The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-01-01

been we'll answered. There is, how
ever, one other factor-an important
one in heat economy that is seldom
cognized-humidity.
To the average person there is a
mistaken notion that humidity is the
source of extreme discomfort and an
noyance on certain shltry days in
summer. The term is not expected
to have any part in the winter vo-
cabulary Yet, most of us have OBJ
served the curious fact that on GER
tain days in winter when the tempera-
ture of our rooms is registered at 70
degrees Fahrenheit, we yet feel cold;
while on other days, with lower Their
mometric registration, we feel warm
err This is because on the days, in
reality the colder, but when we feel
the warmer, there is more moisture in
the air. This amount of moisture we
speak of in terms of relative humidi-
ty. The percentage of relative humidi-
ty indicates the proportion of moisture
which the air actually contains, at
given temperature, as compared with
the highest possible amount that it
could contain at that temperature. A
relative humidity of sc, with tenn
perature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit,
means, then, that at that temperature
the air is about two-thirds saturated.
DR.. Henry Mitchell Smith, as the re-
suit of experiment, has found that with
greater humidity in our houses less
heat is required. In other words, a
room with a relative humidity of go
per cent, heated to 68 degrees Fahren-
heit, will be as comfortably heated as
the room with humidity of 80 per
cent, and temperature of 70 degrees
Fahrenheit. In language, then, that
should appeal to us through the peck
etbook, if attention is given to the
question of moisture in the air, there
may be a saving of 1917 per cent in
the coal bill.
The query that naturally follows is
how to get the benefit of this economy
factor? This is answered in the con-
struction in the majority of furnaces
of water box, which, if given proper
attention, will supply the required
moisture. In the stove-heated house,
moisture may be supplied by a small
kettle or other vessel kept on the
stove and from which evaporation
does not take place too rapidly.
Suggestions, on the order of the
above, are frequently met with the
threadbare objection that our parents
and grandparents got along very well
without a care for all this fol-de-rol
This objection is without reason.
Bearing in mind that the average
house of today, with it's tightly fitted
windows and doors, and with it's fire.
quent overheating, was out of the
question for the average family of
fifty years ago; that all these COM
forts. of today represented the luxuries
of that time, it may be reasonably ex-
pected that the householder brings
brains to the administration of house
hold affairs, in no less degree than did
our parents and grandparents, with
their limited facilities, If the greatest
benefit is to be derived from the COM
fort devices that science and inven-
ton are giving to us.
Aside from the financial considera-
ton, there should be valued the great
er personal comfort that comes from
having a suitable amount of moisture
in the air. This personal comfort is
no small factor in the prevention of
disease.
INCA M. K. ALLISON,
Colorado Agricultural College.