HOUSE AND GARDEN 
A Word of Advice to the 
Homemaker from an Expert 
House Decorator 
Under this heading is appearing a series of 
letters containing advice on the interior finish, 
decoration and furnishing of the Modern Home. 
These will be found full of helpful and prac¬ 
tica l suggestions. 
Any questions pertaining to the above ad¬ 
dressed to Margaret Greenleaf, Consulting 
Decorator for Murphy Varnish Company, will 
receive prompt attention. 
LETTER NO. 3 
This bit of a Colonial interior is full of good 
suggestions to the prospective builder. The 
Palladian window, the spindle screen on the 
stair and balustrade with handrail of mahogany 
are details which are characteristic and beautiful. 
The ivory enamel of the standing woodwork is 
in delightful contrast with the two toned blue 
of the wallcovering. The dignity and stateliness 
of a pure Colonial interior provides a perfect 
setting for fine old mahogany and early Georgian 
furniture, and to the owner of taste and dis¬ 
cretion there is much pleasure to be found in the 
assembling of such pieces in rooms of this type. 
The beautiful satin-like surface of the enamel 
made by Murphy Varnish Company will be 
found to give the highest satisfaction. The tone, 
the finish and the lasting qualities of their goods 
are unsurpassed, and as the standing woodwork 
of a Colonial interior is its most characteristic 
asset the right material must be used to obtain 
the right result. 
It costs no more to apply these than a cheaper 
grade of material which will requireearly renewal 
if not removal. 
Write for sample panels showing these 
finishes, and if you decide (as you will on see¬ 
ing them) to become a customer of the Com¬ 
pany. you are entitled to the full service of 
the Department of Decoration, which includes 
suggestions and samples of wall covering and 
drapery materials, cuts of fixtures, furniture 
and rugs. The scheme sent you will be made 
up for your house and is not a stock scheme. 
Address Department of Decorations 
Murphy Varnish Company 
345 Fifth Avenue, New York 
RIFE Hydraulic Rams 
Require no attention nor expense. Operate continuously. 
Complete installation for supplying Dwell ing Houses, 
Greenhouses, Lawns, Fountains and Gardens. 
Catalogues and 
Estimates Free 
Operate under a fall of 18 inches 
to 50 feet, raising water 30 feet for 
each foot of fall. Develops 80 per cent, 
efficiency. Installed with pneumat¬ 
ic tanks where overhead tanks are 
objectionable. 
We have plants for towns, for¬ 
mal gardens, railroad tanks and 
for irrigation. 
RIFE PUMPING ENGINE CO. 
2502 Trinity Bldg. New York, U. S. A. 
MILLS WATER 
TUBE BOILERS 
No. 24 Mills Water Tube Steam Boiler 
THIS make of boiler 
is endorsed by lead¬ 
ing beating engineers as 
tbe refinement of boiler 
making. 
A trial will demon¬ 
strate its economy. 
Fire Tube surface 
greater. Grate area less, 
larger CombustionCbam- 
bers tban ordinary Sec¬ 
tional makes is tbe reason. 
THE H. B. SMITH CO. 
Manufacturers of 
BOILERS and RADIATORS 
FOR HEATING 
1225 Arch St., Philadelphia, Pa. 
January, 1911. 
The Fireproof House 
(Continued from page 15) 
tration on the top of page 15). In these 
channels between the rows are laid twisted 
iron rods, and over these is poured con¬ 
crete. When the temporary support is ta¬ 
ken away the result is a series of rein¬ 
forced concrete beams supporting the tiles 
between them. On this may be laid any 
sort of a finished floor — either of tiles or 
of wood on “sleepers.” 
In regard to the matter of the fireproof 
roof, it must be admitted that the expense 
of a form of construction requiring rein¬ 
forced concrete beams, with tile in be¬ 
tween, adds very largely to the cost of the 
house. Ordinarily it would be considered 
sufficient protection to build the roof con¬ 
struction of wood, as shown in the detail, 
covering the rafters with boards on which 
are laid either slate or roofing tiles. This 
would prevent any damage from fire by 
sparks falling on the outside, and on ac¬ 
count of the exceedingly tight construction 
of a house of this kind, there is very little 
chance of a fire starting from the attic. 
For the flames to gain any headway at all 
they must be fed from below by a good 
draft, which, of course, is easily prevented 
in this type of building. 
The cost of a hollow tile house is about 
15 per cent, higher than that of first-class 
wood construction, where the new mate¬ 
rial is readily obtainable and where the 
workmen are familiar with its use. The 
increased cost is not large when one takes 
into consideration the fact that the cost of 
maintenance is almost nothing, and in the 
country districts, where the fire risk is 
great, the cost of insurance is far less. In 
addition to these considerations, there are 
those of endurance and stability. The 
wooden houses of Colonial days lasted for 
many years, but they were built exception¬ 
ally well. Those of today will not measure 
up to the same standard. With a fireproof 
house, however, we are building for gene¬ 
rations, in addition to having the feeling of 
security that comes only with a complete 
protection from the dangers of fire. 
Protecting the Owner In His 
Specifications 
by Charles K. Farrington 
T HERE should be ill every set of speci¬ 
fications some clauses protecting the 
owner against loss in case of damage done 
to work already finished by one contrac¬ 
tor, which may be injured by the fault of 
another. Such instances are constantly 
happening, and to have oneself thorough¬ 
ly protected from all needless expense or 
worry is good, indeed. The following ex¬ 
amples may be considered typical of many 
which could also have been given if it were 
not for lack of space. 
A gutter had been placed in position, 
but had not been “accepted” by the archi¬ 
tect, because it was only a part of the 
(Continued on page 58) 
In writing to advertisers please mention House and Garden. 
