NO REDE s Petr Rthew RR hth 2 Ee aand Reminder II 
scrutiny of pedestrians, but occasionally one is found that 
is in full view of the main highway, and such a house 
requires a screening for its veranda. One of the most ef- 
fective ways of screening such a porch is to use shades 
made of wooden slats, closely woven and stained dark 
green or brown. These shades modify the heat of the 
sun, and in addition afford seclusion to the hostess and 
guests who partake of refreshments or afternoon tea in 
this open-air apartment. 
The main point to be borne in mind in erecting a 
veranda for a country house is that it shall be as open as 
possible, with very little shadowing at the ceiling, and 
that the piers, columns or posts that support the roof 
shall be just sufficient to carry its weight, as more would 
hide the view and also be objectionable in other ways. 
Whether the veranda shall be enclosed with a railing 
fresh, health-giving air, and surrounded by Nature at her 
best, with the merry notes of the feathered songsters 
sounding a hearty greeting. At first a fad, the veranda 
breakfast has now become almost a necessity, and many 
an enthusiastic suburbanite partakes of the first meal in 
the open air from early spring until the biting frosts of 
late autumn compel him to seek interior shelter. 
To furnish a veranda to the best advantage for living 
purposes, furniture should be used that can withstand 
the weather and hard usage. Numerous easy chairs, a 
settee furnished with crash, or denim covered cushions 
and hammocks, are essential, and a swinging couch is 
an addition that is sure to be greatly appreciated. Wieker 
is undoubtedly the most popular porch furniture at the 
present time, and it deserves to be, for it combines in con- 
struction the desirable qualities of coolness, light weight 
THE EZRA C. FITCH VERANDA, MANCHESTER 
or not depends partly upon the style of the architecture of 
the house, and partly upon the taste of the owner. Some- 
times the spaces between the posts are left vacant ; again, 
they are filled in with potted plants or boxes filled with 
flowers. If a railing is used it must be constructed of 
material harmonizing in finish with the general scheme 
of the house, so as not to add an inartistic touch to an 
otherwise harmonious whole. Low rails of stone or 
wood have their advantages, for they furnish support 
for artistic trellises, over which pretty flowering vines can 
be trained to clamber, and thus are a distinct embellish- 
ment to a veranda, no matter how charming it may al- 
ready be. 
Many country houses of the present are supplied with 
a separate veranda that is used as a breakfast-room. It 
is generally connected with the dining-room, or located 
in close proximity to the butler’s pantry for convenience 
of service, and furnishes a delightful nook in which to 
partake of the morning meal, permeated as it is with 
and durability, and then, too, it is equally attractive in 
its natural light covering, or when stained a soft green, 
or some other tint. Chairs of almost every shape, as well 
as settees and swinging hammocks, can be purchased in 
wicker, and tables of this material are also easily obtained. 
The tea-wagon is a useful bit of furniture to install 
in the outdoor living-room, and it has been considerably 
improved of late. An attractive model is simply a wicker 
table with the top sunk in to hold cups and saucers, and 
fitted at one side with a handle, and mounted on two 
wheels. It is generally accompanied by a wicker stand 
equipped with three shelves placed one below the other, 
which proves convenient to hold plates of cake or other 
dainties generally served with afternoon tea. 
The best rugs for the porch are the natural-hued 
grass or hand-woven rag-carpet rugs, which are uninjured 
by either rain or sun. Indeed, either of these elements 
rather improves them, for they but take on softer tones 
that come with the fading or bleaching process. 
