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CABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS
workers in a village,<in fact under almost
any conditions where~ it would seem advan-
tageous to do such work, especially under the
guidance of a competent cabinetmaker.
 Whether regarded as one of the forms of
a profitable handicraft that might be de-
pended upon as a means of support,<or at
least of adding to the income obtained from
a small farm,<or whether regarded merely
as a means of recreation for a busy man dur-
ing his leisure hours at home, cabinetmak-
ing is likely to prove a most interesting pur-
suit. One distinct advantage is that furniture
made in this way, if well done, would be
better than any that could possibly be made
in a factory, because the work would natural-
ly be more carefully done.  Also the interest
that attaches to the right use of wood could
be developed to a much greater degree than
is possible where the work is done on a large
scale, because judgment and discrimination
could be applied to the selection of lumber
that is without any special market value ac-
cording to commercial standards, but that
has in it certain flaws and irregularities that
make it far more interesting than the costlier
lumber    necessary for   purely commercial
work.   This one item would be a great ad-
vantage as lumber grows scarcer and harder
to obtain.  Also, the furniture itself would
have much more individual interest because
of this very feature, for then it w9uld be
possible to select certain pieces of wood for
special uses and to develop to the utmost all
the natural qualities of color and grain that
might prove interesting when rightly used
and in the right place.  It is by these very
methods and under similar conditions that the
Japanese have gained such world-wide fame
as discriminating users of very simple and
inexpensive woods.  A Japanese regards a
piece of wood as he might a picture and his
one idea is to do something with it that will
show it to the very best advantage, as well
as gain from it the utmost measure of use-
fulness.
 Among the cabinet woods native to this
country and easily obtained are white oak,
brown ash, rock elm, birch, beech and maple.
Chestnut, cypress, pine, redwood and gum-
wood, while all excellent for interior trim,
FIGURE TEN<BOOK cABINET.
FIGURE ELEVEN<BOOKcASE WITH ADJUSTABLE SHELVES.
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