126 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
February, 1915 
This tree seemed perfect, but— 
a weak crotch, hidden decay, 
a winter storm— RUIN! 
What about your trees? How many of them, that look perfect to 
you, are in danger of destruction in the same manner, because of weak 
crotches and hidden decay? Only the trained eye of a real Tree Surgeon 
can determine. Only real Tree Surgery as practiced by 
can remedy the defects that make your trees easy victims of winter storms. 
Have your trees examined now. Don’t wait until some storm does 
irreparable damage. 
Expert examinations made without charge. Write today. We will 
gladly send booklet illustrating Davey Tree Surgery. 
The Davey Tree Expert Co. 1224 Elm St., Kent, Ohio 
(Operating The Davey Institute of Tree Surgery) 
UNe, Branches in principal cities. Accredited 
representatives everywhere. 
I JOHN DAVEY 
her of Tree Surge 
Dodson Purple 
Martin House 
— 26 rooms and 
attic. Price 
SI2.00, or with 
all-copper roof, 
S 1 5 f. o. b. 
Chicago. 
How would you like to have a colony of sociable purple martins, 
or a family or two’of Wrens or Bluebirds or Flickers living on your 
grounds this year ? Now is the time to invite them by setting out 
Dodson bird houses—because birds favor houses which are a bit 
weather-worn. 
I've won thousands of bird tenants for myself and my friends. I’ll help 
you win birds—wherever you live. Write for my free Book about Birds — 
based upon my 19 years’ work for our native birds. 
Among the 24 bird houses, shelters, baths, etc. described and illustrated 
in my free book are: 
Bluebird House, S5.00. Swallow House ,$3.00 and $4.00. Chickadee or Nut-Hatch House, $2.50 and S3.50. Flicker 
or Woodpecker House, S2.50 to S5.00. Flycatcher House, $3.00 and $4.00. Observation House, $4.00 and $5.00. 
Dodson Wren 
House — Solid 
oak, cypress roof. 
Price, S5.00 
f.o.b. Chicago. 
The famous Dodson Sparrow Trap automatically catches these 
quarrelsome pests—catches as many as 75 a day. Price $6.00. 
All prices are f.o.b. Chicago. 
JOSEPH H. DODSON, 701 Security Building, Chicago, 111. 
Note—Mr. Dodson, a Director of the Illinois Audubon Society, will 
gladly answer any questions on the subject of attracting and protecting 
our native birds. 
Dreer’s Dahlias 
offer and fully describe in 
our Garden Book this season 
three hundred and forty-eight of 
the choicest New and Standard 
varieties, which include all types 
and colors of this favorite Fall 
flower, every one having been care¬ 
fully tested and found desirable. 
If you have never grown Dahlias 
you should begin by getting our 
Six “Incomparable” Dahlias for 
Garden Decorations, for $1.25 
Or send for a copy of our Garden 
Book free and make your own selec¬ 
tion. 
HENRY A. DREER, 
Paeony-Flowered Dahlia 
"Dahlia 714-716 Chestnut St. I 
Specialists Philadelphia, Pa. 
When, How and Where to Paint 
paint or not to paint" is no 
A longer the question for the 
modern home owner—but rather, “When 
to paint” or “How to paint." I shall try 
to tell you in a condensed way something 
about paint efficiency. It may be that 
some of my advice is an old story to you, 
but by glancing through this article you 
possibly can hit upon those questions in 
which you are especially interested. 
You might just as well ask the question, 
“Why go to the dentist?" as to ask “Why 
paint?” In both cases the answer is “to 
protect from decay,” with perhaps the 
additional reason, “to beautify.” Yes, 
paint is as essential to property as dentists 
are to teeth, and those who avoid either 
do so to their own loss. 
Granted, then, that you paint first of all 
to protection, and, secondly, to beautify, 
you face the problem of what kind of 
paint to use. You have the choice of hand- 
mixed paint or of ready-mixed paint. By 
hand-mixed paint we mean paint which a 
painter mixes himself according to his 
own fancy and judgment. He, himself, 
often grinds the ingredients—white lead, 
linseed oil and the necessary drier and 
coloring pigments. Some people prefer 
this method of painting, because they 
claim they can specify and know just 
what ingredients are used, and they like 
to dictate how to mix these ingredients or 
else depend on some painter in whom 
they have confidence. 
The other way is to use ready-mixed or 
machine-made paint. This kind of paint 
is being more generally used all the time, 
as it is more in keeping with modern 
ideas of efficiency. Machine-made paint 
is always the same — the most scientific 
formuke can be followed out exactly—the 
ingredients can be more finely ground by 
powerful, modern machinery than by hu¬ 
man power. With your materials ground 
and mixed to such a fine degree, you ob¬ 
tain paint that has great spreading ca¬ 
pacity, and, therefore, great economy. 
Another argument in favor of good, ma¬ 
chine-made paint is that it is more likely 
to contain zinc. This is an essential pro¬ 
tective ingredient for paint, but it is not 
so often found in hand-mixed paints. Of 
course, all machine-made paints are not 
desirable, but there are any number of 
firms who manufacture good ready-made 
paints. So, in your painting, specify a 
paint that is guaranteed by the trade-mark 
of one of these well-known concerns. 
Under no circumstances should a new 
house be painted before the wet basement 
or the plaster has dried out. It should be 
borne in mind that every yard of green 
plaster contains nearly a gallon of water, 
and unless thorough ventilation is given 
and the moisture is allowed to evaporate 
and escape in that way, it must necessarily 
escape through the siding (which may 
have been thoroughly dry when put on), 
and the result must inevitably be blister¬ 
ing or peeling. Painting during, or fol- 
In writing to advertisers please mention House & Garden. 
