation. An illus¬ 
trated paper on this method of sewage disposal, by an expert 
engineer, is in course of preparation for publication in House and 
Garden. —C. E. 
READY MIXED PAINTS 
May I ask you to intervene in a controversy between my painter 
and myself about painting my house here in the country ? Hie 
question at issue is, whether “ready mixed” or special made paints 
are the best. The best, that is, regardless of the question of first 
cost, taking permanent color and durability into account.—N. D. H. 
Two answers can be made to the above question, depending on 
circumstances. Given a thoroughly trustworthy painter, who 
knows what good material is and where to buy it, there can be 
little doubt that the best results will be obtained by mixing the 
paint on the spot when and as it is to be used. I heoretically there 
is no valid reason why “ready mixed” paints should not be as 
good as those mixed on the spot. Practically, however, the best 
ready mixed paints are not so good. This can be said for them, 
however, that the best brands are better than much paint that is 
put on by the local painter and of his own mixing, for the adulter¬ 
ation in the cheaper grades of paints and oils is quite as unblush- 
ingly villainous as in most other commodities. Therefore, given 
an incompetent or dishonest painter, I would rather trust to the 
results obtainable from a good ready mixed paint; though with 
the latter type of workman it must be insisted upon that the paint 
shall be delivered at your house in the original packages, opened 
under your inspection, and used according to directions. As to 
the question of color, there may be some difficulty in getting just 
what you want, but this can usually be overcome.—C. E. 
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