Buildings and Yards. 



46: 



the lowness of the upper story. ]\Iany of the newer houses have gained 

 in high roomy chambers, but are hkely to have lost in wi;!th and in too 

 high and narrow gables. These old buildings were painted white. I 

 shall not commit myself on the proper color for a farm house; but the 

 range of colors in mixed paints affords boundless opportunity for the 

 display of " tastes." I raise the question whether the pleasing effect of 

 the white on the old buildings is not in part its simplicity and plainness 

 and the fact that one cannot make disharmonies with it: 



Fig. 206. — -4 California jniit-yancJisr' s rcsidcnsc, built on tlic castsm, !;aiL--i-co] plan. 



It is conceivable that the reader may agree with nearly all that I have 

 said ; yet he will ask what good it serves, since the farm buildings in 

 New York are now all built. Some new farmsteads are being erected, 

 however, either en wholly new sites or to replace old buildings. Yet 

 the case is not hopeless even with existing buildings. Additions are made 

 to old buildings, and too often these additions contradict the spirit of the 

 older part. I frequently drive past a house that has two porches — one 

 porch with fine big square pillars, the other, of later date, with, degen- 

 erate turning-lathe posts. Another house is a box-corniced construction 

 with return cornices on the gable ends, built, of course, long ago ; a new 

 part, of equal size, has open rafter-work cornices and a different kind 

 of roof. I am always interested, in driving through any countr}-. to 

 see how many buildings show glaring evidence of hcivitig been " added 



