200 



CANADIAN FARM YEAR BOOK. 



kept clean only by frequent ©crub- 

 bmgs. Even iiard wood floors are like- 

 ly to s^ow spots and stains in apite 

 of suck scrubbings, and tbe softer 

 woods Decome rough and splintered. 

 The rougliening of soft woods can be 

 prevented to a certain extent by the 

 application of paint, and hard woods 

 can be made less absorbent by tiie ap- 

 plication of oil and special commercial 

 preparations. Hard woods, for in- 

 stance Georgia pine, are, therefore, to 

 be considered among the more desir- 

 able floor coverings. Unless well sea- 

 soned 'before being put down, any 

 kind of board will shrink, leaving large 

 cracks. These may fbe filled with 

 putty or with one of the commercial 

 preparations for this ipurpose. 



Floor coverings, such as carpets 

 and mattings, which hold dust and 

 dirt, are unsuited to the kitchen. Oil- 

 cloth is cheap and easily cleaned, but 

 wears out quickly. [Linoleum, a ma- 

 terial made of cork or -wood ipulp 

 pressed in linseed oil, although the 

 first cost is large, as compared with 

 oilcloth or paint, is relatively durable, 

 comfortable for the feet, and easily 

 kept clean. Another advantage is 

 that a single piece may be cut to flt 

 the floor, thus avoiding crevices. It 

 may ibe protected iby placing small 

 mats where! the most wear comes. 



Walls and Ceilings. 



The commonest and most generally 

 satisfactory material for walls and 

 ceiling of the farm kitchen is plaster. 

 The dime used should be properly 

 slaked to prevent the development of 

 cracks and blisters and injury to the 

 surface finish. For the same reason, 

 freshly plastered walls should be al- 

 lowed to dry thoroughly before the 

 finishing surface is applied. Instead 

 of plaster, some of the various compo- 

 sition boards may be used. They may 

 be left unfinished or they may 'be 

 painted or papered and varnished. 

 The joints between the iboards should 

 be covered by narrow battens, mak- 

 ing tight joints. iSteel wall and ceil- 

 ing coverings, although durable, 

 should be kept well painted to pre- 

 vent rusting by steam. The wood- 

 work should be shellacked or painted. 

 A Ibetter surface results when a coat 

 is applied every year or two than 

 when several coats are applied at 

 once. A final coat of enamel paint or 

 outside varnish is desirable for such 

 portions of the woodwork as need 

 cleaning most frequently. 

 The most desirable finisli for walls 



A fireplace i« the iiouse adds brightness and finish besides reducing the fuel bill. 



