HOUSE AND GARDEN 
November, 
1914 
301 
the pipe should slope gently so as to carry the condensation back 
to the boiler, otherwise the radiator will get a “water-pocket” 
and make a great deal more noise than heat. 
Some difficulty might be found in making this connection. I 
did it in this way: I disconnected the union holding the radiator 
and raised the radiator up four inches on two arched blocks of 
oak; then I connected a \ l /\" tee and a close nipple; then on this 
the valve of the radiator; then con¬ 
nected up the union again to the 
radiator, which now sits up four 
inches on legs. All is as it was be¬ 
fore, and we have an opening from 
the tee to run a pipe to the radiator 
out on the porch. 
In this pipe we connect a valve 
so we may shut off the steam at any 
time. To take the place of the air 
valve usually used on the regular 
house radiator, I used a J4" pet 
cock. In this way steam could be 
used to keep moisture in the air at 
all times. 
The porch door was taken down 
and stored away, and the two 
windows which opened on the porch 
were thrown open. 
A mixture of soil from an old 
hot-bed, together with sand and 
rotted sod, was put in the window 
boxes. In this we planted our 
flowers. This was a mistake, as we 
soon discovered. The plants should 
be potted and stood in a little sand 
in the window boxes so they could 
be turned and receive the amount 
of moisture each individual plant ,, , , • > 
1 bhowing the simple manner in which 
needs. When planted together they readily it can be thrown 
all get the same treatment, and 
aphids are hard to combat. From the ceiling we hung a Boston 
fern in a box of white birch pieces about a foot long, log-cabin 
fashion, the spaces chinked with moss. 
On a wire stretched across the south side we hung six orchids: 
two of them cyprapediums, two dendrobiums, a cattleya and a 
laelia. 
In the window 
boxes, we put in 
front on the south 
some primroses and 
cinerarias, and back 
of them a row of 
geraniums of dif¬ 
ferent colors. On 
the west we set in 
front primroses and 
geraniums, and back 
a row of six chrys¬ 
anthemums, differ¬ 
ent kinds. After the 
last had bloomed, as 
they did with satis¬ 
factory results, we 
put them in pots to 
divide for next year, 
and in their places 
Extension from the steam radiator supplied sufficient geraniums and Some 
heat and moisture to the air odd plants. On the 
shelf we put twenty-six potted plants, mainly begonias, cinera¬ 
rias, cyclamen, geraniums, wall flowers, etc. 
In the soil, among all the flowers, we planted one of the stone 
crops, which soon obscured the soil and looked very pretty. 
For watering, a garden spray-pump was used, and everything 
sprayed like a summer shower. If more was needed, a watering 
can was used. In winter the watering should be done as near 
noon as convenient, and usually 
only on sunny days. The humidity 
is kept at about 6o° relative hu¬ 
midity, although just after spraying 
it will run up to 8o°. The humidity 
was maintained by the pet-cock in 
the radiator, from which about 
three or four gallons per day of 
water was allowed to escape into 
the air as steam. A hygrometer is 
used to watch the humidity, which 
made some startling revelations on 
how our houses simply dry up in 
winter while outdoors the air may 
be nearly saturated. Incidentally, 
this may cause more colds than we 
realize. Watch the humidity as care¬ 
fully as you do the temperature. 
The window boxes were covered 
with bark from a dead chestnut 
tree, which made a very pretty rus¬ 
tic effect; the boxes were painted 
with hot paraffin wax before they 
were put up, so they would not rojt 
easily. 
The pictures were taken at the 
Christmas season, and a Christmas 
tree is seen through the window 
, , , , , looking into the house. The drop 
the porch was enclosed and how & 1 
open for summer use wire Was USed to Supply Current to 
the small lamps on the tree and for 
a wrought-iron lamp hung from the ceiling of the conservatory. 
And, by the bye, the smoker who is not welcome in the house 
may go and smoke in the conservatory, where his only enemy 
will be the tiny aphid. 
As spring advances, the flowers are taken outside and plunged 
in beds; late in the 
summer cuttings are 
made from the ge¬ 
raniums and bego¬ 
nias. In this way 
our stock is main¬ 
tained. The small 
plants are thrown 
away and a new sup¬ 
ply purchased in the 
fall. 
During the hot 
weather the orchids 
are kept in a cool 
place. The radiator 
is removed, the door 
rehung, the window 
boxes cleaned and 
put away, and the 
conservatory be¬ 
comes a thing of the 
OUt-of-doOrS, with By elevating the radiator, a water pocket was avoided 
no inconvenience. and the proper drainage assured 
