farmers' houses. 321 



The space between the lower edge of the joists of the ground floor and the 

 upper edge sliouhl be tilled with dry sand, ashes, or, which is much bettor, 

 charcoal, for the three-fold object of, first, keeping the lower floor dry ; second, 

 keeping it warmer in winter; third, absorbing any deleterious gases which 

 might arise from the ground. As to the materials for building, each locality 

 has its peculiar conveniences ; but it should not be forgotten that wooden 

 buildings are best for the country, because they are dryer, and consequently 

 more healthful. 



The best kind of roof for a country house is the old-fashioned steep roofs, 

 with a "comb" in the centre, Avith no "hips" or dormer windows; these may 

 make a building more picturesque, but they so generally leak that a plain, 

 steep, shingled roof is safer, more economical, and more universally available. 



WATER. 



The first consideration is pure, soft water. That from a spring is most to 

 be desired, and can easily be procured by means of pipes when the spring is 

 above the residence. If the spring is on a level with or below the house, and 

 is copious, witli some fall, a portion can be thrown up into a reservoir at the 

 dwelling by means of a Avater-ram or other simple and unexpensive machinery. 

 And by the same means, and from the same source, the dairy (and, if possible, 

 the barn also) should be well supplied. 



If no sufficient spring is convenient, a well (with an old-fashioned pump in it) 

 where soft water can be obtained by digging, is probably the next best soui-cc 

 of supplv. as it, too, is always cool and lively. Every part of the kitchen, the 

 wash and bake house, the dairy and barn can be supplied from the pump by 

 the aid of pipes, saving much labor at small cost. 



But in limestone and other sections where pure soft water cannot be obtained 

 from a spring or by digging, by all means provide a capacious cistern for the 

 dvrelling and another for the barn buildings. That is a miserable and costly 

 economy which substitutes barrels, hogsheads, stands, and other such insuffi- 

 cient contrivances to procure rain water for cleansing purposes to save (?) the 

 cost of a good large cistern in the first place ! By means of properly con- 

 structed filters attached to the cisterns, and by keeping roofs free from pigeons 

 and other poultry, clean pure soft water can always be provided in great 

 abundance ; and by the aid of an ice-house (which may be provided in most 

 localities at comparatively small expense) the water can also be made refresh- 

 ingly cool. But of ice-houses in another place. 



The roofs of barn and dwelling will furnish an ample supply of rain water for 

 any farmer's use, and, next to piu-e spring or well water, it is the most health- 

 ful for drinking and bathing, as well as best for cooking and washing. "Hard 

 water," as it is commonly called, not only lays a foundation for many tor- 

 menting chronic complaints, but fails to soften meats and vegetables in pre- 

 paring them for food ; and for cleansing purposes it involves expense for 

 additional soap or other alkaline substances, and increased labor in its appli- 

 cations. Even for farm stock it is not as good as soft water, and is very apt 

 to give animals a rough "staring" coat. 



But, whatever kind of water, provide it in abundance, and by all means have 

 it convenient for all purposes. The expense of these conveniences will be 

 more than saved in health, in labor, in time, and even in comfort alone. Xo 

 woman should ever be required to go from the warm kitchen, the steaming 

 wash-tub, or glowing oven, into the cold or damp outer air for a pail of water, 

 when it can so easily and so cheaply be conducted to her hand in the kitchen, 

 bake, and wash-house, or dairy. JMany screaming babes (and the sleepless 

 household commiserating the little sufferers) have protested against this un- 



27 A 



