96 
House & 
Garden 
An Unusual Service 
in Planning 
Interior Lighting 
Our Department of Decorative 
Illumination will be glad to make 
suggestions for appropriate light¬ 
ing installations for an individual 
room or an entire residence or 
apartment. Send us floor plans 
(blue prints will do), with eleva¬ 
tion details, and we will submit a 
definite suggestion, with photo¬ 
graphic illustrations of fitments 
recommended, and estimated cost 
installed by your dealer. 
The Ritklle Fitment Book 
illustrates in full color many 
styles of Riddle Fitments, in 
Silver Estofado and Gold Esto- 
fado Decoration—suspended pieces, 
wall-brackets, lamps, torcheres, 
etc. Copy sent on request. 
The Edward N. Riddle Company 
Makers of decorative lighting 
fitments since 1892 
223 Riddle Bldg., Toledo, Ohio 
Riddle Tor 
Thermometers You Should Know 
(Continued from page 87) 
are not affected by the temperature of 
this mount. One of these thermometers 
has its bulb “free”, or exposed to the 
air temperature, while the other has its 
bulb covered with wicking or muslin, 
the end of which is immersed in a 
cup or tube of clean, distilled water. 
By capillary attraction this bulb is 
always kept moist and indicates the 
cooling effect of the evaporative power 
of the air. The drier the air is the 
greater the difference between the two 
readings. 
On each of the scales there are three 
lines engraved, marked 1, 2, 3, re¬ 
spectively. These represent the “com¬ 
fortable” temperatures. For instance, 
on the “dry” tube, No. 3 line is at 65° 
Fahrenheit and on the “wet” tube it 
appears at 59° Fahrenheit. This rep¬ 
resents a humidity of 70%. No. 2 
on the “dry” tube, No. 3 line is at 65 ° 
and on the “wet” at 60° F. This 
represents a humidity of 56%. No. 1 
line on the “dry” tube is at 75° F. and 
on the “wet” at 65° F. This repre¬ 
sents a humidity of 59%. All of these 
humidities are very comfortable at 
the air temperatures indicated. 
The “dew point” is indicated by the 
hygrometer, and in the evening it usual¬ 
ly determines the lowest temperature of 
the night. By ascertaining the “dew 
point” the approach of a low tempera¬ 
ture or a frost may be ascertained be¬ 
forehand and be provided against. So 
here is a valuable thing to be known by 
garden lovers, etc. When the “dew point” 
is indicated below the freezing point 
frost will form instead of dew. A pro¬ 
fuse dew is a very sure sign of fine 
weather. The greater the difference be¬ 
tween the wet and dry bulb thermom¬ 
eters, the greater will be the prob¬ 
ability of the weather being fine, and 
vice versa. As dew is not formed dur¬ 
ing a wind or when there is considerable 
cloud, it is an incidental indication 
of fine weather. Hoar frost is really 
a sign of changeable weather. 
The barometer measures atmospheric 
pressure, and determines in advance a 
change in the weather. The normal 
pressure at sea level is 29.9. That is 
to say, the air will force mercury in a 
bent tube up to 29.9 inches in a scale. 
When the barometer reads low and has 
fallen rapidly you will know that a 
storm is on the wing, for low pressure 
area has come in. The air is lighter 
so the mercury can’t be held up. 
Thus it is seen how many and diverse 
items of our daily existence can be 
given greater convenience, safety, cer¬ 
tainty and interest, through the use of 
one or more of these mechanical gauges 
They combine to overthrow the gentle : 
art of guessing by substituting the 
science of accurate measurement. 
Colorful Living Rooms 
(Continued from page 53) 
park. This, besides introducing a note 
of individuality, picked up the tones 
of the toile used on some of the chairs. 
This material was a rusty black print 
on an almost apricot colored ground, 
shading into the copper of the cur¬ 
tains. The hunting scene was again 
suggested by one of the patterns in 
this fabric, another motif being one of 
proud peacocks strutting in a garden. 
Directoire chairs were used, painted 
soft green and covered with needle¬ 
work done in green and ivory. The 
rug, a plain velvet carpet in a deep 
prune color that was almost plum, 
made an excellent background for the 
varied colors of the furnishings. Other 
color notes were introduced in the oval 
pictures on either side of the mantel 
showing classic figures holding “Horns 
of Plenty” filled with gayly toned 
flowers reminiscent of a country garden. 
The “Horns of Plenty” were repeated 
in amethyst colored glass on the wal¬ 
nut consoles beneath the pictures. 
These were filled with fragrant lilacs 
of beautiful mauve. 
Another decorative note was provided 
by the recessed bookshelves with their 
rows of colorfully bound books and 
upper shelves filled with a beautiful 
collection of old Chinese Lowestoft. 
Between the bookcases were hung long 
mirrors with old pictures at the top 
that again carried out the illusion of 
the country. Beneath these mirrors old 
walnut commodes held alabaster lamps 
with shades of copper color. The light 
falling from them on the salmon and 
pale yellow snapdragon was very re¬ 
freshing while deeper copper tones were 
found in the velvet cushions at either 
end of the sofa. 
The soft green walls, the deep prune 
carpet, the touches of amethyst and 
copper color about the room were all 
brought together and blended by the 
shimmering reflection of the open fire. 
It was a room for night as well as day. 
The slightest thing in the world will 
often give one inspiration for an en¬ 
tire color scheme. A pot of hyacinths, 
purplish blue fading into pinkish mauve 
was the nucleus for one of the most 
charming rooms I ever saw. The walls 
took their color from the palest tone 
of the flowers, a shade of pink with a 
faint bluish cast. At the windows 
hang curtains of sheer gauze bluish 
purple, like the deepest shade of the 
flowers. These changed to almost tur¬ 
quoise when the sun poured through 
them and were in charming contrast to 
the pink walls and overhangings of 
deeper pink satin looped back over blue- 
green glass tiebacks. Some of the 
furniture was done in an old glazed 
chintz in lovely blues and greens on a 
yellow ground, while an odd over¬ 
stuffed chair was covered in an antique 
satin, the color of the hyacinth leaves, 
and piped in the same purplish blue. 
Hyacinths were in pink china bowls in 
the windows and old china vases on the 
mantel repeated the blues of the 
flowers. It was an amusing and cheer¬ 
ful room in spite of the amount of 
blue used. 
In a little morning room in a coun¬ 
try house, surrounded by a wonderful 
garden, I let flowers play the main part 
in the decoration. The walls and wood¬ 
work were painted a pale, neutral gray, 
an excellent background for flowers. 
The floor was black and white tile and 
the furniture for the most part black 
with gold decorations. A small sofa 
was done in a gray-green satin, cool 
and also neutral in tone, a low chair in 
a flowered chintz that would harmonize 
with anything. Here the surroundings 
were purposely lacking in any vivid note 
as the flowers were intended to supply 
all the color interest. It proved de¬ 
lightful and gay for one might have a 
different color scheme every month of 
the year. 
In the last analysis it is color one is 
most conscious of on entering a room. 
Delightful color effects will do much to 
counteract bad architecture and ugly 
furniture. One need not seek far and 
wide for new schemes; they are to be 
found near at hand in the humblest 
things. A can painted bright blue and 
lined with copper was the basis for one 
of the most effective dining rooms I 
ever saw. 
