so 
House & Garden 
Radiant in joyous spring colorings 
and silky texture KAPOCK fabrics 
will express your perfect taste in 
draperies. 
KAPOCK is really so economical 
because the double width permits 
of splitting and is guaranteed 
against fading from sun or tubbing. 
Be sure it’s KAPOCK. 
Genuine has basting 
thread in selvage. 
“Kapock Sketch Book ” in colors giving 
you neivest ideas in home furnishing will 
be sent upon receipt of dealer s name. 
A. THEO. ABBOTT & CO. 
PHILADELPHIA 
Dept. C 
Water Gardens and Their Making 
{Continued jrom page 78) 
The Victoria Regia, though interest¬ 
ing, is not adapted to the average water 
garden. The enormous size of its leaves 
makes it impossible of culture, save 
in large ponds, and even where space 
is available, unless the summer be very 
hot, it is possible to care for it ten¬ 
derly without the reward of a single 
bloom. It is, of course, not hardy. 
Of other plants suitable for the water 
garden or its vicinity, there are still a 
few of which mention should be made. 
The Eichhornia crassipes major (water 
hyacinth) floats upon the surface of the 
water and does not root in the soil. The 
blossom is lavender, and in form some¬ 
what reminiscent of the ordinary hya¬ 
cinth. One or two of these plants are 
all sufficient, as they multiply so rap¬ 
idly that they tend to become a nui¬ 
sance. Three plants were once put, in 
May, in a pool about 8' by 16'. In 
September I have pulled out enough of 
them to make a heap some 2' in height 
and 3’ in diameter—and left an abun¬ 
dance in the pool. The plants are rather 
decorative, however, if one can harden 
one’s heart and take them out ruth¬ 
lessly. 
The water poppy {Limnocharis Hum- 
boldti) is an attractive little plant, the 
bloom of which somewhat resembles 
that of the California poppy 
The Myriophyllum proserpinacoides 
(parrot’s feather) is a very luxuriant 
growth covered with masses of feathery 
foliage. In the case of a water garden 
composed of sunken tubs, this plant is 
useful in hiding the unsightly rims of 
the tubs. It is a prolific grower. 
In connection with the pool, the dif¬ 
ferent varieties of iris are pretty and 
appropriate, as well as our own wild 
cardinal flower {Lobelia cardimlis). 
The Cyperus papyrus, which sometimes 
reaches a height of 8', is also worthy of 
mention. The hardy bamboos, which 
reach a considerable height, and which, 
in addition to their decorative qualities, 
make a pleasant sound as their branches 
rub together in the wind, are valuable 
from an ornamental point of view, and 
act as a windbreak. The hardy grasses 
such as the Arundo donax (Giant reed) 
and the Erianthus ravennx (Pampas 
grass) should not be forgotten, while a 
place should certainly be saved for the 
hibiscus or giant rose mallow, which 
brightens our country marshes in Au¬ 
gust, and which well repays cultivation. 
Wintering? If your pond is natural, 
plant deep and do no more. If it is 
artificial, do not empty it. It should 
be covered with a double platform of 
boards, over which is spread a load of 
stable litter. In spring, when all dan¬ 
ger of frost is passed, this covering 
should be removed and the pool emptied 
and thoroughly cleaned. The water 
which comes from it will, diluted, make 
excellent manure water for your roses. 
For this reason I have not thought it 
necessary, as do some other water gar¬ 
deners, to suggest plans for an elab¬ 
orate system of drawing off the water 
of the pond, and for filling it again. 
Every gardener knows the value of 
manure water, and here, each spring, 
is as much as you can use of this ex¬ 
cellent fertilizer ready to hand. It can 
be baled out in pails, the pool cleaned, 
and fresh water put in by the hose, 
with little trouble, and with the addi¬ 
tional advantage of less original trouble 
in the building of the pool. The water 
garden, by the way, will be found to 
keep perfectly sweet and fresh, and the 
flowers to bloom better, because undis¬ 
turbed, if the pool be cleaned but once 
a year. And when the garden has filled 
again, you need only wait for a little to 
enjoy it for another summer. 
The Natural Positions of Furniture 
{Continued from page 57) 
always useful, not only as a receptacle 
for gloves, mufflers, etc., which have the 
knack of getting lost if kept in the coat 
closet, but will form an interesting fea¬ 
ture against an otherwise blank wall 
space and at the same time give an op¬ 
portunity for color through the medium 
of a vase of flowers on the top or a 
picture hung above. Even both may 
be used if the subject of the latter is 
chosen accordingly. If space permits, 
group the furniture so as to form not 
only a place of reception but a living 
hall in which one is tempted to linger 
in comfort. By so doing an extra room 
is gained from a space that is otherwise 
merely a passage. 
The one room in the average home in 
which we find the greatest number of 
errors in arrangement is, strange to say, 
the one mostly in use—the living room. 
This generally contains a fireplace which, 
still using our illustration of compari¬ 
son, is the climax of the chapter. This 
is often seen with a large settee in front 
backed by an equally large and absurd 
table. A variation being two smaller 
settees, one on each side of the fireplace 
at right angles to the wall with a group 
taking the place of the large settee and 
table. The consequence of such an ar¬ 
rangement is that people, especially in 
cold weather, form a restricted crowd 
around the fire to the elimination of the 
rest of the room. It should always be 
borne in mind that every part of a room 
is for use and furniture should be placed 
accordingly but at the same time no 
group or piece should detract from the 
usefulness of another or dominate the 
room. The placing of furniture in a 
room of this description should be so 
schemed that as many people as pos¬ 
sible can see the fire, at the same time 
leaving logical avenues for traffic. Per¬ 
haps the room has a dark corner—why 
not take advantage of this to instill 
that which will be most often used in 
the evening when artificial light is nec¬ 
essary, as for instance a collector’s folio 
or table or a cabinet? A window may 
have a beautiful view; then place con¬ 
veniently one or two comfortable chairs 
and a small occasional table by which 
means the group itself invites one to 
sit down, and enjoy the scene. 
Another common error is in locating 
the writing desk or table. This is often 
placed facing the light which is very 
trying to the eyes especially during 
bright weather. Why not place it so 
that the light falls from the left? It 
is often possible so to arrange it that 
the writer sits with the back towards a 
wall. This is not only more comfort¬ 
able, but at the same time gives a great¬ 
er sense of privacy. 
A corner is also an ideal position for 
a grand piano, thus allowing the sound 
waves to be directed immediately into 
the room instead of being deflected by 
a wall, as is often the case. 
To illustrate more fully the logical 
furnishing of a living room, two repro¬ 
ductions are here given. In each of 
these rooms strict conformity and bal¬ 
ance have been observed between furni¬ 
ture and decoration, but the keynote has 
been simplicity, and an atmosphere of 
invitation and comfort is manifest. 
Of all the rooms in a home the din¬ 
ing room is of necessity the most con¬ 
ventional, not only because of its gen¬ 
eral planning but of its use, for in a 
large and increasing number of houses 
{Continued on page 84) 
