Years ago discarded furniture saw its last days on the porch, or under the trees. Ten years ago there were probably four or five lines of summer goods to be had, while now there are about twenty lines, due to the fact that there is a growing tendency to outdoor life.

Today in the modern home, the porch is almost as much a part of the house as the parlor or living-room, and complete suites are shown in reed, rattan, willow, grass, fibre, hickory, or cedar. These suites comprise chairs, rockers, settees, couches, swinging chair or hammock, table, magazine rack and often a tea wagon, all in the same material, design and finish.

Sun Parlor

Another feature of the modern home is the sun parlor. The sun parlor suite is similar to the porch suite with the addition of upholstery in fancy tinted cretons or other fabrics.

Mission Porch Furniture

Too much cannot be said of the valuable mission furniture which is used for porches, the best and most substantial being the kind that is thoroughly bolted together, having no nails, the swings being hung with extra heavy chains. This kind will last a lifetime, with ordinary care. Much light weight mission furniture is made with thin material and light nails and will serve its purpose for a short time, but the weather and hard usage will soon wear it loose.

Summer Furniture

Summer furniture should be made exceptionally well to stand the weather. Usually the more hand work required on a chair, the more expensive it is. In examining such an article, see that the under parts are well wrapped as well as the upper parts. The many braces under such chairs, running diagonally across from one post to another, add materially to the strength of the chairs, and if these braces are securely wrapped with the material they will be of more strength, as well as more attractive. Rocker runners should be examined.

Metal chair tips that cover the ends of the posts of straight leg chairs and settees will protect the ends of the posts from splitting, and in case the chair legs are wrapped with the material of the chair it will help to hold the ends of the wrappings from breaking loose and unwrapping.

Rustic furniture is very good, but is liable to stretch if it becomes wet or is in long service.

Painted reed or willow furniture has a heavy appearance and the stain finish is needed to give the cool, refreshing appearance.

Genuine shellac, while not as expensive as the colored finishes, is a great factor in the life of a piece of reed furniture. Many imitations of shellac or special preparations are also used, but most of them can be detected by pressing the finger or thumb nail against them, as they have a soft finish, and will change color, while genuine shellac is very hard, will stand washing and will not change color. The high-grade goods are usually shellaced, while the low grade arc finished with imitations.

Sleeping Porch

The sleeping porch must not be overlooked, as it also is changing the plans of the architect nationally, if not universally. Ordinary porch furniture can he used if desired, although regular suites of beds, chairs, and tables to match may be had. A combination which can be used for a bed at night and a couch during the day may be had, although single beds or bungalow beds are better, where space will permit.

Folding cots with canvas tops attached are used extensively for sleeping porches or for use in the open. They have drop sides of mosquito bar and small curtains that lower to protect the sleeper from bad weather. Canvas houses having partitioned rooms are something recently put on the market to take the place of tents.

Many use the practical window tent and other sleeping apparatus to good advantage where a sleeping porch is not accessible. Those who sleep in this manner derive much benefit from the fresh air, but they usually pile on so many bed clothes to keep warm that the weight is too great to attain the required rest. There are, however, expensive bed clothes which are light in weight, that will furnish the necessary warmth. To those who can't afford these high-priced articles of comfort it is well to mention that there is on the market a very simple rack which can be adjusted to any bed from three feet six to four feet six inches in width, over which the bed clothes can be thrown and held securely in place by means of fasteners on each side of the rack, thus keeping the bed clothes over the body, and allowing a free circulation of air. A person may put on the covers as freely as he cares, but will not feel the slightest weight while sleeping, as he is under the rack and can turn and toss without any interference. This is particularly good and is recommended for people having rheumatism or who, from sickness or surgical operations, can not bear the weight of the covers, or for mothers with very young babies, as thus all danger of suffocating the babies is overcome.