The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-09-12

1t goes without saying that the
home, or dwelling, is one of the most
important things on the farm. We
spend more than one-half of our lives
in the house, hence the house must
be made good place for living If
we are to secure the greatest good
from life. Boys and girls, growing
up into manhood and womanhood,
should study and learn about house
plans and construction, as some day
not SO far away, they must live in
their own homes, or rented houses.
Plan for the future so that in early
adult life you may build and own a
home of your own. One of the high
est dreams of your life will have
been realized when you move into
your own home. You will feel hap
pier and more satisfied if you have
planned, constructed and paid for
the building and grounds yourself. It
is a good thing for all for life to be
made up partly of sentiment and ro-
nance, as we'll as common sense and
thrift, can find expression in the
building and occupying of good
home And, if this home is in the
country-a farm home-it can be
made beautiful, ideal, convenient and
serviceable in the highest degree. No
home can be made quite so beautiful
and attractive as the country home.
Country life is the ideal life from
any point of view.
On the farm we must do a great
many things which city folks hire
done. For instance, we grow most Of
our own foods for summer and win
ter use. City jewellers buy their foods
at the markets, taking no thought Of
how the foods are grown. City peo-
pie do one special thing-they speci-
alize; while we on the farm do many
things-we generalize. When they
want to build home they secure
the services of an architect to draw
plans and give specimens because
they are not familiar with plans and
materials. We on the farm know
much about building materials as to
kind, quality and cost, since we are
handling and using them in different
ways almost every day of our lives.
We are always planning and building,
buying and hauling materials and
either doing all the work ourselves
or helping hired labor in the work.
We have learned some of this work
from childhood days, even though it
be represented only in the building of
chicken coops and pig houses. We
are natural builders from necessity
II not from choice
Building on the farm can be done
more cheaply than any other place,
because with our teams, wagons ana
other tools annd equipment we do all
of the hauling of materials excavating
and grading, often part of the con-
struction itself, usually the painting
and papering, and quite often the
boarding of the skilled hands. All
of these things save the expenditure
of direct cash. in the end making
the net cost of the house perhaps
only about one-half as much as the
same house would cost in town where
done by contract.
The planning of any real good
buildings of any kind whatever is a
high art, and one we'll worth acquir-
ing. We must learn to plan and build
our own poultry, pig, COW, sheep and
horse houses. The special architect
can not plan these things for you, as
he does not know the special require
ments for farm animals, although
he may know the requirements of a
dwelling for persons. But while we
are learning how to plan and build
houses for our animals, we may just
as well learn how to plan our dwell
ing houses.
The best way to begin to study the
planning of a dwelling is to observe
good dwellings. There are many diff
ferent kinds of these for observation