1882 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
195 
flat stone separates the large iron pot holding the 
smoke-making fire from the part where hams are 
hung. By means of a loose brick at the top, open¬ 
ing into the chimney, we can adjust the draft at 
pleasure. There are hooks for 20 hams. The Fur¬ 
nace room was purposely placed in the north-west 
comer, as from this direction most of our winter 
winds blow, and you can not throw much heat from 
a furnace against the wind. This room is lathed 
and plastered and fire-proof. The furnace might 
appropriately be called the farmer’s furnace. It is 
simple in construction, economical in use, and per¬ 
fect in its heating 
qualities. All 
through last winter, 
as severe a one as 
we ever had, the 
house was heated 
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Fig. 3.— SECOND STORY. 
from cellar to attic so that flowers would flourish 
m any room, and we could regulate the heat 
to within 4 degrees, the 24 hours round, week 
in and out. All farmers know that a large item of 
expense in burning wood is cutting it into short 
stove lengths. In this furnace it is burned as it 
comes from the woods, in 4 feet lengths. On damp, 
rainy days in summer we throw in a little dry stuff, 
and all chilliness is taken from the air in ten min¬ 
utes’ time. We estimated last winter (1880-1) that 
we burned not more than 8 cords of wood, 
and at the rate we have burned since last 
October we shall not use more than half 
that quantity this season. Friends from 
the city visiting us last winter whose houses 
were heated by expensive steam heaters 
pronounced our house the most perfectly 
heated house they were ever in. The whole 
expense of furnace, pipes and registers, did 
not exceed $150.00. In very cold weather 
it is only replenished twice in 24 hours.— 
The cellar windows are protected outside 
by iron bars. The cellar steps are of granite 
got out on the farm, 6 feet long; all other 
steps are of the same material. The front 
ones are 8 feet long, with side pieces 9 
inches wide, 2i feet high, and 3 feet long. 
The south one forming the floor of the porch 
is 4i by 6 feet, the steps being 6 feet long. 
The rear porches have stones 2 by 4 feet, 
the steps being 4 feet long. All are cut and 
faced. The underpinning is 2 feet high, cut 
rough face. [Outside cellar entrance is not shown.] 
First Floor (fig. 2). —Hight of ceiling, 10 
feet when finished. On this floor we planned to 
save as many steps as possible. The kitchen is 
centrally located. The outside door is protected 
by the projecting roof of the wood shed. There 
are doors also to most other rooms and to the back 
. stairs and cellar stairs. The sink is supplied with 
hot and cold water. The pantry is well supplied 
with drawers and cupboards.—The Dining Room 
has more length than breadth, and has a good closet 
and two cupboards with glass doors [not shown in 
plan], one each side the chimney, filling the space 
made by the parlor mantel. Underneath 
these cupboards is a hard-wood mantel on 
brackets [not shown], A door opens from 
the dining room into the front hall.—The 
Sitting Room and Parlor have double doors 
connected by a wide hall, so that these 
rooms can be thrown together when desired. 
There is a marbleized slate mantel in the 
parlor ; and in the sitting room a fire-place 
of hard-wood with hard-wood mantel. The 
bed-room has a bath-room adjoining, with 
bath tub and marble wash basin ; also large 
closet with window. There are speaking 
tubes running to the servants’ 
rooms above in the Attic. 
Second Story (fig. 3). 
Hight 9 feet. There are 5 
bed-rooms, and the front hall 
can be used as a sleeping room 
in an emergency, cutting it off 
with curtains. A door [not 6hown] 
connects the front and back hall. 
Three rooms are supplied with marble 
wash basins and hot and cold water. 
The*e rooms have also hard-wood 
mantels set on brackets by chimneys. 
The Attic (fig. 5), has two 
sleeping rooms cheaply finished, 
also tank-room and dark closet 
for storing bedding, etc., with 
large open attic for play room, 
or drying clothes on rainy days. 
Fousti’iiction. — The first 
floor timbers are Chestnut, hewed 
one side, the bark taken from the 
rest, making a foundation as firm 
as the ground. The rest of the frame 
is of spruce, bought at a lumber yard. 
All the wood used in finishing was 
sawed and planed and cut into proper 
lengths at a Mill; also all the mould¬ 
ings struck and the brackets 6awed 
for both outside and inside work. 
All this is in one bill. All other wood-work was 
done by carpenters. The cellar was dug and stoned 
and the steps laid by contract, by those making that 
their business. The steps and underpinning were 
got out some time before. We have reckoned into 
the expense what they cost at that time. Building 
the chimneys and plastering were done by two good 
masons, we doing the tending by farm hands, but 
this is all reckoned in ; also all lime, cement, brick, 
lathing, and every little thing used. For the timber 
ance, $585.00, which would raise the present total 
cost to $3,936.00. This is from a farmer’s stand¬ 
point. An account was kept at the time of every 
little expenditure, which is added under the head 
we thought it belonged to. I have given details of 
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Fig. 4.— BASEMENT (REDUCED SCALE). 
and lumber used from the farm, in finishing, I have 
reckoned what my husband says is a large allow¬ 
ance, and what it could now be bought for, deliv¬ 
ered here. All bills are given just as they were 
rendered to us. Probably an advance of 20 per 
cent on a considerable portion of the materials and 
on the labor, would be ample to cover the recent 
advance in prices. We put down as a liberal allow- 
Fig. 5 .—attic (reduced scale)_[west.] 
many little things, but these make one harmonious 
whole. Any one can get in the large things. We 
believe in making the farm itself contribute all it 
can, and I am proud of our stone-work, inside 
wood work, and the furnace built under my hus¬ 
band’s personal direction. [We do not understand 
the construction of the home-made furnace which 
“burns wood four feet long.” Will send for a 
description of it, and if important will give engrav¬ 
ing and further accounts of it hereafter. The loca¬ 
tion of the only Bath-room is objectionable, in that 
it can not be reached by occupants of the second 
story, and only through the first story bed-room. Ed] 
The Wood Shed (fig. 2) is 17 by 24 feet, out 
of which the laundry is taken. The door from the 
kitchen is protected by its roof, saving a separate 
piazza. Having the fuel close at hand and dry, is 
convenient at all seasons. The chimney for the 
laundry is built mostly of cement pipe.—The house 
stands somewhat higher than the surrounding 
ground surface. The waste water and that from 
the cistern overflow is carried off through a pipe in 
the cellar, into cement drain pipes, closely cemented 
at joints. [There should of course be a trap, or de¬ 
pressed bend in this, to prevent the return of 
noxious gasses.—E d.] I find that my sketch has 
not placed the front windows quite as far apart as 
they really are. In drawing the plans I have meas¬ 
ured everything about the house, and allowed six 
inches for all partition walls. The veranda posts 
should be directly at the end of the 8-feet steps. 
There are no blinds on the . mth bay-windows, as 
we intend to add inside ones of hard-wood. The 
- ‘ ‘elevation” does not do justice to the house, 
but it is the best I can do ; I find I under¬ 
took a pretty big job for a busy house-wife. 
Prices of Material Used:—Timber $13 per 
1,000 feet. Boards for cornices, trimmings, etc., 
$24 per 1,000 ft. Sheathing boards (from which the 
best were selected for upper floors), $16 per 1,000 
feet; other flooring, $24 per 1,000 feet. Floor 
planks, $35 per 1,000 feet. Clap-board siding, $20. 
Shingles, $4.25 per 1,000. Lath, $1.80 per 1,000. Lime, 
$1.20 per bbl. (same price now). Hardware, bought 
in 1879, can be bought tor about the same now. 
The Total Cost is shown in the bills paid, viz: 
Digging and stoning cellar, laying underpin¬ 
ning and setting steps.$300.00 
Plumbing, including all tin work, gutters, 
valleys, leaders, etc. 350.00 
General Lumber bill. 548.68 
5,000 feet finishing lumber @ $25.125.00 
Timber, and Shingling Lath. 50.00 
All Hardware, including nails, window 
weights, etc. 123.16 
Building Paper. 8.38 
Plastering, building chimneys, bricks, lime, 
lath, and lathing, etc. 350.00 
Hand Hailing and Baluster. 30.00 
Marbleized Slate Mantel, 4 Ceiling Center 
Pieces, and brackets. 30.00 
Making 32 Doors at Factory . 54.Si 
35 Window frames and Cap Mouldings. 59.58 
Window Sash and Glass. 100.93 
Striking Mouldings, Bawing and planing lumber, 
brackets etc. §7.44 
4 Finiais, $3; Walnut Mouldings, $11.80. 14.80 
Blinds, delivered unpainted. 43.70 
Polishing inside wood-work. 150.00 
Painting (mainly outside), two coats. 150.00 
Carpenter's Bill . §25.00 
CartiDg, $100 ; Furnace and Fixings, $150. .. 250 00 
Total bills paid.$3,351.00 
If we add for possibly increased prices in 1882. 585.00 
It would make present cost.$3,936.00 
