168 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



iLJury that must be endured dui"'ng a lifetime by those who do the 

 work in a house surrounded by such steps. However, there can be 

 little done to remedy a house so constructed except to fill up with 

 earth where possible and reduce the number of steps, and then 

 have a carpenter, who understands his business, come and see that 

 they are constructed in the very easiest manner for climbing. Very 

 often, too, by giving the matter a little thought, we can arrange 

 things about the house that will greatly lessen the work of the 

 women. The past summer, I called at a farm house ten mil<^s from 

 a railroad or town, and located some distance from the main road, 

 from w^hich the house could not be seen. Knowing that the wife had 

 been a city girl, I inquired if she liked the country. 



*'Yes," she replied, ''I do now very much, but when I first came 

 here I thought I could not stay at all. The well, as you see is away 

 out there in the front yard and the kitchen was so dark that, only 

 on the clearest days, I had to keep the lamp burning. My husband 

 encouraged me by telling me that he would fix things up just as soon 

 as he could, and so he did. He built that reservoir up there above 

 the house, had the water pumped into it, and now I have hot and 

 cold w^ater in the kitchen, and bath-room, and it is also piped to the 

 barn. Then he had a large window jjut in the kitchen, and I have 

 everything so convenient that I never long for the city." 



Then, too, when you farmers think of purchasing machinery to 

 assist in doing your work, look about and see if the women 

 don't need something of that sort. Have they a good washing ma- 

 chine and modern churn, and how about their cooking utensils? Do 

 they need any? Have they a good stove or range with an up-to-date 

 roaster, broiler and steamer? If not, brother farmers, see to it that 

 they are furnished with all these things so necessary in providing the 

 good dinners of w'hich you are so fond; and for the still more im- 

 portant reason, that in so doirg, you will add largely to their happi- 

 ness and contentment. 



The CHAIRMAN: I know you will all regret that Dr. Warren can- 

 not be with us to-night, as was expected, but we are going to continue 

 the home subject by another song from Mr. Hall, entitled "My Child- 

 hood's Home." 



The CHAIRMAN: Perhaps there is no one in Pennsylvania 

 better equipped by observation and by careful study of the 

 subject, to tell us of the uses and virtues of ''Normal Schools of Agri- 

 culture" than our former Secretary of Agriculture, Prof. John Ham- 

 ilton; and I now have the pleasure in presenting Prof. Hamilton to 

 this audience. 



PROF. HAMILTON: Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: I am 

 sorry to inflict upon you a paper, for I know it is very much more 



