24 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Jan. 



outward appearance is certainly very agreeable 

 and picturesque ; but unless they are sufficiently 

 spacious to contain all lodging rooms on the 

 ground floor, I should protest against them ; and 

 I think all advocates in their favor would have 

 abandoned their predilection, had they taken 

 lodgings in one of their little pretty snug cham- 

 bers, during the months of last July and August. 



The cistern it will be seen, is directly beneath 

 the bathing room, and the arch so near that, a 

 little trouble will at all times secure both cold 

 and warm water for bathing. 



An aperture of 6 by 18 inches, should be 

 made through the floor of the milk room, into 

 the pantry in the cellar, which will keep the 

 milk room cool, and ventilate both rooms ; it 

 should have a trap door to be closed when 

 necessary. 



A drain is constructed in a corner of the cel- 

 lar kitchen, into which all dirty water and suds 

 should be thrown to cleanse the back drain, and 

 be saved in the manure yard. To ensure clean- 

 liness in the drains, the back grounds should in- 

 cline from the house. I have not made an es- 

 timate as to the expense ; that would depend 

 very much upon the materials used and the 

 mode of finishing. The scenery and location 

 should determine on which side of the house the 

 hall should be, also the piazza in the wing. 



Mrs. James M. Ellis. 



Onondaga Hill, Nov. 1847. 



We copy the preceding design and descrip- 

 tion from the last volume of the Transactions 

 of the N. Y. State Agricultural Society. In 

 preference to any remarks of our own, relative 

 tg the design, we annex the Report of the Com- 

 mittee on Farm Houses : 



The committee on designs for farm houses, 

 report, that only one design for a premium has 

 been made, and this was by a lady. The plan 

 is very excellent, and we award the first pre- 

 mium, $15, to Mrs. Jas, M. Ellis, its designer; 

 with great confidence, that in so doing, we are 

 recommending to the farmer, who is about to 

 decide upon a plan for his dwelling, one that is 

 not only very commodious and tasty, but in view 

 of its perfection in every respect, is economical. 

 Durability is an important consideration, and 

 heavy bills for repairs, commg often, are to be 

 guarded against. Modern fashion appears to 

 favor projecting gables, vallies in the roof, and 

 bay windows, and in many cases cornices are 

 embellished with hanging ornaments that soon 

 decay and fall off. These things are not suited 

 to the farmer. A good house, well adapted to 

 the wants of a large household, in which is to be 

 performed all the various operations of cooking, 

 washing, making butter and cheese, &c., &c., 

 and which, at the same time provides for the 

 elegancies of life, will cost a large sum, without 

 resorting to expensive ornamenting. 



The farmer's house should be large, and should 

 convey to the observer, the idea of strength and 

 durability; the justice of its proportions, rather 

 than its ornaments, constituting its beauty. We 

 think Mrs. Ellis has shown good taste, within the 

 limits of proper expenditure, and in every par- 

 ticular has come up to our views of a first rate 

 farm house ; and who but a lady, with a culti- 

 vated mind, and who is herself the mistress of a 

 house, and the mother of a family, should know 

 what is demanded for the comfort of such an 

 establishment ? The communication accom- 

 panying the drawing, contains the views of th,e 

 designer, and we think them so just, that we ask 

 that it may be published. 



Respectfully submitted, 



George Geddes, ') 



J. McD McIntyre, > Committee. 



E. Mack, ) 



The Farmer for Agricultural Societies. 



Messrs. Editors : — As the time is approach- 

 ing for Agricultural Societies to make out their 

 premium lists, allow me to suggest, through its 

 pages, the Genesee Farmer as a very suitabte 

 publication to be included among such premiums. 

 I think that all our societies should make it a 

 point to offer a large proportion of agricultural 

 books and papers as premiums ; and among the 

 latter I know of no one, taking size, content^ 

 and price into the account, better adapted to the 

 purpose than the Farmer. This suggestion, I 

 think, is especially worthy the attention of the 

 officers and members of our various societies in 

 Western and Central New York. 



Another idea. In some of the Eastern States 

 the Agricultural Societies furnish each member 

 with a copy of an agricultural paper, on pay- 

 ment of annual dues. By ordering a large num- 

 ber of the publisher, the papers are obtained at 

 the lowest price ; and hence members receive a 

 paper for one year, aside from the benefit of 

 membership, by paying only a trifle over its sub- 

 scription price. This plan is found to work well, 

 and aids the societies as well as benefits their 

 members. Why may not this same course be 

 adopted advantageously by our New York Agri- 

 cultural Societies and Farmer's Clubs? I think 

 it a good one, and at least worthy of considera- 

 tion. Is it not also a good plan to adopt in or- 

 ganizing and sustaining Farmer's Clubs? 



Ontario Co., Dec, 1847. Agricola. 



Remarks. — Many of our Western N. York 

 Agriculrural Societies include volumes of the 

 Genesee Farmer and other journals among their 

 premiums. We have always been of the opin- 

 ion, before and since our connection with the 

 _ 'icultural press, that the plan of furnishing 

 each member of societies and clubs with a volume 

 of some good agricultural journal, would prove 

 mutually beneficial to all parties. 



