656 MISCELLANEOUS FARM SUBJECTS 



readily applied by members of the family. They are especially good 

 for bedrooms, being clean, soft colored, and easily freshened by a 

 new coat. Oil paint with dull finish is equally excellent for bed- 

 rooms and other parts of the house, but is more expensive than cal- 

 cimine or medium grade wall paper. 



Floors. Keep the floor moderately light in color. A golden 

 brown is excellent (provided it harmonizes with the furnishings,) 

 as it does not show dust or footprints readily. For this color use 

 yellow ochre paint and a natural or medium dark oak floor finish. 

 This light brown floor goes well with painted woodwork. The sub- 

 stitution of bare floors and rugs for carpets will go farther in easing 

 general housework than any other one item. Next to bare floors, 

 Japanese matting will probably be found most satisfactory to care 

 for. Rugs may be used with matting, the same as with bare floors. 



In general, rugs should be heavy enough to lie flat by their own 

 weight without tacking. For a room that is used continually or by 

 a number of persons, such as a sitting-room, one large rug is better 

 than several small ones. Small rugs are suitable for bedrooms, 

 fitted conveniently into the open spaces left by furniture. A rug 

 should not extend under the bed, as this arrangement complicates 

 cleaning. Rugs or mats placed before the bureau, the washstand, 

 and the bed are comforting and necessary. A washable cotton mat 

 is the most practicable kind for use before the washstand. Avoid 

 large flowery or scrolly patterns in floor coverings. The material 

 may vary from the expensive oriental rug to the humble rag carpet, 

 but if the colors are quiet and harmonious a pleasing effect may be 

 obtained. 



Furniture, Its Construction and Design. Every piece of furni- 

 ture should serve some useful purpose. The construction should be 

 strong and honest, and the shape of each piece should be a frank 

 statement of its use. The material of which any given piece is 

 made is of secondary importance to the straightforwardness of the 

 design. 



It is not because colonial furniture is old that it is valued so 

 highly, but because it is well made of a kind of mahogany not now 

 on the market. The designs are good. Any old pieces of mahogany 

 may have the varnish removed and be refinished so as to be again 

 beautiful. A few of the plainer pieces of walnut are good in design 

 and are therefore permanent in worth. Walnut sets of chairs and 

 sofa may be given a very good appearance by removing the black 

 horsehair and using a lighter-colored upholstery in browns, greens, 

 old gold, or old blue. 



Stamped decoration of poor pattern, machine carving glued to 

 panels, scroll-work brackets, and bended arms ending in animal 

 heads, all these distortions should be avoided. Not one piece in one 

 hundred should be left in this half-burned condition, but nearly 

 all should be consigned to the flames for finishing. 



Many of the mission pieces are clumsy, crude, uncomfortable, 

 and weak in the joints in spite of their solid appearance, and the 

 wood has in many cases been stained so dark as to kill the grain; 



