Evening star., 1916-01-09


great value in the scores of other uses
to which concrete is put.
:: !:
Farm homes whose arrangement and
mode of operation break all of the
canons of eff
Improving tn. cheney and con-
Farmers Homes. .". 1 na
tuted a large proportion of the abodes
of the countrys fifty-odd million rural
dwellers. in the opinion of Uncle Sam.
Through the newly organized Office of
Investigations in rural engineering.
therefore, he is seeking to lead the way
in the country to living comforts and
conveniences more or less compare BILE
to those of city dwellers. Practically.
his experts are offering themselves as
emciency engineers to solve the scores
of problems encountered in running
the farm plant to best advantage. pro-
viding fitting equipment and co-ordi
mating it's varied activities. In many
ways the work touches the newly rec
ognized civic activity of country plan
ming which is taking it's place beside
the older and better known city PLAN
ming.
Although the governments new agen-
Cy LOT HldklHE country lie more eIl-
cient was organized only last July. it
already has furnished valuable advice
to thousands Of inQuirinR rural dwell
ers. has gathered much useful data and
has gotten important Investigations and
experiments under way. One OF it's
first activities was to serve as the
farmers architect. Plans were pre-
pared for farmhouses. barns and other
structures. to be furnished free to pro-
spective builders. The efforts have
TO int
tyres of country buildings whose forms
are often left to the notions of rural
carpenter. by buildings carefully de-
signed for usefulness. substantially
and appearance, and capable of being
built at reasonable cost. Various types
are being worked out for families OF
VARYING sizes and means in different
environments
But Uncle Sam is not content to as
sist the rural dweller only in securing
ested in the furnishings and equipment
inside and the environment outside. AS
rapidly as possible the new office pla ms
to take up the matter of furniture from
view and to put itself in a position to
furnish comprehensive suggestions to
all inquirers. Much advice already has
been given as to the planning of the
"farmstead'-the relation of buildings.
roads. fields. fences and the like-and
rs to sanitation and appearance.
In the fields of mechanics and en-
gineering the Office has found wide
usefulness. 1t plans to show every
farmer II possible how he may replace
the primitive bucket and pitcher
"waterworks' used by his grandpar-
ents with piped supply of water
whose purity is beyond reproach; and
how he may have a sewage disposal
system as efficient in safeguarding
human health as are the vast and eX-
pensive sewer systems of the cities.
The installation of running water in
farm homes is one of the things closest
to the hearts of the country people
especially the housewives. the Office
has found. Most Of the calls for sug-
Restions and assistance are in regard
to this one convenience. Another en-
gineering feature which should be in
troduced in the country to make life
the governments experts, is modern
lighting. Nearly every farm in large
regions of the country has near it a
running stream of some kind, and the
governments rural engineers are plan
ming to work out cheap and practica-
BILE small scale ydro-electric plants
that will bring twentieth century
lighting into homes on such farms. At
the same time the possibilities for
utilizing explosive engines for gener-
atins electric current are being in
vestiRated for the benefit of farmers OF
the less humid regions.
Other applications of power also are
occupying the attention of the office.
1t is making careful Investigations to
determine the best types and sizes of
power churns. saws, washing machines
and other apparatus needed In farm
life. and is giving the resulting data
not only to farmers. but also to manu-
facturers in order that the most prac-
ticable machines may be put on the
market. In the housewives domain
the office is making a special study Of
refrigeration in the country and hopes
to develop or stimulate the develop
ment of a practical inexpensive re-
frigerating machine In the mean
time, however, the office is giving at
tention to natural refrigeration and is
advising farmers in the northern por-
tion of the country how best to store
and keep ice.
While these technical Investigations
are being carried on by a staff Of spe
cialists. the Office is receiving cooper
alton from farmers who keep careful
cost sheets on the building of struc-
lures according to the government
plans In the country planning opera
lions cooperation is coming from
schools. women's clubs and other or
ganiza tions. An interesting discovery
that has been made by the Office is
that all kinds of improved conditions
and methods that go to make life