September, 1912 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
161 
want to keep in this dainty guest room. 
A double-faced Smyrna rug in two tones 
of green will make a delightful floor cov¬ 
ering, soft to walk upon and soft in tone. 
These rugs cost about $32 for one measur¬ 
ing eight by ten feet. 
Another of these English wall papers 
has as motif a little blue conventionalized 
rose, the blue almost the shade of a robin’s 
egg. This paper, with the scheme worked 
up in a way similar to the one just de¬ 
scribed will make a charming room for a 
child. These papers cost seventy and 
eighty cents a roll respectively, and a bath¬ 
room paper with the little fruit tree pat¬ 
tern may be had at $1.25 a roll. 
Wall Vases for Flowers 
A N interesting and effective way of 
utilizing cut flowers and living plants 
for indoor decoration is through the use 
of the pottery wall pockets or wall vases 
which are now offered in most of the best 
shops of the larger cities. Some of these 
are made in Japan, others in Europe or 
America. They vary greatly in form, size, 
color and decoration, but all have a hole 
on one side near the top by means of which 
they can be hung upon a hook in wall or 
doorway. Consequently one can use them 
Japanese wall vases are excellent for early 
spring bulbs like the hyacinth 
as jardinieres for living plants or fill them 
with water to hold cut flowers, displaying 
the combination of flowers and receptacle 
in much the same way that one hangs a 
picture upon the wall. 
There is practically no limit to the va¬ 
riety of cut flowers that may be displayed 
to advantage at different times in these re¬ 
ceptacles, provided one has several vary¬ 
ing in shape and size. From spring till 
fall the spirit of the outer world may be 
suggested on the walls indoors by utilizing- 
flowers from garden, field or forest. The 
early daffodils are particularly pleasing 
and suggestive when shown in a wall vase 
against a harmonious background that sets 
off their dainty qualities to the best advan¬ 
tage. This is also true of the beautiful 
Poet's Narcissus. A little later the deco¬ 
rative blossoms of the various sorts of 
iris become available and are followed by 
the beautiful show of June roses, the deli¬ 
cate glory of the poppies, the stately ele¬ 
gance of the sweet peas, the profuse 
bloom of the China asters and the bizarre 
beauty of the cactus dahlias. All of these 
and many others may be utilized to advan¬ 
tage in these wall receptacles. 
Outside the garden one can also find a 
wealth of display for the walls. The blos¬ 
soming trees in spring and summer and 
the glory of the foliage in autumn yield 
rich treasures for the taking. So also with 
the wild flowers in the fields and woods, 
some of which will last in water for a sur¬ 
prisingly long time. 
While these pottery wall pockets seem 
primarily intended for flowers or foliage, 
they may often be used to advantage as 
receptacles for growing plants. They are 
especially useful for plants that grow in 
water, like the familiar tradescantia or for 
plants that thrive with an abundance of 
water like the so-called umbrella plant or 
umbrella palm—really one of the moisture- 
loving sedges. By selecting plants with 
comparatively small root development they 
may also be used as receptacles for pots of 
fine-leaved foliage plants — like some kinds 
of decorative asparagus or for trailing 
vines. 
The hanging vases are especially effec¬ 
tive for developing plants of such spring¬ 
flowering bulbs as jonquils, hyacinths and 
daffodils. To watch the blossoms of these 
open from day to day against a richly 
toned, harmonious background is a real 
delight. In cases where the space or de¬ 
signing- of a room does not permit the use 
of regular window boxes for flowers, these 
vases offer a very satisfactory substitute. 
One thing is made necessary by the use 
of these wall pockets for plants and flow¬ 
ers, and that is a plain background that 
will harmonize with many colors. An or¬ 
nately figured wall paper interferes seri¬ 
ously with the beauty of the display. 
Batteries for Electric Bells 
N expert electrician has said that the 
reason so many electric bell systems 
prove unsatisfactory is because sufficient 
battery power is not provided. If one cell 
Of the many patterns this design is especially 
suited for plain walls 
of the battery is sufficient to make the sys¬ 
tem work when the battery is freshly set 
up, use two cells to secure economy. If 
two cells suffice for a system at the start, 
use three, etc. As a further guide, one 
cell will ring one bell on a short length of 
wiring, but it is better to use two, for the 
extra cost of one additional cell is soon 
made up in vastly increased length of op¬ 
eration. Careful tests have shown that 
when two bells are rung" from one push 
button, as is so often the case when the 
front door push button rings a bell in the 
kitchen and also one in the third story, it is 
best to use three batteries. It should also 
be remembered that the larger the bell the 
more battery power will be required. 
The Ice Box Overflow 
T is a good plan to carry a pipe from 
your ice box so as to discharge the 
water outside on the ground; never under 
any circumstances into any sewer drain. 
But if you do this, make a trap by includ¬ 
ing a U-shaped bend in the pipe. This 
will prevent the warm air from passing up 
into the ice chest and melting the ice and 
in this way will make a large saving on 
your ice bill. An arrangement like this 
will be found a great convenience. 
