45^ 



Reading-Course for Farmers. 



better off because its buildings are less ambitious and sbowy. New 

 York State abounds in good ancestral farm bouses. It is difficult to 

 conceive of a prospect more ugly tban many village or city streets, with 



Fig. 277^ — Shiftlcssncss expressed in a bitildiiig. 



tbeir beterogcneous and formless bouses. . I want to set farm people 

 thinking about the " looks " of tlicir buildings and to say that there is 



Fig. 27S. — Thriftiness and good management expressed in a building of similar size, 



although faulty in some characteristics. 



just as much opportunity for tl:e exercise of good taste and for tlie dis- 

 play of good " architecture " in simple farm buildings as in city buildings. 

 Nor do I mean to advise the discarding of all ornament on buildings: 

 but there is ornament of proper kind and degree and of improper kind 



