628 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



On being consulted on the subject, the liberal donor replied that the young ladies would 

 find two hooks on the back of the door of each room, one for the &quot;every-day dress,&quot; and the 

 other for the &quot;best dress,&quot; and that he did not consider a closet necessary ! Had a woman s 

 advice been consulted and followed in this respect, it is quite certain that the above plan, 

 which seemed so admirable to the designer, would have been considerably modified. The 

 sleeping-rooms of a dwelling should be large and airy, with ample means provided for good 

 ventilation the latter is very essential. 



In constructing a house the aim should be to render it healthful, comfortable, and con 

 venient. These are the first essentials ; but since so much time is to be spent in it by the 

 family, it should also be in good taste, with pleasant surroundings. We have seen dwellings 

 so unskillfully planned, that it would require three or four times the number of steps in doing 

 the work that another would, which was designed with a view to convenience. Farmers 

 wives, as a general rule, are over-worked, and suffer in health and spirits from the excessive 

 labor they perform ; hence they show age earlier and break down sooner than almost any 

 other class. But to take unnecessary steps and perform labor that might just as well have 

 been avoided is a great waste of time and strength a loss that brings no recompense in 

 return. Life and health are too sacred and precious to be thus wasted, and too much pains 

 cannot be taken to secure convenience and labor-saving in planning a house. 



Warmth of Dwellings. In those sections of the country where the climate is uni 

 formly warm, a protection against cold in the erection of buildings would not seem important, 

 but it becomes a very essential consideration in this connection in the Northern States, where, 

 during nearly half of the year, the temperature is low, and strong winds force the wintry air 

 into every crack and crevice, thus causing the cold to seem doubly intense. 



A cold house is not only exceedingly uncomfortable to live in, but is also equally 

 unhealthy, and we believe many of the numerous cases of consumption to be found in the 

 country towns of the Northern States might be traceable to this source. Unless the utmost 

 care is taken in building a home to render it perfectly tight and secure, it cannot be made 

 comfortable for the inmates in severe weather by any method of heating. We have been in 

 houses where in extremely cold weather the temperature of the rooms would be much too 

 warm, while it would be impossible to keep the feet comfortably warm, on account of the 

 cold current of air that was constantly finding entrance through the cracks of the floor or 

 about the casing. Ventilation is a good thing for a dwelling, but health and comfort require 

 certain prescribed methods and rules for accomplishing it, and we venture to say that a coun 

 try house was never yet built so tight and warm as to render it unhealthful on this account, 

 although they are generally unhealthful through lack of suitable ventilation. In building, 

 the greatest care should be used to render the walls impenetrable to the cold winds. 



Brick or stone houses are generally warmer than wood, as the walls are uniformly 

 tighter, but wood houses are pleasanter, and can be rendered warm by being suitably con 

 structed. A sufficient amount of the proper kind of material should be used for the covering, 

 and it should be well put on. Brick is commonly recommended for filling the spaces between 

 the inner and outer walls, except the places required for the posts, studs, and braces. These 

 serve the double purpose of warmth and that of excluding the entrance of rats and mice 

 between the walls. Old bricks are as good as new for this use. The more recent practice in 

 architecture of adding an inner lining of felt or heavy paper in covering the walls, aids very 

 materially in securing warmth. 



All the work about the building should be well done. The walls should be nicely plas 

 tered, and the casings and all the wood- work well fitted. The lumber employed for the 

 inside finishing should all of it be well seasoned, and kiln-di ied before being used. Unless 

 this precaution is taken, the wood-work will be liable to shrink and crack, making it look 

 very badly. Very nice houses are frequently greatly marred from this cause. One of the 



