, tubs of lard and butter, and--oh, fruits and
good things of the earth which we now know only as "a tale that is
told." But the cellar of to-day accommodates itself to to-day's needs,
for though we may still lay in some commodities in quantity, we know
the things of to-morrow can be had from the market on comparatively
short notice. Nevertheless, the things of to-day--and some other
things--must be carefully stowed away, and the deeps of the house made
hygienic, for as the cellar, so will the house be also, and to this
might be added that as the floor, so will the cellar be also.

THE CELLAR FLOOR

In country places, where there is no sewage to contaminate the soil, a
hard, well-beaten dirt floor is not particularly objectionable, except
that it cannot well be cleaned. Boards raised from the ground by small
blocks nailed to the under side, and leading to bins, cupboards, and
furnace room, should be laid across it to prevent the tracking of dirt
to the upper rooms, and these little walks must be swept and kept free
from dirt and dust. If the cellar is floored with boards, the flooring
should be raised sufficiently to allow free circulation of air beneath
it; but the only strictly sanitary flooring is of concrete, six inches
thick, covered from wall to wall with Portland or other good cement.
Cellars, being below the street, and therefore receiving some of the
surface drainage, are prone to dampness, and, are easily contaminated
by leakage from drains and sewers, and other filth communicated to them
through the soil. These conditions are largely counteracted by the
concrete and cement flooring, which also bars the entrance of ants and
other vermin. The communication of damp cellar air, polluted by
noxious gases from sewers and decaying vegetable matter, to the upper
parts of the house is responsible for many an otherwise unexplainable
case of rheumatism, consumption, typhoid, and other diseases, and any
outlay of time and money which can render the cellar wholesome and
immune to ravages of agents external and beyond our control, must not
be grudged.

VENTILATION

One who owns his home can adopt preventive measures, such as outside
area ways or air spaces, impossible to the renter; but certain ounces
of prevention are available to all. For instance: if drain pipes run
through the cellar, have them examined often for leaks; if there is an
open drain, wash it out frequently with copperas and water, and gi