Home Makers' Conference. 307 



imperative. In climates such as this we (Icpciul ii[)()ii the opening and 

 shutting of doors and windows for ventilating small dwelling houses, 

 and if the house is carefully planned will ventilate it successfully in or- 

 dinary weather. The consideration of the water supply and the sew- 

 age system is more of a problem to the isolated houses than to the town 

 houses since the system of each must be complete and individual on the 

 farm. As the question of running water for the farm house is to be 

 fully discussed before this conference I pass it over. There is this 

 to be remembered, however, that the disposition of sewage is a matter 

 of grave importance and the problem of its removal and disposal should 

 be placed in the hands of trained men. Too much emphasis cannot be 

 placed upon this need. 



The planning of a house intelligently, requires the co-operation 

 of the persons who are to live and work in it with a trained architect. 

 No plan is good except as it meets the needs of the user. We must 

 ask ourselves several questions: How many persons and what ages are 

 to occupy it ; what work is to be done in it, and what are the habits of the 

 family? While the average family includes several small children, not 

 one house in five hundred takes them into account except in the matter 

 of providing a place for them to sleep. A fatal mistake is to copy 

 a neighbor's house. It may suit his needs exactly and ours not at all. 

 If you are planning to build a house, study your needs, decide on some 

 of the important features. Do not expect an architect, if he is a man, 

 to plan a convenient kitchen for you to work in. He never did kitchen 

 work while you have done it for years. If you work out the details 

 of your own plans irrespective of the architect the chances are you will 

 have a clumsv, uglv construction, for vou are not familiar with the work 

 of an architect. Go to him with a fairly intelligent conception of what 

 you want, and the result of the work of you both is apt to be satisfactory. 



Beauty and convenience are not incompatible, and neither is nec- 

 essarily a matter of cost. Beautiful and convenient houses may cost 

 little while ugly houses may cost much, and lack the element of con- 

 venience. 



As the kitchen is the chief work room in the farm home we will 

 consider some of the important features necessary to a convenient 

 kitchen. It is a mistake to believe that you may always make a kitchen 

 convenient, after the house is built. The location of the range and 

 sink and the distance between them should all be settled before the 

 house is built. Unless some thought is given to it they will very likely 

 be in opposite corners of the room. Locate them as close together as 

 possible to save unnecessary steps. Then group the other kitchen equip- 

 ment in the most convenient places in relation to sink and range. Re- 



