The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-29
ABOUT HOME HEALTH.
THE LOCATION OF DWELLING
HOUSES IS OFTEN VERY BAD.


nit the Morning Sunshine, bat Don't
DO Afraid u Trees and Vines Beware
of the Deadly Cellar.
People are running all over the land for
health Every mans home should be, for
him, the healthiest spot ON earth. IL it DO
not 50, he should make it so, and IL that he
cannot do, let him remove to a spot he can
render sanitary. OF course advice Of this
sort il TO those who can control their sur
roundings. The location of half the houses
in the country is as bad as can lie, and the
location Of half the rest a good deal worse
than need be. VIII you note, rs you drive
along the highways, what you see. Choose a
suburban road. Tie houses almost invarI-
ably occupy from one-fourth OF an acre to
more than an acre; yet they all stand close
fronted to the street The result is that a
cloud OF dust is, half the time Blowing over
and into such houses, carrying the vile dung
and refuse of the street. Not many worse
things find their way into our nostrils and
mouths than the street dust. 1t Is a mixture
Of filth and poison.
A house should he set back as far as posi-
bic from the street, and not he inaccessible.
know a few that are approached by ele'
CANT drives, and stand in the middle OK eight
or ten acres. consider the middle of lot
the ideal spot OF course, this is 10 toe modi-
fed by the lay of the land-a bluf to be pre-
ferred always Besides escaping dust, we
shoald aim TO get as far as possible above the
low lying logs and damp spots, where miasms
collect We, these long rows Of homes are.
as a rule not on the higher knobs, but on
the --LATEST, l)west spots. Apart from the
charm Of outlook and landscape advantages
Of high points, place that Of health incom-
parably as most important. There Is fire.
quenuy all the difference between healthy
homes and unhealthy homes, dependent on
three or four rods Of removal The subsoil
is TO be looked after. and the drainage and,
above all. good wells. These are secured at
the higher points as Il rule
But what next do you observe as you ride
about a large share Of the houses, perhaps
not half, are unshetered by trees. "Trees
make house. damp That il the worst
Of nonsense do rot understand why people
Of common sense should be blind TO the fact
trees drink water out of tho soil and evap-
crate it into the air. They are, above all,
sanitary in their tendency to equalze temper
ature and moisture You viii make no mis-
take If you plant trees all about your house,
only admitting the morning sunshine, and
by no means darkening your rooms. The
morning sun I consider invaluable, both for
vegetable and animal life. But do not be
afraid Of clean vines, such as grape vines
honeyMckles, ampelopsis. clematis, and let
them run freely over your verandas and
sides Of the house. ] have tested the value
of trees and vines IN cooling the atmosphere
and know that it makes difference of many
degrees in your rooms. When you have
dampness, II is owing 10 excess Of moisture
in the air, in spite Of the trees, not because Of
the trees Drain your land well and the
foliage viii then tend to eqralize tempera-
ture and moisture.
You will wonder, on examination, 10 find
how few houses, in spite Of all that is written
on the subject, are free from foul drains,
slop holes, bad sewerage aid widowed cell
lars. There seems TO be an alliance between
the common builder AM yphus fever and
diphtheria, fer If conditions were sought 10
be established fayorably Tor the development
OF such diseases, nothing better could be lie
vised than the partly moasrnized country
house City houses are deaL1 traps from the
escape or back-set Of sewN gases, and the
reckless complication Of "nodern conven-
fences. that soon TIL the finest palaces with
an atmosphere Of death. But the. country
house, standing apart froas others, might be
easily rendered sanitary Invariably ex-
anime tho cellar for tia. h0lo under the
house is ALWAYS 10 be found. Tho time viii
come when cellars Will be- abolished.
II underground rooms are required, Jet
them be in the side OK hill, or otherwise
separated from the house II is nearly im-
possible 20 furnish the two things necessary
for O good CELLAR, that J., thorough ycntila.
ton, summer and winter, l4d common sense
on the TART OF the owners ,o prevent 10 from
containing rildews and icnl odors. Ii a
cellar Is not sweet enough " De inhabtable,
it is inf. 10 0e under hstitation | know
scores II these terrible drfs that are annu
ally looded. This is bestff than that they
DO never clsansel at all But a cellar is
very far fron being the necessity that u j.
supposed Ia be- 4 store. room above tne
ground, built without windows, viii keel
fruit and many vegetables better than d
cellar. Other vegetables may better b,
stored ia plt apart from the house, OF ed
iaceut % it, but not under IL.
entered one recently in which there were
"A score Of old butter jars, each one rancid
and most @. them more or less tilled win
soap grease Of indefinite admixtGres Abol
ISL cellars and build store rooms above
ground, and then let them be kept clean. A
barrel Of potatoes that emitsa bad olor hold.
death. and lad best be at once got rid Of
Vegetables lot entirely fresh arc dangerous
at all season. Few people know how TO kcei
many vegetables free from decay. 10 is 4
poor plan to store them in quantity. Potat
rot has not only caused the loss Of millions
OF bushels of that esculent, but II has cause
the loss Of thousands Of human lives frou
the storage ia cellars. Not ono should b'
tolerated about a hoUse-M. Maurice, II. ID.