The Ward County independent., 1910-11-10
Modernizing the
Farmhouse.
BY c. r. Barns, Minnesota Uni.
versity Farm.

X + I. 4. + X + r r 1" /" Il + I" r +
A large portion OF he dissatisfac-
ton which stimulate. The drift Of
population from the country to the
cities has had it's origin in the in
feror comfort and convenience of the
average farmhouse as compared with
the city dwelling. This inferiority has
been, and still is, mainly shown in the
matter of the water supply. heating,
lighting toilet facilities and the hitch-
en- equipment. This was graphically
set forth by Professor JOnn l.. Coui.
ter of the University of Minnesota. in
his address at the Minnesota COnser
walton Congress, wherein he quotes
the comparison voiced by hundreds OF
farmers. III part as follows
"They have electric lights or gas In
the city; We have the Old oil lamp or
tallow ca.I!, They have furnaces IN
their houses. and when they get up in
the morning the house is warm aud
pleasant, We get up and find every
thing frozen and the house chilled
They have hot and cold running water
and balhs; We must go out to the old
pump. or melt snow and ice. and take
our bath in the dish-pan or Wash-tub.
They have toilet facilities and sewers !;
We must 90 out e the cold of winter
to the SHOW nlled privy, and in summer
to the Hing unsanitary one"
Now, the disparity in comfort be
tween the average city dwelling and
the average country home has been
greater, of recent years. than it for
merIy was But this has been not so
much mHtt"r of location, but of the
greater readiness of the city dweller
to adopt improvements as they have
appeared-a readiness exhibited, not
because The city man was brighter,
but because, in 'he centers of popula.
tiOn, one BECOMES more quickly tamiI.
lar with new things. and the spread 2f
Improvements is FASTENED by exam
pies of their superiority quickly her.
aided on every side. The fact of to-
day is, that the owner Of many farm
homes, if not Of every such home, can,
If he will, have all the comforts and
convenienccs Of the city dwelling. and
at little if any greater cost. He can
have electric lights, or gas, by the use
of any one OF numerous inventions for
supplying isolated dwellings. He can
have furnace, or what is infinitely
better, hot-water heating plant just
as readily t.. his city brother (The
adaptability Of the hotwater plant to
all sorts of situations, by the way,
could not be better illustrated than by
the fact th.;l each of the street cars
In the Twii Cities is independently
heated by such a plant. The pro-
ter" and of bathing facilities, is
brought within reach in the country
home by such a variety Of appliances
In the way of elevated and basement
tanks. baby engines and
pumps, as will surprise any one who
thinks that farmhouse must longer
dispense with these. The matter of
sewers aud drainage. with the toilet
facilities dependent thereon, is, ~
some instances. more difficult to han
die; but an inspection Of the work
necessary to drain many a private
home in st Paul will satisfy the farm.
er that it r"osts not few city dwell
ers more to connect with a sewer than
It would to provide similar drainage
for his country home
A great many farmers are already
awake to the fact that not the slight.
est reason now exists why their homes
should not be equipped with all the
appliances for comfort to be found in
the city home An illustration Is
given. herewith Of a home recently
built by such farmer. Mr.
Sprenger at Zumbro Fails Minn