112 The Farmstead 



farm life, so unhandy and uncomfortable, that 

 radical changes should be made. After the 

 farmer has prospered, he naturally has a desire 

 to build a new house or to transform the old 

 one, not only to secure needed conveniences, 

 but that greater beauty and a more luxurious 

 home may be secured. It is difficult for him 

 to find adequate help to solve the problem if 

 he keeps the cost within reasonable limits. He 

 may know where to begin ; he seldom knows 

 where he will end. Usually the first thought 

 should be to preserve the old home, or the 

 greater part of it. The architect is almost 

 certain to advise demolition and the erection 

 of a new house, asserting that the new struc- 

 ture will be no more expensive than the re- 

 modeling of the old, which may or may not 

 be true. But he does not always know what 

 is best, as he is usually unfamiliar with the 

 farmers' needs and traditions. Sacred associa- 

 tions usually cluster round the old farm house ; 

 every room and door and window may be asso- 

 ciated with some epoch in life's history. Through 

 yonder door came the happy bride a half cen- 

 tury ago ; in yonder room the children were 

 born ; — every nook and corner has some tale 

 to tell, some happy association. We cross 

 oceans and mountains to view the birthplaces 

 and homes (which happily sometimes are pre- 



