HOUSE AND GARDEN 
158 
results. But one should remember that the more intensively the 
ground is worked, the heavier must be its store of plant food. 
The garden will be useful for a longer season if it has a south¬ 
ern exposure and a good wind-break on the north and west. For 
warmth, there is nothing to compare with an arbor vitae hedge. It 
is advisable to plant this far enough away to prevent the roots 
from drawing upon the garden area. In my own garden, vege¬ 
tables are grown two feet from such a hedge with good results. 
Here potatoes, radishes and peas were planted by March 22, in 
1909 and 1910, and lettuce, spinach, carrots, early turnips and 
parsley by the 28th. 
After the garden site has been chosen, and its extent decided 
March, 1911 . 
upon, the ground should be spread with manure which is allowed 
to lie on the surface until time to plow. Half a ton or a one-horse 
load of well rotted compost or cleanings from the poultry house 
will make a garden area of sixteen hundred square feet very pro¬ 
ductive. The cleanings from the hennery promote the greatest 
yield, but the rotted manure enables the garden to better withstand 
dry weather. Judging from results obtained the past two years, it 
is well to use equal parts of each manure. The compost, being 
slower to decompose, supplies the late growing vegetables, while 
hen manure is sooner available as an aid to the earlier maturing 
vegetables. This adaptation of treatment to the individual re¬ 
quirements of different plants counts greatly for your success. 
Designing the Dining-room by Itself 
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE ARCHITECTURAL TREATMENT, THE CONSISTENT 
FURNISHING AND THE BEST WORKING ARRANGEMENT OF THE USUAL SIZE ROOM 
A mellow brown oak wainscot, Caen stone fireplace and sand-finished, dull golden wall above, help to make this 
Flemish dining-room a welcome change from Colonial or English 
'IXT’E have a habit, generally, of making 
* * the dining-room either English or 
Colonial in style, I suppose for the reason 
that we have so many good types of furniture in these two styles 
that their use makes it easier to obtain an attractive dining-room. 
The room of Flemish character is probably more unusual and I 
have, therefore, chosen to offer a design in this style. 
The room is 15 x 16 feet in size, opening from a broad hall 
from which it is shut off with glass doors. The morning sun, a 
very essential feature in any dining-room, is obtained through the 
eastern window and through the southern windows in the sum¬ 
mer, while the after-glow of the summer sunset comes through 
the west window, thus insuring a pleasant dining-room at all 
times. There is nothing so cheerless as a breakfast-room which 
is cut off from the sun in the winter, by being isolated in the 
north or northeastern part of the house; it continually exerts a 
depressing influence on the family at meals. 
The dining-room is adjoined by the serv¬ 
ing-room, which connects with the kitchen, 
affording a quick and direct line of service. 
It is suggested that the room be wainscoted in oak to a height 
of seven feet, with rectangular panels formed by very flat rails 
and stiles, without any panel moldings. A wide plate-rail forms 
the cap of the wainscot, affording a place to put bits of china and 
old pieces of pewter or copper. Above the wainscot the plaster 
is sand-finished, as is also the ceiling, and at the intersection of 
the ceiling and side walls a cornice is carried around the room. 
On the north side is a large fireplace, which is a necessity on a 
rainy day to make breakfast cheerful and the room comfortable. 
It is built of light gray Caen stone, which has almost the appear¬ 
ance of limestone. It is imported in blocks and is soft enough to 
be worked into a variety of shapes. The hearth has a curb border, 
A. Raymond Ellis 
Illustrations by the Author 
