HOUSE AND GARDEN 
January, 1912 
23 
adding height to the tent 
room. The Hy was fastened 
on each side to a 2x4 
nailed to extensions made on 
the front and back frame¬ 
work. The steps, built sepa¬ 
rately, were portable. 
The ground for a radius of 
perhaps twenty-five feet about 
the tent was cleared of all 
small growth; a cook-place, 
open at both ends, was built 
of large flat rocks, with the 
piece of sheet iron for a top. 
Then a shelter was made for 
it from the roofing paper, and 
a portable cook table was 
made from rough boards. 
Finally the spring in the 
woods was cleaned out and 
covered. 
Inside the tent, beside the 
cots and the steamer trunk in 
which our clothing was kept, 
were sets of shelves for dishes, 
canned goods, toilet articles, 
simple medical remedies for 
emergencies and books. One 
very necessary piece of fur¬ 
niture was the cupboard made 
of boards and the wire netting 
mentioned, in which we kept 
bacon, potatoes, cheese, etc., 
during the week. Each Sat¬ 
urday we took out with us 
fresh meat, bread and butter, 
and from a neighbor bought 
milk, cream, fruit, fresh veg¬ 
etables and poultry. 
When we had followed the 
path through the woods up 
the hill to our ‘‘home,” un¬ 
tied the flaps of the tent and 
changed into our c a m p 
clothes, we began to live 
again. “Himself” put on a 
flannel shirt, blue overalls 
and heavy shoes; I, bloomers, 
blouse, elkskin shoes and (if 
I went off the lot) a skirt. 
Fie acquired a mighty muscle 
chopping, pruning and swing¬ 
ing the scythe; and what 
with the simplified housework, 
foraging for firewood, botan- 
izing, reading and sewing, 
there were never hours 
enough in any day for me. 
Rain made very little differ¬ 
ence, as we had waterproof 
shoes and clothing at hand, 
and it was delightful to sit 
within the tent and watch the 
rain far off over the countrv. 
And so, until the cooler 
weather, we had many a long 
tramp and trolley ride in the 
The land was bordered by a run-down meadow grown with cedars 
The adjoining wood will supply the building materials for the house 
A clearing was made, leaving protecting timber to the north and east 
The living part of the house will command a view of the sound 
lovely country about us until 
snow came. 
But best of all, for us, has 
been the opportunity for ac¬ 
quiring general information 
as to the neighborhood, find¬ 
ing out the possibilities of our 
land, and planning, on the 
ground, for our home and its 
accessories. 
There are about fifteen 
acres, one-third solidly tim¬ 
bered, with a plentiful scat¬ 
tering of trees on the higher 
cleared land. As the point 
where we have placed the 
tent seems to be a natural site 
for the house, we shall build 
there, facing the Sound and 
hills, a modest rock and plas- 
t e r farmhouse. modified 
Dutch-Colonial in type, cut¬ 
ting out enough of the timber 
in the rear to make room for 
the service yard, garage and 
workshop combined, and, be¬ 
yond, the vegetable garden, 
with hotbeds and coldframes 
down the slope, leaving 
enough timber to the north 
and east for a windbreak. 
In getting acquainted with 
the neighborhood, we find 
that building can be accom¬ 
plished in this locality more 
cheaply than we had imagined, 
as all building materials can 
be obtained at first hand in 
the vicinity. Rock we have 
in plenty on the land itself, in 
the woods and in two old 
stone walls which subdivide 
the property. There are 
mills near by, so that, having 
planned the house during the 
summer, we have been able to 
engage the chestnut which we 
shall use for interior finish, 
that it may season before we 
need it. 
Our thought in everything 
we plan is, by using the right 
kind and best material avail¬ 
able, to save maintenance and 
repair expense, even though 
it costs somewhat more in the 
beginning. We shall there¬ 
fore use hollow tile in the 
construction of the house, 
both for warmth and cool¬ 
ness. ITot-water heat seems 
the best in the long run. and 
the easiest to manage. Elec¬ 
tricity will furnish the light. 
A good deal of the furniture 
will be built-in — bookcases, 
{Continued on page 7) 
