The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-22
BETTER EQUIPPED
HOMES NEEDED
INCONVENIENCE OF FARM
HOUSES SUBJECT OF PRAC.
TTCAL TALK AT UNIyTR-
SJTY

Especial 10 The Richmond Virginian.l
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, July
2l.--'Eonvenienees for the Farm
Home--Saving Steps" was the SUBJ
1ect Of the interesting paper read
before the Summer School this morn
ing by Mrs. r l.. Stevens woman's
department. Progressive Farmer. West
Raleigh, \. e. She said in part:
The gentleman interested In home
problems in his efforts to make an
exhaustive study of home conditions
in Europe and in America, at the
close of a somewhat creditable study
of conditions. has this to say of the
American house wife:
The American housewife com
pared with her European sister is
rs an unlettered child. hTe Ameri-
can man is not nearly so we'll nourish-
ed as his European brother. having
half the income. Fully twenty per
cent Of the food that goes on the
American table is absolute waste. A
severe arraignment this.
within the last ten years wo-
mems clubs and other organizations
have been formed looking toward
more efficient household methods
These organizations have had to do
mainly with city conditions As yet
reach the country house wife. She is
behind on these household questions
not because of her lack OF interest
or her desire not To do things In an
up to- date way but because the
knowledge has not yet come to her.
The Inconvenicnt Farm Home
The farm home liz mainly unat-
tractive and inconvenient. first be-
cause women do not know of the
existence Of conveniences. She must
buy her household wares from the
store at the cross roads (which is
at best poorly eduippedl, knowing
nothing of the great mass of splen-
did household material that is at the
disposal of her city sister The farm
home lacks interest and is unattrac-
tive. second because the farm man
has not considered that he has any
part in this home making business.
Many Of the conveniences to be
found in the farm home must be
worked out together by husband and
wife Too often the wife is left to
solve her problem alone. The water
supply for the farm house would
revolutionize country life. and yet
many women are compelled to secure
this necessity commodity from the
oid-fashioned we'll or from the spring
Just down the hill.
"It takes two people TO make a
home. The lack Of the spirit Of CO.
operation and the tight grip on the
pocketbook on the part of the farm
man has had much to do with max
ing the country home an uuattractive.
desolat eplace. The high price OF
conveniences for the farm home has
also worked to disadvantage. For
~, uttx ,,A1n II q
such as washing machines. wringers.
gasoline irons. egg heaters. potato
rieers. kitchen ranges. etc. sold by
the small country dealer are almost
doubled in price as compared with
the rarsa commodities. sold by a large
city dealer.
"Neighborh cooperation In Sc
curing these household appliances
would mean much in securing health
to the farmers wife. The country
farm house should be well planned,
convenient building. designed Tor its
special use. A city house in the coun-
try liz not adequate. Therefore arehi-
lecture for country homes Is badly
needed art.
The country housewife has need
81 some OF the organizations that
have been OF advantage to her city
sister. There are two such organiza-
tons now in existence that have been
a tremendous help in bringing about
better rural conditions, The Woman's
Institute for the Farmers Wife and
the School Improvement League, Both
of these organizations have not only
brought about better conditions In
the home and the school but have
exercised a wonderful socializing In
fluence in farm neighborhoods
Rev Henry r. Cope secretary of
Religious Edacat'on Association, Chi
cago. spoke to-day on Leadership
OF the Life of Youth"