EDITORIAL. 303 



space within the buildings should be available for exposition pur- 

 poses, and therefore adaptable to many special needs. In the main, 

 these varied requirements were all met, in many cases in most in- 

 genious ways. 



Thus the municipal building, designed to afford a meeting place 

 for the local officials, was utilized as the headquarters of various 

 Belgian officials connected with agriculture, and served to bring 

 their activities into close touch with those in attendance. Attached 

 "was a large hall, which was used for exhibits of agricultural interest, 

 a room which was fitted up with a collection of books and pamphlets 

 as a village librars^, and quarters occupied by a fire department and a 

 health ser\ace. 



The primary school building and its equipment were designed by 

 the exposition section on instruction, and it is said that to describe 

 them would be merely "to codify the rules which should govern 

 school buildings in rural communities." The plant was planned to 

 accommodate seventy pupils, and included a school garden of one- 

 fourth acre and several formal ornamental gardens. Movable schools 

 of farm mechanics and home economics, such as are sent from place to 

 place in Belgium, were also installed in the village and gave regular 

 instruction to classes and frequent demonstrations for the general 

 public. 



Opportunity was also afforded to illustrate a number of semipublic 

 enterprises, such as a cooperative creamery, a blacksmith shop, an 

 inn, and a garage. These, for the most part, were fitted up by private 

 parties, and in some cases ojoerated as commercial undertakings, but 

 all were required to conform to the general plan of the committee 

 in charge. 



The most important part of the rural community, however, was 

 recognized to be neither the public buildings nor those of a semipublic 

 nature, but the farms which constituted its very foundation, and it 

 was their architecture and equipment which received the most careful 

 attention. Complete sets of buildings were erected and furnished to 

 illustrate what could be done on the large, medium, and small farm ; 

 and in addition there were structures to show the special requirements 

 in horticulture and beekeeping, and a number of the simple cottages 

 designed for farm laborers. 



The largest farm group was erected under the direct supervision 

 of the committee, and was planned to show an an-angement of build- 

 ings which would effect a maximum economy in manual work and 

 yet provide a convenient and sanitarj^ home of pleasant and attractive 

 appearance. Its equipment was in part supplied by manufacturers, 

 and in part by societies, the family living room, for instance, being 

 most attractively equipped by the federation of clubs of farmers' 



