THE COUNTRY HOME [CHAPTER 
Either the lower or ground floor is a real story, with 
furnished rooms for housework, or it is a semi-dark, 
uncomfortable, and often ill-smelling storage place. 
We have got, before we can grow a house, to solve 
this cellar problem — the real footstool of human 
life. The right sort of cellar is not less than eight 
feet to the ceiling, with grouted floor, thick walls, 
half above ground, and thoroughly lighted. Such 
a cellar should be as clean and as sanitary as the 
upper floors, and should be perfectly safe for sleep- 
ing rooms, if needed for that purpose. Civilization 
covers nothing so outrageously barbarous as filthy 
cellars, where, among decaying vegetables and 
storages of mildewing barrels and bins, diseases are 
cradled, to break out above stairs when conditions 
are favorable. Therefore, first of all look out for 
your cellar. Your vegetables and your fruit will 
need moist storage, and should on no account be 
placed in the basement of your house, but rather in 
a storage-room under a part of your barn or carriage 
house. While digging for such storage, I tapped a 
spring which flowed so that I could, by piping it, 
retain it under the floor. This is left open at the 
head so that the moisture may modify the atmos- 
phere. Remember that a fruit cellar should not be 
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