HOUSE AND GARDEN 
May, 1913 
If the leaves un¬ 
der your trees were 
allowed to drop 
each year and re¬ 
main undisturbed 
for 200 or 250 
years, three feet 
would have fallen, 
making three 
inches of humus. 
Alphano Humus 
Is Nature’s Soil Builder 
It is a fertilizing stimulant, 
plant food, and lasting soil builder, 
combined. It is five times stronger 
and lasts ten times longer than 
barnyard manures. 
It is neither a flashy, short-lived, chemical 
preparation, nor a high-priced, dried manurial 
product; but simply nature’s own make, rich in 
all the ten elements essential for plant life. 
Nitrogen, the vital element of all life, it pos¬ 
sesses in high degree. 
When used freely, it will make even barren, 
sandy soil lastingly productive. 
It is odorless, making it unobjectionable to 
handle and permitting its use on your lawn in 
quantities at any time of the year. It does 
away entirely with the litter of manures, and 
attracts no flies. Needs no raking off. 
Being in powdered form, it is easily and 
quickly applied, and is at once available to the 
roots. 
For shrubbery, trees, and gardens; land¬ 
scape architects say it has no equal. 
Order some. Use it freely. 
Price — F. O. B. Alphano, 
N. J., 5 Bags, $5.00. Per 
ton, $12.00. By the carload, 
$8.00 a ton in bulk. 
Send for The Humus Book, which tells in plain words 
just what Humus is, and why it is the best soil-builder 
AlpKamo H 
umu-s 
938 Whitehall Bldg., New York City 
Alphano Hu¬ 
mus is five 
times stronger 
and lasts ten 
times longer 
than the rich- 
e s t barnyard 
manure. The 
squares show 
their relative 
values. 
II 
JOSEPH WILD SCO- 
Wholesale Distributors 
366 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 
BOSTON Est. 1852 CHICAGO 
IN THE DINING ROOM 
Wilds 
TT LINOLEl 
LINOLEUM 
Gives to your dining room all the dignity and refinement of wood 
parquetry without the attendant noise, the hard, slippery surface, 
and the heavy expense and inconvenience of frequent refinishing. 
The patterns are inlaid. The colors are the same right through 
to the back. A liberal thickness thus insures the continuance of the 
original beauty of the patterns for many years. 
WILD’S PARQUET INLAID LINOLEUM is noiseless, sanitary and elastic; 
being impervious to water and grease, it does not readily stain; has no joints to 
collect dust; is easily cleaned with soap and water; costs less than hardwood; and 
never needs refinishing. It is an ideal flooring for other rooms, also for offices, 
public buildings, etc. 
Sold by dealers in high grade linoleum. The trade 
mark on the back is your guide and guarantee. 
Send for folder “N” showing the 26 patterns reproduced in 
colors, and list of dealers in your locality handling the line. 
mired. They lay well and in France are 
very popular as utility fowls. 
Probably the Andalusian came original¬ 
ly from Spain. So the name, at least, 
would indicate. Its most marked charac¬ 
teristic is its feathered coat of blue, set 
off by red face and eyes, and white ear 
lobes. Domestic birds with blue feathers 
are rare, although blue Leghorns, Or¬ 
pingtons and Wyandottes are now occa¬ 
sionally being shown. In fact, there seems 
to be a growth of interest among fanciers 
in blue fowls. Andalusians are graceful 
and attractive. Also, they lay a generous 
number of white eggs and are not hard 
to raise. They are highly ornamental in 
flocks of a dozen or more. 
When we come to bantams, we find a 
great number of daintily beautiful little 
creatures, some of them perfect pocket 
editions of larger breeds. There are 
miniature Cochins, Brahmas, Polish and 
even Plymouth Rocks. These varieties 
are delightfully attractive, with their pert 
manners and great show of courage. They 
may be allowed full liberty and will do lit¬ 
tle damage even in the vegetable garden. 
The cost of keeping them is but a trifle, a. 
tiny house will shelter them and they are 
charming pets for children. They lay 
eggs, too, which are large enough to be 
put to use by the cook, and produce a con¬ 
siderable number in spring. 
There are other bantams, however,, 
which are even more ornamental, among 
them the Sebrights in two varieties, gol¬ 
den and silver. Odd as to shape, saucy as- 
to manners, and rarely beautiful in plum¬ 
age, they are greatly admired. Then there- 
are the Japanese bantams, with their large- 
erect tails, almost touching the backs of 
their heads. There are white and black 
and white black-tailed varieties, the latter 
being especially interesting. Rose Comb- 
Black and Rose Comb White Bantams are 
likewise ornamental and highly prized by 
fanciers. 
If there be a little water available, it is 
not necessary to confine the number of 
one’s ornamental birds to land fowl. A 
pool a dozen feet square will suffice for a 
small collection of ducks, and such a pool, 
can easily be made of cement. It need not 
be more than two feet deep. When larger 
water birds like swans are kept, there- 
should be a pond at least fifty feet wide. 
Swans are naturally and properly very 
popular with the owners of large estates, 
especially if there is a formal lake. The 
common mute or royal swan is hardy and" 
requires but little protection even in win¬ 
ter. Swans will breed if they can find a. 
secluded spot and are not disturbed. They 
mate in pairs and are very devoted, but 
each pair needs to be kept in a separate- 
enclosure if confined to limited quarters, 
for the males are inclined to quarrel. The- 
mute or royal swan is the most attractive- 
variety. These swans were formerly the 
pets of royalty in England, to be kept by 
no one else without a license. Even yet 
the Royal Swans are to be seen on the- 
Thames, each with a peculiar mark on the: 
In writing to advertisers please mention House & Garden. 
