Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1917-01-13
BRINGING THE FARM RIGHT UP TO DATE

fwrittsn Specially for The Bulletin.)
Picking up a professedly farm pa
clusively to farm interests and assun-
edly made solely with a, view to the
promotion of farmers welfare, found
the first page wholly taken up with
an illustrated article on the advan-
tages nay, the necessity OF water
supply system for all farms.
By this was not meant, it turned
out a spring house" nor a well with
O. pump; but a system of reservoir,
pipes, tank, faucets. waste pipes, etc.;
all dependent either on gravity where
that was possible, or on some form OF
adquate. The conyeniences and ad-
vantages of the system were eloquent
" set forth, and it was intimated, If
not directly asserted. that every farm
er fit for his job could be spotted on
sight by his installation of such a sys-
TEN. He needed it for the sake of his
Women-folks who, without it, were
pictured as YEARLY Juggling water in
huge and heavy buckets from a brook
in some back pasture; he needed it
for his stock; he needed it for fire.
protection; he needed it for his bath
room; he needed it to wash his wag-
ons and sprinkle his cabbage patch N
a drouth; ETC.. etc.
He was informed that it cost very
little to INSTALL" and was a true econ
orny in the long run. He want told
just how much in dollars and cents
It would cost but, by fortunate CO.
incidence, there was an advertisement
of just such a supply system on an
other page of the paper, wherefrom l
from $3.50 up, exclusive of freight,
haulage and plumbers bills.
While ! was figuring it out how I
could raise the money to put myself
into the progressive farmers class by
this Improvement, I absent-mindedly
picked up another agricultural journal.
And there, again in the place of hon.
or on the first page, was a vigorous
article on the house-heating prob
lem In it, the farmer was kindly but
firmly told that he couldn't afford any
longer TO cling to absolute and crude
stoves. They were shown to be I'M
wholesome, extravagant, inadequate,
dirty, dangerous Indeed it was init
mated rather broadly that the discov-
cry OF one in a farmhouse was suff1-
cient evidence on which to put the
owner into the back numbers, and
classify him as not merely an "old
fogy" but an ignoramus-
The proper, adequate, Clearly and
comfortable way, 1 was told, was to
install a heating-plant in the cellar,
where the same amount of coal that
now wasted itself in warming all but
the outside edges of one room would
turn the entire house into a sort of
Enclosed palm garden. All you had to
do was to playfully toss in a little
down few ashes now and then. set
your thermostadt on the wall to the
degree of heat you wanted-and there
you were: happy as a king, idle as
lord. and warm as toast.
In this case, too, no definite figures
were presented, but by another lucky
coincidence, there was, an advertise
ment on another page, setting forth
where from $50 up. All I'd nave to
in addition, was to pay the freight,
haul it from the station and set it
Hp-
Well, while was getting the head
ache trying to discover some scheme
by which 1 could become a good far
mer and restore my se1f-respect and
by getting this modern improvement
right after the water-supply, another
farm paper unfolded to me the urgent
necessity of at once putting in cleo
lamps were obsolete; that they were
dangerous at all times; that they
heated things up unpleasantly in hot
weather. and got smoky oE stuffy in
cold weather: that they were dirty.
SCOT producing. ceiling-smoking, air
communicating nuisances: that Ian
terms in the barns were risky fire
bugs; that none of them gave even
daily trimmed and cleaned and mani
cured; and that any farmer fought to-"
be able to save money enough on in
surance, doctors bills, wear and tear
Of women's tempers,/ etc, to pay all
the running expenses of a good cleo
tric system-once it was installed
Say, that got me right by the short
hairs! True, I'd rather have a lamp
than sit in the dark or even with a
ta1low candle. But I'd much rather
have a good, clear, clean, steady light,
like sunshine or an electric bulb, than
either. Especially in the barns and
wagon house. Also, particularly in the
kitchen and dining-room. Most en-