70 
House & Garden 
JUST TURN 
THE FAUCET' 
Get Hoffman Hot Water 
as Easily as Light 
8 
. .! 
lx 
» 
Native Shrubs for American Homes 
( Continued, from page 68) 
time. Its long branches serve to make 
quills to run sap through in the maple 
sugar orchards. The berries, distilled, 
make an effective gargle for sore throats, 
while the wood makes a yellow dye. 
The smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) is a 
smaller shrub with dense pyramidal ter¬ 
minal clusters of flowers in June and 
July. It grows from 3' to S' high and 
in autumn its leaves turn a very bril¬ 
liant scarlet. 
The dwarf sumac (Rhus copallina) is 
also called shining sumac because the 
leaves are bright and reflect the light. 
It grows from 3' to S' high and serves 
as a good edger for the larger “leggy” 
shrubs. The stems between the leaves 
have a peculiar winged effect, which 
with the constant changing in foliage 
and blossom makes it an attractive 
shrub for the border. 
Another interesting member of this 
tribe is the sweet or aromatic sumac 
(Rhus aromatica or Canadensis). The 
leaves of this plant when crushed give 
off a pungent odor which is not unpleas¬ 
ant. It grows from 2' to 6' high and 
also serves as a good edging shrub for 
the front of the shrub border. 
One of the reasons why the sumacs 
have been slow in finding favor is be¬ 
cause they have a black sheep in the 
family, a poisonous member, poison 
sumac (Rhus vernix or veneata ); but 
this can be easily distinguished from the 
stag-horn and the smooth sumacs be¬ 
cause they have indented and uneven 
edges to their leaves, while the poison 
sumac has a smooth and entire leaf. It 
can be distinguished from the shining 
or dwarf sumac by the absence of the 
winged stems between the leaflets. The 
aromatic odor from the aromatic sumac 
also serves to mark that. 
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NAME . 
STREET . 
CITY. STATE. 
The Past and Present Use of Mirrors 
(Continued from page 51) 
on the wall. They should never be used 
independently but always in connection 
with some other decorative scheme such 
as a low table, a chair, or possibly a 
chest, placed directly underneath the 
mirror and covered with a bright scarf. 
On either end may be set candlesticks 
or bright china ornaments, while as a 
central feature a colorful bowl filled 
with flowers is most artistic. 
Mirrors, regardless of their placing, 
should be in sympathy with the archi¬ 
tecture, hangings and furniture of a 
room, although they need not be of the 
same period. It would, of course, be 
out of place to hang a first era mirror 
on your living-room wall if Louis XV 
period furniture prevailed. Rather 
would you turn to a more elaborate 
type such as the late Renaissance or 
Chinese Chippendale designs which show 
elaborate gilt carving. 
We have grown to feel that the only 
proper place for a decorative mirror is 
over the mantel, but here again we err, 
for although this spot is admirably 
adapted for this treatment, yet other 
parts of a room also lend themselves 
to its charm. Often we find them hung 
in pairs on the same side of the wall 
just above a table or with pictures be¬ 
tween them. Again, sconces are so used 
in conjunction with mirrors that it is 
almost impossible to think of one with¬ 
out recalling the other—the light play¬ 
ing on either side of the surface brings 
out charming compositions which would 
otherwise have been lost. 
In the library, if it is finished in dark 
rich woodwork, the looking-glass should 
be framed to stand out conspicuously 
against the dark background. A ma¬ 
hogany frame would undoubtedly blend 
into the wall treatment and therefore it 
is better to utilize a gilt or other frame 
that will catch the eye pleasantly as one 
enters the room. 
The dining-room lends itself more 
than any other to varied suggestions. 
For the white paneled wall the mantel 
mirror is charming, more especially if 
it is balanced on either side by brass 
sconces. Mantel treatment is the most 
effective in this room, as it reflects the 
table, its setting, and the guests. Should 
an English style of architecture prevail, 
gilt, bright-colored, or polychrome 
frames are more suitable. 
Many mirrors can be used attractively 
in the chamber, the dressing table one 
being the most prominent. The triple 
mirror is generally used for this purpose; 
although a most unique idea is the use 
of a four-sided mirror without framing, 
the advantage of which is that when 
seated in front of it one is able to ob¬ 
tain a front and back view at the same 
time. Then, an over-mantel mirror is 
charming in this room if so placed that 
it catches the sunlight as it glimmers 
through the curtains, or pictures the 
waving branches of trees, the blue skv, 
or possibly the moonlight on a soft 
summer night. 
So mirrors form a little field of their 
own, and combine so many interesting 
features that we have grown to feel that 
as careful attention should be paid to 
their purchase and placing as to the 
hangings, rugs and furniture. 
The Gladiolus, a Super-Flower from Africa 
(Continued from■ page 40) 
lavender garden. Mary Fennell, a pink¬ 
ish orchid, would also be safe in a gar¬ 
den of phlox, veronica, platycodon and 
their July friends. 
If, on the other hand, the rosy pinks 
have been excluded from the garden, 
much gayer combinations are possible. 
A group about which I am personally 
very enthusiastic is headed by Gil Bias, 
a deep salmon with individual sprays 
of extreme beauty. Niagara, a pale 
creamy salmon; Loveliness, a more 
ruffly version of Niagara with a slightly 
pinker tone; and Schwaben, a glorious 
flower stalk of big, pale yellow flowers, 
make a. combination which is the espe¬ 
cial delight of those who like a golden 
range of color. This group planted so 
as to bloom with the lavender Echinops 
ritro and the deep blue purple of Mr. 
Huebner’s single petunias, with rose 
Lady Hillingdon and the creamy sprays 
of thalictrum woven all through the 
border, are like old lace and amethyst 
kept from languishing by the hardy 
loveliness of the gladioli. Schwaben, 
with the slight, graceful Iris Spray, a 
gladiolus having the pale bluish purple 
of Spanish iris, is again a delightful 
combination. Schwaben in any case is 
a kind of super-flower—a big, pure, 
cool yellow stalk whose color never 
seems quite real. Its cold yellow solidity 
is the best sort of contrast for the deli¬ 
cate loveliness of Iris Spray. Nursery 
catalog enthusiasm is difficult to avoid 
in describing one’s favorites, for no true 
flower lover knows the meaning of re¬ 
straint. Indeed, adjectives are not 
plentiful enough nor sufficiently varied 
to last out a gladiolus description of 
any length. 
On the subject of reds, however, there 
(Continued on page 72) 
