CHAPTER XIX
IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
THE convenience and appearance of the home place should be
of interest to high school students and others. Projects of a com-
prehensive nature for beautifying and improving the premises, or
a definite program of betterment may be profitably undertaken.
There are general phases of home improvement from which
improvement projects for a particular place may be planned: (1)
Putting in order the existing place; cleaning and picking up trash;
restoring objects to their proper places: caring for roads and
lawns ; destroying weeds ; pruning trees and shrubbery. (2) Study-
ing the present situation which may suggest replanning or adding
new features; location of paths and drives; location of facilities
such as wood piles, ash heaps, garbage disposal, clothes lines,
chicken coops, corn cribs, out-houses, coldframes, scales, barn doors,
wagon sheds, standing room for vehicles, and turnarounds; rela-
tionship between areas such as those occupied by house, barn,
garden, orchard, chicken yard, and barnyard; amount, location
and desirability of lawn, trees, shrubbery, vines and flowers; condi-
tion, appearance, and convenience of buildings. (3) The carrying
out of the proposed improvements; repair of buildings and fences,
painting and whitewashing, fixing leaky roofs; laying out of drives
and walks. (4) Planting trees for background, and shade around
buildings, as wind-breaks and shade along roads; planting of shub-
bery and vines to beautify certain spots, separate different parts
of the grounds, or hide unsightly buildings; planting of flowers
(usually in a garden or in borders). (5) Installing modern con-
veniences, running water, bathroom equipment, septic tank, and
electric lights, and irrigation. (Fig. 206.)
The beneficial results of such improvements are included
under some of the following heads: (1) For the members of the
family—Dbetter satisfaction with home surroundings, improvement
and conservation of health, a valuable education for its younger
members. (2) For the community—good example. (3) For the
place itself—enhanced value.
Basis for Calculating Profits.—When beautifying and im-
provement projects are undertaken by young people the financial
prefits may be calculated in one of several ways: (1) A disinter-
ested committee may be appointed to examine and appraise at the
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