Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-10-30
CID DUTCH FARMS.
Sor'~ OF the Oddities of i.If. In the
Netherlands.

1oE,~ or the Oddities of life In the
Netherlands.
OF the Mamie: OF He In Zealand.
Netherlands, an observer writes: ..rhc
Dutch farmhouse i usually built 'tcr
II Uniform model. Tile living roam us,l.
ally occupies the whole OF the ground
Goor ana Is Il sitting room. bedroom,
and Kitchen rolled into one. The he'd.
StcadS are screened 10y green c,lrtaini
Or hidden away like cupboar,is. but
what is called the show b.Jstead.
pronk-hc,idcn-alw always occupies II prom.
hcnt place III The room But then. il
l.; never used: IL is kept exclusively for
the purpose of proving the high re.
tpectahility Gf the family by the fine.
ness of its linen sheets and the rich.
ness OF tlic cOuntcrpanc. Kept nominal.
~ in honor Of the guests. tie most
IGNORED guest would not lie allowed to
Use Ii. Ia larger OF mure modern farm
houses Il separate room is set apart IN
u show place. or prnnk-Samcr. but
there Is, as rule. 40 Bc;lStcad, ana
the room is furnished as Il parlor.
This room. like the l,rdStcad. is never
used liy the household for general pur-
poses. but on lie occasion of the death
of II member Ut the family il serves as
the DER ci!ainhNr. In some farmhpliSrS
II WING liS been added 10 ihe. original
hull,in". and in such ci,Scs it is ,livid-
rd INTO two Ur three snail bedrooms.
AS Il rule. the stable OF shed for the
.,I
separated from the living room only by
II wooden wall or partition. The door
or communication Is generally fitted
with glass windows. 80 us tu keen the
animals under supervision. There is
also class Of open farmho,,scs where
there is no partition III all and the AMI
mails literally live with the family. No
Nh"rc is The old fashioned theory more
trlE!S held than in Holland that the
odnr of COWS is Beneficial To cons,i!np.
tivcs. Indeed. sometime: those who arc
tuhercuiouS will 30 TO sleep with the
COW" in their Manager. Over Tie COW
thcda are The hay lofts. and sometimes
these serve rs sleeping places ~; well.
IN many OF the older farms there IS
an Omen fireplace without IL chimney.
ANA the smoke finds its WAY out ns
hest it can. helping in It's passage to
eur" the baln, salSigcS ana black rud-
uings which depend from the beams OF
tie ceiling. The furniture is strictly
limited II chairs. tables. the lncn
press, which is the ornament Of tho
chamber. and perhaps Il spinning wheel
or manglc. Tho ornaments are prob.
ably no Mor" tl!um some delft ware
hung round the room. generally in
racks. and II Dutch clock. The library
consists Of the flniily Eiilc.
rood OF the Boer class is as simple
h' tir rest OF their life. The stap!e
dish is luchwhcat porri,lgc. ana pic
meat, especially i'll the form OF hams
ana saufngcj represents the chicr mr.
tlc!c OF Tie principal daily meal. with
htiic or no variety. Coffee is the uni
vcrSal beverage. aild the only intoXi-
cant taken is one of the numerous
FORMS OF gin distilled in all parts OF
Tie country. TrcaclG l.; also largely
used, Willie sugar is regarded as n
luxury. che bread used Is black or
rye, but t!rro is also brown loaf
made with trcac!2 and mixed with
raisins. Chicago News.