130 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1892. 



throughout the house, and dampness in the house means sickness 

 and disease. Colds, coughs, neuralgia, rheumatism and con- 

 sumption are quite apt to find lodgment in a damp and gloomy 

 house, and these pests to human flesh and bones are disposed 

 to flee away before floods of sunlight in a dry and healthy 

 atmosphere. 



Also, as far as possible, the site chosen should make the out- 

 look from the house cheerful and pleasant. The tenants of 

 every house spend a considerable portion of their time in it, and 

 a bright and pleasant prospect therefore helps to make them 

 cheerful and contented. 



Every house should also have a good cellar. Some people think 

 that cellars are of no consequence because they are mostly out 

 of sight beneath the ground, and others object to them because 

 they are liable to be damp and cold. One of the essayists 

 before this Society last winter thought that all cellars should be 

 above the ground. To my mind there are several good reasons 

 why a cellar should not be above the ground. It necessitates a 

 flight of steps to the main floor of the house, which in itself is 

 very objectionable both as to use and looks, and besides it is 

 moi'e likely to be colder in winter and warmer in summer than 

 an underground cellar, and withal, a poor place to keep vegeta- 

 bles and other produce. In my judgment the cellar has been 

 rightly located beneath the ground, but more attention should 

 be given to its construction and drainage. It should be thor- 

 oughly drained and sufficiently above ground to insure light and 

 ventilation without giving the house a stilted appearance. A 

 house should be in harmony with its environment and not only 

 appear but actually form a part of the physical world where 

 situated, and therefore it should seem to be planted in and 

 growing pretty near to Mother Earth. A good portion of the 

 expense of a good house should be put under ground. The 

 foundations should be deep, and stronger than the superstruct- 

 ure, and the cellar should extend under the whole house. A 

 warm and dry cellar in winter contributes largely to the warmth 

 and comfort of the rooms above. A casual visitor to a house 

 seldom asks to see the cellar, but when a house is in the market 



