Evening star., 1914-02-22

x :.
Although considerable attention has been
given in several government depart
ments heretofore to
Farmhouse the study and the
.r,rov..,4 planning of build
improvements. ings to house cattle
poultry or hogs, it has remained for the
men connected with the present admin
istration Of the Agricultural Department
to concentrate attention on the better
planning Of buildings to house humans.
In many sections of the country the
house is the least modern of all the
buildings on the farm. When Secretary
Houston recently inquired OF 5O,OoO farm
women by letter as to how to improve con-
ditions in the country he received many
pleas for the improvement of the farm
home SO that the housewife may be
saved steps and her labors may be light
ened.
led to study Of the Improvement Of the
farmhouse plans. which has been con-
Quoted in the office of farm manage
ment, Of which w. J. Spillman is chlef.
An architect employed by the Agrcultu-
raj Department has already made a sug--
gested plan for an inexpensive small
farmhouse to cost $500 to $1,000. The
farm specialists. with the architect. are
now working ON suggested plan for
rooms. and to cost S. 500 to 81. 500.
The government officials of the Agricul-
tural Department are not planning TO
put the architects Of the country out OF
business. The purpose in pubiishing sug-
gested plans is merely to stimulate the
interest of the farmer in better and
simpler types of construction and in the
better interior arrangement OF rooms. ~
will not be possible for the government
Int nfo mi
the detailed drawings which will be pre-
jared it will be possible for farmer to
get the kind of house he wants with
minimum of trouble. The new standard
sition to make suggestions to the local
architect. who will find it easy to adapt
the governments suggestions to a house
Of almost any size.
X
The reclamation service Of the Depart
ment of the Interior is the latest branch
of tn government to
Reclamation launch a magazine. The
new publication is the
necoIu. result of the enlarge
ment and change of character of the
Reclamation Record. small paper
which was established five years ago
as strictly service paper for the infor-
nation Of the government employees on
irrigation projects, with much the same
purpose as the Panama Canal Record.
which is published for the benefit of the
employees of the isthmian canal commits
sion.
The Reclamation Record of the future
will be new in almost everything except
the name. 1t has been enlarged until 1t
Is now a magazine of thirty-two pages
and it will contain popular articles OF in
terest to the farmers as well as to en-
gineers on all government irrigation
projects. It is the intention Of Secretary
Lane and Of +. II. Newell, director OF
the reclamation service to make the
magazine of the greatest possible value
to thousands of farmers who are de-
yeloping the new west. Illustrations will
be used when desirable, and contribu-
tons from the settlers as well as from
the governments experts Will pc pup
hshed. The magazine will be issued
| monthly and care will be taken In edit
| ing every department OF 1t.
projects the magazine will be furnished
| free. Although the intention Of the Of
ficers Of the Interior Department was to
make this magazine Of interest solely
| to members of the water users associa-
tions of the irrigation projects, and to
the employees of the service working to
reclaim the arid deserts Of the west.
vet such a large number OF requests for
the publication have come in that 1t has
/ been necessary to fix a regular subscrip-
! tion price of so cents a year, in order to
provide for the many outsiders who are
Interested in agriculture on government
irrigation lands.