The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-06-02

FIG. XXXIII-FARM HOME BARE AND DESC
LATE FROM LACK OF TREES, SHRUBS
AND LAWN.
the cellar. The first course should be
of hollow brick, laid end to end, and
connecting with a tile drain on the
lowest side. In this way seepage
water will be kept out Of the cellar
A cement floor is a great advantage
and is inexpensive, since the cement
need not be more than two or three
inches thick.
The cellar should be divided into
about four rooms. Hollow brick make
good partition walls and at the same
time help support tie floor One Of
the rooms may be used for vegetables.
one for fruit, milk and butter, one
for a laundry and the fourth ce-
mented on the inside and used as
cistern. If the furnace is used an
other room will be necessary, or the
cistern can be located outside.
For an ordinary sized family a hun
dred barrel cistern is about the right
size. A partition Of a double layer of
filter brick. with gravel and charcoal
packed between. should extend across
it. The water is drawn out from the
opposite side Of the filter from that to
which the pipe from the roof empties.
In this way the water obtained is pure
enough for cooking or drinking. A
plentiful supply of soft water is
luxury that can be obtained so cheaply
that no one can afford to do without it.
Wood is still the cheapest and most
satisfactory building material. In
building the house the two extremes
Of size should be avoided. If the
house is too small it will be crowded,
while if too large it costs more and is
harder to keep clean.
In arranging the rooms, convenience
and ease of keeping in order are the
chief considerations. The large and
solemn ''spare room," which was
opened only on state occasions. has
largely given way to the bright, cheer
full living room with it's bookcases and
work and reading tables, which is
used every day and evening in the
year. This room, together with the
dining room, kitchen and bedroom,
with wash and bath room if posi-
BILE. will comprise the first story.
A wash room, with a sink and
place for overshoes, coats and hats
is a great help in keeping dirt out of
the kitchen. A bathroom is also a
great convenience.
A cupboard in the wall between the
kitchen and dining room is handy. as
the dishes can be reached from either
side. A spring door between the two
rooms keeps out the flies and at the
same time opens easily. A bedroom
on the ground floor is almost a ne
cessity, especially in the case Of sick
ness.
The upstairs will Of course be
largely devoted to bedrooms, although
it is often convenient to have one
small room fixed up for a library. The
attic makes good storeroom for seed
corn.
Probably the most satisfactory way
to heat the house is by a furnace. This
Is cheaper and cleaner than stoves. If
the furnace room is made large enough
to hold load Of cobs and several tons
of coal the work of fire building will
be greatly reduced. A register in the
ball upstairs will be enough to take
the chill of the sleeping rooms. 1t is
good plan to have furnace pipe run
to the kitchen, too, and use a gasoline
or kerosene range for cooking. This
Is cheaper, handler and cleaner than a
cook stove, and the kitchen can be
kept much cooler In the summer time.