The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1914-02-12
The Kitchen The Most Important Room
In The Farm House.

Washington, D. c. The importance
to the farmer Of having an economical
farm house has been emphasized by
the farm architect OF the Department
Of Agriculture, who states that the
mental and physical fitness Of the
laboreIs both within the house and in
the fields are vitally affected by the
building that affords the family shelter.
The average American farm home has
failed to share in the improvements
that are every day being made in agri'
cultural condition and, according TO
the architect, is rebuke to our boast
ed civilization, Relatively, he says,
the housewife OF a century ago with
her fireplace cooking and log cabin was
better provided Tor than is the house
vile to-day.
The most important building on a
farm is the home. The health, com,
fort and happiness Of the family are de
pendent upon its construction and
equipment, and unless these matters
are looked after the sanitary dairy barn
or the economically constructed build
ings 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 rule, capable Of
planning house in the highest degree
serviceable and comfortable without
assistance. Her help however essent
lal to the farm architect, as the result
OF his plans most vitally concerns her.
In 1910 a western farm paper, at the
suggestion Of the Department OF Agri-
culture, conducted competition for
farm house plans. About go plans OF
farm houses were submitted, not one
OF which was fully satisfactory. The
larger number insisted on some parti-
cular pet notion and emphasized a
single feature to the neglect Of other
important ones. The men and women
who iamiliarize themselves with
the work 10 be done and then
apply themselves to the single task oI
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 a
farmer today after deducting FIVE pei
cent interest on his investment, is less
than S4O0. This does not mean that
the houses may not be attractive.
They may if intelligently planned with
the help Of vines, shrubs and trees, be
come the prettiest spots in the land
scape, and more beautiful and in
expensive than the crowded city hous'
es.
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 324,
900 during the last decade. Today
little more than hall the farms in this
country are operated by the owners.
The possible economy in household
labor and the conservation Of thc
strength of the housewife are two i'm
portant factors to be considered in TIT
construction OF farm house. Pleasant
and comfortable farm homes tend L
hold families together; but the cheer
less, unloveable and insanitary houses
drive boys and girls TO the cities. In
vestigation Of prisons, insane asylum
and houses oil correction, seem TO prove
the fact that the sins which sccoun
for the existence OF these institution
are often bred in inadequate and IN
happy farm homes. So this social as
pect Of the problem is considerable.
The public is awakening to the fac
that better farm houses are needed
and the special feature which many farm
papers now issue as House Build
ing Number" proves its interest t
thousands OF readers.
The Office Of Farm Management {
the Department Of Agriculture has no'
undertaken 10 investigate this probler
Systematically and to evolve, il possibl
practical improvements for the benefit {
the farmers home.
Certain features are often overlooke