The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1914-01-30
The KITCHEN MOST
IMPORTANT ROOM
In farm HOUSE
Governments Farm Architect Points
Out Importance of an Economi-
cally Constructed and Com
Portable Home to the Far
mer.

. ISCI Of inc ~. y. OSpdI lIlSllt Vi ASTl-
culture, who states that the mental
and physical fitness of the laborers
, both within the house and in the fields
are vitality affected by the building
that affords the family shelter The
average American farm home has fail
ed to share in the improvements that
are every day being made in agricul-
tural conditions and, according to the
architect, is a rebuke to our boosted
civilization. Relatively, he says, the
housewife of century ago with her
fireplace cooking and log cabin was
better provided for than is the house
wife today.
The most important building ona
farm is the home. The health, COM
fort and happiness of the family are
dependent upon its construction and
equipment, and unless these matters
are looked after the sanitary dairy
barn or the economically constructed
buildings for stock are of little value.
Happiness and contentment in the
family are as essential to efficient SER
vice as improved tools and outbuild-
ings.
Although the housewife spends, in
many cases, lifetime in her work
shop" the kitchen and the family
rooms, she is not, as a rule, capable
/, of planning house in the highest de-
gree Serviceable and comfortable with
out assistance. Her help, however, is
essential to the farm architect, as the
result of his plans most vitality con-
Germs her.
In 1910 western farm paper, at
the suggestion of the Department of
Agriculture, conducted a competition
for farm house plans. About 500
plans of farm houses were submitted,
not one of which was fully satisfac-
tory. The larger number insisted on
some particular pet notion and empha-
sized single feature to the neglect
of other important ones. The men
and women who familiarize themsel-
YES with the work to be done and then
apply themselves to the single task
OF devising means, are the ones who,
with the cooperation of the farmers,
and their wives, can best handle the
farm house problem.
One of the most important details
regarding the average American farm
house is that it must be inexpensive.
The average annual net income of
farmer today, after deducting five per
cent interest on his investment, is
less than $500. This does not mean
that the houses cannot be attractive.
They may, if intelligently planned,
with the help of vines, shrubs and
trees, become the prettiest spot in
the landscape, and more beautiful and
inexpensivey than the crowded city
houses.
The tenant-house problem is grow
ing in importance as can be seen from
the fact that the number of rented
farms increased by more than $4,000
during the last decade. Today little
more than half the farms in this coun-
p try are operated by the owners
The possible economy in household
labor and the conservation of the
strength of the housewife are two i'm
portant factors to be considered in the
construction of farm house. Pleas
ant and comfortable farm homes tend
to hold families together; but the
cheerless, unlovable and insanitary
houses drive boys and girls to the cit
. les. Investigation of prisons, insane
asylums and houses of correction, seem
to prove the fact that the sins which
account for the existence of these in
Stitutions are often bred in inadequate
and unhappy farm homes. So this
special aspect OF the problem is con-
siderable.
The public is awakening to the fact
that better farm houses are needed,
and the special feature which many
farm papers now issue as a House
Building Number" proves its interest
to thousands of readers.
The Office of Farm Management of
the Department Of Agriculture has
now undertaken to investigate this
problem systematically and to evolve
if possible, practical improvements
for the benefit of the farmers home
Certain features are often overlook
ed in providing economical arrange
ments for the household when they
might be easily provided for. One OF
the specialists of the office of Farm
Management learned from a woman
in Pennsylvania, who had broken
down from overwork, that she had
been carrying coal from the barn for
years. When the husband was asked
if there was any reason why coal
bunker could not have been provided
near the cookstove and filled directly
from the wagon, he answered that
there was none, but that no one had
ever thought of it. This one detail
has been found neglected in other
cases where it could have easily beer
remedied, il only someone had thought
of it,
After economy in the construction
of the building and in the house work
has been attained, attention will be
given to developing beauty. Simple
ity in line and good proportions are
meant by the use of this word beauty
and not so-called applied Ornaments.
This simplicity is entirely in keeping
with a general plan of economy.
Economy, however, is not a syn
onym for cheapness. Double strength
glass may be even more economical
in tenant house than single strength
notwithstanding its greater first cost
A kitchen sink may be paying in
vest1nent although it excludes ba!