April 1956

$25,000.00 Home Improvement Contest for 1956

THIS CONTEST covers any improvement to your home and surrounding property. And you have 128 chances to win in the four divisions-- Exteriors, Interiors, Additions, and Kitchen-Utility areas-- explained in detail further on. You are officially entered in the contest when we receive a Preliminary Entry Form from you.

Should your child be a Home Economist?

MANY PEOPLE are vague about the possibilities of our profession-- perhaps because Home Economists can choose among so many different careers.

It's time for FOUR FAITHS

One common misconception about faith which many average, intelligent people have was expressed by a mother who said to me:

These FOODS are NEWS!

Frozen browned fried chicken has been introduced recently. All ready to heat and eat, it takes just 30 minutes to heat in the oven-- 5 minutes in deep hot fat-- 10 minutes in the broiler. Because the chicken is thoroughly cooked there is no further shrinkage loss. Comes in foil package and weighs about 1 pound 8 ounces; contains a whole chicken-- 8 pieces and the giblets; makes 2 to 4 servings.

Have you heard? Latest Garden News

Hurricanes last year showed an interesting difference between two commonly planted elms. At the U.S.D.A.'s Plant Introduction Station, near Washington, D. C., both the Chinese elm and the Siberian elm were growing in an exposed position where they were hit by hurricane winds.

How are your outdoor manners?

1 Does the over-all appearance of your home and garden add to the attractiveness of the neighborhood at all times?

EXTRA! Electronic cooking at home!

Q. What are the advantages of microwave cooking? A. It reduces cooking time about one-half to one-eighth, depending on the food and the quantity.

All a bench should be

We visited a Maine lighthouse

Journeying northward along the Maine Turnpike, we were impressed with the beautiul pine trees which seemed to be everywhere. North of Portland, the coast line is unique, with its deep inlets and rocky points of land.

Here's what to do

Do you have difficulty fitting names and faces together correctly? Well, you're certainly not alone in your trouble. It's not at all unusual to find the memory failing when you unexpectedly meet a casual acquaintance.

When your decorating is right-- You can do wonders with a small house!

Let's face it. Most of us live in homes we consider too small. But no matter the size, we all want to make ours the best home possible for our families.

Get a lift from vines and shrubs

A big house you can afford

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST: PART II WASHINGTON

So much in such small space!

Spring flowers for your Easter table

Nine tinning secrets that can enrich your life

It all started at a meeting in our neighborhood, one of those let's-do-something sessions of the sort I'm sure you've frequently attended. We were seeking a man to take on a really important community assignment, and many candidates had been proposed. Anderson might help-- he had lots of spare time. Or it could be Baker who had never participated in local affairs.

What the Ezio Pinzas want for their children

When American audiences hailed Ezio Pinza as a great romantic figure in South Pacific, he was baffled. "I do not understand in America," he confessed to his wife, "why a man of later years should consider himself dead!"

So you're going to buy a lot...

You are? Nothing to get excited about. Just a plot of ground with a few weeds grown over. Maybe a tree. Two trees? All the better. It's the lot you've had your eyes on, a handsome one for the house you have in mind. Or is it...?

New ideas bring old rooms up to date

Press and mount flowers for lasting beauty

Pressing and mounting flowers is a fascinating hobby, and your results can be lasting designs for wall hangings, note paper, place cards, and place mats. There's little expense involved, and no previous experience needed.

How to put HI-FI in your home

You probably know that "hi-fi" is short for high fidelity (which simply means faithful reproduction of sound). What you may not know is how easily and cheaply you can bring this thrilling listening adventure into your home.

Keep books handy with handier shelves

Is your home too small for an impressive wall of bookshelves? Then take a tip from the George Spragues of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Although the old house they restored was small, the Spragues found room for their large collection of books.

A new beach on the Gulf

A 4-year face-lifting job on U. S. 90, where it fronts on the Gulf of Mexico for 26 miles in Mississippi, has created one of the finest beach resorts in the United States.

Handymen: here's a boat you can build

Learn the lingo

Lawyers, lenders, brokers, bankers, and real-estate salesmen speak in a language you need to know if you are buying or selling a house or lot. Knowledge of this language helps you make a quick and intelligent sale or purchase. We learned the hard way-- through confusion, ignorance, and delay. You can learn quickly by checking this list of terms-- and the significance of each.

A post card from Suburbia

A couple of TV men arrived the other morning to hook up my Blitz TV set. It has been sitting in the garage since I moved, waiting for a moment of financial ease. It looked dusty and wires sprang from its insides.

Article

How to make your house fit your family

If a child feels slighted, jealous

With the current baby boom showing no signs of a recession, more and more parents are discovering the joys-- and problems-- of a larger family. At our house, the turmoil revolved about 4-year-old Sheila, our middle child. (We have also a boy, Stephen, aged 7, and a now-4-month-old baby, Sally Ann.)

How to insulate your home

From your oven to your table!

Take time for fun with your baby

It probably seems a full-time job to give your infant just the physical care be needs. Even household tasks have to be sandwiched between feedings, diaper-changings, baths, formula preparation,

When your youngster "No's" everything

At about 18 months, it's common for a toddler to start balking at everything he is asked to do. The first time it happens, you can't quite believe it. Is your usually agreeable baby defying you?

Old kitchen changes into a working wonder

There's news in curtains ... and it's all good!

How to get free surplus property for your community

The greatest giveaway in history is on, thanks to Uncle Sam. This time your own home town can be on the receiving end. The federal government, in the next few years, will be giving away, free, anywhere from $100 million to $200 million worth to qualified groups and organizations.

Spring pruning jobs and how to do them

Q. Should I prune my roses now? The buds are beginning to swell. A. Wait until all danger of a cold snap is past. If you prune early, you may force the roses into active growth, which would be damaged by a late freeze.

Your car needs a spring tonic

Even if your car was spanking new last fall, the engine won't sing as true as it can until it gets a hard winter out of its system. And if it's getting on in years-- or mileage-- it's subject to a lot of ills that are easier to prevent than to cure. Whether it's a lively young mount or dependable old work horse, your car needs a little pampering at this time of year. Do that, and you'll be repaid with loyal response in the good driving months ahead.

Lots of living in one good room

How to plant your house front

If your home is new, it is probably as barren as those shown in the "before" photographs here. If it is old, the chances are slim that the plantings are as beautiful as you'd like.

Personal help in home building, remodeling, and decorating

When you're looking for ways to make your home more comfortable and attractive, look for this seal. It identifies the Better Homes & Gardens Home Planning Center, where you can get personal counsel on your home-planning problems.

INSULATION--a 1956 report

Whether you're building a new home or remodeling your present one, you can't afford to bypass insulation. Here are the reasons why:

Trees and shrubs grow faster than you think

When you build a terrace or a fence, the result is immediately useful and effective. The dimensions don't change. But when you set out a plant, it changes constantly-- gets higher, wider, and thicker. Because these changes are gradual, it is easy to underestimate their speed.

Some Do's and Don'ts about Plant Foods and their use

QUICK FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT feeding your lawn

How to keep cooler with trees

Savage

Now's the time to...

Central and East Trees: Complete your tree pruning as soon as possible. Cut off broken limbs and deadwood, and have dead trees taken out. Burn wood of dead and diseased elms to destroy source of infection for other trees.... Deep feed shade trees, if not done last fall.

The diary of a Plain dirt gardener

April 1 No foolin', there are two kinds of narcissus in bloom south of the house. Crocuses are way past their best, though some still show yellow.

How to grow Dwarf fruit trees

Dwarf fruit trees make it possible for everyone with a garden to grow their own fruit. You can easily get four dwarf apples on the back of a 50-foot lot, without borrowing limb space from the neighbors. You can plant four dwarf trees, bearing at different times, in the space needed for only one big tree.

Smart house plants go together

Kind of containers. Simple, uncluttered shapes are usually easiest to work with. Color does not have to be subdued, but it should not clash with green. Container should be at least 3 inches deep to support tall plants.

THE MAN NEXT DOOR

I don't put much stock in folks who say nobody can raise stuff like the pictures in seed catalogs. Last year I planted tomatoes just like the ones advertised on page 18 and got nice green grass exactly like the pictures on page 77.