FARM BUILDINGS. 617 



respect and love entertained for farming, as an occupation, by farmers children, and less com 

 plaint by farmers generally of being left to till the farm alone, in their old age. If farmers 

 wish their sons to be attached to the farm-home, and farm-life, they must make that farm-home 

 and farm-life sufficiently attractive to induce some of their boys to stay; and how can they make 

 a better beginning than to commence right at home and first make the farm buildings neat 

 and attractive? We are sorry for the farmer s son or daughter who feels ashamed to say to 

 a stranger friend, &quot;This is my home&quot;; while it is refreshing to see a kind of pardonable 

 pride manifested by children for their home. Home should be the dearest and most attrac 

 tive spot on earth to husband, wife, and children, attractive to both heart and eye, and in 

 order to make it such, there is more responsibility involved individually in connection with 

 each member of the household, than mere sentimentalism might include. 



The home should be made attractive, beautified. Money thus spent is capital well 

 invested, and will bring larger returns to the farmer and his descendants, in real happiness, 

 comfort, and elevating influences generally, than almost any other investment that could be 

 made; and to those farmers who can make such a course practicable, we would say, spare no 

 pains or reasonable expense in making your homes as attractive as possible. 



The expense of painting may be greatly reduced by the farmer being able to perform 

 the labor of applying the paint himself, instead of paying a professional painter to do the 

 work for him. This was formerly in a great measure impracticable, on account of the lack of 

 knowledge of the proper method of mixing paint; but the difficulty is now obviated by the 

 use of what are called &quot;mixed paints,&quot; which have for several years been in general use. 

 These may be found in the market mixed in the proper proportions, ready for use. 



Like white lead, and nearly everything else that is marketable, and capable of being 

 adulterated, unadulterated paints may be difficult to find ; still, there are some brands that are 

 such, and are also cheap and durable, and when they can be procured, it will be quite a 

 saving of expense for the farmer of limited means to purchase them, and do the painting 

 himself. 



Procuring a well-known brand that has previously given perfect satisfaction will always 

 be the safer way. In order to do the work of painting well and rapidly, a certain amount of 

 practice will be essential. 



The surface to be painted should be clean ; hence, when it has become soiled, like some 

 portions of the interior wood-work of the house, for instance, it should first be thoroughly 

 washed and dried. If the surface is rough, it should be smoothed before applying the paint. 

 Sandpaper is frequently used for this purpose. For the outside of buildings, which do not 

 ordinarily require such nice work as the inside, less preparation of this kind will be neces 

 sary. The nail-holes and large cracks should, however, all be filled before applying the 

 paint, and the dust brushed off. Where the outside of the building has become weather 

 worn from long neglect, it will be well to apply one or two coats of cheap oil before painting; 

 since, if the paint were put on without this previous preparation, the oil of the paint would 

 be liable to penetrate the wood, causing it and the lead to separate, and the latter to fall off 

 in scales. The best time for painting is in the spring or fall, when the weather is dry and 

 sunny, and neither very warm nor very cold. 



The implements for painting are a good brush, a tin pail to hold the paint, and a good 

 strong ladder to which the pail is attached by a hook. We might also add that a small 

 brush-broom for brushing off dust, etc., will be very convenient where the surface requires 

 it. In painting, the brush should be made to work in the direction in which the grain of the 

 wood runs, covering the entire surface well, and working the paint into the small cracks. 

 Special pains should also be taken to brush over the laps in the wood- work smoothly; care 

 lessness in this respect failing to give the work a uniform and neat appearance. Care should 

 be used not to put on too much paint at a time, but just sufficient to cover the surface well. 



