Created home.php, but no effect is seen

Hi there,

I read all over as much as I could about the home.php file, but not one person had an issue with it not actually being called.

I created the home.php, as many have, to allow my root to display an arbitrary number of posts (typically one). I added a PHP statement just prior to the beginning of The Loop, as per the IfElse post and subsequent references thereto, such that I end up with
<?php
get_header();
query_posts('posts_per_page=1'); ?>

That’s all cool and stuff, but doesn’t seem to have changed how the root page of my blog is generated and displayed.

I’ve checked spelling. The home.php file is in my Theme Editor list for the active theme. I haven’t taken any bludgeoning to the head (recently). What next?

Thank you,

Daniel