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| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-22 04:06:05 -0800 |
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| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-22 04:06:05 -0800 |
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| parent | d14ea02f5d4e2f174db7cef2ae9623b5bcdb0697 (diff) | |
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padding-right: .25em;} - table.toc td.chaptitle.description - {font-size: .9em;} - table.toc td.padtop - {padding-top: .75em;} - table.toc td.pageno - {text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; padding-left: 2.5em;} - td.brace - {width: .001em; padding: 0;} - td.dontwrap - {white-space: nowrap;} - th - {font-weight: normal; white-space: nowrap; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; padding-left: .1em; padding-right: .1em;} - .tnbot - {border: dashed thin; margin: 1em 10%; padding: .5em;} - .tnbot h2 - {font-size: 1em;} - .tnbot p - {text-indent: -1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: .25em;} - .tnbox - {border: dashed thin; margin: 1em 20%; padding: 1em;} - - </style> - </head> -<body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Cheating the Junk-Pile, by Ethel R. Peyser</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Cheating the Junk-Pile</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'>The Purchase and Maintenance of Household Equipments</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Ethel R. Peyser</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Illustrator: Harry Richardson</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Contributor: Richardson Wright</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: February 26, 2022 [eBook #67507]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Charlene Taylor, Harry Lamé and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHEATING THE JUNK-PILE ***</div> - -<div class="tnbox"> -<p class="center">Please see the <a href="#TN">Transcriber’s Notes</a> -at the end of this text.</p> -</div> - -<div class="container w25em x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Cover image" /> - -</div><!--container--> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Pagei"></span></p> - -<p class="center highline8 fsize200">CHEATING THE JUNK-PILE</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<h1><span class="line1">Cheating the Junk-Pile</span><br /> -<span class="line2">THE PURCHASE AND MAINTENANCE<br /> -OF HOUSEHOLD EQUIPMENTS</span></h1> - -<p class="center blankbefore4"><span class="fsize70">BY</span><br /> -<span class="fsize125">ETHEL R. PEYSER</span></p> - -<p class="center blankbefore2"><span class="fsize70">WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY</span><br /> -<span class="fsize110">RICHARDSON WRIGHT</span><br /> -<span class="fsize80">Editor of “House and Garden Magazine”</span></p> - -<p class="center blankbefore2"><span class="fsize70">Illustrated by drawings by</span><br /> -<span class="fsize110">HARRY RICHARDSON</span><br /> -<span class="fsize80">and by photographs</span></p> - -<div class="container w10em"> -<img src="images/illo003.jpg" alt="Publisher's logo" /> -</div> - -<p class="center blankbefore2 highline15">NEW YORK<br /> -<span class="gesp2">E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY</span><br /> -<span class="smcap fsize90">681 Fifth Avenue</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Pageii"></span></p> - -<p class="center blankbefore4 fsize80">Copyright, 1922,<br /> -BY E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY</p> -<hr class="copyright" /> -<p class="center fsize80"><i>All Rights Reserved</i></p> - -<p class="center blankbefore4 highline4 fsize80">PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Pageiii"></span><a id="Pageiv"></a></p> - -<div class="container w35em"> - -<img src="images/illo006.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Central Oil and Gas Stove Company</i></p> - -<p class="caption">BUNGALOW AND PALACE CAN BE FED WITH THE NEWER -OIL RANGES WITH PLENTY OF SPACE AND OVENS</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Pagev"></span></p> - -<p class="center highline15 blankbefore4">To<br /> -“HOME AND MOTHER”<br /> -The Experience of Both has<br /> -Made this Collection Possible</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Pagevi">[vii]</span><a id="Pagevii"></a></p> - -<h2>ACKNOWLEDGMENTS</h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p>This book cannot go on its way without acknowledging -Richardson Wright, Editor of <i>House and Garden -Magazine</i>, at whose request the chapters were written, -as the source of it and as the stimulus to the gathering -of the material. I also want to acknowledge the unflagging -services of Celia Arbeit, his secretary, who at -every point helped in collating the straying text and -furtive photographs.</p> - -<p>I must not forget the manufacturers, who have supplied -me with information, illustration, and enthusiasm, -and also the several experts who were philanthropic -enough to read every chapter (before they came out in -<i>House and Garden</i>) to eradicate any technical or scientific -anachronism that might have lurked therein. -To all these and others who have helped I am very -grateful.</p> - -<p class="right highline2 padr2">E. R. P.</p> - -<p class="noindent">New York City<br /> -August 1922</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Pageviii">[viii-<br />ix]</span><a id="Pageix"></a></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">AUTHOR’S FOREWORD</h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p>Ignorant buying is the junk-pile’s subsistence.</p> - -<p>This book is in no way intended to be a book on -household efficiency, in the usual sense of the word—it -is no religio-culinaris, no domestic Baedecker or home -Taylor. It is merely meant to be a means to the purchase -and care of the best household equipments and to -be an instruction <i>before</i> not after the purchase is made. -Further, it is meant to cheat the junk-pile, by inspiring -the buyer to get the maximum advantage out of every -purchase of the thing he buys and by the proper care -of it after he gets it. It is a book which conspires -against the aspiring junk heap in the yard or in the -store-room.</p> - -<p>There is so much in the market to-day in the way of -household equipments and devices, that a book like this -is necessary to give the home-keeper as much of an idea -as to what to <i>eliminate</i> as to what to choose. It is necessary, -too, to give the home-keeper an idea of the maintenance -of what she has elected to buy, as the proper -care of possessions adds 100% to their longevity.</p> - -<p>In every case in this book the very best devices are -discussed. If the reader feels that in any case a too -expensive article has been delineated at least he (or she) -will get from the discussion of the thing, an idea and -ideal of what is to be demanded of this sort of device -... and if she (or he) be improvident, will immediately -buy a <i>cheap</i> thing instead of waiting until he (or she) -can afford a better article if not the best. In short, the<span class="pagenum" id="Pagex">[x]</span> -purchaser should demand in every purchase the largest -collection of “best traits.”</p> - -<p>So this book, then, aims to give the purchaser an -idea of what things or <i>qualities</i> to buy; to stimulate the -manufacturer who is ready to furnish them when given -a reason for doing so; to make of every purchase a paying -investment, not a mere expenditure; and to cheat -the Crœsus-like junk-man out of his expected heritage.</p> - -<p>Due to the time it takes to print and publish a book -the reader will realize that there may be new things -created which could not be included herein.</p> - -<p class="right highline2 padr2">E. R. P.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Pagexi">[xi]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">INTRODUCTION<br /> -<span class="chapname">THE HOUSEWIFE AS MANAGER AND PURCHASING AGENT</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p>Several years ago we heard a great deal of talk about -women’s place being in the home. The slogan was -used as a campaign challenge and as a sneer. It was -bandied up and down the country-side until we got -pretty tired of hearing it. Since the privilege of voting -has been given women and since their weight is -being felt in elections, the cry has died down. The -simple reason is that neither the employment of -women in war-work nor the radical challenges of the -ultra-feminist has altered the fundamental fact that the -home is a woman’s realm. Now you can banish her to -the home and make it such a place of drudgery that -she loathes it; or she can abide there as a queenly figure, -director of its work.</p> - -<p>Thanks to the inventive genius of our manufacturers, -the home has ceased to be a place of exile for a -woman. The long hours that used to obtain in housework, -the wear and tear on nerves and muscles, are -being cut down by labor-saving equipment. The shortage -of servants is being met with the same devices.</p> - -<p>It can never be expected that a big house will be -totally servantless. Utopia is still far away. But it -can be reasonably expected that every house will get -along with fewer servants. The hope of this expectation -lies in two salient features of these times: (1) -the simplifying of our home life; (2) the position of -the housewife as a manager.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Pagexii">[xii]</span></p> - -<p>One of the reasons for the high cost of living has -been the complication of our living. The past generation -has been brought up to feel that so many more -things are necessary to comfort than was the previous -generation. Short cuts to comfort cost money. The -grocery order sent over the telephone saves steps but -adds to the bill. The dress bought ready-made is a -convenience—and an extra expense. The food and -drink picked up at shops have added to the cost of living—especially -the drink. Nowadays Congress is encouraging -the making of drinks at home, sensible -women will take a basket on arm and supervise their -own buying at grocery stores, and we are forgetting the -silly twaddle about clothes not looking tailor-made. -The way to meet the high cost of living is to simplify -the manner of living. And the way to simplify the -manner of living is to live more at home and do more -at home.</p> - -<p>We’ve reached the ebb-tide. The flood is leaving the -restaurant and the cabaret and turning toward home. -Make no mistake about that. We are being cleansed -with the fire that we ourselves kindled. The home is -coming into its own, and with it, the woman in the -home.</p> - -<p>Taking them by and large, our grandmothers were -pretty good managers. They didn’t have vacuum -cleaners or electric toasters or telephones or a lot of -other equipment that has cut down housework today, -but, if you will remember, they did have a very decided -system in running and managing their households.</p> - -<p>Our mother’s day saw the introduction of labor-saving -devices. The household work then stood on the -threshold of a new era, but it didn’t have the courage -to put a foot across. Moreover, the equipment had not -reached the degree of proficiency where it could be considered<span class="pagenum" id="Pagexiii">[xiii]</span> -practical. The machinery of household equipment -complicated living.</p> - -<p>This present generation has the perfected machinery -and much more to come, but it lacks what our grandmothers -had—a system. We are dealing with old problems -with new equipment. It is a case of old wine in -new bottles, and we have to find a way of handling it. -The secret, of course, is a system, a policy.</p> - -<p>The housewife of today is to her home what a man -is to his office. She is a house manager, a Domiologist, -as the author of this book suitably coined. To be successful -in that sphere she must apply the same principles -of management to her work that her husband -does to his. She must consider three things: (1) -household policy; (2) household equipment; (3) employed -personnel.</p> - -<p>The employed personnel not only includes the cook -and the other servants of the house, but also the grocer -from whom the vegetables are bought, the butcher, the -dealer in housewares. There is just as much reason for -looking into the character of her butcher before she -buys from him as for looking into her cook’s reputation -before she hires her. In this respect the housewife is -a purchasing agent and she should apply the same -exacting principles that a purchasing agent of a factory -does.</p> - -<p>The household equipment can generally be divided -into departments, just as office work is divided into departments. -There is the cooking department, the laundry -department and the cleaning department. These -will be large and small according to the size of the -family and the house. Each requires its own equipment -and each should be kept separate—the cleaning instruments -such as brushes, brooms, vacuum cleaner, dust -cloths, etc., in their own department or closet; the<span class="pagenum" id="Pagexiv">[xiv]</span> -things appertaining to the kitchen in the kitchen; the -laundry equipment, soap, clothes-lines etc. in the laundry. -Some household managers may say that this is -an old story. Yes, to them. But hundreds of women -complicate the household work by not using this departmental -idea. So soon as they do, household work -begins to straighten out.</p> - -<p>A household policy is less easy to define. In an office -a policy is the way of conducting business—both -the way and the purpose. In a house it should be the -same.</p> - -<p>It is this that the author of this book reiterates over -and over again, a policy and system in the department -of the installing of labor-saving and work-doing machinery -and devices and operations to reduce the irksomeness -of household management. It is this that the -readers of <i>House and Garden Magazine</i>, wherein this -book appeared serially, have enjoyed. Men and women -have profited by its accurate technical discussion and by -the delightful presentation with its occasional bits of -humor. For these reasons I gladly recommend it to its -future public which I feel sure has need of it, consciously -or unconsciously.</p> - -<p class="right padr2 highline2"><span class="smcap">Richardson Wright</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Pagexv">[xv]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CONTENTS</h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<table class="toc first" summary="ToC"> - -<tr> -<th colspan="2"> </th> -<th class="right fsize80">PAGE</th> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno"><span class="smcap">Introduction.</span></td> -<td class="chaptitle"><span class="smcap">The Housekeeper as Manager.</span></td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle"><span class="smcap">By Richardson Wright</span>, Editor of <i>House and Garden Magazine</i></td> -<td class="pageno">xi</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<table class="toc second" summary="ToC"> - -<tr> -<td colspan="3" class="left fsize80">CHAPTER</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">I.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Introducing You to Electricity</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page1">1</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Electricity simplified for your many uses.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">II.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Keeping Out of Hot Water</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page13">13</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Making dishwashing a pleasant game. How the drudgery of dishwashing is banished by -electricity.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">III.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Electrocuting the Wash</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page22">22</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">No more wasting the laundress. Electric laundries make washing, drying and ironing swifter -and cleaner.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">IV.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">The Portable Vacuum Cleaner</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page45">45</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Makes a clean sweep if you buy the right kind.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">V.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">A Pipe Dream</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page54">54</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">The stationary vacuum plant in your cellar is piped for convenience, like water to your -chambers.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">VI.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Cooking by Electric Current</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page62">62</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Not a currant jam, but a release of time and a gain in cleanliness and comfort.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">VII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Taking Guesswork Out of Gas Cookery</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page75">75</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Done by the new devices for timing and temperatures and the new surfaces for cooking.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">VIII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">The Oil Range</span><span class="pagenum" id="Pagexvi">[xvi]</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page86">86</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">These days can never say “Call me oily, mother dear,” as the new ranges are odorless, -swift and clean cookers.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">IX.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Cooking by Absent Treatment</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page96">96</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">The method of the new fireless electric cookers.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">X.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Questions From the League of Rations</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page100">100</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Well met by the new kitchenette equipments.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XI.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Keeping It Cool</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page106">106</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">The refrigerator is good only if you buy the best types. The points are here for your -digestion.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">The Passing of the Ice Man</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page113">113</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">The irrevocable tragedy with the advent of the ice-making refrigerators.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XIII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">A Burning Question</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page119">119</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">The incinerator. The right kind of incineration is the only way to answer the question.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XIV.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Air and its Entrance and Exit</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page126">126</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Depend on many things detailed in this chapter.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XV.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">The Plumbing in Your Kitchen</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page136">136</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">A “piping” chapter in reference to sinks of all kinds, refrigerator connection, etc.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XVI.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Knife-Life in the Kitchen</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page150">150</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Speaks for their habits, habitat, uses, and abilities.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XVII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">The Ancient Wood Implements</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page163">163</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Their place in your modern economy.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XVIII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Glass Ware</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page170">170</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Some transparent but overlooked facts.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XIX.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">The Bride’s Kitchen</span><span class="pagenum" id="Pagexvii">[xvii]</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page175">175</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">With its accessories is the same as any first equipment for any kitchen (utensils, -function, etc.).</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XX.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Canning and Preserving</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page187">187</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">With many new angles.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXI.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Casseroles or the Revolution Culinary</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page197">197</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">An exciting title for a casserole discussion.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Furnishing Your Kitchen</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page202">202</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">The best, according to your purse, is suggested here. Tables much discussed.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXIII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Kitchen Cosmetics</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page211">211</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">How to “make-up” the kitchen with paint and varnish.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXIV.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">The Great American Dish</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page220">220</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Ice cream is made possible by proper implements.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXV.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">The Kitchen Rotary Club</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page229">229</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Tells of the new and old buffers and mixers for culinary amalgamations, etc., and how to -“beat it” modernly.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXVI.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Flaws or Floors in Your Kitchen</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page236">236</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Gives advice as to choice and treatment of floorings.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXVII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Federalizing Your Kitchen</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page244">244</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Having kitchen cabinets built the right way, so that from them kitchen processes can -comfortably be directed.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXVIII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">When the Pot Hangs High</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page250">250</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">A plea for the convenient arrangement of everyday kitchen utensils. Hooks -versus closets, and daylight versus dark.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXIX.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Brushing up on Brushes</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page255">255</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Their manufacture, functions, treatment, and adaptability to different -things.<span class="pagenum" id="Pagexviii">[xviii]</span></td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXX.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">The Quiet House</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page264">264</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">How by insulations, and various other devices, quiet may be had in <i>any</i> home.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXXI.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Ostracizing the Fly</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page269">269</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">By screens (and cleanliness). Here cleanliness is taken for granted and screens are -discussed—not movie but movable screens.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXXII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Polishing the Water Supply</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page282">282</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Another way of saying, “Here are ways to filter water properly.”</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXXIII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Outstripping the Gale</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page292">292</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">By weather stripping. A discussion of weather strips to save time, money and health.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXXIV.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Beauty and the Bath</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page302">302</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Retails the new bathroom fixings which make them less like a hospital in appearance.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXXV.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">The Winter of Your Content</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page313">313</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Can be had only by heating plants properly bought and kept.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXXVI.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Outlets Save Your Income</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page328">328</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">In lighting the house.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXXVII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Tin Ware, Rubber and Paper</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page337">337</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Mere articles of use and comfort.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXXVIII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Come Out of the Parlor</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page343">343</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">And see what lovely gifts you can give from the realm of the kitchen.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XXXIX.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Latest Inventions</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page348">348</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">At least as late as the printing of a new book permitted.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XL.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Measure for Measure</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page354">354</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">A warning in terms of weights and measures for kitchen -economy.<span class="pagenum" id="Pagexix">[xix]</span></td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XLI.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Taking the Kitchen Along</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page366">366</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">When motoring or picnicking what to carry.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XLII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">The Fire Hazard</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page370">370</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">Ways to decrease the danger of fire.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XLIII.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">Taking Care of the Household Equipment</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page390">390</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">The only way to cheat the junk-pile after buying the best devices.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chapno padtop">XLIV.</td> -<td class="chaptitle padtop"><span class="smcap">A Few Suggestive Books</span></td> -<td class="pageno padtop"><a href="#Page400">400</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="chaptitle description">In which you may read further about things we could not touch upon in this short collection.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Pagexx">[xx-<br />xxi]</span><a id="Pagexxi"></a></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<table class="loi" summary="LoI"> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="subject">Bungalow and palace can be fed with the newer oil ranges with plenty of space and ovens -<span class="righttext"><i><a href="#Pageiii">Frontispiece</a></i></span></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<th> </th> -<th class="right fsize80">PAGE</th> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">A way to keep out of “hot water”—The portable dishwasher</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page15">15</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">The dishwasher which is a table when not washing</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page19">19</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">Wet days can be dry days no matter what the law may be with the indoor dryer</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page33">33</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">Looking for the dust which was sucked down from above stairs!</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page55">55</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">Electric range</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page63">63</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="opposite">TO FACE PAGE</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">Hood and stove heated by gas and wood</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page75">75</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">The smooth top 38″ gas range takes the stoop out of stoopid cookery</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page77">77</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">Taking the guess work out of oven temperatures by the use of an automatic heat regulator</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page81">81</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="opposite">TO FACE PAGE</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">A corner in Walter Russell’s kitchenette</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page100">100</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="opposite">TO FACE PAGE</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">When there is a cellar used for the laundry, the ice-maker coils can be set down there with ease and -simplicity</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page106">106</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">Nor cold nor heat can get beyond these fortifications</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page109">109</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">She is cool even in summer with moving air</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page129">129</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">Devices designed by the author for keeping cutlery in cutting form</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page158">158</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">Another device designed by the author for keeping cutlery in cutting -form<span class="pagenum" id="Pagexxii">[xxii]</span></td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page160">160</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="opposite">TO FACE PAGE</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">Showing the meat-chopping table, range</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page202">202</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">A member of the kitchen rotary club at work on cake-mixing</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page231">231</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="opposite">TO FACE PAGE</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">An ideal kitchen with linotile floor, built-in steel kitchen cabinet units and cook’s table, with pot -hanger comfort</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page236">236</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="opposite">TO FACE PAGE</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">A steel unit kitchen cabinet flanked by broom and duster closets</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page244">244</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">The screen which rolls up is a comfort as well as a safe and sure insect ostracizer</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page275">275</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">Double hung or ordinary sliding window treatment with weatherstrips obviates draughts, dust and -noise—saves coal!</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page295">295</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">A method of heating water by means of a faucet attachment</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page325">325</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">Detach plug from iron as well as from socket if you want your home intact</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page382">382</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="subject">She has prepared the way for a nice little fire</td> -<td class="pageno"><a href="#Page383">383</a></td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<p class="center highline8 fsize125">CHEATING THE JUNK-PILE</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page1">[1]</span></p> - -<p class="center highline4 fsize150"><b>Cheating The Junk-Pile</b></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER I<br /> -<span class="chapname">INTRODUCING YOU TO ELECTRICITY</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">W</span><span class="afterlargecap">hat’s</span> -a watt? This is not a comic opera refrain, -but a question asked so many times that it -is typical of the lack of knowledge people have to-day of -the force which they are using constantly in their own -homes and others.</p> - -<p>We have lived to see women go to automobile schools -and learn the working of the car which is theirs to drive. -But as yet there seems to be no course even in the -domestic science school which gives the household engineer -an inkling of what is to be her mechanical field -in the realm of electricity or ordinary mechanical construction. -We hope this will come.</p> - -<p>For have you ever stopped to think that the housekeeper -to-day presides over an extensive electric installation? -Even if she has but a telephone and an electric -bell in the house, there is much that happens that ought -to be familiar to her.</p> - -<p>But people to-day have much more than these few -things; they have at least three or four of the following: -ironing machine, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, -telephone, warming pad, electric lights, toaster, electric -piano, sewing machine, curling iron, electric range, -electric iron, etc., yet the underlying principles and -vocabulary are still as Sanskrit to the majority of users.</p> - -<p>This article is but to make simple and comfortable<span class="pagenum" id="Page2">[2]</span> -electric terminologies and we will use this for an excuse -to get at a few electrical misusages. It is to make -electricity familiar rather than a stranger to the user. -Nobody knows what electricity is, so fortunately, we -don’t have to stop and define it. All that we know is -that it acts in certain definite ways.</p> - -<p>We get electricity from the battery and from the generator -(dynamo). The battery consists of celled containers -which come under the heads of dry and wet -batteries in so far as they contain liquid or solid -(wet) ingredients, through which the electricity is generated -and passed out by means of wires. In short -the battery produces electricity by means of chemicals. -The primary battery produces electricity and the storage -battery stores it in the form of chemical energy. -It is useless for purveying very much electrical power -as there never can be enough pressure (voltage) to send -along the electricity to do big jobs, unless hundreds of -cells connected in a certain way were used, which would -be a foolish waste of material and time, etc.</p> - -<p>In order to obviate such manufacturing the generator -or dynamo is used and electricity is made in this way -by induction. In other words, we make it by letting a -coil of wire (or several coils) be revolved by steam or -water power (usually) as it cuts through the area of -magnetism (field) of a giant magnet something like -those we used when we were children. This coil catches -the electricity and it is led off by wires wherever we -want it to perform. The coil on the spindle is called -the armature, where the wire is attached to lead off the -electricity from the armature are contact-pieces, and the -plates which make the contact with the contact pieces -and to which are attached the wires of the out-going -electric circuit are called the brushes. There is much -more to say, but not in this article. If you are interested<span class="pagenum" id="Page3">[3]</span> -we refer you to Charles R. Gibson’s “Romance of Electricity” -for simple electrical explanations.</p> - -<p>The motor with a few mechanical changes is the reverse -of the dynamo; it works by electricity and changes -it into mechanical power to work our washing machines, -etc. There are on the market A. C., D. C., and Universal -motors. These you will understand after the <a href="#Ref1">next -section</a> which takes up A. C. and D. C. electricity.</p> - -<p>“Madam, do you use A. C. or D. C.?” asks the man -selling you a washing machine. Most decent folks are -quite at sea at this seemingly geographic question, and -yet after all it is the most complicated simple thing in -the world. D. C. doesn’t mean District of Columbia; it -simply means Direct Current. And A. C. means Alternating -Current. And on these two kinds hang all the -wires of electric profits.</p> - -<p>Direct Current or D. C. is a current that runs in -one direction over the wire like water through a -pipe. It is simple to visualize, even if electricity -does flow 163,000 miles per second. But -alternating current (A. C.) is electricity which alternates -and goes back and forth, generally. Even though -it goes back and forth in waves of tremendous rapidity, -you can see that there must be a time in this period -when the electricity is for an infinitesimal space of time -at low power, and another infinitesimal space of time at -high. In order to keep the supply even and steady, -two and sometimes three coils of wire are used in the -generator to catch the electricity so that there is scant -opportunity for the electric supply to be anything -but even, for when one coil is up the other is down and -thus they even up the strength of the current.</p> - -<p>So when your salesman asks you when you buy a -motor, “If you have A. C. or D. C. electricity” and you -say A. C. he may go on and say, “How many phase?<span class="pagenum" id="Page4">[4]</span>” -Then you should find out the answer from your lighting -company. He then may ask you how many cycles, -which when translated means the electric period it takes -for the alternating current to flow back and forth.</p> - -<p>Now dynamos for D. C. and A. C. electricity vary -slightly, but that need not trouble <i>us</i>.</p> - -<p>The reason for two kinds of electricity at all is that -each, though obeying the larger laws, has its own peculiar -habits and good points.</p> - -<p>For example, alternating current can be carried long -distances at high pressure (high voltage) and side-tracked -by a transformer to a little home and the pressure -very simply reduced. In other cases the pressure -can be very simply increased. Therefore in country -districts one is very prone to see A. C. in vogue.</p> - -<p>The same amount of current, whether D. C. or A. C., -is used for lighting, etc.</p> - -<p>A. C. is not used for electro-plating, etc., or for storage -batteries. This is a good point to remember if you -have storage batteries to supply for bells, etc., and your -current is A. C. You will have to have your batteries -charged from a plant which makes D. C. or install a -small “converter.” If you attempt to use the A. C. you -will burn out your plates.</p> - -<p>But how is electricity measured? How, in other -words, do we know how much we use and how can we -test our bills? The following paradigm will give the -electric measures translated into more familiar terms of -water measurement:</p> - -<table class="paradigm" summary="Analogies"> - -<tr> -<td class="electric">Volt</td> -<td class="water">Pressure</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="electric">Ampere</td> -<td class="water">Rate of flow of current per second</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="electric">Watt</td> -<td class="water">Fraction of horsepower (H.P.)</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="electric">Kilowatt (1000 watts)</td> -<td class="water">1<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> H.P.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="electric">Resistance</td> -<td class="water">Friction (as water resists the sides of a pipe.)</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="electric">Ohms (the unit of measuring resistance).<span class="pagenum" id="Page5">[5]</span></td> -<td class="water">Friction (as water resists the sides of a pipe).</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p>The volt takes its name from Volta, an Italian scientist; -the ampere from a Frenchman, the ohm from -a German, the watt from an Englishman. We hear -most about volts and watts. Voltage is found by multiplying -the ohms by the amperes. The volt is the pressure -that makes electricity flow through the wire, and the -friction of resistance to its flow is measured by the ohm.</p> - -<p>The amount of work a given number of amperes will -do at a certain voltage (pressure) is known as watts.</p> - -<p>So if by chance you ever need formulæ here is a -little one for your card catalogue:</p> - -<div class="formulae"> - -<p>Ohms×amperes=volts.<br /> -Volts÷ohm=ampere.<br /> -Volts×ampere=watts.<br /> -1 Kilowatt=1000 watts.<br /> -1000 watts=1<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> H. P.</p> - -</div><!--fomulae--> - -<p>The next thing which is necessary for the householder -to know is how to compute costs of electrical usage.</p> - -<p>The amount of electric power used, for example, by -the electric light is measured in watts. Look on any -incandescent bulb and you will see thereon the number -of watts—usually around 50 or 60.</p> - -<p>In order to know how many watts a light consumes, -divide the number of watts it consumes by 1000 to reduce -it to a something of a kilowatt. Then multiply -this result by the number of hours the lamp has been -lit by the kilowatt to get the kilowatt hour of electricity. -The kilowatt hour, of course, multiplied by the rate per -kilowatt hour in your locality will give you the cost. -The rate is always figured on the kilowatt hour.</p> - -<div class="formulae"> - -<p>Watt÷1000=kilowatts.<br /> -Kilowatt×hours=kilowatt hours.<span class="pagenum" id="Page6">[6]</span><br /> -Kilowatt hours×rate=cost.</p> - -</div><!--formulae--> - -<p> -Probably it would be a good thing to know how -to read the meter, which generally consists of four little -dials which are read from right to left. The first dial -measures the tens, the second the hundreds, the third the -thousands, the fourth the ten thousands. Therefore -if the hand in the left has passed 9, that would stand for <span class="righttext">9000</span><br /> -In 2nd dial nearest to 1 that would stand for <span class="righttext">100</span><br /> -In 3rd dial nearest to 2, that would stand for <span class="righttext">20</span><br /> -In 4th dial nearest to 1, that would stand for <span class="righttext">1</span><br /> -<span class="righttext"><span class="bt">9121</span></span></p> - -<p class="allclear blankbefore15">The total is 9121 kilowatt hours and this multiplied -by the rate (say ten cents) as it is in some places, -would mean that the bill for this consumption would -be $92.2. Now, knowing from your last month’s bill -that the reading of the meter then was 82000—by -subtracting you find that the actual current consumed -was 921 K. W. hours, which multiplied by rate (say ten -cents) gives you $92.10 as your bill.</p> - -<p>To quote from an article in this series on electric -ranges will give you an idea as to how to buy in accordance -with voltage and how the cost is reckoned in watts:</p> - -<p>“It is necessary when ordering a range to give the -voltage of your electricity supply. The stoves are usually -prepared for 110-220, 110 volts with two wire service -from the street or 110-220 volts with three wire -service. In some stoves the cut-out box is built on the -range directly back of the switches. This, then, can be -easily opened if anything happens. In the stock stove -there is made an extra charge for voltage exceeding<span class="pagenum" id="Page7">[7]</span> -220 or less than 110, because alterations have to be made.</p> - -<p>According to the size of heating elements in the stove, -etc., the wattage runs from 10,000 watts or 10 kilowatts, -which is the same thing, to about 2500 watts, or 2<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> -kilowatts on a small three-heating-unit range. This -gives its total capacity if everything goes at once. The -number of watts used, multiplied by our local rate, say -four cents, gives the cost per kilowatt hour, which in -this case would be 40 cents per hour.</p> - -<p>Have you ever wondered how electricity changes from -current to heat? Have you ever wondered how we can -cook, and iron, and warm a room by it?</p> - -<p>It is due to electricity’s resistance, which is measured -in ohms. It is resistance which is turned into heat. -The process of overcoming resistance results in throwing -off heat. It is quite familiar.</p> - -<p>Did you ever rub a piece of wood in the palm of your -hand for a little while and feel the heat given off? We -call it friction, but it is really the giving off of heat -due to expenditure of mechanical energy.</p> - -<p>The same thing happens with the electricity. This -electricity which travels at the speed of 163,000 miles -a second, when it comes into frictional relation with -its conductor pushes aside the molecules of the metal, -and here the mechanical energy is magically transformed -into heat.</p> - -<h3 id="Ref1"><span class="smcap">Some Technical Terms</span></h3> - -<p>When we hear short-circuit mentioned, what does it -mean to us? Well, it should mean that the path of the -electricity (electric circuit) has been suddenly shortened, -the electricity has escaped through the ground or -over another conductor.</p> - -<p>Insulation is the covering by which the escape of<span class="pagenum" id="Page8">[8]</span> -electricity through the wire is made impossible. -Always see to it that the insulation is in perfect condition.</p> - -<p>All wires must be insulated. In damp places rubber -covered wire must be used.</p> - -<p>Wires must always be protected with porcelain tubes -passing through partition walls, girders, and where they -pass over pipes, and other wires, etc.</p> - -<p>Incandescent lights are merely globes with a vacuum -in which a filament of tungsten or some other highly resistant -material meets the electric current and glows -through its very resistant power.</p> - -<p>The switch is merely a device to open and close the -path of electricity.</p> - -<p>The socket is the termination of two wires from the -generator or battery, into which the bulb of the light -is put and other connections made.</p> - -<p>You will notice two wires on every electric connection. -This is to make a complete electric circuit (path) to -and from the points where it is used.</p> - -<p>The outlet is the opening where the socket can be -placed. The more outlets you have in your home before -building the better off you will be forever and ever. -A convenient outlet (sometimes called a baseboard or -wall receptacle) is simply a place for conveniently connecting -electric appliances to your electric current.</p> - -<p>Fuses are things we hear much about. They are the -stop-gaps really between danger and safety and though -they make a splutter when they “blow out” it is right -that they should. Briefly, the fuse is a bit of lead or -other metal with a low melting point so placed that when -the circuit gets overloaded for any reason the metal will -melt and open the circuit, stopping the electricity and -preventing danger.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page9">[9]</span></p> - -<p>When the fuse burns, we call that a blow-out, but this -burning has saved us from dangerous currents.</p> - -<p>Every house should be well supplied with fuses, and -as soon as they are blown out, restored. Your superintendent -or electrician will show you how to restore the -oft blown-out fuse. So it is wise to keep a few new -fuses in one’s home.</p> - -<p>The fuse will blow out sometimes if you allow a bit -of metal from a lamp shade to cavort too intimately -with the excitable parts of your incandescent bulb; -then the wire gets overloaded and the tin or lead conductor -on the fuse melts and prevents the greater current -doing any damage. It’s simple, isn’t it? The -fuses come in convenient shape. Sometimes it is wise -to use a rubber glove when putting them in. We have -seen a sparking do a bit of burning.</p> - -<p>Electricity is not dangerous when properly employed. -It is dangerous when you use it wrongly. If -you put your hand under a boiling hot stream of -water you will get burnt. If you put your hand on a -red hot stove you will get burnt; if you burn a fire in a -wooden box you will have more fire than you bargained -for; if you inhale gas you will die. Such is the case -with electricity, which is a most controllable force -if you are not ignorant as to how to use it. However, -if you will put a hot curling iron on your table without -turning off your current you will have a cozy little fire -start up; so you would if you laid down a cigaret without -putting it out. Most accidents occur simply because -of such ridiculous carelessness. Mr. A. M. Grant of the -Manhattan Electrical Supply Company said a wise -thing in reference to this subject: “Before connecting -any appliance to your lamp socket turn out the light -in your bulb; then you know that your current is off.<span class="pagenum" id="Page10">[10]</span> -Never attach anything to anything electrical until the -current is off and never go away and leave an appliance -with the electricity turned on.”</p> - -<p>More specifically, in using any electric appliance non-continuously, -shut off the current immediately upon -stopping. Do not only pull out the plug but turn off -the electricity.</p> - -<p>In using the flat-iron detach the plug at the iron as -well as turn off the current from the socket.</p> - -<p>Remove the iron from the goods and detach the plug -when called away from the ironing board.</p> - -<p>Never pull the plug out by the cord; always grip it at -the spring.</p> - -<p>Always replace at once frayed wires—as the ends -often collide and make blow-outs.</p> - -<p>Don’t leave your electric curling iron on the table -cloth and do something else about the room without first -turning off the current—or you’ll have a cute little fire.</p> - -<p>Care must be taken in using too many cluster plugs, -because the electric circuit (path) may be overloaded. -That is, too much electricity drawn over the wire which -is made for a certain load. Then your fuse will blow -out. Extra appliances should be attached to different -circuits. This a good electrician will regulate for you. -Too much wattage (horsepower) over one circuit is -like forcing any machinery to the breaking point. A -percolator, toaster and a lamp are too heavy a load for -the ordinary circuit. Connect at the same place only -those appliances that are of low wattage.</p> - -<p>Some firms have now made percolators and water heaters -with fuse-nut or safety fuse devices which melt if -overloaded or allowed to heat up without any liquid in -them to be heated. You must not let a percolator -“perc” without any water in it. People complain more -about good percolators because their heating element<span class="pagenum" id="Page11">[11]</span> -burns out, either because they do this or because they -have it connected up with too many other devices. -Even if you do the right thing in these respects, don’t -forget to disconnect the electricity by pulling out the -plug.</p> - -<p>Don’t get your electricity heating pad wet. In fact, -don’t wet any electric appliance carelessly or you may -have a short circuit.</p> - -<p>Remember that electricity, magic as it is, can burn -as well as any flame, so don’t let your curtains blow -against a red hot electric radiator and then blame it on -the electricity which after all is your servant if you -make it so by right treatment.</p> - -<p>Always ask your salesman to what the device purchased -should be attached. Some things are designed -for the ordinary lamp socket, and others need different -connections.</p> - -<p>Many electric appliances have the pilot light to tell -you whether your electric current is on or off. Yet it -is wise to be your own pilot and remember what you are -doing.</p> - -<p>Do not leave your electrical installation entirely to -your architect. Watch what is happening. Remember -you need as many outlets as you possibly can afford; -the more you have the better lighting you can have, the -better electric comforts you can have. If you have few -outlets you are very prone to overload your circuit, and -in the future as more electric devices come into being -you will have to pass them up. Outlets consume no -electricity but are simply entrances where electricity -can be located as soon as the appliance is connected up -with it and turned on.</p> - -<p>Above all, have your electric installation put in by -the most responsible and experienced people you can -get to do it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page12">[12]</span></p> - -<p>When you buy appliances always ask what voltage -they require and find out what your own voltage is -before you buy; also find out whether you have D. C. or -A. C., and if A. C. find out what phase and cycle. -These things will save you time and money and free you -from any apprehension of calamity from the use of -electricity.</p> - -<p>There is much left unsaid in this chapter. It would -take a book by itself to say everything.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page13">[13]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER II<br /> -<span class="chapname">KEEPING OUT OF HOT WATER</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">T</span><span class="afterlargecap">here</span> -is never any magic about household equipment. -You must not expect to do the impossible. -If you have a dishwasher you must not expect it to do -any more processes of washing than you expect of your -player piano of playing. The dishwasher is to wash, -the piano to play.</p> - -<p>Many women have said, “I think a dishwasher is a -nuisance, you have to stack your dishes, hand-scrape -pots and pans, carry water by the pailful and then have -the job of cleaning the dishwasher itself. The only -thing it does is to wash off some of the dishes.”</p> - -<p>Well, it is only a dishwasher. Doesn’t the automobile -have to be cleaned and oiled? Why should the -dishwasher be expected to polish silver.</p> - -<p>Yet we do solemnly think that the dishwasher attached -to the plumbing of the house, so that the fresh -water comes in unlifted by the operator and goes out -unheeded, is the only dishwasher to buy, regardless of -how it is worked—by hand, by water force or by electricity. -This is only one type.</p> - -<p>Some of the best dishwashers are made unattached -to the plumbing so that they can be wheeled into the -dining room and be stacked as they leave the table. -This is a rather perfect type for some homes, but you -must have it fixed so that when it arrives dish laden in -the kitchen or pantry it can be attached to the water -supply and emptied through the sewer. This is the only<span class="pagenum" id="Page14">[14]</span> -way to get maximum comfort, unless you or your cook -enjoy hauling pails of water.</p> - -<p>Yet we can imagine many women who would rather -haul water than handle dish water. And here is where -the “unattached” dishwasher wins out over the old-fashioned -style of washing dishes. The chances of -breakage are less where the dishes are not washed -separately and rehandled for drying separately. Dishes -handled when dry do not slip so readily, to fall or -break.</p> - -<p>For the most part these machines are equipped with -a motor which propels a fan or paddle to spray or -“swish” and whirl the water about among the dishes. -The efficiency depends not only on the speed the water -travels but on the direction.</p> - -<p>For example, one of the most interesting of dishwashers -is not run by hand or electricity, but it is -attached to the drain and water supply. The hot water -is distributed and so forced against the dishes that, without -soap, they are washed noiselessly. No soap is required -with this machine.</p> - -<p>It has taken us a long time to be sold to this dishwasher, -but we are convinced that it is the type to use -when one has to do one’s own work.</p> - -<p>If it is possible to use very hot water in your dishwasher, -you can leave the top of your machine off and -the dishes will dry without handwork. Of course, there -will be no polish on the glass and silver, but they will -be dry.</p> - -<p>The following is advice given by those who sell dishwashers:</p> - -<p>1. You must have hot water—really hot water—to -use an electric dishwasher successfully.</p> - -<p>2. Use the soap powder the manufacturer supplies -or recommends. Remember that suds are unnecessary -for cleansing and are hard to rinse off, anyway. You -need an ash powder which will cut grease.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page15">[15]</span></p> - -<div class="container w30em"> - -<img src="images/illo041.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Whirlpool Mfg. Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">A WAY TO KEEP OUT OF “HOT WATER”—THE PORTABLE -DISHWASHER</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page16">[16-<br />17]</span><a id="Page17"></a></p> - -<p>3. Dishes covered with egg, flour mixtures, etc., -should first be held under cold water. Hot water boils -these mixtures and makes them stick closer to dishes.</p> - -<p>4. Follow the manufacturer’s directions as to placing -dishes, silver, etc. Get the knack—which is easily -acquired—of putting in the dishes with the fewest motions -possible.</p> - -<p>5. Experiment with the much disputed point of -whether dishwashers will wash pots and pans. Most -dishwashers will clean them of everything except burnt-on -food or particles which have to be taken off with a -powder.</p> - -<p>6. Note how easy it is to dry the silver and polish -glassware, and that while you are doing this the china -dries itself and needs only to be put away.</p> - -<p>7. If you have a small family do not wash the dishes -after every meal, but stack them in the dishwasher and -wash them once a day, say after breakfast.</p> - -<p>8. Remember that dishwashing is but one of a series -of kitchen operations. To begin at the beginning, and -to get the utmost value out of the electric dishwasher, -glass, aluminum and enamel cooking utensils are to be -recommended, wherever possible without handles, so that -they do not take up too much space in the machine. In -cooking and serving, clean up as you go, using as few -utensils as possible in your cooking (all modern houseworkers -recommend this procedure, although it does not -always meet with the approval of housekeepers generally), -stacking bowls, plates, spoons, etc., in the dishwasher -as you work, thus having a comparatively clean -kitchen when you are ready to serve the meal.</p> - -<p>9. See that the dishwasher is properly placed in relation -to the entire dishwashing performance. The ideal<span class="pagenum" id="Page18">[18]</span> -placement is near the dining room or pantry door, so -that it receives the dishes without extra steps, and adjacent -to cupboard where dishes are put away.</p> - -<p>You will perhaps think this is a lot to do, but didn’t -you have to learn to “do” things on your vacuum -cleaner, your washing machine, your typewriter, too? -Weren’t you willing to learn how to run your own car?</p> - -<p>When buying a dishwasher, look at the racks. Be -sure they are smooth and easily cleaned, finished so -that there is naught to peel off and catch food. Also -be sure these racks fit and are not cantankerous in going -back into the machine. If they are difficult to manipulate -the misery is untold.</p> - -<p>In purchasing look for the following points:</p> - -<p>1. The dishwasher must be smooth inside.</p> - -<p>2. No corners to harbor bits of food.</p> - -<p>3. Self cleansing.</p> - -<p>4. Dishes placed so as to be unmoveable and not stick -together.</p> - -<p>5. Cost of electricity low, from one to two cents per -washing.</p> - -<p>6. Capacity to be convenient to your uses.</p> - -<p>7. Operates in kitchen or pantry.</p> - -<p>8. Operates from three to fifteen minutes.</p> - -<p>9. The water penetrates all sides of dishes.</p> - -<p>10. Easy to fill and empty whether attached or unattached -to water and outlet systems.</p> - -<p>Some booklets advertise the fact that machines require -only six quarts of water—less water than in ordinary -dishwashing. The water, unless it is to be hand -handled, need not trouble anyone. But it is a well -known fact that dishes to be washed satisfactorily must -have water used on them without stint.</p> - -<p>The most satisfactory soaps are the white powders. -A new powder, on the market, which isn’t soap at all,<span class="pagenum" id="Page19">[19]</span> -does not leave a greasy residue and make a difficulty -of cleaning out the dishwater. In a good dishwasher, -however, the water force banishes residue of all kinds.</p> - -<div class="container w30em"> - -<img src="images/illo045.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Western Electric Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">THE DISHWASHER WHICH IS A TABLE WHEN NOT WASHING</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p>One manufacturer of a good dishwasher is honest -enough to say that for a good effect silver and glasses -should always be polished coming out of the dishwasher, -because any method of washing will always leave a film. -Many a dishwasher has been sold on the pretext that -this is unnecessary and the result has been dissatisfaction -and a psychological dislike of the machine.</p> - -<p>To be sure, an ordinary dirty pot or pan can be<span class="pagenum" id="Page20">[20]</span> -cleaned on a dishwasher. The burnt-on type of dirt -must be scraped off by hand.</p> - -<p>Warning: don’t burn in food, so use utensils where -you reduce this possibility to a minimum. Some dishwasher -concerns supply you with hand-saving scrapers.</p> - -<p>A dishwasher in the shape of a table, beautifully finished, -makes it unnecessary to have an extra table about. -This does its work well. One example of this table-high -dishwasher has a device whereby the rack of dishes is -lifted to a reachable height by lifting the lid.</p> - -<p>Another supplies you with extra baskets in which to -stack your dishes while the full basket is being used in -the washer.</p> - -<p>Yet another cylinder type has a cover that goes back -flat, on which can be laid the tray to be filled with -dishes.</p> - -<p>At present some of these machines make a slight -noise in operation; yet many do not mind this. But in -telling a story we must tell it all. Of course many other -machines used in the home are no “modest -violets” either. We don’t need to listen hard to hear -vacuum cleaners or patent brooms, but they work -well despite their blatansies.</p> - -<p>Washing machines are made in cylindrical and rectangular -form and can be placed in small kitchens as -well as large without inconvenience. Of course there -are some machines called “Domestic” that are meant -for the domesticity of a home where there are seventeen -servants and other things equally hotel-like. These -are big and efficient but the ordinary apartment or small -home could not afford to house them.</p> - -<p>The dishwasher really is the crux of the economic -problem. Many a girl would marry gladly without a -maid, if the dishwashing was reduced to a minimum.<span class="pagenum" id="Page21">[21]</span> -One of these days when lovers offer dishwashers in addition -to the conventional platinum solitaires, they will -find winning a bride a much easier task than it is at -present.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page22">[22]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER III<br /> -<span class="chapname">ELECTROCUTING THE WASH!</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">“C</span><span class="afterlargecap">an’t</span> -afford,” is the first thing that is said -against the installation of electrical equipment -in the home. Equipment for offices is placed because it -is saving of time and money and energy, but equipment -for the home is often grudgingly installed just because -makeshifts have been the rule for so long.</p> - -<p>Quite true is it, that you often have a hard time to -prove to your husband that the washer is a money saver, -that the ironer too is a saver of money. But -this can be done very easily. Let money talk and the -machinery will almost install itself!</p> - -<p>The laundry equipment, of course, is a serious thing -and must be taken so. Many things should be investigated -before buying, your needs known to yourself. -Equipment should not, like marriage, be entered into -unadvisedly, for when you spend money you must spend -it as an investment and not as a mere lark. You must -get your return on the investment or you have thrown it -away.</p> - -<p>If you do not know what to get, read, use shoe leather -and ask those who have the thing you want. The -manufacturers too are glad to talk over your needs.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Requirements of the Home Laundry</span></h3> - -<p>A satisfactory laundry depends <span class="nowrap">on:—</span></p> - -<p>1. The location of room, its relation to outdoor drying<span class="pagenum" id="Page23">[23]</span> -and its relation to the source of supply of incoming laundry.</p> - -<p>2. Proper floor, ceiling and walls. All joints curved, -no corners.</p> - -<p>3. Selection of equipment. The types and kinds best -fitted to size of family and room.</p> - -<p>4. The advantageous disposal of appliances purchased.</p> - -<p>5. Thorough instruction of operators in the use of the -machinery, as a good machine is useless unless the -operator knows the requirements.</p> - -<p>6. Proper care of appliances.</p> - -<p>7. Sanitary conditions: light and ventilation. Good -air is part of all good laundry work.</p> - -<p>8. The acceptance of the worker to use cheerfully the -machinery and the adequate payment of the worker.</p> - -<p>9. Knowledge on the part of the housekeeper or mistress -of the laundry procedure in order to oversee more -intelligently the work done. <i>Women seem to think a -knowledge of cookery</i> necessary but <i>give little heed to -the importance</i> of the laundry.</p> - -<p>10. A system developed and maintained for the -laundering of clothes.</p> - -<p>So much for the general principles. This chapter -will not deal at all with methods of laundry work ... as -is.</p> - -<p>The only reason for the electric laundry is that it does -save time, money and energy and prolongs the life of -clothes to a certain degree.</p> - -<p>In doing missionary work in the past for these things, -people said: “you can lead a maid to the washer but -you can’t make her wash.” They said this too about -the horse and the trough, yet if he never drank he would -have died of thirst! So much for that argument. You -may as well say: You can lead a cook to the soup pot -but you can’t make him stir!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page24">[24]</span></p> - -<p>Money talks to husbands! you can prove the saving.</p> - -<p>Less work talks to laundresses, you can prove the -saving.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Generally Speaking</span></h3> - -<p>A good equipment for a house with six in the family -and three to four servants is as follows:</p> - -<p>A tiled floor. The large blue tile is interesting and -less glaring for the floor than the white. Linoleum -floors too are splendid and cream walls.</p> - -<p>Washer <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> h. p.; solid copper lined with planished -tin to prevent corrosion, white enamel ironing machine, -two rolls; clothes dryer with four heating units; clothes -boiler solid copper lined with planished tin with screen -for holding clothes off the bottom of the boiler; combination -sleeve and skirt board; two metal tables; overhead -clothes dryer, copper clothes extractor; four stationary -tubs; electric irons for valeting and fine work.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Electric Ironer</span></h3> - -<p>A great fuss has been made about setting the clock -ahead one hour to save time and daylight, but little -attention has been given the problem of saving four -hours every ironing day by means of electricity and the -ironing machine. A good machine, unlike the mangle -which only folds and is not heated, should be able to iron -at the rate of seven or eight feet per minute. In this -way the ordinary ironing can be done four times as -quickly as by the old method.</p> - -<p>Many a house-wife without a maid has found ironing -good sport with a good ironer and the labor saving devices -have often made marriage possible—where a servant -was too much of a luxury.</p> - -<p>Roughly, the ordinary laundry takes about half a day—one<span class="pagenum" id="Page25">[25]</span> -hour for eight pieces for the average family of -five, including all things from table linen to handkerchiefs. -By hand this is about four and a half to five -hours. This costs about $50 to $100 a year or $500 -to $1,000 for ten years’ supply of laundered possessions.</p> - -<p>The fuel consumed for the average ironing with coal -or electricity costs about $15.60 per year: With a -good machine ironing by electricity or gas will come to -about one and a half cents, or a total of three cents for -ironing and heating, which is a saving of twenty-seven -cents a week or $14.04 yearly. In ten years a saving of -$140. This is apart from the benefit to health and -strength.</p> - -<p>There is one on the market with a bench attached on -which the worker can sit down to her work. As the -feed is so arranged that the material turns under, because -of the adjustable delivery board, one doesn’t -have to rise at all, and the saving of strength and comfort -is beyond calculation.</p> - -<p>An ordinary table cloth on an ironing machine takes -about three or four minutes. With a good electric iron -it takes about twenty-five to thirty. Besides this the -cloth is ironed evenly and the pattern, if it be embroidered, -is evenly brought out. Initials come out in beautiful -relief, buttons on garments do not break because -of the deeply padded felt rolls which are covered with an -especially-made muslin.</p> - -<p>As an ironing machine has proven a practical, money-saving -proposition, what is the best way to purchase -one? First, you should have a good idea as to the -breadth on the average of your sheets and table cloths, -not forgetting that it is wise to have a machine wide -enough to carry two table napkins at once. This saves -time, saves the over-impression of the felt in one spot and -also uses up the whole length of heat along the roll.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page26">[26]</span></p> - -<p>In large households, where the work is unusually -heavy, often taking more than one day, a machine about -48″ or 56″ is used for 2<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>-3 yards of linen. These -rolls should be padded, the heavier the better, to take -care of heavily embroidered initials.</p> - -<p>Many persons think that an ironing machine is a mangle -limited to ironing only the coarser flat work such as -sheets, towels, etc. It is, however, not a mangle but an -ironer and will iron practically everything except the -more fancy shirt waists and elaborate dresses. It will -iron to the entire satisfaction kitchen aprons, nightgowns, -pajamas, underwear, children’s play clothes, -hosiery, men’s negligee and silk shirts, and iron, better -than an expert laundress can do by hand, tablecloths, -napkins and centerpieces, doilies, dresser scarfs, blankets, -sheets, bed spreads, pillow cases, towels and handkerchiefs. -It is a great help to curtains, as they will -hang perfectly after ironing. Trousers may also be -pressed in such a machine.</p> - -<p>The ironing machines on the market claim certain -best points. One that a moveable shoe (the heated -part under which the garment is passed) is good because -you can remove starchy accumulations and clean it -easily. Some say that the stationary shoe is the best -because the ironing cannot help being done evenly. You -will have to pick your machine.</p> - -<p>In another machine the manufacturers use their patented -gas burner of drilled holes and their air mixture -as a talking point to afford a gas saving. Another -claims that oiling is necessary only every six months.</p> - -<p>The feed board is a requisite part which must be perfect. -Lowering the feed board removes the roll from -contact with the ironing surface in some machines. -This is the same principle as putting the hand iron on -the rest. At the same time the motion of the roll is<span class="pagenum" id="Page27">[27]</span> -automatically stopped, so that the goods can be withdrawn -at any time. It also enables one to lay a folded -piece or a number of them on and over the roll, and -it insures a straight start at all times. On single or -double thicknesses of goods the feed-board need not be -lowered, as these will start in readily. This patented -feature means safety to the operator and safety to the -goods being ironed. The feed-board is the flat piece of -board running the length of the machine over which -the linen passes.</p> - -<p>Some machines are advertised as having all gears enclosed -and protected. This, of course, makes operation -safer.</p> - -<p>The swinging arms, two generally, provided for hanging -linen on, are a convenient addition.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">An Extraordinary Advance</span></h3> - -<p>The above is the usual list of machines made to-day -but there is an unusual one now on the market. This -one works entirely by electricity, it can be heated by -gas or electricity. There are no levers to handle, no -treadles to tread. It works completely by a switch -and dial. The little finger is sufficient only to do the -job if all your other fingers were disabled!</p> - -<p>It is a very convenient size for family use and has -been in use now long enough to assure perfection of -adaptability for the home.</p> - -<p>In case this all-electric machine has a blow out, and -to protect the clothes from burning on the shoe there -is simple provision to guard against this and all ills. -The shoe by a button works back and forth if necessary, -and taken altogether it is a beautiful mechanism.</p> - -<p>A few excellent machines, too, have the two rollers -instead of one. This is supposed to hold material firmer -and work more expeditiously.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page28">[28]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Good Points</span></h3> - -<p>In some cases the gas burner and electric heater -are divided in the center so that the burner can be used -on warm work without scorching the unused part of -the roll.</p> - -<p>The machines should be so made that they are -comparatively easy to clean.</p> - -<p>Levers are not quite as good as the automatic, adjustable -feed-board, which insures ease of control. It is -worked by raising and lowering. This brings the roll -in contact with the ironing surface, the same principle -as a hand iron is brought to and from its rest. The -action also stops and starts the rotation of the roller. -In other words, it is automatic and there is no possibility -of the operator becoming confused at a critical moment. -There are no levers to pull or switches to turn; the -control is instinctive and always under the hands of the -operator for instant use. Moreover, you can lay your -work over the roll while idle, insuring a straight edge -and start the work again at your convenience.</p> - -<p>Ironing on these machines is done on the same principle -as with a flat iron, only instead of passing the iron -over the goods, the goods are moved against a stationary -iron.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Power and Fuel</span></h3> - -<p>Gas, gasoline and electricity are the fuels used to -heat the machines. Electricity and hand-power turn -them.</p> - -<p>Motors come from <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>8</sub> to <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub> horse power depending -on the size of the machine. When buying one, be sure -to tell agent whether you have Alternating Current -(A. C.) or Direct Current (D. C.) and what voltage<span class="pagenum" id="Page29">[29]</span> -you have. Motors are generally supplied 110, 220 volts -D. C. and 60 Cycle 110, or 220 volts A. C. (We are -not considering here the belt driven larger sizes.)</p> - -<p>About <sup>7</sup>⁄<sub>8</sub> of a pint of gasoline is used on the smaller -size machine. Sometimes the amount increases to 1<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> -pints; from about 17 to 33 cubic feet of gas. In the -case of electricity as fuel for high heat, 2.5 to 6 kilowatts -are used. For medium 1.7 to 4. For low .85 -to 2.</p> - -<p>The current driving the machine is from 180 to 320 -watts per hour.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Size</span></h3> - -<p>The household models come 46″, 42″, 37″, 32″ actual -ironing widths. The 46″ and 42″ seem to be popular -with some manufacturers. The former is for 2<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> yards -or 90″ wide and 22″ small linen, and the latter for 2<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub> -yards or 81″ wide or 20″ small linen. The 37″ for 2 -yards-wide linen. Size 32″ takes up actually about 42″ -× 26″ of floor space, the 37″—47″ × 26″, the 46″—58″ × -25″, etc. There is one ironing machine on the market -that is separate from its base so that it can be set up -in an apartment on the top of a radiator or on a 14″ -shelf. This answers the wants of the “flat dweller.”</p> - -<p>It is an interesting fact that one agent in New York -is shipping 1000 ironing machines daily, many of which -go to Boston. This is due to the low rate of electricity -that prevails in that city. And here’s a point:—even -in some vicinities where the rate is low, where two -lines only supply a whole state with electricity, it is -not advisable to use electricity for machines. You must -have a good current, even service, etc., to make it worth -while.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page30">[30]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">How To Operate</span></h3> - -<p>You light the burners on these machines as you light -the gas, turn the electric switch and iron. It is quite -simple and safe. Many of the machines have a pilot -light to tell when the current (electric) is on or off. -To heat by electricity all you do is to attach the cord -to the ordinary wall socket.</p> - -<p>A hand-power machine is driven by turning a handle. -Thirty-five turns a minute is the right speed. It can -be converted any time into a belt-driven machine and -attached to the washing machine or anything else that -goes by motor.</p> - -<p>The saving in health of operator whether wife or -servant and the saving of the life of linens, etc., is -beyond computation.</p> - -<p>The best type of ironer has (1) the stationary ironing -shoe under which the felt padded cylinder revolves. -This insures evenly distributed heat and avoids the -chance of scorching clothes.</p> - -<p>In some machines this shoe can be set back in case -of accident and prevents the clothes on roller from being -burnt. (2) Feed board instead of lever. This -gives more rapid control and is more responsive to the -touch. (3) Electric switch instead of lever or feed -board.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">A Few Pertinent Questions And Answers</span></h3> - -<p>How long would it take to iron a table cloth by -the machine?</p> - -<p>About three or four minutes in comparison to twenty-five -or thirty by the expert laundress using an electric -iron. A saving in current and time.</p> - -<p>What about handsome linens with heavy initials?</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page31">[31]</span></p> - -<p>“The pad on the roller should be plenty soft enough -to imbed not only the initials but carry buttons and not -break them!”</p> - -<p>“What things can’t you iron with it?”</p> - -<p>“Only fancy waists and skirts. Laces can be beautifully -done and, of course, all the table and bed linens, -trousers, etc., etc., etc.”</p> - -<p>“How big are these machines?”</p> - -<p>“They come in four different sizes, but the ordinary -home can use the 46-inch cylinder or at least as wide -as your widest linen to the best advantage. That enables -fewer folds and more ironing lay-out on roll, enabling -you to put a few napkins on the roll at the same -time instead of one.”</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Washing Machine</span></h3> - -<p>The variety of washing machines on the market to-day -are scheduled in three figures.</p> - -<p>The following will give you an idea of the better -known types from which to weed out yours.</p> - -<p><i>A. Types</i></p> - -<p class="noindent">1. Rotary or cylinder.</p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">In which the wash is put into a perforated cylinder -which revolves through the soapy water.</p> - -<p class="noindent">2. Oscillating.</p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">In which the wash is put into the machine and is -washed by being shaken back and forth with enough -friction and motion to clean clothes thoroughly. -The bottoms of these machines are corrugated or in -some shape to offer resistance and cause the necessary -friction.</p> - -<p class="noindent">3. Vacuum.</p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">In which the clothes are put into machine and are -washed by the operation of vacuum or suction cups<span class="pagenum" id="Page32">[32]</span> -raised up and down, drawing the water through -clothes.</p> - -<p class="noindent">4. Dolly.</p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">In which clothes are washed by the semi-rotating -dolly or device which looks like a milking stool.</p> - -<p class="noindent">5. Combination of these types such as the Dolly and -Disc Twin tubs with a mechanism in each, washers -with a bench upon which to place wash basket, etc., -oscillating cylinder as well as rotating. As to wringers -on these machines, they are stationary, swinging -or sliding.</p> - -<p>The latest type is the alternating. Here the drum -rotates, and is divided into two compartments by a perforated -plate. The clothing to be washed is divided -equally between the two compartments, and the mechanical -action of the machine produces alternately the action -of the cylinder, oscillating and the vacuum method.</p> - -<p class="noindent">6. A good combination in cylinder, oscillating and vacuum -type, has just been added to the market.</p> - -<p class="noindent">7. Balance drum, in which the clothes are put in a drum -and it shakes on a pivot.</p> - -<p class="noindent">8. Cylinder type worked by water force—for hotel -room use.</p> - -<p class="noindent">9. Vacuum and cylinder types for tub use run by -electricity—for houses too small in which to bring a -washing machine.</p> - -<p><i>B. General Requirements of Washers</i></p> - -<p class="noindent">1. All parts which might tear clothes should be covered.</p> - -<p class="noindent">2. All washers, if not stationary, should be equipped -with swinging reversible wringer.</p> - -<p class="noindent">3. Hard wood outside or copper or some hard metal and -to prevent corrosion in the case of copper exterior, -planished tin interiors are the best.</p> - -<p class="noindent">4. Durability.</p> - -<p class="noindent">5. Ease and simplicity of operation.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page33">[33]</span></p> - -<div class="container" id="Ref2"> - -<img src="images/illo059.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Scientific Heater Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">WET DAYS CAN BE DRY DAYS, NO MATTER WHAT THE LAW MAY BE, WITH THE INDOOR DRYER</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page34">[34-<br />35]</span><a id="Page35"></a></p> - -<p class="noindent">6. Minimum parts to take out and clean.</p> - -<p class="noindent">7. Less wear and tear on clothes.</p> - -<p class="noindent">8. Automatic release on wringer in case finger is caught.</p> - -<p class="noindent">9. All interiors smooth, non-absorbent of soil or odors.</p> - -<p class="noindent">10. Wash and wring at same time or separately.</p> - -<p>Now you have the requirements, you can take your -choice after you have gone about comparing and examining -all the different types.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Dryers</span></h3> - -<p>“What about the dryers?”</p> - -<p>They are one of the things that you could get along -without if you wanted to waste time in drying. They -are expensive to buy, but you are never held up by -weather. They dry clothes a good color and you do not -miss the sun. They are heated by their own heat, electric -or gas, or can be attached to the coal stove and get -the overflow heat. They are made to allow no heat to -escape even when extended. (See <a href="#Ref2">illustration</a>.)</p> - -<p>Up until late years women not convicts have been -time servers. But long before the vote was women’s, -there was a mighty revolt and women decided it became -them better to be time savers and not time servers.</p> - -<p>For this reason in gallant fashion manufacturers have -rushed to fill the needs of women in their homes and -from soaps to ironing machines have they labored and -not in vain.</p> - -<p>For example, in ancient days if it rained on Monday -(then called Moan day) or was Monday humid, the -work either had to be given up because drying was -impossible or the whole household work had to be dislocated -by the transference of wash day to a more -sunny occasion, to a day when drying was not a theory -but an inevitable accomplishment.</p> - -<p>No longer need we say, “If at first you can’t succeed,<span class="pagenum" id="Page36">[36]</span> -dry, dry again.” For the heated air dryer has come -for the laundry of the private home as well as for the -apartment cellar, and drying has become an indoor -sport rather than an outdoor hazard.</p> - -<p>These dryers are merely galvanized metal of from two -to ten compartments from 46″ to 53″ wide and about -5′ high. The compartments pull out as easily as a watch -stem and each drying rack has six drying rods 66″ long -or a total of 33′ of rack. Each rack is about 10″ wide. -The ordinary length of the rack is 5′ 10″ and the -distance from the back of the cabinet to the end of the -racks is about 11′ 8″. When the cabinet is closed the -track which protrudes overhead can be used to hang -clothes on. The overhead track is far more convenient -than the floor wheels upon which some racks pull out, -as the floor, should it be uneven, will prevent ease of -operation of the racks and annoyance will ensue. Single -dryers can be bought with two racks only 23″ or so -wide for smaller rooms.</p> - -<p>These cabinets can be sunk flush in the wall and take -up no more room if the building is so constructed or lie -against or at right angles to the wall. The heat does -not permeate the room in well-made dryers. Any stove -used in the laundry should not be in connection with -the dryer.</p> - -<p>The dryer which really does its work should:</p> - -<p>1. Not overheat clothes.</p> - -<p>2. Not sweat them.</p> - -<p>3. Not turn them yellow.</p> - -<p>4. Thoroughly ventilate them.</p> - -<p>5. Remove all odors.</p> - -<p>6. Dry them rapidly.</p> - -<p>7. Make them easy to iron.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page37">[37]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Theory and Practice</span></h3> - -<p>It has been imagined that sun and wind alone dry -clothes but the fact is that air is the drying medium -and therefore the best dryers provide a good circulation -of air plus heat. Dry air has a tremendous love -for moisture and eats it up as a blotter eats up ink. -The warmer the air the more moisture it will hug. -This would seem enough, just to bake the clothes, but -baking does not remove odors and does render them -yellow; they are unventilated and smell like the laundry, -so people are prone to say “Sun drying or nothing.”</p> - -<p>However, the best dryers provide for circulation of -air. At its best the air changes from 250 to 300 times -an hour. The air must change, for after one lot of air -holds all the moisture it can, it cannot take any more -from the clothes, and new arid air must be substituted -for that which is moisture-fed. This is accomplished by -a moist air exhaust in the newer dryers, which are larger -than the older types. The result is white, odorless, -air-swept clothing.</p> - -<p>The stream of air is usually accomplished by the use -of ordinary chimney draft assisted by the warm products -of heating from the heater. The hot air products -of combustion pass through a tapered nozzle into the -moist air exhaust pipe, and by the speed a suction is -created which helps to pull the moist air out of the cabinet -and up the chimney.</p> - -<p>When you buy a dryer see to it that the exhaust pipe -is large so that you will have wind and heat instead of -just heat. Air circulation is what you are really buying. -See that you get it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page38">[38]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Superficial Points</span></h3> - -<p>All parts upon which clothes hang should be non-rusting.</p> - -<p>The racks must pull out without any expenditure of -strength and must run quietly.</p> - -<p>Racks must be within the reach of the average sized -woman, to avoid stretching.</p> - -<p>The heating burner must be simple and easily reached -so that you can tell at a glance how much heat you -have turned on.</p> - -<p>There must be ample screening so that should a -garment fall it cannot possibly get scorched.</p> - -<p>The finish of these dryers must be smooth, without -protuberances which could in any case tear the garments -to be dried.</p> - -<p>Dryers are best heated with gas, electricity or kerosene. -Care must be given to get the best kerosene -burner as they are troublesome when not perfection.</p> - -<p>Dryers are simple to operate, and you are saved: -(1) tugging clothes to roof or yard; (2) putting up a -wash-line; (3) fastening clothes and tearing them with -clothes-pins; (4) carrying heavy baskets anywhere; -(5) sprinkling and rolling clothes, because you keep -them drying only long enough to be ready to iron; -(6) the wear and tear from the exposure to dust, sunburn, -fading, snow and other outdoor contaminations.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Electricity Or None</span></h3> - -<p>A very good little dryer, simple as a broiler, is the -over-head slatted dryer, which, on a pulley, is spread -with clothes and pulled up to the ceiling where the -clothes dry by the risen heat of the room.</p> - -<p>In a small kitchen where the washing and cooking is<span class="pagenum" id="Page39">[39]</span> -done, it is a real boon, and in the laundry, too, it is -a genuine convenience.</p> - -<p>The rack is about 32″ to 64″, and on the ceiling it is -comfortable and useful and out of the way. It comes in -two sizes.</p> - -<p>Your clothes go directly from the wringer to the rack -as in the big dryers, you obviate unnecessary handling, -clothes-pin destruction, etc.</p> - -<p>It can be pulled down to your own level and hitched -on a wall pin so as to make it reliably firm while you -load it.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Tables and Shelves</span></h3> - -<p>Shelves in a laundry are very much more useful -than a quarter of a dozen tables or to buy two or three -tables for laundries and abandon them for needed foot -room, yet long for some room to put things on.</p> - -<p>The steel unit of shelves is a very convenient way -out. By using a continuous running shelf, like an -amplified plate rail, any place in the laundry can be -a handy one for placing a bit of soap, a clothes-pin, -washing powder, clothing waiting for starching, or any -other thing. Steps could be saved and wit conserved.</p> - -<p>Tables are a necessity, especially the large 7′ table -or smaller. The wooden one for a laundry is quite -useful and so also is the all-metal table. But too -many tables spoil the temper, and the shelf is a comfort.</p> - -<p>They should be from 31 to 38 inches high, if possible -adjustable. The tops are most satisfactory in a non-porous -porcelain or porcelain enamel. Some people -like hard wood or metal.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page40">[40]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Ironing Boards</span></h3> - -<p>There are many varieties of ironing boards on the -market. Some fold back against the wall and some do -not. Some fold back in self closets against the wall. -Some are adjustable to different heights, others are not. -They come in various sizes and finishes and do away -with the falling and slipping ironing board which has -caused so many useless burns.</p> - -<p>In large houses the valets have tables such as you can -purchase with sleeve boards, swinging bodyguard, -supply cabinet for cleaning fluids and brushes, and with -electric iron equipment, snap switches and automatic -signal pilot lamps for each iron. These tables are made -of seasoned pine painted white. Legs, underbody, cabinet, -brackets and cord supporters are in silver bronze -paint. The boards are covered with the best quality -felt. Unbleached muslin makes a good covering for any -ironing board and is generally used.</p> - -<p>The ironing board is indispensable for fancy things, -even when the ironing machine is regularly used.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">A Burning Shame</span></h3> - -<p>When un-electric irons are used, there should be an -ample supply of iron holders. If your irons are not of -the removable insulated handle type, iron holders of -ticking or soft bits of carpet can be used. This sounds -very elementary, but many scorchings would not have -taken place had the laundress not rushed to get through -to save the hurting hand.</p> - -<p>This is truly a burning shame if anything could so -be called. It is possible, too, to get a thin bit of asbestos -encased in a bit of ticking and so protect the laundress -from discomfort and your clothing from destruction.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page41">[41]</span></p> - -<p>These iron holders could be made by the children of -the house who are always looking for something that -they can make to give to Mother, Auntie or Grandma.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Laundry Chute</span></h3> - -<p>Much time could be saved in the laundry if whenever -it were possible a chute could be built into which clothes -can be thrown and go directly to the laundry where is -situated a basket or a terminal closet to receive them. -Here stuffing the dumb waiter is obviated, also carrying -the clothes in baskets down the lift or just using the -ugly clothes hamper in dressing room or bath room. -Here is a more or less suggestive plan of arrangement.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Arrangement</span></h3> - -<p class="noindent"><i>Assuring less expenditure in labor and money.</i></p> - -<p class="hind24">1. Soiled linen chute in one corner of the room.</p> - -<p class="hind24">2. A table near to sort laundry before washing.</p> - -<p class="hind24">3. Tubs in center of the room to be accessible.</p> - -<p class="hind24">4. After clothes are washed and blued they can be -partially dried in dryer and ironed.</p> - -<p class="hind24">5. Then a table on which to place clothes to be ironed.</p> - -<p class="hind24">6. Ironer next in the best light possible and arranged -away from wall to permit two people working at -it, if necessary.</p> - -<p class="hind24">7. Skirt and sleeve board next.</p> - -<p class="hind24">8. After which another skirt and sleeve board or a -valet table or another plain table.</p> - -<p>Some people keep a sewing table in the laundry -but it is easier to have the sewing done in the sewing -room and away from the laundry work. Because the -different maids might much better stay in their own -territory and failing maids its easier to keep your -threads any place but <i>in</i> a laundry.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page42">[42]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Flat Irons</span></h3> - -<p>Because there are some dainty things that cannot -be put through a machine, electric flatirons are absolutely -indispensable in a laundry. For that reason -there are many kinds on the market. They are usually -made from 2<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> ℔s. to 15 ℔s. Most have but one heat, -but some have three heats. A traveler will be pleased -with the adjustable 3 lb. iron which has a voltage -adjustment making it practical with 220 or 110 voltage.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Soaps And Powders</span></h3> - -<p>With the best washing machines you get bad results -if you do not use good soaps or cleaning powders.</p> - -<p>There is a very good powder on the market which -not only cleans the clothes well, and leaves no greasy -residue, but is really not a soap at all. It combines -rapidly with water, and makes a fine suds and cleans -very rapidly.</p> - -<p>For the most part to-day, yellow soaps and white soaps -as cleaners are on a par but are not as good for laundry -purposes, since the resin in the yellow soap combines -unhappily with your clothes.</p> - -<p>White soaps are best, if you want good results.</p> - -<p>Another delightful new thing on the market is the -starch which does not starch but which imparts a gloss -and resistance without a stiffness. This will come as -a boon to many women who do not want their lingeries -stiff but do want it to look as a starched bit of linen does. -In the same way as starch this composition permits the -lingerie to stand up longer under use.</p> - -<p>The foregoing is just a group of ideas in concrete -form to add to the comfort of laundry days. They can<span class="pagenum" id="Page43">[43]</span> -be passed on to friends as ideas, even ideals, or as -practical, concrete gifts.</p> - -<p>All three or any would be acceptable to the thinking -housekeeper who wants one hundred and one things -done better than a man can do one thing well. So all -aids in the home are worth not only considering but -investigating with eye and ear as well as heart and soul.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">To Avoid Blow-Outs</span></h3> - -<p>Perhaps more money is wasted on blow-outs in homes -that utilize electricity than any other cause. If you -follow the rules, illustrated here and first published by -the Edison Company, not only will you save expense -in the home, but you will save the Fire Department, -which is constantly called upon to save lives and property -because of unnecessary fires due to carelessness -(Not to electricity) in handling flat irons.</p> - -<p>The cardinal principle for the use of all electrical -appliances is this: When you are not continuously -using any device, shut off the current. To do this, -entirely disconnect the flatiron, curling iron or whatever -the device may be, by pulling out the plug. Do -not be content with turning off the current at the lamp -socket. It is absolutely necessary that the current be -completely cut off when the iron is not in constant use. -Sometimes the current has been inadvertently turned -on when the flatiron has been left connected at the -lamp socket, and material has been badly scorched or -even more serious damage has resulted. An electric -coil for heating water has caused fire when carelessly -left near inflammable material. In like manner a connected -curling iron when heedlessly placed on a bureau -scarf has also caused damage. Remember the invariable -rule for the use of all electrical appliances—pull -out the plug to disconnect when not using.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page44">[44]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">L’Envoie</span></h3> - -<p>Go to the best dealer.</p> - -<p>Buy the best only; it reduces later costs.</p> - -<p>Simplicity, safety and serviceability necessary.</p> - -<p>Avoid machinery with extra parts to be cleaned or -upon which injury to attendant or clothes can be perpetrated.</p> - -<p>Don’t buy until you are perfectly sure by numerous -comparisons and other experience what are the best -types of machinery to install. Be sure to apply the -three S tests: Service, Safety, Simplicity.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page45">[45]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER IV<br /> -<span class="chapname">THE PORTABLE VACUUM CLEANER</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">“I</span> have seen ten vacuum cleaners at the Electrical -Show and every one, according to the salesman, -is the best on the market! I want one, but which -one shall I buy? It’s most confusing!”</p> - -<p>This was said to me no less than ten times.</p> - -<p>The answer is: that you must find out in the same -way as you found out about your motor car before buying -it. You didn’t buy your car because a salesman -said it was a good car and because he made you sign a -slip and because he promised you, as he departed, a -quick delivery.</p> - -<p>No, indeed, you tried out the car first or last and you -asked your friends, who had purchased the same make, -how they liked it and you talked a lot about cost of upkeep, -efficiency, wear and economy and the service possible -to be had from the makers. Didn’t you? Well, -the same process is necessary in buying a vacuum cleaner -or any other piece of machinery for the house and -every Domiologist knows this to be a fact.</p> - -<h3>“<span class="smcap">All Is Not Gold, Etc.</span>”</h3> - -<p>All vacuum cleaners look charming and shiny and -all seem very perfect in the shop! And they all do -their stunts beautifully as the skilled operator thrillingly -draws designs in the flour or bi-carbonate (clean, -unclinging dirt) on the patient carpet. The operator<span class="pagenum" id="Page46">[46]</span> -talks glibly, often failing to give the failings of his -machine because he doesn’t know them. So the only -thing to do is to try it, in your own home, under your -own special conditions, and see that it gets under your -furniture, removes threads, lint, hair, dust, matches and -other substances with the least possible noise (for noise -wears on the operator’s nerves and raises a dislike for -the cleaner) and the least possible effort.</p> - -<p>It must be light weight, easy to operate and economical -and durable. There is nothing so hard to remove -as “natural born dust.” It becomes imbedded in the -carpet and it takes force to remove it and the sort of -force that will not destroy.</p> - -<p>Taking up the differences in the various machines, -it is the better part of valor to know what the nature -of our prey is before we start to hunt! So we will -examine the animal dust in its hunting-grounds.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Dust’s Hunting Grounds</span></h3> - -<p>In your home you have on the floor woolen or grass -fabrics; rugs large and small, and carpets, grass rugs -and mattings. The carpets or rugs may have a long -nap loosely woven (Chinese) Axminster, Wilton, Velvet -Chenille or the pile in loops (Brussels) or just woven -threads such as ingrain without any nap or pile. Grass -rugs (Crex, etc.) and matting are of this kind.</p> - -<p>It is easily understood that, as the carpet or flooring -is walked on, the dust becomes deeply imbedded and -gets tangled up in the fibres, and that surface sweeping -never can take out the dust and you have to send carpets -each year to the cleaners to restore their color, -etc.</p> - -<p>Above the floors are, of course, the hangings, mattresses, -books, pictures, moldings, ceilings and walls.<span class="pagenum" id="Page47">[47]</span> -As to the dust and the litter, such as matches, hair, lint, -collects, 85%-90% of it gathers on the floor, and -10%-15% in the rest of the room. Therefore the cleaning -is reduced on the upper regions if the floor is kept -really clean.</p> - -<p>Of all dirt considering the surface dust not walked -on that blows in on clothing, etc., litter, threads, hair, -lint, and pieces of paper, imbedded dirt, grit tracked -in and entangling itself in the carpet, the worst of these, -of course, is the hair and lint and grit. These are hard -to remove but they must be taken out, especially the -grit, which is the destructive agent in dirt. In the -Oriental regions, where the street shoes are left on the -door-step, the vacuum cleaner might seem useless.</p> - -<p>The carpet doesn’t wear out so much from the top as -it does by being cut from the roots by the stamping in -of the cutting grit. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner has -been invented to save the carpet, and not only to destroy -the carpet destroying factors, but to annihilate the microbe -drawn into the house from the street on your -offending shoes.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">We Are Three Kinds!</span></h3> - -<p>And so ... to have the cleaner that really functions, -every machine must be constructed so that it can be -easily taken apart and adjusted, and in order to know -how to know whether the machine is useful, the following -resumé of the kind of cleaners may be of service. These -will be treated in functioning classes rather than in -technical terminologies.</p> - -<p>The portable cleaner (we will not discuss the installed -types) are divisible into three classes:</p> - -<p class="hind24">1. Using air only as a cleaning agent</p> - -<p class="hind24">2. Using air plus a brush</p> - -<p class="hind24">3. Using air plus beating and sweeping brush</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page48">[48]</span></p> - -<p>First: In this class are the tank machines having -vacuum pumps as well as fans, single or multiple (many -fans mounted on the motor shaft) and the small fan -portables.</p> - -<p>All these machines are on the same principle, having -the motor, fans or pumps for moving the air, a dust bag -to collect the dirt, and the hose in the tank machines’ -case and the extra tools.</p> - -<p>In the small portable machines, which we are considering, -the narrow slatted tool attached directly to the -motor and the fan case is the medium through which -the dust from the floor is taken up and the hose, as in -the tank type of cleaner, is eliminated for floor work -and is only used for altitude cleaning. So the only -difference in these types—the tank and the slatted -portables—is that the tool for the floor work is directly -on the motor case, in the slatted or fan portables, and -on the end of the hose in the tank types. In some -machines the dust bag is before the fan, in some behind -it, in some the bag is enclosed (there are hardly any on -the market now) and in others it is hung on the handle. -[Wherever the bag is, it must be so made that it does -not slip from its mooring and spill.] The principle, -however, is the same in each case: drawing air through -the tool which slides easily over the carpet, plus the -velocity of the air as the instrument upon which the -cleaning is dependent. Upon the rapidity and frequency -of the passing of this machine over the carpet depends -the thoroughness of the cleaning operation.</p> - -<p>When the carrier wheels are on either side of the -nozzle or just back of it, keeping the nozzle slightly -above the carpet, the operator, if skilful, can do a -good job.</p> - -<p>Second: Using air plus a brush: The brushes are -used as follows:—(1) Straight bristle brush (looks<span class="pagenum" id="Page49">[49]</span> -like a comb of bristles) attached inside or outside of -nozzle, projecting slightly below it so that it will comb -the carpet. (2) Spirally wound bristle brush fitted -inside the nozzle opening and operated by the carrier -wheels, either with a belt or gears. This brush moves -in the opposite direction to that in which the cleaner -is pushed, and takes up the lint and hair, etc.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">As To Motive Power</span></h3> - -<p>Motor driven brushes are driven by a belt attached -to the motor. It is continually in action when the motor -is running except, of course, when the brush is removed -for any reason. The surface is continuously -swept as the air passes through the nozzle, and there is, -of course, more power in the motor driven brush. But -its enemies in the friction brush camp aver strongly -that the brush is prone by its velocity to wear the carpet! -These brushes generally have two rows of spirally -wound bristle, and in this type you get away from the -old-time carpet sweeper where lint and threads adhere -for a long time to the bristles and often return again -to the carpet.</p> - -<p>Third: Using air with beating and sweeping. -These sweepers have a large brush in a large nozzle and -the brushes are spirally wound in two rows with a -simple belt connection to the motor. These machines -are generally adjusted so that the nozzle is about <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub>″ -above the carpet. The bristles extend enough below -the nozzle so that the bristles push away the carpet as -the air draws it up. This gives the shaking motion -at the same time the bristles, coming down at an angle -on the carpet, beat it and passing through the nap -comb and sweep it automatically. The bristles comb -the nap and the air, passing through, cleans the carpet -and the imbedded dirt is loosened by the shaking. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page50">[50]</span> -surface litter and hair is swept up and it cleans efficiently -by applying all the laws of cleaning at the same -time.</p> - -<p>Of course, with the cleaner come tools for altitude -cleaning, for blowing out dust from books, moldings, -upholstery tuftings, etc., etc. The extra tools are absolutely -necessary and it is well to remember that the -price is generally given you without the extra $7 to $10 -being added. Tools are made of aluminum steel and -fibre, which means that they are durable and will withstand -much wear and tear.</p> - -<p>If you should own the best vacuum cleaner in the -world and take no care of it, it would be as if you had -none. Every bit of machinery that was ever or will -ever be made needs care. Any mechanism “acts up” -if neglected. It is true, that the vacuum cleaner needs -very little care, probably oiling once a month and the -removal of the dust after every cleaning operation. -The oiling is easy to understand, but the reason for removing -the dust after every operation is: that, if the -dust bags clog up, the egress of the air is impeded, and -therefore the action of the motor is impeded, and the -fan’s speed is diminished, causing a decrease in velocity -and air supply which is what makes the cleaner more useful -than a broom.</p> - -<p>Do not be fooled by big talk and glib printed matter -about high vacuum power, and long air and water -columns. What is needed for a good cleaner is air displacement -at a sufficiently concentrated point or surface -to maintain a high air velocity. A vacuum cleaner -might show in a technical test a tremendous vacuum -and when used on the carpet the nozzle be so constructed -as to mitigate the power of the suction so created and, -therefore, be ineffectual as a cleaner. Therefore, the -salesman can talk glibly to the uninformed about<span class="pagenum" id="Page51">[51]</span> -vacuums and tests and never say “but our nozzle is so -large or so high or so low that the air intake is bad.”</p> - -<p>Too much vacuum often makes the machine heavy by -sucking too heavily upon the carpets. Of course, raising -the nozzle here will help this fault.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Motors!</span></h3> - -<p>Another battling point is the question of whether -the motor put in horizontally into the casting or that -which is put in vertically is the better. They all talk -glibly on this subject, but heed it not. All that is -necessary for the purchaser of a cleaner to know about -the motor is that it should be made by a reputable -firm, have a good speed that is spectacular and that -it be not imbedded too deeply in unnecessary fixings to -be oiled and cleaned.</p> - -<p>The universal motor is best for the average purchaser -as it works well on indirect or direct current, whichever -is supplied to you in your neighborhood. Nearly -every cleaner employs a universal motor.</p> - -<p>Every vacuum cleaner manufacturer has some point -of his own that makes him the most delightful of talkers. -Here are some very useful devices which are worthy of -mention, but for the most part are matters for individual -choice:</p> - -<p class="hind24">The enclosed dust bag.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Steel motor case.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Nickled steel motor case.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Aluminum motor case.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Wheel bearings inside the nozzle.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Wheel bearings outside the nozzle.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Detachable nozzle.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Air cooled motor (most motors are cooled by in and -outgoing air).</p> - -<p class="hind24"><span class="pagenum" id="Page52">[52]</span></p> - -<p class="hind24">Dust bag on top of the handle shaft.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Adjustment with nut for stair cleaning.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Self adjustment to keep handle erect when released -from holding (very convenient).</p> - -<p class="hind24">Automatic current cut off.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Extra roomy hooks for electric cord on the handle.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Oil cups protected from dust (should be always).</p> - -<p class="hind24">And general attachments made as simple as possible.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Dust bag lined and sometimes partitioned.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Dust bag easy to put on and take off with a collar -to hold between the soles of shoes to empty without -making dust escape.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Automatic closing valve where dust bag collar comes -off—to prevent dust flying back into motor casing.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Rubber bumper to protect furniture.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Requisite Qualities</span></h3> - -<p>In short, the satisfactory cleaner must:</p> - -<p>1. Sweep loose the adhering dirt such as thread, lint, -dust particle, and brush up matted nap or pile to restore -color tone.</p> - -<p>2. Loosen and shake to the surface ground-in dirt -that kills rugs and carpets, so that it can be removed.</p> - -<p>3. Have suction enough to carry away all dirt after -the soft hair brush loosens it to make it possible.</p> - -<p>This is about the whole story. And as to the expense -of operation, they cost not even as much as an electric -iron, and far less than the cost of extra cleaning folk -to-day. Cleaning becomes interesting and the household -without a maid or with one, saves time and money. The -rugs can be cleaned at home and stored at home in the -summer. Here you save summer’s many costs! Cleaning -becomes almost a pleasure, at least a pleasanter performance, -not a bug-bear—or in this case we might say—a -rug-bear! It is an economy, a comfort and a gold<span class="pagenum" id="Page53">[53]</span> -lined investment in which the interest is health, money -saved, and fabrics preserved. Could you ask for more -in a sweeper?</p> - -<p>But don’t expect miracles. The vacuum cleaner needs -slight pushing over the floor—it can’t roll by itself.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page54">[54]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER V<br /> -<span class="chapname">A PIPE DREAM</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">A</span><span class="afterlargecap">s</span> -soon as you get accustomed to the intricacies -of one method of doing anything to-day, something -new crops up. This is probably more true in the realm -of housekeeping than in any other except that of military -science. You have no sooner mastered the points -of what not to do and what you should do with portable -vacuum cleaners than up comes the stationary vacuum -cleaner and you have to know about it, too. And so this -article after one on the portable cleaner. If you forget -the technicalities see <a href="#Page45">Chapter IV</a>.</p> - -<p>To refresh your memory, every vacuum cleaner has -five elements:</p> - -<p class="hind24">1. Air producer (vacuum is a misnomer): the pump -or fan series employed to create the air current.</p> - -<p class="hind24">2. Dust collector: bag, box, pail, etc.</p> - -<p class="hind24">3. Dust conduit: piping.</p> - -<p class="hind24">4. Cleaning tool: brush, felt, etc., etc.</p> - -<p class="hind24">5. Human direction: the hand that steers.</p> - -<p>The portable type of cleaner has the first four parts -mounted on one unit, so that the whole machine is moved -in its chase for the enemy Dust. Besides this the electric -wire must be applied to an electric connection in -a baseboard or electric fixture.</p> - -<p>In the case of the stationary cleaner, the mechanism -is larger and the air producer and dust collector are -in the cellar or basement, and the dust conduit impartially -spreads itself throughout the house through walls -and ceilings and politely connects at convenient intervals -with the cleaning tool, via the agency of the vents -in baseboards. With this cleaner the only thing that is -manipulated by the worker is the cleaning tool which -“bites the dust.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page55">[55]</span></p> - -<div class="container w40em"> - -<img src="images/illo081.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of American Radiator Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">LOOKING FOR THE DUST WHICH WAS SUCKED DOWN FROM -ABOVE STAIRS!</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page56">[56-<br />57]</span><a id="Page57"></a></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Pros and Cons</span></h3> - -<p>But why should you have the installed cleaner? -Why not have the portable? The fact is that neither -of these cleaners is in competition very directly. But -let us quote an expert who has given most of his time -to the subject of air cleaning:</p> - -<p>“There is unquestionably a legitimate field for both -types of cleaners, but the stationary type more nearly -reaches the ideal.” The next statement of his will explain -that: “If we observe the action of the wind in -an open field, we find that a gentle breeze will move -light material.... If the breeze changes to a hurricane, -we find that the moving air has the power ... to -move anything in its path, including fences, trees, -houses, etc.”</p> - -<p>Therefore in considering purchasing a cleaner you -must ask yourself first: “Do I want a gentle breeze -or a little hurricane in my home? That’s the first and -foremost question! Is my home large enough to afford -the much more expensive plant which makes the hurricane, -at a higher running cost; or isn’t the portable -just the thing I need because of its various adaptabilities -and small running and installation costs?”</p> - -<p>It has been held against the installed vacuum cleaner -that it <span class="nowrap">is—</span></p> - -<p class="hind24">1. Expensive.</p> - -<p class="hind24">2. Unusual skill must be employed in installation.</p> - -<p class="hind24">3. Suction is altered by length of pipe.</p> - -<p class="hind24">4. Cost of operation is high.</p> - -<p class="hind24">5. Wear and tear on the house too great.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page58">[58]</span></p> - -<p class="hind24">6. It must be installed when the house is built.</p> - -<p>Of course the stationary type is more expensive than -the portables, because of the larger machine, the indefinitely -long pipe system and the larger motor. The -motor has from six to twelve times and upwards the -horsepower of the portable machine. It is, therefore, -more costly to run because it eats up more electricity, -but it can do heavier work and quicker.</p> - -<p>Great skill must be employed in the installation of -all machinery. Not long ago mistakes were made when -putting in the air system, but now engineers know this -department of work as well as they know gas and electric -installations, and with the length of hose used there -is no lessening of suction because of the construction -of the entire pipeage.</p> - -<p>The objection that with this apparatus there is tremendous -wear and tear because the hose is taken -through the doorway from the hall so that the door -must needs be scratched when it closes on the hose -as it is dragged through, may be nullified by installing -double end hose connections in the wall near the door -so that one line of hose will connect from the valve to -the connection in the hall and another shorter piece of -hose used inside of the room.</p> - -<p>There is no trouble at all about installing the stationary -vacuum cleaner after the building is erected, but -naturally it is less expensive to put it in during the -building and when planned for ahead than it is to -put pipes through a house after it is built.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Operation</span></h3> - -<p>With the stationary type cleaner you have no machine -to move about—you simply move the tool attached to the -hose and the tools are just as light as those of the portable -machines. There is no electric connection to make,<span class="pagenum" id="Page59">[59]</span> -no electric wire to carry unconsciously along. All -there is to be done by the worker is to slip the end of -the cleaner hose into the suction pipe opening in the -baseboard of the room. A patented device prevents the -hose from becoming detached accidentally.</p> - -<p>The usual tools come with the installed cleaner, such as -handle, blower, felted sweeper, book cleaner, duster, etc. -Other tools can be made to order to fit any particular -need.</p> - -<p>One thing delightfully obviated in the stationary -cleaner is the noise. The writer has what she considers -the best portable cleaner on the market, yet the noise is -a great drawback. The stationary cleaner is therefore -a boon to the sick room and it is easy to see why -the newer hospitals take as readily to them as to the -piped water system.</p> - -<p>Then, too, having the baseboard vent in each area -in large houses, with the consequent needlessness of -carrying a cleaner upstairs and down, over hill and -dale, is a selling point for the piped cleaner. Also the -swiftness of the cleaning, due of course to the tremendous -air velocity—a canned hurricane. However, -in the small residence the greater cost would be unwarranted -because of the great efficiency of the portable -machines.</p> - -<p>Where there is a garage in the family, and it is piped -for cleaning, the machinery, instead of being permanently -installed, can be mounted on rollers and can be -wheeled and attached to the pipes in that building. -Therefore the necessity of two machines is obviated -where the other building is piped.</p> - -<p>Yet when the buildings are widely separated it is best -to have one of the good portable machines which are on -the market in so many designs, and are adapted to so -many and varied uses. Therefore you see the portables<span class="pagenum" id="Page60">[60]</span> -as indispensable and see them filling fields that the installed -can never hope to fill.</p> - -<p>The fact that the stationary entails no dust-bag cleaning -is a time and labor-saving actuality. Then, too, -no matter how good the dust bag is on the portable -vacuum cleaner, some of the very fine dust must escape -through the bag into the room. In the stationary type -the cleaner politely does its exhaling in the cellar. This -point has been made valuable to chocolate makers who -want to save the loss of chocolate in packing boxes, -to manufacturers who want to obviate the retaining -of poisonous dust among the workers, etc., etc.</p> - -<p>In the stationary as well as in the portable vacuum -cleaners the suction is caused by the pump or fan type -machine. Some manufacturers advocate one, some another. -In picking your winner you must go to the best -manufacturer of each type and let him give you his tale, -and then see whether you come out a pump fan or a -fan fan!</p> - -<p>The other intricacies of this simple machine need -not bother you. Go to the best makers and make them -responsible for your purchase. Not all of us being engineers, -you have to depend on the reputation of the best -makers.</p> - -<p>The stationary cleaner can do more work than the -portable, it will last longer because the machinery is -heavier, yet there are drawbacks to it as to all machinery -which is not at all points open to the eye. For example, -the pipes may clog. But you must remember that water -pipes can clog and that gas pipes do very exasperating -things; yet you use them without blinking.</p> - -<p>For the very large residence, factory, hospital, hotel -and institution, of course the stationary machine is best, -mainly because it is difficult to get help to-day to carry -about the premises anything that is heavy. To lift,<span class="pagenum" id="Page61">[61]</span> -push or carry the lightest portable over a very large -residence or institution is a trial, and the stationary -type overcomes this difficulty.</p> - -<p>In some cases the heavy duty portable is advised with -its increased horsepower, but when the purse and area -of residence match, the stationary type is really the -best, although we know householders who prefer -to use the portable and heavy duty portables everywhere.</p> - -<p>The stationary plant is only another real “pipe -dream” come true, and in addition to piped water, -piped gas and conduited electricity it will tend to hasten -the processes of home maintenance and free the home-keepers -to do more spiritual home tending.</p> - -<p>But remember that in the average home or apartment -the portable machine is the ideal sweeper and -fulfills more than every requirement of sanitary -sweeping combined with the least effort. The stationary -is for the large house, not the small.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page62">[62]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VI<br /> -<span class="chapname">COOKING BY ELECTRIC CURRENT</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">T</span><span class="afterlargecap">he</span> electric stove is the most dependent on geography -of all your kitchen implements. Because it -consumes a large amount of electricity, the rate of -this as a fuel will decide whether or not you can use the -electricity-consuming stove. This decision, in turn, is -affected by the rate of electricity for cooking in every -different locality in the country.</p> - -<p>The vogue of the electric stove is due to the convenience -and sureness with which the cooking is done, the -control which may be exercised and the positiveness of -results. Furthermore, the cleanliness, lack of odors -and gases, and the easy installation and convenience of -placing are other important reasons why the electric -stove has come to stay, if electric companies co-operate -with the stove companies to give a cooking rate.</p> - -<p>Its vogue, too, is largely due from the fact that in -the maidless home housekeepers find electricity simpler, -cooler and cleaner, if more expensive and not quite -as rapid as gas.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Points About the Stoves</span></h3> - -<p>As with the gas and wood stove, the main principles -must apply in picking them out, with but few additions -and omissions. The electric stove is not bothered -with its own deterioration by the combustion inside -it of oils, woods, coals, cokes, etc., but has, of course, to -be well wired, rust protected and insulated against -mishap and fire. Accidents are contingent on anything -that uses any fuel. With electric stoves it is unnecessary -to have large or small storage systems, which makes -electricity a convenient fuel for the small “rabbit -hutches,” in which the wealthiest and poorest are forced -to live in these days of homelessness.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page63">[63]</span></p> - -<div class="container w35em"> - -<img src="images/illo089a.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Estate Stove Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">THREE LITTLE FINGERS FIT IN THREE LITTLE HOLES AND -THE CONNECTION IS MADE</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<div class="container w20em"> - -<img src="images/illo089b.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Bramhall Deane Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">HERE THE STOVE LID IS SET ON A LITTLE ROUND PLATFORM -ALREADY ATTACHED AND EASILY DISENGAGED</p> - -<p class="caption blankbefore75">ELECTRIC RANGE</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page64">[64-<br />65]</span><a id="Page65"></a></p> - -<p>Then again, if you employ electricity, whether it is -more costly or not, you do not have to put in so strenuous -a flue system when building a house, but just a hood -over the stove as a vent to carry off cooking odors and -a special wiring system. You do away, too, with the -draughts necessary for coal or wood types and all the -contingent engineering niceties, which harass and -wear you if they are not perfection.</p> - -<p>The body of the stove should be built of non-rusting -iron. Armco rust-resisting iron is often used in the -best grades of stoves. It is free from impurities which -invite corrosion and rust and has proved a valuable -material out of which to make a good stove body. On -some stoves the tops are made of gray iron castings -which, with the black body and its polished iron trimmings, -make a very stately and harmonious article without -sacrificing anything of practical utility.</p> - -<p>The top of any stove is the place upon which are -placed the utensils for frying, boiling, etc. This is true -whether the fuel be coal, gas, electricity or what-not.</p> - -<p>The top of the electric stove is no variant to this -rule. It has the spots upon which to place the utensil -and these spots are called the heating units. Heat, of -course, is communicated in varying degrees between -the units. These units are of cast or wrought iron. -The tops of any electric stove must be of cast iron or some -such non-warping rigid material which takes readily -to cleaning. The heating element should be safe from<span class="pagenum" id="Page66">[66]</span> -molestations and the top of the stove must be smoothness -itself to hold the utensils with perfect ease and -steadiness. The units’ wire connection must be enclosed -to protect the heating element. The top of the -usual electric stove has about four cooking “holes” -or plates, or heating elements. In some cases the electric -connection is made by the heating units being equipped -with pluglike sets or fingers (as your ordinary lamp -plug) and fitting into a socket under itself. In other -cases, if it be a three-heat stove, the three wires are directly -connected with the heating element and all that -has to be done in case of bad connection is to raise the -heating element and unscrew the wires. In other styles -when bad connection occurs you must search the surface -beneath the plug, a little more complicated operation, -but still the manufacturers of this feel that it is an added -protection to wiring.</p> - -<p>The surface units, too, must come off easily so that -no extra tool is needed to pick them up.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Ovens and Broilers</span></h3> - -<p>There are two kinds of ovens used in the electric -stove, from the point of view of heat retention. One -of them does not retain the heat completely enough to -call itself a fireless cooker oven yet does retain heat -to a great degree and cooks well after a little time on -the third heat or low heat. The other style guarantees -a fireless system of cooking when the electricity is cut -off.</p> - -<p>Strange as it may seem, the largest and most elaborate -and the most expensive stoves are not made with the -retention-heat method because, no doubt, the persons -that can pay about $1000 or even $700 for a stove have -chefs and don’t really care whether they use more or -less electricity.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page67">[67]</span></p> - -<p>For ordinary use, however, and for the large stove -which costs to-day around $140 to $225, it is well to have -the retained-heat oven, the oven so insulated as to keep -in the heat and keep out the cold, so that you can -cook easily by fireless and save much electricity.</p> - -<p>The oven should be equipped with top and floor -heating units. These should be controlled by a three-heat -switch and so geared and wired as to be accessible. -If one unit burns out the others will not.</p> - -<p>In some stoves the heating unit in the top of the bake -oven is controlled by the same switch which operates -the units in the oven bottom and is of proper intensity -to insure good results.</p> - -<p>Often this same unit also serves the broiler. In other -cases the broiler is supplied by an “on and off” switch -alone and it is only made in conjunction with the -broiler. In still other stoves the three-heat broiler with -separate switch is employed.</p> - -<p>The broiler must be heavily tinned to prevent rust -and corrosion and it must have a removable drip pan. -In one stove on the market, which has the broiler to the -left on the top, the drip pan is fastened to the broiler -so that when it is drawn out over the stove for any -reason the drippings are caught by the pan and not -spattered on the stove top beneath. This is a minor -perfection but a very nice one.</p> - -<p>Some range companies make a unit of a certain -size, say “24” or “48,” and if you want a larger size -you can simply say “I want two units”—or three, or -what not. There are small stoves for yachts and kitchenettes; -in fact, the electric stove is as adaptable as a -telescope, some have ovens above, some have ovens below, -some have broilers above, some below. Some have -everything above, some everything below. You can -have exactly what you want as to price and style.<span class="pagenum" id="Page68">[68]</span> -Some stoves are also equipped with practical plate and -food warmers.</p> - -<p>One very pleasing stove is called a period stove because -it has legs that curve and cavort like a period -bit of furniture—what period we couldn’t say unless -it be early Edison.</p> - -<p>Then, too, there are combination coal and electric -ranges, for there are those persons who must have both—and -as they are beautifully combined they make a neat -and effective unit in the kitchen.</p> - -<p>There are portable stoves and stoves that are built-in; -that is, the stove that can be very simply moved from -place to place if necessary, and the one that is backed -into the wall and would leave a scar if it were moved. -Of course the huge stoves are of the built-in type, but -they, too, come with legs and are better adapted to -removal.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Electric Measurements</span></h3> - -<p>For these electric stoves, special wiring must be -effected. They cannot be attached to the ordinary electric -socket. It is necessary when ordering a stove to -give the voltage of your electric supply. The stoves -are usually prepared for 110 volts with two-wire service -from street or 110-220 volts with three-wire service. -In some stoves the cut-out box is built on the range -directly back of the switches. This, then, can be easily -opened if anything happens. In the stock stove an -extra charge is made for voltage exceeding 220 or less -than 110, because alterations have to be made.</p> - -<p>The consumption of watts in the electric stove is a -very vital question. Watts are the unit of electric power, -just as you speak of 50 cubic feet of gas in measuring -gas consumption. The unit of figuring the cost is not -on the watt—because a watt is too small a figure but of<span class="pagenum" id="Page69">[69]</span> -the unit of one thousand watts, which is the kilowatt. -So you call the unit of fuel consumption the kilowatt -hour and you say the average stove consumes about one -kilowatt hour per person per day. If a burner consumes -800 watts it means you will be charged <sup>800</sup>⁄<sub>1000</sub> -of a kilowatt per hour.</p> - -<p>According to the size of heating elements, the wattage -of stoves runs from 10,000 watts or 10 kilowatts (which -is the same thing) to about 2500 watts, or 2<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> kilowatts -on a small three-heating-unit range. This gives its -total capacity if everything goes at once.</p> - -<p>It is a little more intelligent for the housewife to -read her meter than not to. So here is how it is done: -There are four little dials, which you read from right -to left, the opposite manner of reading this page. The -first dial measures the tens, the second the hundreds, -the third the thousands, the fourth the ten thousands. -Therefore, the total is found by adding all the figures -at which the dials point and always reading the lowest -number which the dial approximates. But you must -always substract your last month’s record from this, -of course, to get this month’s average; and this amount -multiplied by your electricity rate would give you what -your bill should be.</p> - -<p>After all, the cost is the paramount thing in your purchasing -and calculations as to purchasing. The electric -stove is, on the whole, more expensive than the ordinary -cook stove. The fuel cost varies, as has been said before, -with the locality in which you happen to live.</p> - -<p>In many places the electric companies have made a -cooking rate much lower than the lighting rate. In -such localities where the electricity is but from 1<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> to -2 cents, the electricity as fuel is almost equal in cost -to gas at one dollar. It has been generally admitted -that, with care as to fuel consumption, a kilowatt hour<span class="pagenum" id="Page70">[70]</span> -per day is consumed by each individual in the house. -If you have to pay three cents per kilowatt hour and -you have six persons in the house, your electricity will -cost you about eighteen cents per day. In the large, -weighty and “watty” stoves the consumption of electricity -is about 2 kilowatt-hours per day per person, -but on the stock ranges not weighing over 300 pounds -with a comparative low wattage (compared with the -1200-pound made-to-order range) the average is, as was -said before, but one kilowatt-hour per person per day. -One firm, computing 4.2 persons to average a family, -states that in the use of 26,180 ranges the cost was -$4.06<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub> per month per family.</p> - -<p>The value of electric cooking is not in the low cost -of fuel but in the saving of labor, food conservation, -cleanliness, comfort and mental or psychological delight -in the shipshape and orderly method.</p> - -<p>In cities where the cooking rate is the same as the -lighting rate (around seven cents) cooking by electricity -is expensive for the average folk who have to think a -little about the cost of living.</p> - -<p>It has been said that electric cooking is expensive -because it takes longer to cook by it than by gas. This -is being overcome in three ways: first, by the proper -use of electricity and the turning it off and cooking on -retained heat; secondly, by the better made stove in -use to-day; thirdly, by the use of proper sized and -shaped utensils which are a very great factor in the -rapidity of cooking and thence economy of electricity -as a fuel.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Control and Trimmings</span></h3> - -<p>Most stoves are equipped with reliable thermometers -and also many give charts with the stove to show you<span class="pagenum" id="Page71">[71]</span> -exactly what temperatures on that particular stove will -accomplish the pop-over, the roast, or the what-not. -This eliminates any basis of error. Some, too, have -glass ovens which further add to the gaiety of rations.</p> - -<p>In buying, buy of the best firms, get guarantees, see -that your wiring is adequate and that everything is -well insulated with asbestos or something of equal value.</p> - -<p>See to it that your oven doors close without slamming; -that when they are open they won’t bend if a weight -is put on them. We have seen one stove stand the -weight of a man jumping on the stove oven door when -it was lowered. Many a good cake has been ruined by -banging oven doors.</p> - -<p>The switches should be conveniently placed and not -off in some corner. The fuses should be back-side or -back of range, as they are not particularly beautiful -to gaze upon and one is apt to take them for switches -when rushed. But few stoves now put the fuses in the -front. The fuses should be so connected that if one -blows out all do not.</p> - -<p>There is a stove on the market at present that has -a fireless cooking timing device, so that when you go -to bed, you can have your breakfast all cooked for you -(if you have stocked the stove before retiring) at any -time in the morning at which you have set the clock. -This you may consider a trimming, but it is a nice bit -of modern life’s embroidery.</p> - -<p>In most of the stoves the fireless cooking saves time -and saves your food. Basting is unnecessary; you get -what you pay for in weight of the roast and lose less -than by any other process of cookery. In some stoves -twelve or fifteen minutes of electricity are all that is -needed; stored heat then does the work.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page72">[72]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Dimensions and Care</span></h3> - -<p>The heights in stoves vary from a few inches (table -ranges) to about 5′. Height to cooking top varies, too; -the nearest it comes to 38″ the more comfortable, of -course. The new stoves are being made with special -emphasis on the height of cooking surfaces.</p> - -<p>The depth of stoves also varies, from the built-to-order -stove which is 33″ to the stock stoves which run -even as narrow as 16″, with but three top cooking or -heating units instead of the average four.</p> - -<p>As with all new devices, you must practise with the -electric stove to get the best results. The first few weeks -you may think you are using too much current. You -will be, too, but you will learn better if you take the -following into your mind:</p> - -<p class="padl2">1. Do not overheat your oven. Never let the temperature -exceed the thermometer’s tell-tale face.</p> - -<p class="padl2">2. Oil your oven occasionally as you would your -typewriter or sewing-machine, for some “non-rusting” -ovens go back on you.</p> - -<p class="padl2">3. Not only engineers but cooks often sleep at the -switch. But you mustn’t. It would be wise to have -a master switch in the kitchen connecting the range -to the electric supply. In this case you can turn off -the electricity and there will be no danger of leaving -a burner turned on when not needed. The heating -plate may crack if the current is turned on without -anything cooking in a utensil on top of it.</p> - -<p class="padl2">4. Don’t remove burners unless repair is necessary. -Boiling over of foods won’t hurt the burners. Use -nothing but a light non-metallic brush to rid the -burners of spillings. If you use old utensils that have -become rich in food deposits, thoroughly scour before<span class="pagenum" id="Page73">[73]</span> -using on the electric stove. The electric stove -makes no deposit on utensils.</p> - -<p class="padl2">5. Turn down the burner when water boils. You -have three heats. Turn from high to low at boil. -Your bills will come down 75%. Use as little water -as possible and by keeping the lids on you will cook -by steam. Turn your switches to low at every chance -you get. Ten or fifteen minutes before the food is -cooked you can turn off current; there will be enough -heat to cook with if your utensil is covered.</p> - -<p class="padl2">6. When cooking roasts, in about an hour, depending -on the size of your roast, you can turn off full -current on the top burner and cook on retained heat -or on medium heat of bottom burner.</p> - -<p class="padl2">7. For safety in expense keep one burner on at -Full. Start your cookery of each thing on Full and -then shift to medium burners. This will save electric -bills, as you won’t have all your burners going full -tilt at the same time.</p> - -<p class="padl2">8. Flat bottom utensils at least as large as the -heating space are necessary to the economical use of -the electric stove. Use as little water as possible, -thereby cooking by steam and saving food. Shallow -vessels take less heat and therefore less electricity.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">A Very New Departure</span></h3> - -<p>On the market, as this goes to press has come the -electric stove which, instead of heating by radiant heat -(red), cooks by conductivity or black heat. That is, -the unit becomes hot throughout and does not burn by -becoming red hot. It is claimed in this case that the -unit wears longer and that it takes less time to cook -therefore less electricity. We have not had time to -test this stove so cannot vouch for it except that it is<span class="pagenum" id="Page74">[74]</span> -made by very eminent manufacturers and invented by -a very distinguished expert.</p> - -<p>It is so built that the cleaning of it and the replacing -of its parts is done with the minimum effort.</p> - -<p>All switches and connections are at the back of the -stove and can therefore be kept inviolate.</p> - -<p>The top burner elements are made of multiple low -temperature units from one ampere in a single unit to -almost unlimited amperage of say 25 amperes, from -25 single units in parallel within a square or diameter -of 8 or 9 inches. Think what flexibility of heat this -means! It is just what up to date the electric stove -has lacked with its but one to three “heats.” If one -or more units burn out then there are others left!</p> - -<p>The stove is so geared that a fluctuation of 25 volts -will make no trouble!</p> - -<p>The oven arrangement and unit system are so arranged -as to bake quicker and adjustable to different size pans.</p> - -<p>Ideal broiling is a thing quite boasted of in this stove.</p> - -<p>All the units and parts are easily removable for cleaning -so you will get a prize if all the things they say -of their stove are true and we have little doubt that -they are true.</p> - -<div class="container"> - -<img src="images/illo101.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Bramhall Deane Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">HOOD AND STOVE HEATED BY GAS AND WOOD. NOTE THE MARBLE-TOPPED TABLES</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page75">[75]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VII<br /> -<span class="chapname">TAKING THE GUESSWORK OUT OF GAS COOKERY</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">T</span><span class="afterlargecap">he</span> -points in buying a gas range are for the most -part the same as in purchasing an electric range. -It must be of the best material, cast iron or sheet iron -or a combination of the two, the ovens usually lined -with steel, upon which is baked aluminum or a vitreous -enamel. Enamels are more expensive but their sanitary -value is great. Everything must be of the best -quality, no seams or roughness can be allowed to catch -food or odors, and the stove manufacturers must give -you a guarantee of almost everlasting life.</p> - -<p>Stoves to-day are made with and without shelves, some -have the ovens above, some below. But where the oven -is below it is a great boon to have the top at least 32″ -high—38″ from the floor is better, so that the oven is -sufficiently high to obviate back breaking, and the cooking -surface high enough to eliminate the back bend for -the ordinary cooking processes. Ranges to-day are built -so that there is absolutely no guess work either in management -or accomplishment.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">New Devices</span></h3> - -<p>A recent improvement is a stove with an oven heat-regulating -device, absolutely controlling the temperature. -Because this device is used by domestic science -cooking schools, cooking must be an exact science. No -especial training is required to handle this device, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page76">[76]</span> -it has no working parts to get out of order; the temperature -is simply controlled and maintained by the turn of -a wheel.</p> - -<p>This enables you to bake without opening the oven -door. A chart is supplied by which you can cook any -kind of dish, the time, the temperature and the necessary -decreasing or increasing of the temperature being -given clearly.</p> - -<p>One new type of stove has the smooth top. It looks -not unlike a coal stove. It has no aching voids for -things to spill into, nor can pots tip over into the yawning -chasms. This saves a lot of needless irritation, -which is important with the present high temperaments -of cooks and housemaids. This stove stands 38″ from -the ground.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Top</span></h3> - -<p>An interesting feature is that the whole top becomes -heated and is usable, whereas in the ordinary four-burner -top only four utensils can be used at once. This -top is connected with a flue which draws the heat, so -that there is no waste of gas. If necessary, the lids can -be raised and the flame from the burner will just tip -the utensil, the proper position for flames. The oven in -this range is so planned that it can be opened from the -bottom with either hand. Another stove has a top that -is semi-smooth and semi-spider, allowing you both systems.</p> - -<p>Should a vessel spill over in the “smooth top,” the top -catches the overflow and it is simply washed off instead -of the usual pulling out of the tray and the messed-up -burner plate, which must be scraped and cleaned. This -range is made tall and narrow, ready for the small as -well as the large kitchen.</p> - -<p>All gas stoves to-day have the automatic lighter, which -gives you freedom from the use of matches and makes -gas nearly as convenient as electricity. Of course, gas -is hotter in the summer than electricity, and to obviate -this many of the stove makers produce marvelously contrived -combination ranges of gas and electricity.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page77">[77]</span></p> - -<div class="container w30em"> - -<img src="images/illo105.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Vulcan Stove Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">THE SMOOTH TOP 38″ GAS RANGE TAKES THE STOOP OUT OF -STOOPID COOKERY</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page78">[78-<br />79]</span><a id="Page79"></a></p> - -<p>Some stoves have plate warmers above and some have -a shelf open and available on which to warm dishes, -which also makes a convenient rack for dishes while the -rest of the meal is cooking.</p> - -<p>Nearly all stoves are equipped with broiler chamber, -baking oven and wire shelves. One, particularly convenient, -has, instead of the two full-sized shelves in the -large oven, one shelf divided into two pieces, allowing -for more elasticity in placing different dishes in the -oven.</p> - -<p>In the stove which has the oven heat-regulating device, -there are many of the fireless cooker features with -some of its drawbacks eliminated. For example, it has -no thick walls which eventually become impregnated -with odors of past meals; the time in pot watching is -eliminated; you can do other work and yet be sure that -your cooking is being done well. So much of the cooking -can be done in the oven that fewer burners are -necessary. This type is made in sizes varying from 35″ -wide and upward.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Regulating Heat</span></h3> - -<p>When you are ready to put the whole meal in the -oven, your instruction card will tell you the correct -temperature to set the thermostat. You can then leave -the oven unwatched for a period of three to four hours. -No preliminary cooking is necessary; in fact, the things -can be put on in cold water if necessary; furthermore, -the cost of cooking is no more, and sometimes less, than -with the old-fashioned hit or miss method.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page80">[80]</span></p> - -<p>Canning with this oven is simplicity itself, as there -is no need to lift the big containers to the cooking -surface.</p> - -<p>Many people prefer the fireless-cooking, oven gas -stoves. These are excellent when made by the best manufacturers -and certainly help the servantless house -greatly.</p> - -<p>The old-fashioned methods of finding out if your oven -is hot are as follows: Poking your head into the oven, -perilous; thrusting an unoffending hand therein; -browning pieces of paper or a bit of flour; burning the -gas and letting it go at that; gauging the size of the -flame: but these are unreliable, for everyone feels the -heat differently and the quality of paper varies and -atmospheric conditions differ. How many times have -you cooked the same thing the same way, and have had -success one day and failure the next. What waste—and -how discouraging!</p> - -<p>With the particular stove in question, the novice soon -becomes an expert. As much of the cooking can be done -in the oven, not so large a surface stove need be bought; -a small family can actually use a two-burner surface.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Burners</span></h3> - -<p>The burners on all the best stoves are regulated by -the gas companies, from whom it is wise to buy, unless -you are purchasing the installed, made-to-order stove.</p> - -<p>One firm emphasizes its burner because it spreads -well; it claims there is a saving of gas, which is quite -true. This stove also stresses its glass oven door. Now -the glass oven door is a fine thing, but when meats are -being cooked, the glass becomes greased, and unless -cleaned off at once may leave furrows.</p> - -<p>The cabinet stove is the type used practically all over -this country. It sits on high legs and has the oven (top -or bottom), warmers and shelves. The stove without -shelves is not called the cabinet style. Usually the -cabinet has the ovens to right or left or below the cooking -top. Some of these stoves have a separate splasher -on the side of the back wall or the side wall; this is not -absolutely necessary if the stove is so finished that the -splashing will wash off easily. Some stoves are completely -enameled, including splasher; others are just -blue iron or polished steel. Of course, there are the -expensive enameled stoves which only have to be washed -for the dirt and dust to slide off.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page81">[81]</span></p> - -<div class="container w25em"> - -<img src="images/illo109.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Clark Jewel Stove Company.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">TAKING THE GUESS WORK OUT OF OVEN TEMPERATURES -BY THE USE OF AN AUTOMATIC HEAT REGULATOR</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page82">[82-<br />83]</span><a id="Page83"></a></p> - -<p>The vital thing in the gas stove is the burner and its -regulation. Nothing will compensate for poor burners, -poor insulation, poor heating. Some stoves are so made -that the linings come out and can be easily washed -and greased with kerosene thus keeping them in excellent -condition. But keep your ovens more than spotless.</p> - -<p>The gas supply pipe when installed with a stove -should be not less than <sup>3</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub>″ bore. Some companies -advise making an iron pipe connection with a union -coupling.</p> - -<p>The best results for the gas range would be had if -connected by a stove pipe to a chimney but great care -should be taken to avoid a down shaft. Much moisture -in a stove, which will slowly destroy it, denotes this down -draft presence. Yet sometimes the flue connection is -a nuisance, as it is at other times a necessity. In some -districts the flue is necessary by ordinance.</p> - -<p>Top burners must be frequently cleaned and when -they are removed the drip pan can be cleaned too and -the space in which the drip pan rests. Wipe off dust -from the air mixer, that is, where the air enters the -burner to make the flame cook. Grease your oven -linings occasionally and your stove will wear longer.<span class="pagenum" id="Page84">[84]</span> -If your stove happens to have a porcelain enameled -broiler pan, take it out when not broiling in that oven.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Range Facts</span></h3> - -<p>Don’t use a big flame when food or water is boiling. -Nearly all the good stoves have air and gas regulating -devices and with each stove the method is explained to -the purchaser. Remember that you want a blue flame, -that the tip only should touch the utensil and that the -yellow flame may mean too much gas and cause smoking -or it may mean too little air. Keep your flame at -the blue point, with no yellow or white tip.</p> - -<p>Before lighting any burner, try all the gas valves to -be sure that they are closed and that there is no gas in -the range. If the burners pop out close partly the air -mixers.</p> - -<p>The simmering burner on the new stoves is a great -convenience and economy, if the burner is perfectly -regulated. In most cases the air mixer must be nearly -closed.</p> - -<p>Cakes bake unevenly perhaps if they are set too near -the front of the oven. Be sure to put them at least in -the center or better near the back.</p> - -<p>To prevent fish from burning while broiling or baking, -grease the gridiron. In broiling steak, if it is thick, -place it 1″ from the flame. If not thick 2″ or 3″. -Keep the broiler door open while broiling. Heat the -oven for ten or fifteen minutes with the door shut before -putting the meat or fish in to broil.</p> - -<p>Remember the tip of the blue flame is sufficient to -cook; any other flame condition spells waste.</p> - -<p>When your burners do not light, they are probably -grease clogged. Remove them and boil them in a solution -of washing soda.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page85">[85]</span></p> - -<p>Turn down the flame when the substance begins to -boil.</p> - -<p>Unusual cooking capacity in a small space is really -one of the great advantages of the new stoves. Know -your space, your family needs and then buy your stove -from one of the best makers or order it through your -gas company.</p> - -<p>Manufacturers have tried to beautify their stoves, but -when you buy see to it that you buy comfort first.</p> - -<p>A gas range should keep in first class condition for at -least fifteen years—that is, if you buy the best and take -reasonable care of it.</p> - -<p>All kinds of stove combinations can be had: gas and -coal, gas, coal and electricity, electricity and gas, oil -and electricity, etc. So every taste, every necessity can -be met in stoves to-day. There is but one rule—buy -what you need and the best of its kind.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page86">[86]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VIII<br /> -<span class="chapname">THE OIL RANGE</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">W</span><span class="afterlargecap">hat</span> -makes it possible to live in gasless, electricless, -coal-less, transportationless places in gustatorial -ease and digestive comfort? The oil range. Not -the old-time messy oil stove, but the efficient, capacious -oil range. In districts unopened to modern improvements -cooking is made a pleasure rather than a drudgery, -with this highly effective medium, so effective that -nothing that can be done on any other type of -stove need be omitted in the daily routine. It has -the maximum comfort and the minimum cost and -trouble. This range too need never be lighted until -wanted and can be “put to bed,” immediately upon -finishing the meal. So now there need be no -place where man can not have his puddings, his -breads, or his flap-jacks with speed and finish.</p> - -<p>The two most important types of oil stoves with which -it is worth your while to become acquainted are the wick -and the wickless (kindler type). It is quite evident -from their descriptive titles that the former employs a -wick as heat carrier to the vessel in which is the food; -and the wickless has the kindler by which the heat is carried -to the food in a different way.</p> - -<p>The wick oil range is a development born directly -of the lamp. It employs the round wick and with it -in its best form a long chimney is used. This long -draught chimney has proven in the case of the lamp to -make for perfect combustion of the oil. Hence after<span class="pagenum" id="Page87">[87]</span> -many years of trial and proof the wick stove is developed -to a delightful point of comfort and utility. -Speed, lack of odor and perfect work, three necessities -of any stove, are here exemplified, to say nothing -of longevity and ease of upkeep.</p> - -<p>You have probably used the heat from a lamp chimney -to light a cigarette or a match or even to heat a -curling iron? Well, this is really the principle of the -wick stove. This heat has been harnessed and petted -into cooking usefulness by expert heat and stove engineers.</p> - -<p>The parts of the wick stove with which you must be -acquainted are few but important:</p> - -<p class="padl4">1. The burner</p> - -<p class="padl4">2. The wick</p> - -<p class="padl4">3. Flame spreader</p> - -<p class="padl4">4. Brass wick tube (a fine feature, in that it is of -brass)</p> - -<p class="padl4">5. Clamp set screw</p> - -<p class="padl4">6. Hand wheel to adjust screw</p> - -<p class="padl4">7. Little mica door which opens in chimney instead -of having to pull off the chimney as you do in -lighting a lamp.</p> - -<p>All you have to do is apply the match and touch off -the wick at several places. Then lower the wick until -the flame is even.</p> - -<p>To extinguish the flame, turn the little wheel to the -left. <i>Never blow it out.</i> This blowing out of the flame -causes all sorts of irregularities and the real troubles.</p> - -<p>The oil range is supplied in the best types by gravity -conduit. That is to say that the oil flows from a -reservoir into the burner, and as the oil is consumed the -fresh oil flows down and takes its place, so there can -never be overflow to cause fires or odors. These reservoirs -are of glass and in one case the manufacturer has<span class="pagenum" id="Page88">[88]</span> -a service of reservoirs which supplies the consumer with -a rack of three filled reservoirs, which in turn replaces -the emptied one. This obviates entirely the need of the -cook to pour oil in the reservoir or in fact know she is using -oil! Reservoirs of course are delivered and called -for, if you are in reach of a dealer. Where this service -is impossible to be had the pouring of the oil into the -tank is simpler than simple. It is no more difficult -than pouring milk into a glass. In truth the reservoir -is mechanically adjusted and filled with oil—the human -being but its guide and beneficiary.</p> - -<p>The heat wanted in the wick stove depends on your -culinary need and consequently on how high or how -low you turn the wick. Very often it means when the -flame burns low when it should burn high that the wick -needs a cleaning. Don’t blame the mechanism. It is -difficult to say how often you need to buy a wick or how -often it should be cleaned, as it depends very much on -the quality of the oil that you have to use. Some kerosene -is charry and some more free from impurities than -other kinds of kerosene.</p> - -<p>Here are some points to observe if you want good results.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 1. If there is a gap in the flame, the wick needs cleaning. -There should be a continuous round fence enclosing -the burner around the flame spreader. Or it -may mean the wick is up against the flame spreader.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 2. Be sure that the wick is not up against the flame -spreader after lighting, because it will prevent the -air from passing through the center of the brass -wick tube and cause over-heating of burner and a -murky flame.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 3. The flame when high should show white points -above the blue body of the flame. These white points -should be about 1<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub>″ for perfect combustion. That -means that there will be no odor and that you<span class="pagenum" id="Page89">[89]</span> -will get all the heat you need and no waste of fuel.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 4. The flame has lost its usefulness when the line of -demarcation between the white and the blue is gone. -The flame will begin to smoke, the burner will be -over-heated, the cookery under-heated, and odors -and smudge will be the result. Here again the -human equation comes in. Use your eyes effectively.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 5. Cleaning wicks is done by removing the chimney -even as you do in cleaning a lamp wick. Nothing -new in this.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 6. Watch your reservoir; never allow it to run dry or -your range to burn dry. Form a habit of watching -it daily and you will never regret it.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 7. Under usual circumstances one wick should last -several months.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 8. Clean wicks daily for best service.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 9. Correct unevenness of the wick with a pair of -scissors.</p> - -<p class="hind03">10. For re-wicking, arresting any other troubles, consult -the “guide book,” which gives directions simply.</p> - -<p class="hind03">11. But remember when you get any kind of range you -must set it up solidly and level before filling with oil -or cooking upon it. Put it in a part of the kitchen -away from draughts and where you would put any -other stove.</p> - -<p class="hind03">12. Every range has special directions for inverting -reservoir and refilling, but in the best types it is -always very easy and simple, needing no strength or -skill.</p> - -<p>And so in the best type of the wick range we have -the possibility of cooking everything that any family or -its guests need.</p> - -<p>Wicks are easily bought all over the world. The -stoves heat rapidly; the oil reservoir is easy to fill; -your hands need never be oily, unless through crass<span class="pagenum" id="Page90">[90]</span> -carelessness. There is a basin shaped stove base to -collect char and dirt and the feed pipe is so placed as -to make cleaning easy.</p> - -<p>All the parts should be easily removable for cleaning -and all should be simple and visible in every part. This -grown up lamp should have all these modern twists.</p> - -<p>In the best of the wick type you should have the best -vitreous enamel, where it is enameled, baked in at least -three times; solid brass wick tubes; best grade of steel -tubing and heavily tinned plate pipes where necessary.</p> - -<p>In the long chimney-wick type the flame never -touches the vessel. In the short drum type the flame -does touch. One wick type manufacturer makes a perfect -long chimney type yet also makes a short drum type -to give all consumers their heart’s desire.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Wickless Ranges</span></h3> - -<p>The wickless, as its name implies, has no wick but -carries the heat directly to the cooking vessel and therefore -shortens the cooking time a little as the heat reaches -the spot more quickly than it can in the long, non-flame -touching type of range.</p> - -<p>In this type of range a kindler is employed. This -kindler is a round asbestos ring (costs about 10 cents to -replace) which lies in the burner bowl and is slightly -corrugated at the top and stiffened by a metal band. -Its function is not that of a wick at all. It is rather -the self-starter of the stove and its business is to light -the oil and start the cooking. The stove is lighted -by applying the match to the kindler which is saturated -by oil (from its very position) and this ignition of the -kindler furnishes sufficient heat to the surface of the oil -to turn it into a gas. After the burner is started the -heat automatically keeps the gas forming (vaporizing) -as long as there is oil in the burner. So you can see that -all the kindler does is start the gas ball rolling.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page91">[91]</span></p> - -<p>The wickless type of range is equipped with a 12″ -seamless burner, which will last several years. The regulation -of the heat is managed by lowering or elevating -the oil in the burner bowl. The greater the area of oil -exposed on which the heat from the kindler ring can -act the greater the amount of gas formed and released, -and inversely the smaller the area of oil surface exposed, -etc.</p> - -<p>This range, in its best forms, employs a lever with a -dial, which when turned by the cook to the point in the -dial she knows by experience she needs, automatically -and mechanically adjusts the heat from simmering point -to the most intense heat through a heat scale from “no -heat” to 300° Fahrenheit.</p> - -<p>With the dial there is taken out of oil cookery the -guess-work which resides in most cookers.</p> - -<p>Here is used the short chimney, with very concentrated -heat focused where it is most needed.</p> - -<p>In lighting, you turn the lever to the word “light” -on the dial. After the kindler is saturated, generally -a few seconds after switching the lever, the chimney -must be raised and the match applied in a few spots -to the kindler. In a few moments your blue flame is -going full blast or any blast you desire depending on -your lever setting.</p> - -<p>Gravity supplies the oil here too, as in the wick type. -The reservoir with its glass bull’s-eye to detect oil quantity -holds a gallon of kerosene sufficient to last sixteen -to eighteen hours for one burner, or at the rate of -about one cent per hour. Refilling these reservoirs is -very simple, and when you go to buy an oil range this -is one of the things you must insist upon. Unscrew -the cap in this case and pour in your oil, that is all. -There are a feed pipe and release which gather any -sediment that may be in the oil.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page92">[92]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Flame Regulation</span></h3> - -<p>Experience is the best teacher in the way of knowing -where you must set the lever to get the hottest flame. -Sometimes dependent on varying conditions, the flame -may be highest when the lever is over the 12th division -of the dial; sometimes it may be at 6 or 7 on your range. -This sort of thing you learn by knowing your range. -Some oil will, of course, be left in the burner after the -light is turned off. Therefore you must expect it to -burn a little while after you have turned your lever to -“out.”</p> - -<p>The blue flame to be just right must touch the vessel -with its uttermost tip.</p> - -<p>On some of the most modern of this type is a match -scratcher plate which makes it easy to light the match -without using your shoe, a good white wall, or the seat -of your pants.</p> - -<p>Every stove in this class is made of the finest pressed -steel, and where the enamel is used it is of vitreous -variety with three bakings. There is an all white stove, -too, to fit in with the bridal effect of the newer kitchens.</p> - -<p>The good points of the wickless stove are many:</p> - -<p class="hind24">1. No wicks to clean.</p> - -<p class="hind24">2. Unleakable.</p> - -<p class="hind24">3. More powerful burner than anywhere else, being 12″.</p> - -<p class="hind24">4. Burner 100% odorless.</p> - -<p class="hind24">5. Delivers heat where it does the most good.</p> - -<p class="hind24">6. Acts a little quicker than any other types.</p> - -<p class="hind24">7. More economical in upkeep.</p> - -<p>Either one of the stoves herein outlined is the best -on the market as to type and manufacture. If you -have to buy a stove try and get the most for your expenditure -by a collection of the best traits in the stove.<span class="pagenum" id="Page93">[93]</span> -No mechanical device is perfect without perfect handling. -If you do not put in the wick correctly, or if you -do not light your kindler sufficiently you will have -trouble. If you put a tire on your car in the wrong -way you would not blame the car, yet the tendency is -always to blame the oil range and immediately call up -your dealer and say that your stove is smelly or that -the wick won’t burn or that the kindler won’t start, etc.</p> - -<p>The best firms give every consumer a little text book -to consult when in difficulty.</p> - -<p>These stoves even in electric and gas regions are -used in summer because they are cool cookers.</p> - -<p>The advantage over coal is evident, as there is no fire -to clean out, no kindling wood necessary, no ashes to -carry and no coal to lug about, to say nothing about -wondering about dampers, flues and the like.</p> - -<p>In all ranges burning oil of the best makes, you can -have all the heat you want and as little as you want as -well.</p> - -<p>On all well proportioned ranges you can put some of -the excellently constructed ovens.</p> - -<p>The ranges come with from one burner to five burners. -Some are built in cabinet style, with shelves, etc. Some -just plain style. As yet none of the cooking surfaces -is quite high enough; a few inches added to their stature -would make cookery easier on the human back. The -cabinet size usually stands about 54<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>″ high, 64″ wide.</p> - -<p>The spaces between the burners is ample for comfortable -placing of utensils. Watch this when purchasing -a stove, for you can be very uncomfortable with a -jammed surface.</p> - -<p>It is pretty much a matter of what you can get in the -way of either of these two specific stoves. They are -both so good. The wick type is convenient because the -wick is sold all over the world. The wickless is convenient<span class="pagenum" id="Page94">[94]</span> -because it is easy to clean and is a bit more -rapid in heating. The kindler is only 10 cents and -can be had at all dealers and when you buy the stove -you can get a supply.</p> - -<p>You must demand:</p> - -<p class="hind24">No odor whatever</p> - -<p class="hind24">Speedy cooking</p> - -<p class="hind24">Steady flame</p> - -<p class="hind24">Cleanliness and easy to clean</p> - -<p class="hind24">Easily replaceable parts</p> - -<p class="hind24">No smut and dirt</p> - -<p class="hind24">Easy flame control</p> - -<p class="hind24">Oil visible in reservoir</p> - -<p class="hind24">Best materials on the market</p> - -<p class="hind24">Perfect combustion, making for the minimum amount -of residue carbon.</p> - -<p>With the oil range as well as with the gas, electric -and coal range there can be bought water-heating -boilers, ovens, etc.; and with one stove, special broilers -and toasters.</p> - -<p>There are two very good ovens on the market to be -used with these stoves and with other kinds as well, -each one with its special selling points. Each is large -enough in some size for a 12 pound turkey, each small -enough for the smallest uses (sizes range from 21<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>″ × 18<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>″ × 13″ -to 13″ × 18<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>″ × 13″). They weigh from -about 12 to 18 pounds. You place the oven over the surface -burner.</p> - -<p>One oven maker claims:</p> - -<p class="ind64">Asbestos lining for insulation</p> - -<p class="ind64">Shelves set for 5 different altitudes</p> - -<p class="ind64">Curved top to oven like bakers’ oven to pass off -gas and prevent air pockets</p> - -<p class="ind64">Shelf support growing out of lining</p> - -<p class="ind64">Strap hinges</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page95">[95]</span></p> - -<p class="ind64">One motion to handle to open oven door</p> - -<p class="ind64">Door closes only if it locks</p> - -<p class="ind64">Special asbestos lining porcelain enameled heat -spreader, triangular in shape, to deflect heat and -prevent burning</p> - -<p>Another says of itself:</p> - -<p class="ind64">Special heat resisting lining</p> - -<p class="ind64">Mica windows below to watch flame</p> - -<p class="ind64">Unbreakable glass and unstreamable</p> - -<p class="ind64">Three point locking device on door</p> - -<p class="ind64">All glass door.</p> - -<p>The oil range is not cheap. Yet it is a godsend at -certain times. We are not advocating it for general -use where pipes and wires and coal are at our convenient -disposal, but we do recommend it forcibly and sincerely -where you want a simple, efficient cooking medium beyond -the reach of the popular sources of heat.</p> - -<p>Unless you buy the very best, not merely the best, -oil cooker you will be saddened, and with the best you -will sign yourself Pollyanna without reservations.</p> - -<p>Just about now, a new oil range is being advertised. -It is a cross between the wick and the wickless, because -it uses an asbestos and brass thread wick which is almost -immortal, for it can be reversed when charred and when -both sides are charred it is burnt off in the stove and -ready to begin its double life again.</p> - -<p>Like the wickless stove the flame touches the vessel -with the short drum construction, and like the wick it -uses a wick even though quite different.</p> - -<p>The stove is of japanned tin, and is made in cabinet -type and in the ordinary style. It is also in the “best” -class.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page96">[96]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER IX<br /> -<span class="chapname">COOKING BY ABSENT TREATMENT</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">T</span><span class="afterlargecap">he</span> -fireless cooker is primarily a fuel saver. Secondarily, -it has developed into an absent treatment -cooker. That is, the food can be cooking while the -lady of the house is airing the baby or at church or at -club entertainments or while the cook is cleaning the -kitchen, laundry and pantry. Thirdly, it cooks -thoroughly and longly without the added expense of -fuel or effort.</p> - -<p>It was first made with a box and with excelsior and -padding but the manufacturers came to the rescue as -they always do to supply a demand and the comfortable -fireless cooker was born.</p> - -<p>Its story is short and sweet and to the point. The -essential for the cooker is that it will cook by retained -heat. Therefore, it must be built so that there will be -no leakage of heat. For this reason it must have perfect -insulation. The utensils must have covers that are -clamped on so tight that they retain the heat generated -by the stove or electric current. The lining -should be non-absorbent of odors or “spill.” Therefore -practice has proven that aluminum, which does -not rust and is easily cleaned, is best for this lining. -The linings too, must be smoother than smooth and be -as seamless as it is possible for them to be made.</p> - -<p>For long processes, of course, the heated plates -must be able to retain heat and for this, soap stone and -iron plates have been found to be the most practical.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page97">[97]</span></p> - -<p>The cookers can be had with from one to three or four -compartments. Therefore, a whole dinner can be cooked. -They claim that you can brown with them as well as in -the roasting oven. Browning can be to some extent -accomplished by an accomplished fireless expert with -extra heating of extra plates and the like, but for real -crisp browning it is as well to take out the food and -rapidly brown in the oven.</p> - -<p>The best results are gained with the fireless if used -in conjunction with gas, oil and electric stoves. With -the coal stove there is a loss of fuel saving of somewhere -around 50% due to the fact that it takes so much time -to get up the fire in a coal stove before the plates are -heated sufficiently to do their work in the cooker.</p> - -<p>Therefore, it is cheaper if you are going to use the -fireless to any great extent to have a one burner gas -plate on which to heat your plates for the fireless cooking -process.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Fireless Stoves</span></h3> - -<p>In the chapters on gas and electric stoves, you will -find there mentioned the fact that there are some stoves -so built that they have fireless ovens. That simply -means that they are so insulated and constructed that -when the cooking has reached a certain point, the -current of electricity or the gas can be turned off (in -some cases turning itself off automatically) and the -rest of the cooking can be done by the fireless process -or on retained heat. This, of course, is the ideal way, -because then there is no extra paraphernalia in the -house and the stove is built so that the back is not bent -in stooping to the low fireless cooker. For this reason, -we would suggest that if you have a fireless, it is best -to have it on a shelf built for it or keep it on a table.<span class="pagenum" id="Page98">[98]</span> -Save your back or your kitchen aid where you can, as -we have but one back for every process in life!</p> - -<p>The electric fireless cooker is one which has its own -connection with the electric light circuit. It is not a -stove or part of a stove—it is merely a most convenient -cooker for which you are not forced to heat extra -stoves or plates. It’s a two-in-one combination. According -to directions you turn on and off the circuit.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Cooking</span></h3> - -<p>After you become accustomed to the fireless, you will -find that cooking in it is quite definite and the time and -the schedule can be heeded like clock-work. Do not let -the food cool in the cooker, or you will have the cooker -odor to battle with and you will always have olfactory -souvenirs. The cooling and steaming in the box will -do this only too well. Air your utensils and cooker -after each usage or your food will have a uniform -flavor which to say the least is most unpleasant.</p> - -<p>Remember that it takes longer to cook like this and -that you will only save time by being able to do something -else without fear that your food is boiling over -or burning or what not. This cookery takes a little -practice, it is like everything else, a case where practise -makes perfect and where the good utensil and a -good understanding work together for good, while a -poor utensil and a slovenly understanding work together -for a little hell on earth, and this is putting it -not one whit too strong.</p> - -<p>It is no doubt true that tough cuts of meat are better -cooked by the long process of retained heat; it is no -doubt true that cereals are much more wholesome with -the process of retained heat, yet it is doubtful whether -the fireless cooker is ever bought for these reasons.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page99">[99]</span></p> - -<p>It is bought, however, to economize time, service and -food. There is less waste of food by the fireless process. -You can buy cheap cuts of food if you have a fireless -cooker and enjoy them.</p> - -<p>So, the fireless cooker is not an embroidery it is the -“bib and tucker” of culinary labor.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page100">[100]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER X<br /> -<span class="chapname">QUESTIONS FROM THE LEAGUE OF RATIONS</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="center blankbefore75 blankafter75">(<i>A very possible conversation, but invented by the -author to bring out some points that the reader will -readily see.</i>)</p> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">“J</span><span class="afterlargecap">oy!”</span> -gasped Mrs. Gregory Eggleston, turning -on the electric current for breakfast coffee.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it a luxury after you’ve been out late,” she -said turning to her guest, Mrs. Bradford Reardon, -“not to have to think of servants and be able to have -breakfast like this at 10:30—with impunity! You know -I think the kitchenette will rob domestics of house -room!”</p> - -<p>“It certainly is a luxury to have a little cooking kit -like this whether one has another home or not. And to -have it as you have—within easy driving distance from -the theater, where you and your friends can spend the -night and breakfast like kings from this shiny apparatus. -Besides,” she continued, “it’s amazing how a little -6′×5′ room (see plan 1) does solve the omnipresent -question of how to live in the country and yet not have -to depend on hotels to keep one comfortable while -attending to the affairs of business and pleasure in the -city.”</p> - -<p>“You’re right,” agreed Mrs. Eggleston, taking some -chilled oranges out of the refrigerator under the table, -“Gregory and I wanted the country for our growing -kindergarten and yet it seemed impossible until we -thought of this scheme. Gregory has so many interests -in the city and you know how many I have that it seemed -almost exile to leave it. If we didn’t have this place, -I’d be on the road all the time, whereas now when I am -home I can devote my entire time to the kiddies.”</p> - -<div class="container"> - -<img src="images/illo129.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Underwood & Underwood</i></p> - -<p class="caption">A CORNER IN WALTER RUSSELL’S KITCHENETTE. THE STEEL UNIT KITCHEN CABINET IS -USED HERE</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page101">[101]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Dropping The Maids</span></h3> - -<p>“But,” she went on, “you’d be surprised how -Gregory hated the idea at first of a manless or maidless -entourage. He said he couldn’t bear to think of me -messing with stoves, etc., and now you should see him! -He loves it—he helps me too, and says it makes him -think of our early days—and he loves me to wait on -him and be alone with him.”</p> - -<p>“The kitchenette as the domestic canteen has come -to stay,” Mrs. Reardon said, and then looking about -her with an amused flash in her eye, “but your -kitchenette, dear, is like an ordinary kitchen. The -kitchenettes I’ve conjured up when thinking of them -at all, have been little curtained slits in the wall in the -corner of two rooms without bath, clothes closets without -clothes, bathrooms without baths, washstands capped -with shelves full of canned goods and gas appliances -all permitting of cookery with every requisite for human -food except the desire to eat it.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” laughed Mrs. Eggleston, “I guess the only -definition of a kitchenette is: a place to cook smaller -than your previous one and smaller than any kitchen -of any of your friends!”</p> - -<p>“But,” Mrs. Reardon continued with rapture, “your -kitchenette is a dream. It always reminds me of jewels—the -tiled floors, walls and ceiling like luminous settings -and the apparatus like lovely gems. Really it -breeds appetite and culinary prowess. Any one could<span class="pagenum" id="Page102">[102]</span> -cook in this place! And when I’m not in such an -esthetic mood I am reminded of an engine room in a -small electric yacht.”</p> - -<p>“That is amusing,” said Mrs. Eggleston, laughing, -“but I hardly can see how it could be otherwise because -Gregory and I thought of all the yachts we knew -before arranging this kitchenette. He always says -‘Well, dear, we certainly are ship-shape here—even if -we don’t own a yacht!’”</p> - -<p>Whether the slit in the wall kitchenette or the tiled -kitchenette is the only kitchen in the family, or whether -the kitchenette is only for weekends of the foregoing -variety, it must be small and ship-shape. These are the -only definite kitchenette requirements.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Necessary Equipment</span></h3> - -<p>It need consist only of a couple of three-foot shelves, -so compact are the stoves and ranges made for light -housekeeping. But roominess is no crime, so multitudinous -are the tools to play with. Smallness, however, -is unusually synonymous with convenience in kitchenettes.</p> - -<p>Nearly every professional woman and many men in -the large cities are banded into a huge League of Rations -by the sympathetic tie of small kitchenettes. These -compact cooking outfits make the lives simple, adaptable -and healthful, they are the result of the hatred of the -restaurant and café which turn steady diet into a farce, -and they put an end to the régime: “Eat, drink and -be merry, for to-morrow we diet.” And so the slit in -the wall or the covered cupboard is made the nucleus -of home cooking and family feeling. No servants -needed, none missed and a feeling that you are not -living down by doing your own work but living up by -managing the difficult combination of living well and<span class="pagenum" id="Page103">[103]</span> -doing your job on the outside to the best possible advantage.</p> - -<p>For the most part these kitchenettes are run by gas, -but are for that reason cheaper in the cities like New -York, where there is no cooking rate for electricity.</p> - -<p>But the new appliances for the electric kitchenette -are like toys, they are so fascinatingly contrived. You -are crazy to have ice cream or whipped cream with which -to employ the electric kitchen power unit which can perform -all these miracles, and you are led into gustatorial -and epicurean extravagances by cooking, boiling, baking -and grilling at the same time on the new stove. A -whole dinner can be cooked on the dining table with -these new ranges even if you have no kitchenette!</p> - -<p>The terror of dishwashing has evaporated! The electric -dishwasher has been born and now our Ladies Eggleston -and Reardon can, without loss of epithelial beauty, -dash into the kitchenette for their matinal refreshment—sans -sacrifice, sans anything but appetite and culinary -ardor.</p> - -<p>In the model Edison kitchenette, the utensils are -hung up to avoid unnecessary spinal calisthenics. The -sink is near the stove and is high enough to save the -back from contortionate bends. All surfaces in the -kitchenette should be an inch or so higher than that -which the palm of the hand can reach without bending -the back. The floors should be cement or hard -wood with mat or with linoleum, either cork inlay, tile -or brick; the ceiling of a light color paint or tile or -brick; the walls the same and all joinings rounded to -avoid the cracks at the base of the wall joining the floor, -or where the wall and ceiling join.</p> - -<p>The best kitchenettes are tiled or bricked with generous -water vent so that the light hose played on them -flushes and cleans them in no time.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page104">[104]</span></p> - -<p>One of the best arrangements is to have the kitchenette -apparatus follow this succession: (See Plan 1) -Drop table, closet, sink, work table, refrigerator beneath, -shelves above, utensils hung underneath, stove, on either -side of the sink drain boards of hardwood tilted toward -sink or copper or composition slightly tilted; and a garbage -chute on right side of work table near the sink.</p> - -<p>However excellent or concentrated the arrangement, -there can be no success, however, with any machinery -unless you know how to use it advantageously; so as -engineer in the electric kitchenette you ought to know -a few things about the mysterious current over which -you preside; how to use it economically, how to use it -to its full capacity minus disaster and how to have the -same mental attitude toward your kitchenette equipment -as the workman has to his tools. In the Edison -kitchenette is a little sign with the following legend:</p> - -<p>Turn off the current when the range is not in use.</p> - -<p class="hind24">1. Start the oven on high, then turn it to medium -or low.</p> - -<p class="hind24">2. Turn oven off completely and finish baking and -roasting on retained heat.</p> - -<p class="hind24">3. When contents of pot are boiling fast, turn the -plate to medium or low for long cooking.</p> - -<p>Turn off current when nearly done.</p> - -<p class="padl2">Complete the cooking by retained heat in the plate.</p> - -<p>In a little booklet is found this advice:</p> - -<p class="hind24">Fires caused by the use of electric stoves are mostly -caused by carelessness.</p> - -<p class="hind26">I.<span class="dontshow">IIV</span> Detach the plug as well as turn off current at -the socket.</p> - -<p class="hind26">II.<span class="dontshow">IV</span> When you are not using any device continually -shut off current.</p> - -<p class="hind26">III.<span class="dontshow">V</span> Grasp the plug at the spring not by the cord.</p> - -<p class="hind26">IV.<span class="dontshow">II</span> Blow-outs are caused by too many -devices all<span class="pagenum" id="Page105">[105]</span> -attached to the cluster plug. Reduce the number.</p> - -<p>The utensils of these kitchenettes are without end; -some of them are: Tables, ranges—aforementioned; -oven and grill combinations; griddles; toasters; percolators -of all kinds; large and small ranges; ice cream -freezers; combination meat grinders; ice cream, whipped -cream and dough mixing units; electric ice makers; -automatic time ovens, with clock attached so that you -can put something in to cook and at a designated time -the current turns itself off; immersion heaters; coffee -mills; samovars; egg boilers; buffer, etc. for sharpening -and polishing silver and knives; and countless other -things.</p> - -<p>But the latest of all is the electric kitchen cabinet or -“Movie” of small price and great compactness; gas -or electrically ranged and arranged, containing in its -simple confines, pots, pans, ice box, folding table, flour -bins, stove, shelves for dishes and all the comforts of -home. Just the thing for one night stands or bachelor’s -retreats!</p> - -<p>And jot this down—that if you have a good refrigerator, -electric or plain, you can have all the onions inside -of it that you want without affecting other foods, -and if you have an electric ozonator you can cook onions -in the smallest kitchenette without damage!—so they -say!</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page106">[106]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XI<br /> -<span class="chapname">KEEPING IT COOL</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">S</span><span class="afterlargecap">he</span> rang for the butler:</p> - -<p>“Wilson, please ask the chef what kind of a -refrigerator the architect put in for us.”</p> - -<p>“Very well, madam,” and he departed to the kitchen.</p> - -<p>This same chatelaine did not send for the butler to -inquire what kind of an automobile her garage held. -Not for a moment! She knew, too, the difference between -the Rolls-Royce, her car, and the Ford, or any -other car! Yet, she didn’t know her refrigerator! -And to-day, although all the world’s a-wheel, the very -crux of the situation is the refrigerator! Peace—war—the -economic structure of nations hinges on the preservation -of food, not only in refrigerating cars, but -in our kitchens; for, as our kitchens save food, just so -much more easily will the world be fed and unrest cease.</p> - -<p>Beyond much doubt the chic porcelain-lined refrigerator -of to-day is the corner-stone of the halls of -domesticity; for what in the unconscious song of every -husband is a wife without well-kept food! And is there -any romance that will survive flabby lettuce and pulpy -celery?</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">How It is Made</span></h3> - -<p>The booklets about the refrigerator are entrancing! -The pictures bring to mind marble halls, à la Alma -Tadema, and you might wonder why he never used a -modern refrigerator in one of his Roman paintings!</p> - -<div class="container"> - -<img src="images/illo137.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of the Kelvinator Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">WHEN THERE IS A CELLAR USED FOR THE LAUNDRY, THE ICE-MAKER COILS CAN BE SET DOWN -THERE WITH EASE AND SIMPLICITY. HERE TOO IS AN ELECTRIC IRONER AND WASHER INSTALLED, -WITH A VERY NEAT TOOL RACK!</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page107">[107]</span></p> - -<p>But you will remember that the linings of the refrigerator -are not of marble no matter how much they resemble -it, but instead must be made in one piece of -smooth, hard, non-porous, non-warpable, non rustable -material, the best type of which is the burnt-in -vitreous porcelain in several layers on a metal backing. -These linings must be made in one piece with no seams. -No seams and seamless are quite different in their -implication. “No seams” is what it seems to indicate, -but seamless means a camouflage of joints. Joints -and seams are food and odor entrappers and -presage disease and death. Many of the advertised -enameled interiors are made of nothing but -paint heated, not burnt-in, which therefore flakes -off or crazes (cracks form) and falls into the food, -which of course is not a particularly epicurean sort of -truffle!</p> - -<p>The doors, too, must be seamless, jointless, screwless -and smooth.</p> - -<p>The shelves and other partitions must be of smooth, -heavily tinned wire mesh. Smooth to prevent accumulation -of food; and the wire mesh to insure rapid and -unimpeded circulation of air.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Nine Points</span></h3> - -<p>Whereas some refrigerator owners may keep butlers, -the following points are more essential to the maidless -home, because effort and energy and strength are saved -to say naught of money and ice if conditions are such -that the ice will not fade away rapidly and cleaning -have to be done under difficulties of construction.</p> - -<p>Therefore, to preserve the sanitation of the home and -the consequent sanity of the world before buying a<span class="pagenum" id="Page108">[108]</span> -refrigerator the following Nine Points should be laid -before the Kitchen Diplomatic Table:</p> - -<p class="hind24">1. Does it: Maintain a low and uniform temperature?</p> - -<p class="hind24">2. Maintain a pure atmosphere?</p> - -<p class="hind24">3. Appear to keep absolutely sanitary?</p> - -<p class="hind24">4. Seem to be built to keep perfect circulation and an -absence from odors?</p> - -<p class="hind24">5. Keep free from moisture?</p> - -<p class="hind24">6. Seem built to be economical in ice consumption?</p> - -<p class="hind24">7. Have a system to insure perfect drainage?</p> - -<p class="hind24">8. Contain a porcelain lining in provision chamber?</p> - -<p class="hind24">9. And does it seem to be built for durability as well -as for beauty?</p> - -<p>And now about enforcing the Nine Points.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Insulation</span></h3> - -<p>How for instance is a minimum temperature to be -kept? Chiefly, by insulation—this is a strictly mechanical -term understood by motorists and engineers and -must be understood by the housewife, who is a domestic -or kitchen engineer if she is anything. The low temperature -is kept by keeping out the outside heat and -keeping in the inside cold! After much experiment, -it has been found that the walls, floors and doors of -every refrigerator must have at least one air space, -from six to nine layers of insulating material consisting -of pebbled cork, or certain patented materials, mineral -wool, asbestos and various layers of porous substances -which keep out the outer warm air and prevent the -cold air from escaping. (See <a href="#Ref3">illustration</a>.) Well insulated -refrigerators backed up against boilers, stoves -or vats maintain a temperature far below 58 or 60 -degrees; some, the best, maintaining 50 degrees.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page109">[109]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">As to Ice Chambers</span></h3> - -<p>The ice compartment should be above, and to one side, -so that the cold air from the melting ice can descend, -as is the custom of cold air, and can rise again as it gets -heated in its contact with the provisions and pass up -over the ice, be cooled and pass down again with its -collected odors through the drain. This is what is called -air circulation, and when the ice box is properly constructed, -and when the ice compartment is kept full, -the air is in constant motion, traveling over and over -again up and down and around the food and ice. This -constant activity of the air is what insures an odorless -condition, unmouldy and cold food.</p> - -<div class="container w25em" id="Ref3"> - -<img src="images/illo141.jpg" alt="Insulation" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Bohm Syphon Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">NOR COLD NOR HEAT CAN GET BEYOND THESE -FORTIFICATIONS</p> - -<div class="illotext w12em"> - -<div class="centerblock"> - -<p class="fsize80"> -PORCELAIN ENAMEL<br /> -LINING ONE PIECE<br /> -DEAD AIR SPACE<br /> -INSIDE WOOD LINING<br /> -BLACK WATERPROOF PAPER<br /> -WOOL FELT PAPER<br /> -FLAXLINUM INSULATION<br /> -OUTSIDE WOOD CASE</p> - -</div><!--centerblock--> - -</div><!--illotext--> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page110">[110]</span></p> - -<p>In the best refrigerators the ice chamber extends a -few inches below the door and is lined with the highest -grade of smooth galvanized metal, lock jointed, and is -without seams and sharp edges.</p> - -<p>In some refrigerators the wall between the ice compartment -and the provision chamber is slatted, in some -there is a space at the top, in others, holes are bored, -top and bottom, to permit the free egress of the circulating -air. These methods are good in varying degrees. -The main things to be kept in mind are:</p> - -<p class="padl2">1. Does the air circulate enough to prevent any -moisture accumulating in the refrigerator? Can salt -be kept dry and granular in it for one hundred hours?</p> - -<p class="padl2">2. Does the refrigerator keep below 60 degrees, or -better between 45 and 50 degrees? Will a damp cloth -dry quicker inside than outside of it, because of the -rapid circulation and dryness of the air?</p> - -<p class="padl2">3. Do matches keep dry and can they be lighted by -being struck on its walls? (This shows whether the -ice box is dry!)</p> - -<p class="padl2">4. Does the milk taste of cheese or the butter of the -soup?</p> - -<p>If they have any “acquired traits,” you may be sure -the circulation of air in your refrigerator is bad or else -there are seams or crazes in the tile, holding odors in -their grip. Tiles and other beautiful interiors have -in many instances been discarded by many makers -because of their brittleness or pertinacious grip on odors—which, -in the form of gases, poison foods and hence -the family! Opal glass has been dropped because of -its fragility in lighter weights. There are, however, -some manufacturers who use tile with excellent result.</p> - -<p>Another important feature is the drain pipe, more -important almost than the exhaust on the motor. If -this pipe is not constructed solely to carry off odors and<span class="pagenum" id="Page111">[111]</span> -waste materials from the cleanest ice and not to import -insects, gases and warm air from the sewage of the -town, it will collect a very tidy packet of typhoid, -diphtheria or any home-seeking germs. This drain ought -therefore to have a water-sealed trap in it, it should be -smooth, of hard, well-finished metal and be so simply -cleaned that the kitchen maid, or whoever is delegated -to perform the laving of this important part of the -household, should not look forward to the performance -with horror, but with a sense of ease.</p> - -<p>There isn’t a doubt that a faulty drain in the refrigerator -has caused more typhoid than anything else.</p> - -<p>Think what it means then to be a good kitchen engineer—what -service you can render your family! Few -home-keepers realize the necessity of understanding the -underlying principles of air circulation, sanitation and -germination but what a lot of misery could be avoided -if the chatelaine or even the wife-cook had a little -technical knowledge. How this would dignify the science -of the home. And yet how lightly is the function -of home-keeper assumed and how many brainy women -look down upon it!</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">How to Use a Refrigerator</span></h3> - -<p>But if you have everything to assure perfection in -refrigeration and know not how to use it, it is as if you -had none at all.</p> - -<p>Note this amendment to the nine points:</p> - -<p class="padl2">1. Keep your ice chamber <i>full</i>, even after Dry -Laws. It saves ice and preserves your food. The circulating -air will only go “over the top” as far as the -bulk of ice drives it.</p> - -<p class="padl2">2. <i>Never put any food in the ice compartment.</i> It -must play an infinite solitaire.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page112">[112]</span></p> - -<p class="padl2">3. Keep the doors shut, and open them as little as -possible.</p> - -<p class="padl2">4. If the ice gives out, take out all the material and -rinse out the refrigerator. Refill it with ice and keep -the door shut at least six hours. And remember -sufficiency of ice insures efficiency of refrigeration -and efficiency of refrigeration means a sufficiency in -expenditure—for a refrigerator.</p> - -<p class="blankbefore75">Water coils can be put in some ice chambers which -connect directly with the water supply. In this way -the water can be kept continuously cool for drinking -under all conditions of outside temperature.</p> - -<p>The outside of the ice box should be of hard wood -or porcelain, the hardware of the best, including lever -door handles.</p> - -<p>Back doors for filling the ice box can be set so that -the ice can be put in from the outside of the ice house, -room, pantry or kitchen. This avoids useless handling -and melting of the ice and obviates the iceman’s journey -through the house.</p> - -<p>And, above all, choose a refrigerator that has no unnecessary -“improvements” in the ice chamber which -have to be taken out and scalded. The easier it can be -rinsed from within the more often the attendants will -clean it!</p> - -<p>And remember this, too, that an ice box is a cooler -where the ice and provisions go in the same chamber, -while the <i>refrigerator</i>—well, you know it all now.</p> - -<p>And, by the way, if you want a useful little device to -keep your grape juice or yourself—cool—while motoring -this summer, look up a little basket refrigerator which -comes in many sizes and many prices.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page113">[113]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XII<br /> -<span class="chapname">THE PASSING OF THE ICE MAN</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">“H</span><span class="afterlargecap">ow</span> -would you like to be the ice man?” is the -lyrical refrain to an ancient ditty that is getting -more and more obsolete every day, for there is a -mechanical conspiracy to oust the ice man from his age-long -position as purveyor to the home. So do ice men, -gladiators and dogs have their day and relinquish to -machinery their evanescent glories.</p> - -<p>Nowadays everybody knows that there are domestic refrigerating -plants for home use that displace the -ice man and in which pure ice for table use can be made. -Many people, however, do not realize the reliability of -such equipment, the simplicity of its operation, and -the satisfaction to be derived from its use, nor yet that -there is an actual saving in its use. These facts will, -however, be borne out by thousands who have freed -themselves from the bondage of the ice man.</p> - -<p>Even though few will care just what contributes to -making the coldness, it might be well to give a simple -explanation of the principle of making ice, in order that -the prospective purchaser will know what she is getting.</p> - -<p>When you wash your hands they feel cool if you do -not dry them. You say they are cool because the water -evaporates, but the fact is that the evaporation takes -place because the water is drawing on the heat from the -air and your hands feel cool in the process. And so -in simplest terms engineers have found refrigerants or -liquids which vaporize or evaporate at low temperatures,<span class="pagenum" id="Page114">[114]</span> -and as they turn from liquids to gasses they use up the -heat and leave the air cold. Some of these refrigerants -are sulphur dioxide, chloride of ethyl, ammonia, etc.</p> - -<p>There are two ways of having refrigeration in the -home:</p> - -<p>1. The mechanical refrigerator (which is permanently -cool with the machinery a part of itself)—one unit.</p> - -<p>2. The domestic refrigerating plant (for making ice -and steadily producing even, low temperatures) which -you can have installed in your own refrigerator—two -units.</p> - -<p>The general system of home making-ice refrigerators -consists of the brine tank with copper coils within, a -motor-driven compressor and a condenser of copper -piping. The compressed liquid passes through an -expansion valve into the brine tank where the pressure -is reduced and it changes into a gas, flows out through -and is condensed by the condenser, changed back into a -liquid, is pumped back again by the motor and starts -cycling again—indefinitely. In the best ice-making -plants there is a heat control which turns on the motor -when the temperature in the refrigerator gets too high -and turns it off when it is sufficiently low.</p> - -<p>In one refrigerator there is a device by which the -food compartments are kept at any temperature you -desire, usually around 40°, while the temperature of -the ice-making compartment is never allowed to rise -above 20°. By this arrangement it is possible, and very -often the case, that ice will be made in the ice compartment -without running the electric motors for hours, -while food is kept in the food compartments at slightly -above freezing point. Fancy the health insurance that -the best ice-less processes guarantee in the home—infant’s -food, for example, can be absolutely fool-proof.</p> - -<p>Although the above technical libretto is of some use,<span class="pagenum" id="Page115">[115]</span> -the things that most people want to know and are asking -are these:</p> - -<p>1. Is ice making at home practical?</p> - -<p>2. Is it messy?</p> - -<p>3. Can I use my old refrigerator?</p> - -<p>4. Are they to be had in a special refrigerator?</p> - -<p>5. Will I save money?</p> - -<p>6. Will it save time and annoyance?</p> - -<p>7. What’s the use anyway?</p> - -<p>A good refrigerator is a jewel, and it is the first -requisite to be considered. It must be insulated well -enough to keep out hot air and hold in cold. It must -be seamless and smooth in its linings. The air circulation -must be continuous. The temperature inside must -never be higher than an average of 45° and rarely that. -In such a refrigerator one should be able to keep -matches dry and butter must never absorb any of the -charm of the onion.</p> - -<p>If you have such a refrigerator, keep it by all means, -and install the ice-making machine. The installation -is simple, and the initial expense is readily made up in -the future saving of ice consumption. But do not install -an excellent ice machine in a poor refrigerator, as -the electric bills will climb the Alps. Yet even in a -poor refrigerator the refrigeration bills are lower than -if you had iced refrigeration.</p> - -<p>If you have no refrigerator, it is possible to buy a refrigerator -which has in it the ice-making machines. -But before you buy the outfit you must be very careful -to know whether this refrigerator comes up to the most -stringent tests of the ordinary first-class refrigerator, -for this reason: The average refrigerator in which ice -is used has to be efficient because it must keep itself dry -with actual ice evaporation going on, it must keep a cold -chest with an actual diminishing ice supply, it must<span class="pagenum" id="Page116">[116]</span> -keep ice melting yet staying in spite of weather and surrounding -atmosphere. To make the circulation of air -effect these processes a refrigerator requires fine construction.</p> - -<p>The refrigerating manufacturers have put the most -superb effort into making a first-class refrigerator, and -if you are not convinced that the combination outfit -has as good a refrigerator as you can get with the installed -outfit, it is wisest to buy the refrigerator and -install the ice-making machine. There are excellent refrigerators -on the market; apply rigid tests and accept -nothing short of the best.</p> - -<p>The machinery can, in some instances, be put on top -of the refrigerator or in the cellar or in the next room -or right next to the refrigerator. In some cases the -machine, consisting of pump and condenser and motor, -takes up no more room than 1<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>′ × 1<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub>′ × 3<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>′. This can -be put in place as simply as installing a new gas stove.</p> - -<p>In the best of the iceless machines the refrigerator -maintains a lower temperature than the iced ones in -both winter and summer. At a cost of ten cents per -kilowatt hour, and with ice at fifty cents per hundred -pounds, it is cheaper per day to use the iceless refrigerator.</p> - -<p>There is, too, less dampness in the iceless refrigerator -than even in the best iced ones, due, of course, to the -absence of the ice itself. This lower percentage of -humidity should not be taken as a reflection on the low -percentage of humidity that can be maintained by the -iced refrigerator of the best make, which is a percentage -low enough to dry towels and keep matches dry.</p> - -<p>The iceless refrigerator does these things:</p> - -<p class="padl2">1. Reduces the cost of refrigeration.</p> - -<p class="padl2">2. Maintains a constant low temperature regardless -of weather and automatically starts up “cold making<span class="pagenum" id="Page117">[117]</span>” -when you raise the temperature by opening the -doors.</p> - -<p class="padl2">3. Operates automatically when once installed and -is reliable, clean and noiseless.</p> - -<p class="padl2">4. Permits you to make neat little cubes of ice for -your tumblers, which give your table distinction.</p> - -<p class="padl2">5. Gives you ice of which you know the clean source.</p> - -<p class="padl2">6. Operates by electricity.</p> - -<p class="padl2">7. Needs no refrigerant for years.</p> - -<p class="padl2">8. Is oiled very seldom.</p> - -<p class="padl2">9. Is easily kept clean.</p> - -<p class="padl2">10. Obviates the uncertain ice man and his dirty -boots trailed across the kitchen floor.</p> - -<p class="padl2">11. There is no ice-box drain to clean, no water -dripping to worry about and therefore no extra effort.</p> - -<p class="padl2">12. Consumes from 1½ to 2 kilowatt hours per day—if -it is run from 6 to 8 hours per day.</p> - -<p class="padl2">The purchaser of an ice-making refrigerator or a -domestic refrigerating plant should be warned of the -following:</p> - -<p class="padl2">1. A poor refrigerator will mean more electricity to -keep up a sufficiently low temperature.</p> - -<p class="padl2">2. Don’t let a manufacturer tell you that a freezing -refrigerant, such as sulphur dioxide, will escape and -corrode the pipes. It has been tested out and in the -best machines has neither escaped nor worn out its -pipings.</p> - -<p class="padl2">3. Remember that opening and closing doors raises -the temperature even in the magic iceless paradise, -and therefore uses more electric power to keep the -temperature down.</p> - -<p class="padl2">4. The best machines maintain the ideal and theoretical -low temperature.</p> - -<p class="padl2">5. Expect service from the manufacturer.</p> - -<p class="padl2">6. It is best to have the gas air-cooled and not water-cooled<span class="pagenum" id="Page118">[118]</span> -because the introduction of water makes for -the confraternity of gas and water—a troublesome -mess.</p> - -<p class="padl2">7. Demand the temperature-controlling automatic -device which starts the refrigerating when the temperature -gets up around 39°, and cuts it off when the -temperature is low enough to do its work. This saves -electricity and wear and tear on the machine.</p> - -<p>Some iceless refrigerators make little cubes of ice by -putting trays of your favorite drinking water into the -brine tank compartments. In these the temperature -ranges from 20° to 27°. Desserts, too, can be frozen -firmly and surely when placed in these trays.</p> - -<p>The brine tank fits easily into the ice compartment of -the well-made refrigerator. The brine tank, compressor, -condensor and pump come in three sizes, corresponding -to an efficiency of making two hundred, three hundred, -four hundred pounds of ice per day. Actually these -three typical sizes of refrigerators can only store ice to -the amounts of one hundred and fifty, two hundred and -three hundred pounds, a difference being allowed for -melting.</p> - -<p>The condensor, compressor and motor of some types -of ice machines do not take up any more space than -that of 30″ × 16″ × 18″ high. This can be installed anywhere.</p> - -<p>When ordering an ice-maker for your home refrigerator, -it is well to measure its interior, regardless of its -compartments. Get the width, depth and height, and -multiply them together. This gives the cubical contents -and the manufacturer can then estimate as to the cost -and size plant that you need.</p> - -<p>At five cents per kilowatt the cost per day of running -an entire kitchen by electricity is but fifty cents. Compare -this to the cost of motoring per day.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page119">[119]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XIII<br /> -<span class="chapname">A BURNING QUESTION</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">“L</span><span class="afterlargecap">et</span> -me see your back-yard and I can tell you what -sort of a housekeeper you are,” said a sleuth to -a friend. But we would add “and your method of garbage -disposal.” So we beg your attention for the tale -of the incinerator, the modern and comforting Inferno, -built to bring heaven (paradoxical as it may sound) -into your home.</p> - -<p>The incinerator, to be sure, is one of the last comers -to domestic economy. To most homekeepers it has not -occurred as either a necessity or a convenience; and for -that reason this chapter aims to introduce the householder -to the garbage incinerators.</p> - -<p>Once upon a time the incinerator was made to connect -with the kitchen flue and fitted into the stove pipe. -The hot air was thought to be sufficient to evaporate the -moisture of the garbage after the housewife had evaporated -and dried it out as much as possible. This had -to be done because moisture in waste is the deterring -factor in its combustion. Then after this stove-like -incinerator had done its work, the dried garbage itself -would act as fuel.</p> - -<p>But ... there was one terrible flaw in this method -and that was the fact that the odors and gases that were -given off were not only unpleasant, but often dangerous -and so for this reason this method has pretty -well passed out of existence.</p> - -<p>To do away with the odor and the gases released from<span class="pagenum" id="Page120">[120]</span> -the combustion of household waste, the developing incinerator -has been created and flourishes deservedly among -us.</p> - -<p>The enthusiast cannot say about the incinerator, as -he can say about substitutes for his favorite drinks and -foods: “If you don’t have one, you will suffer torture -and go down to your death in agonies of discontent.” -No, he cannot. But he can say this, “Although you -can and do prosper without the incinerator, and -although consciously you do need one in most cases, -yet when you once own and use one, you find that it -brings up the sanitary condition of your dwelling at -least 50%.”</p> - -<p>In brief, it means doing without the garbage can -which breeds odors, gases and vermin. It means doing -without the garbage carts which are æsthetically, alone, -a torture to say nothing of the menace they hold in -common with their aide the garbage can.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Fly Costs</span></h3> - -<p>The fly costs the United States of America, it is estimated, -about 350 million dollars a year because of its -contaminating influence on the health and the weal of -the population. It is alone responsible for nearly 90% -of the intestinal and typhoid fever cases. The answer -to this must be: Every one must fight the fly; and the -moral of that is: the incinerator is one way of getting -rid of garbage and at the same time starving out the fly.</p> - -<p>There is no room in the house in which cleanliness is -so important as in the kitchen; therefore, the garbage -can, in most instances, militates against its absolute -cleanliness. To be sure, there is one good can on the -market with an automatic lid which is raised with the -foot so that stooping is unnecessary. One touch by the -foot on the pedal opens the can, and as soon as the foot<span class="pagenum" id="Page121">[121]</span> -is taken off the pedal, the lid closes. It is seamless and -finished in white enamel. But even this can is hardly -a substitute for the incinerator. The average kitchen -<i>isn’t</i> the best lighted and sunniest room in the house, -and what is often left in the garbage can (if not carefully -lined with new paper every time it is emptied) -is a real menace to health.</p> - -<p>If you live in the country, the garbage can is usually -in the yard and tours to it are demanded daily. If it is -cold, it is a hardship, and if it is warm it is a hardship, -too! The garbage freezes in the winter; it decays rapidly -in the summer, and there is always the worry about -its collection. If it is kept in the shed, it means other -sources of storage and worry, so whether you are your -own help or whether you have help, garbage disposal -is a really truly problem.</p> - -<p>Now to the device to obviate the immoral fly, extra -steps, unclean kitchens, and worry, the thief of content.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Incinerator</span></h3> - -<p>The incinerator, besides being the burner of garbage, -is a garbage container. It burns garbage without smoke, -noxious gases and floating inorganic matter. If the -stove could do this, the incinerator would not be necessary, -as suggested above. But it can’t, especially if -it be a gas or electric stove. Every incinerator, if it be -any good at all, is so designed as not only to burn the -waste but reburn the gases, etc., before the products of -combustion reach the outer air.</p> - -<p>Every manufacturer will tell you that his apparatus -burns without smoke or odor. This you will do well to -prove by observing one in operation, staying in the -building in which it is being used and also whiffing the -air a few doors away.</p> - -<p>The writer knows of a bank which was severely tried<span class="pagenum" id="Page122">[122]</span> -by a daily recurring odor at lunch time. The authorities -found out later that the incinerator of a neighboring -bank was playing its owner false.</p> - -<p>There is no use in describing the re-combustion or -re-burning devices of the good incinerator, but it is -necessary for the buyer to know whether the re-burning -is accomplished so as to reduce the waste to clean ash -without smoke, noxious odors, and the rest.</p> - -<p>The two main classes of incinerators are, (1) those that -are installed in the cellar and there burn the garbage, -which is dropped in a chute through a hopper installed -by the sink or elsewhere in the kitchen (somewhat the -way mail is dropped into the mail box through its chute) -and (2) the incinerators which look like oblongly high -stoves placed in a recess in the wall or against the wall -in the kitchen where the waste is stored and burned. -The cellar incinerator is connected with the kitchen, etc., -often through the flue and the waste is dropped into a -little hopper.</p> - -<p>Of course, the installed type should, if possible, be put -in with the connivance of the architect before the house -is built as it is simpler than tearing up afterward. This -type, of course, takes up less actual kitchen space.</p> - -<p>Some homes use a large incinerator in kitchens (stove -type and small ones in pantry or laundry).</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Objects</span></h3> - -<p>The large installed incinerator should be able to burn -up bits of paper, sweepings, old boxes, soiled rags, garbage, -smelly waste and reduce them to sterile, odorless, -clean ash. And if these things are not done without -clogging up your flues with oily combustion residues, -etc., you might as well burn your stuff in the kitchen -stoves. The ash lift can be used for various things.<span class="pagenum" id="Page123">[123]</span> -The ordinary portable type is primarily for garbage -but some get away with whatever is put in them.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Construction Points</span></h3> - -<p>In the construction of the portable incinerator, the -one that is placed in the room and not below stairs, you -must be sure it is so built that the heat from burning -is not communicated to the room to heat it up. This -means then that the maker must think of supplying -the apparatus with sufficient insulation to retain the -enormous heat generated inside which is somewhere -around 1600 degrees Fahrenheit. Just as your ice box -is insulated against the cold air getting out, and the -warm air getting in, so must your incinerator be insulated.</p> - -<p>Besides, the lining of the incinerator must be durable -and made to withstand not only the heat but the tremendous -attack on its walls of chemical substances released -in combustion. Sometimes fire brick is used but usually -clay or metal is used in the portable types.</p> - -<p>Furthermore, the incinerator becomes a fire peril if -the insulation and the lining is not 100% perfect.</p> - -<p>Again the devices of air intakes and outlets, etc., -etc., are questions for the engineer. All that we are -concerned with, is whether the apparatus does its work.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Economy</span></h3> - -<p>The cost of operation is practically nil. The fuel -used is gas or coal. Gas is the best method, the writer -thinks. It takes only about twenty to thirty cubic feet -of gas per burning, as the gas is needed only to start the -operation and the evaporated garbage burns itself thereafter. -Or should! There is a type of portable incinerator<span class="pagenum" id="Page124">[124]</span> -which needs no fuel, just burns by ignition of -dry waste which burns the wet as it dries out.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Capacity</span></h3> - -<p>The incinerators are made in various sizes, burn from -one bushel of waste and upwards, depending on the whys -and wherefores of its uses—whether it is the installed -type, or the stove type, or for what home or institution -it is designed.</p> - -<p>The stove types are purchasable in sizes ranging from -15 inches (wide) 15 inches deep and 30 inches high, to -respectively 31 × 34 × 64 inches, and they range in price -from about $70. and upward. (It isn’t safe, of course, -to give prices to-day on anything as they change -continually.)</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Casing</span></h3> - -<p>They are usually built of very heavy serviceable castings, -brass and sheet steel, well lined and insulated. -Everything is well hinged and the grates, which are -removable, are made so as to be easily taken out when -it is necessary to remove the ashes or substances not -burnable except in smelters.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Summary</span></h3> - -<p>So almost in conclusion the incinerator is sanitary, -destroys refuse, destroys it by burning not only the garbage -but the products of the garbage combustion at a -minimum expense, and it should sterilize itself and the -flue in the process.</p> - -<p>And it does away forever with the back bending -disposal of garbage into low cans for the openings into -which the garbage is put are high and comforting.</p> - -<p>However, with all this we must not forget that garbage,<span class="pagenum" id="Page125">[125]</span> -if it can be expeditiously taken off the premises -at once and easily, is an immense help as fertilizer and -food for pigs.</p> - -<p>But it must have fine and careful care. The pits -into which it is put must also have careful structure and -care.</p> - -<p>To the surburbanite the incinerator will be a boon—no -more fussing about garbage disposal and about who -is going to collect it.</p> - -<p>And to apartment dwellers (and they are being put -in apartments rapidly) no more elevator and dumbwaiter -garbage and all the rest of the garbage nuisance.</p> - -<p>And to the new home builder, a sense of the disposal -not only of garbage but of a vexing sanitary problem.</p> - -<p>Furthermore, because you have an incinerator, it -doesn’t mean that you should burn up good left overs. -Never burn up to-day what you can use on the morrow, -and with this injunction we think you will enjoy looking -into the subject of the disposal of waste.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page126">[126]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XIV<br /> -<span class="chapname">AIR AND ITS ENTRANCE AND EXIT</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">“A</span><span class="afterlargecap">m</span> -I an <i>airess</i>?” not <i>heiress</i>, ought to be the -question to ask yourself if you are really a -responsible home manager. It seems strange that with -all the air to be had for the asking you let it pass you -by, content with whatever draughts and gusts filter -through the cracks and crevices of your house.</p> - -<p>Now it so happens that although air is to be had for -the asking, you have to woo it if you want it. But it -pays. Keep the air about you in good condition and -you and all those of your household will soon find yourselves -approaching the 100% efficiency ideal.</p> - -<p>Business has found this out already. Do you know -of any factory, good school, bank or department store, -where there is not installed some sort of ventilation -apparatus including weather strips as well? Of course -not. Why? Because fresh air keeps costs down and -keeps health up. On this relation of health and output, -efficiency depends.</p> - -<p>Does it not flash into your mind now that if housewives -thought more of home ventilation and especially -kitchen ventilation, you might have improved service, -better tempered cooks, and more satisfactory life in -general?</p> - -<p>Of late there are cults of out-door fiends. All kinds -of cold-attracting, pneumonia-coddling out-door fanatics, -who try to tell you it is good to sleep in draughts, -to have cold feet, and the like. Their advice is wrong.<span class="pagenum" id="Page127">[127]</span> -The thing to do is not to subject yourself to the rigours -of cold, but to approximate, in your warm, comfortable -rooms, the sweet clean purity of out of doors. -And this is easy to do by proper ventilation.</p> - -<p>Ventilation can render air even better than the outdoor -variety by purifying it of dust and by supplying -it with the right amount of moisture and motion.</p> - -<p>For the ordinary home the great air conditioners and -ozonators, which are installed in institutions and factories, -are unnecessary, so we will not consider them. -The best, simplest and least expensive ventilating system -for the home is the system regulated by fans and -blowers, and to this method we will introduce ourselves.</p> - -<p>Now, it is conceded by ventilating and heating engineers -that the air, to be healthful, must be in ceaseless -motion, and it must be renewed constantly and evenly. -In other words, it doesn’t make much difference if the -air is burdened with carbon dioxide gas which we exhale -from our lungs, as it does if the air is stationary. Hence -the use of air agitators such as fans, etc. The theory -is that, as the pores of our skin exude moisture, the body -is comforted and cooled by its evaporation which is -effected more readily by constantly moving air. Moving -air, however, does not mean a draught.</p> - -<p>In the ideally warmed house, the doors and windows -are nicely placed so that the warm air gracefully exits -from the top of the room and the cold air comes in -from the lower parts of the room (such as lower windows -or well-placed air takers.) Thus, the air is moving -nicely without the least draught.</p> - -<p>So it will in the use of the fan and blower types of -apparatus on the market. But before we go on to -describe them, it will be well for us to review some of -the reasons why humans need special air treatments.</p> - -<p>It is said by scientists that:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page128">[128]</span></p> - -<table class="breathing" summary="Breathing"> - -<tr> -<td class="left dontwrap">A Woman</td> -<td class="left dontwrap">exhales</td> -<td class="right dontwrap">600</td> -<td rowspan="5" class="left">cubic feet of carbon dioxide per hour.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="left dontwrap">A Young Man</td> -<td class="center dontwrap">exhales</td> -<td class="right dontwrap">614</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="left dontwrap">A Young Woman</td> -<td class="center dontwrap">“</td> -<td class="right dontwrap">453</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="left dontwrap">A Boy</td> -<td class="center dontwrap">“</td> -<td class="right dontwrap">363</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="left dontwrap">A Girl</td> -<td class="center dontwrap">“</td> -<td class="right dontwrap">343</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p>Whereas women don’t breathe so much of what is -noxious yet they have to look after their men folk! -But joking aside, doesn’t this impress you with the foolishness -of inhaling so much vitiated air when the supply -can be renewed so easily with fresh air? Also when you -realize that humans give off 1000 grams of water vapor -under normal conditions per hour, and emit 350 British -Thermal Units per hour. (A B. T. U. is the amount -of heat which will raise 1 pound of water 1° Fahrenheit -or from 32° thru 33° of heat—at normal, not heavy -work.)</p> - -<p>Another authority says that air should be renewed -per hour:</p> - -<table class="breathing" summary="Ventilation"> - -<tr> -<td class="right dontwrap">10</td> -<td class="left dontwrap">times</td> -<td class="left dontwrap">for</td> -<td class="left">public toilet rooms.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="right dontwrap">6</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="left dontwrap">clothes lockers.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="right dontwrap">4</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="left dontwrap">small meeting rooms.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="right dontwrap">5</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="left dontwrap">public offices.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="right dontwrap">4</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="left dontwrap">ball rooms.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="right dontwrap">15</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="left dontwrap">kitchens.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="right dontwrap">20</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="left dontwrap">laundries.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="right dontwrap">3</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="center">“</td> -<td class="left dontwrap">libraries.</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p>The average air change in the average room is one -to two times per hour. In the well-built house it is -two to three—due to fire-places, windows, doors, etc.</p> - -<p>Of course there are other opinions, but this data gives -you an idea of the necessity of changing old for new -air.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page129">[129]</span></p> - -<div class="container w40em"> - -<img src="images/illo161.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Ilg Electric Ventilating Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">SHE IS COOL EVEN IN SUMMER WITH MOVING AIR</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page130">[130-<br />131]</span><a id="Page131"></a></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Good Ventilation</span></h3> - -<p>The requisites then for good ventilation are:</p> - -<p class="padl2">1. Equable temperature from about 60 to 65 -degrees Fahrenheit, and the moderate relative humidity -or moisture of 45 to 65 per cent. In order to keep -the room moist in winter it is well to keep a pan of -water on the radiator. Regular humidifyers can be -bought for this purpose.</p> - -<p class="padl2">2. Clear air, free from impurities such as dust, -insects, oily vapors, soot, etc.</p> - -<p class="padl2">3. Odorless air (you have been sickened by the use -even of the most costly of perfumes!) free from -gases and vapors.</p> - -<p class="padl2">4. Air motion; but the motion must be accomplished -without those objectionable blasts of wind that -so frequently startle you in some houses which are -supposed to have the most up to date equipment. -The weather strip is insurance against the gale.</p> - -<p>Air isn’t a mysterious chemical combination. It is -a mechanical mixture of 21 parts nitrogen, 79 parts of -oxygen, from 0 to 4% of moisture, and usually 4 parts -of carbon dioxide gas per 10,000 parts of air, so it need -not distress you to effect a good clean supply of air and -equip your house with some of the steadily improving -devices now on the market.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Some Devices</span></h3> - -<p>Any device to be useful to the home must, of course, -be convenient, economical, safe to operate, and durable.</p> - -<p>Well, let’s begin with the kitchen; for this ventilation -is more necessary than any place else in the house.</p> - -<p>Not only is it difficult to keep the kitchen in equable -temperature, but to have it cool often means a draft, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page132">[132]</span> -a draft means a cold for the cook, and a cold for the -cook means danger to the whole household. Then there -are odors from the kitchen. These are continually getting -loose, unless the door of the kitchen is kept closed -(which is trying) and infecting the house prematurely -with the taste of dinner. All of which is uncomfortable -and gives the home a commonplace, tenementy atmosphere. -Your home may be judged by its laundry and -cooking odors! The fewer, the better. Did you ever -think of that?</p> - -<p>The cellar is another important room to keep -well aired and should be provided with windows and -doors to formulate a current of air. Pantry and laundry, -too, should be built with ventilation in view in -order that, as in the kitchen, these rooms can be kept -sweet and savory.</p> - -<p>Without extra ventilation apparatus, you can take -advantage of the movement of air; as it cools, it falls -and as this falls it is heated and rises again—keeping -up a rotary circulation:</p> - -<p class="padl2">1. Lower windows from top and bottom so that the -warm air will go out at the top and the cold air -come in at bottom, starting the circulation of air.</p> - -<p class="padl2">2. If not too draughty, have a door open opposite the -windows, or use a draught board or screen which -can be easily placed on window sill to curb -current.</p> - -<p class="padl2">3. Cool moist air can be had often by hanging up a -damp sheet and re-wetting it as it dries.</p> - -<p class="padl2">4. Fireplaces with small or large fires in them cause -air current.</p> - -<p class="padl2">5. In some rooms which have a grated air intake cut -into the walls near radiator—air circulation is -effected easily.</p> - -<p class="padl2">6. Give the risen hot air a chance to get out of the top<span class="pagenum" id="Page133">[133]</span> -of room, and give the cold air a chance to come in at -the bottom of room—and keep it agitated—this is -about the best advice. If you can’t do this, call in -a ventilating and heating engineer—he will.</p> - -<p>With the new type of ventilators, cookery odors, -draughts, smoke, steamy vapors, smudges collecting over -walls, curtains, etc., are obviated because they are all -dissipated and sent flying to the big outdoors. Its -blowers blow out the bad air. The apparatus, which is -simplicity itself to operate, is attached to the ordinary -lamp socket and placed in effective places. The improved -motors are encased and almost frictionless in -action, which means the minimum wear and tear and no -cost for repairs. Some of the motors are self cooled -which also does away with wear and hot boxes.</p> - -<p>There are various kinds of fans which may be used. -Those which change their direction in process of revolution -are good. Some think they are better than the -one-direction fan, and maybe, where the fan is used -alone without other attachments such as purifiers and -blowers, this style may be more efficient. It at least -does the work more swiftly. But whatever kind you -use, they should be so placed as not to make draughts. -The steady movement of air is the only thing necessary, -not hurricanes.</p> - -<p>In the study it is necessary to have light and air and -no draughts to blow papers away. The ventilator -(which may be put on the window sill over the radiator -thus obviating the uncertain winds coming crassly -through the open window) will prove a boon to the -writer or housewife.</p> - -<p>Oh, Homekeepers, it is often that these office devices -which are always employed where work is done, if installed -at home, would keep your men folk and even -your women office workers happy. You would be surprised<span class="pagenum" id="Page134">[134]</span> -how many people would come home to do -after-hour work if the home were as office-shape as -business places. And the ventilator is a very good -point at which to start.</p> - -<p>It is nice to think that along with ice cream, the -steam boat, and other American inventions, applied -ventilation seems to be an almost pure American product! -So, you patriots, here is a way to build real air -castles that will build finer and finer things as you profit -by the stimulus which fresh air, more than any one -commodity in the universe, can give.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Weather Strips as Aid in Ventilation</span></h3> - -<p>No consideration of ventilation of houses could be -complete without a few words on the value of weather -strips. It is strange too that this precaution in the -home is so little known and that the house-wife has so -little knowledge of their infinite good.</p> - -<p>Disregarding them as a factor in the cleanliness and -noiselessness of the home, disregarding in this chapter -the intriguing facts of their manufacture and application, -they are adjunct at their best in the home because:</p> - -<p>They reduce the possibilities of draughts and therefore -reduce the possibilities of colds and rheumatism -and the like. See <a href="#Page292">Chapter XXXIII</a>.</p> - -<p>They keep the temperature of all the rooms as even -as it is possible here below to keep anything even and -therefore give the ventilating régime a square chance -to function well.</p> - -<p>In keeping welcome air in and unwelcome air out, -in so far as is necessary, the reduction of fuel bills is -enormous ... from 15 to 50%! This to-day is a -favorable asset when fuel is expensive.</p> - -<p>With all the systems of ventilating in the world, if -you have tornadoes flying about your floors from the<span class="pagenum" id="Page135">[135]</span> -air you do not wish admitted, you cannot have a properly -or healthfully ventilated home.</p> - -<p>In short, the weather strip makes it possible for you -to have your say as to the air that comes in and out and -makes it possible for your heating and ventilating systems -to work as they should. The hit or miss element -in the home is again routed by the weatherstrip and anything -that does this is worth considering.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page136">[136]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XV<br /> -<span class="chapname">THE PLUMBING IN YOUR KITCHEN</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">O</span><span class="afterlargecap">nce</span> upon a time there was a business man who, -upon buying his first house, bought simultaneously -a plumber’s kit. He was sure he could save a lot of -money by attending to simple matters himself. One -day a simple faucet sprung a simple leak. He confidently -used a complicated tool and the result was a vast -sea of trouble. Plumbers! Expense! It is not necessary -to draw the moral.</p> - -<p>The plumbing in the house is akin to the alimentary -canal in the human body, and is as complicated a system -as the alimentary canal. The system of plumbing in -the house is a series of pipes which carries water to the -house, and eliminates it as it carries with it various -forms of waste, connecting the house with the main -sources of water, gas and with the sewage system. The -best plumbing is that which effects these things with -the least deterioration and with the least mixture of -sewer gas and foreign matter.</p> - -<p>Every community has its own plumbing laws and -regulations. This is true unless you build in very -rural sections where there is no sewage system. However, -this article will deal only with conditions in which -a sewage system prevails.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Plumbing Laws</span></h3> - -<p>As will be seen by the following excerpts from the -plumbing laws of New York City, the ordinary housewife<span class="pagenum" id="Page137">[137]</span> -need not worry about transgressing the law, as -everything, from the material used to the size of it -and the laying of it, is controlled. And the plumber is -supposed to know these rules before he is licensed. But -it is in no way as glorious as poetic license!</p> - -<p>All the materials must be of the best quality, free -from defects, and all work must be executed in a -thorough, workmanlike manner.</p> - -<p>All cast-iron pipes and fittings must be uncoated, -sound, cylindrical and smooth, free from cracks, sand -holes and other defects, and of uniform thickness, and -of the grade known in commerce as “extra heavy.”</p> - -<p>The size, weight and maker’s name must be cast on -each length of pipe.</p> - -<p>All joints must be made with picked okum and molten -lead and be made gas-tight. Twelve ounces of fine, soft -pig lead must be used at each joint for each inch in -the diameter of the pipe.</p> - -<p>All wrought iron and steel pipes must be equal in -quality to “standard” and must be properly tested by -the manufacturer. All pipe must be lap-welded. No -plain black or uncoated pipe will be permitted.</p> - -<p>Each building must be separately and independently -connected with a public or private sewer, or cesspool, except -where a building is located in the rear of the same -lot with another building, when its plumbing and drainage -system may be connected to the house-drain of the -front building behind the house trap and fresh air inlet -which shall be used for both buildings if sewer connected; -or may be connected to an existing cesspool of -front house and be provided with a separate house trap -and fresh air inlet.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page138">[138]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Further Provision</span></h3> - -<p>Where there is no sewer in the street or avenue, -and it is possible to construct a private sewer to connect -in an adjacent street or avenue, a private sewer must -be constructed. It must be laid outside the curb, under -the roadway of the street.</p> - -<p>All pipes and traps should, where possible, be -exposed to view. They should always be readily accessible -for inspection and repairing.</p> - -<p>In every building where there is a leader connected -to the drain, if there are any plumbing fixtures, there -must be at least one 4″ pipe extended above the roof for -ventilation.</p> - -<p>The contents of settling chamber or dust receptacle -for vacuum cleaners may be discharged into a plumbing -and drainage system.</p> - -<p>Leaders must be trapped with cast-iron running traps -so placed as to prevent freezing.</p> - -<p>Rain-water leaders must not be used as soil, waste or -vent pipes, nor shall any such pipe be used as a leader.</p> - -<p>To have an intelligent understanding of what the -plumber has to know, it might be well to know what -certain terms are which are used in the plumbing rules.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Definitions</span></h3> - -<p>The term “private sewer” is applied to main sewers -that are not constructed by and under the supervision -of the Department of Public Works.</p> - -<p>The term “house sewer” is applied to that part of -the main drain or sewer extending from a point two feet -outside of the outer front wall of the building, vault -or area to its connection with public sewer, private -sewer or cesspool.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page139">[139]</span></p> - -<p>The term “house drain” is applied to that part of the -main horizontal drain and its branches inside the walls -of the building, vault or area and extending to and -connecting with the house sewer.</p> - -<p>The term “soil line” is applied to any vertical line of -pipe having outlets above the floor of first story for -water closet connections.</p> - -<p>The term “waste line” is applied to any vertical line -of pipe having outlets above the first floor for fixtures -other than water closet.</p> - -<p>The term “vent pipe” is applied to any special pipe -provided to ventilate the system of piping and to prevent -trap siphonage and back pressure.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Trap</span></h3> - -<p>Most important from the hygiene point of view is the -trap, which is a curved pipe permitting the last of a -flow of water to remain in the pipe to prevent a back -flow of sewage gas into the house. There are for use -various forms of traps under different circumstances -which, of course, are entirely the plumber’s business.</p> - -<p>In hotels and large institutions, and in some large -homes, a grease trap is built in the sink which is so -constructed as to separate the grease from the water, -which obviates clogging of the pipes and which amasses -the grease which is sold to soap makers for soap.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Fresh Air Inlets and Main Traps</span></h3> - -<p>Fresh air inlets and main traps are also for the prevention -of odors and gases coming directly from the -sewer. The entrance of these gases often takes place, -even though the plumbing is excellent, by the settling -of the floors and foundation rendering the soil pipes -defective.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page140">[140]</span></p> - -<p>The question of soil pipes, etc., is sufficiently covered -by the plumbing regulations so far as not to need any -explanations here.</p> - -<p>Every sink, of course, must have its own trap.</p> - -<p>The following are a few excerpts from the law:</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Sewers, Drains and Traps</span></h3> - -<p class="noindent">must be of extra heavy cast-iron. When found in a leaky -or defective condition, shall not be repaired or replaced -except with heavy cast-iron pipe.</p> - -<p>The house drain and its branches must be of extra -heavy cast-iron when underground, and of extra heavy -cast-iron or galvanized wrought iron or steel when above -ground.</p> - -<p>The house-drain must properly connect with the house -sewer at a point two feet outside of the outer front -vault or area wall of the building. An arched or other -proper opening must be provided for the drain in the -wall to prevent damage by settlement.</p> - -<p>No steam-exhaust, boiler blow-off or drip-pipe shall -be connected with the house-drain. Such pipes must -first discharge into a proper condensing tank, and from -this a proper outlet to the house sewer outside of the -building must be provided. In low pressure steam -systems the condensing tank may be omitted, but the -waste connections must be otherwise as above required.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Soil and Waste Lines</span></h3> - -<p>All main, soil, waste or vent pipes must be of -iron, steel or brass.</p> - -<p>Soil and waste pipes must have proper Y or TY -branches for all fixture connections.</p> - -<p>The diameters of soil and waste pipes must not be -less than those given in the following table:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page141">[141]</span></p> - -<table class="pipes" summary="Pipes"> - -<tr> -<td class="descr">Main soil stacks</td> -<td class="diam">4″</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="descr">Main waste stacks</td> -<td class="diam">2″</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="descr">Branch waste for slop sinks</td> -<td class="diam">3″</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="descr">Branch waste for kitchen sinks</td> -<td class="diam">2″</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Vent Pipes</span></h3> - -<p>All vent pipe lines and main branches must be of iron, -steel or brass. They must be increased in diameter and -extended above the roof as required for waste-pipes. -They may be connected with the adjoining soil or waste -line well above the highest fixture, but this will not be -permitted when there are fixtures on more than six -floors.</p> - -<p>Branch vent pipes shall be kept above the top of all -connecting fixtures, so as to prevent the use of vent -pipes as soil pipes or waste-pipes. Branch vent pipes -should be connected not less than six inches nor more -than two feet from crown of trap or side of lead bend.</p> - -<p>No form of trap will be permitted to be used unless -it has been approved by the Superintendent of Buildings -or the Board of Standards and Appeals.</p> - -<p>No anti-siphon trap or deep-seal siphon-jet fixture -shall be approved until it has successfully passed such -test as may be prescribed by the Board of Standards -and Appeals.</p> - -<p>A set of not more than three wash trays may connect -with a single trap, or onto the trap of an adjoining sink, -provided both sink and tub waste outlets are on the -same side of the waste line, and the sink is nearest -the line. When so connected, the waste-pipe from the -washtrays must be branched in below the water-seal.</p> - -<p>The sizes for traps must not be less than those given -in the following table:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page142">[142]</span></p> - -<table class="pipes" summary="Traps"> - -<tr> -<td class="descr">Traps for slop sinks</td> -<td class="diam">3″ in diameter</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="descr">Traps for kitchen sinks</td> -<td class="diam">2″ in diameter</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="descr">Traps for wash-trays</td> -<td class="diam">2″ in diameter</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p>Now, of course, all the foregoing relates to the whole -house as well as to the kitchen. But, as the kitchen -sanitary conditions depend upon the same regimen, -the foregoing is a basis for kitchen usage.</p> - -<p>The kitchen is mainly concerned with the water supply -and water waste, which is the result of cooking, washing, -cleaning, and storage (refrigerator).</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Sinks and Connections</span></h3> - -<p>The entry of water to the kitchen is effective -through faucets, for the most part, in some sort of a -sink. What then should these sinks be, and what should -be the nature of their connections? For the most part, -the building law will take care of the connections, but -you should see to it that the traps are below the sinks -and are in plain sight, and that the materials used, for -your own good, should not only be within the law, but -a little above it. Another thing you must remember, in -ordering sinks, is that they should be smooth, in one -piece if possible, having a seamless interior, non-absorbent, -non-rusting, and with a certain amount of elasticity, -so that when hit by sharp and heavy utensils, neither -the utensil nor the sink is cracked or injured by the -impact.</p> - -<p>The materials to be used in the making of sinks are -tin, wood, soap-stone, galvanized iron, slate, copper, -enamel, enamel over iron, a porcelain-like material over -metal, and solid porcelain. Stone and slate are poor because -they are too absorbent. Wood is bad for the same -reason. Tin rusts, copper is difficult to keep clean<span class="pagenum" id="Page143">[143]</span> -and is rarely used for anything but pantry sinks. -Enamel over iron is excellent, porcelain over iron is -better, solid porcelain is regal but has the disadvantage -of having so little resiliency that dishes are apt to break -when coming too effectively in contact with it. This is -often obviated in the pantry by enclosing the pantry -sink in a wooden casing. The surface of good porcelain -over metal will not scratch.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Second Grades</span></h3> - -<p>Solid porcelain sinks are all made from the same -material, yet the action of fire affects some differently -from others. For instance, a workman may fail to work -out of the wet mould a bit of air in the clay, and when -this piece is fired in the kiln the air condenses and bursts -out and the result is a slight streak; or a bit of copper -may get into the clay causing a green stain on the piece. -When such things occur, it does not alter the value -of the sink, but the high grade manufacturer marks -these “second grade.” This is well for you to know as -it really does not effect the lasting qualities and probably -the initial cost is lower. The shallower a sink is -the easier, of course, it is to take care of.</p> - -<p>The general run of sinks has the metal base with -a porcelain-like covering, as they are elastic and are kind -to falling china. However, you cannot go wrong in -buying any of the enameled, or porcelain over iron, or -the solid porcelain, bought from the well-equipped, long -established manufacturies. There is one firm which -makes a superb solid porcelain sink in thirteen varieties, -including two vitreous (porcelain over metal) slop -sinks. When you think of one firm making so many -varieties, and a few other firms making almost as many, -it soon becomes necessary for the domiologists to know<span class="pagenum" id="Page144">[144]</span> -what to tell a plumber to install, before the masculine -mind installs something for which you will have little -use. Of course, it depends first on what the sink is to be -used for. In large kitchens, the pot sink, vegetable -sink, and slop sink are used, sometimes two of some of -these varieties. In the medium kitchen, the pot sink and -one of the others. In the small kitchen, just the ordinary -pot sink is used.</p> - -<p>Do not buy an all-roll sink; that is, a sink with a -curved rim and no back, unless your kitchen has a tiled -wall. Why? Because your wall will be splashed to the -destruction point.</p> - -<p>Very commodious sinks measure 5′ 2″ over-all, back -9″ high, wall to front, 26<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>″. This size sink is often in -two divisions, one for washing, and one for rinsing, and -has integral drain boards (of self material as part of -the sink). If the integral drain board is not of wood or -metal, it can be rendered kindlier to china by a rubber -mat. Some sinks have a 5′2″ back, some just have a porcelain -back behind the faucets.</p> - -<p>A small sink a little over 3′ can be had with or without -integral drain boards on either side, and a vent at -the right end, so as not to interfere with the dishes.</p> - -<p>Speaking of drain boards, it is very often expedient to -have them hinged to the wall, or so attached to the sink -that they can be let down and out of the way.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Patented Materials</span></h3> - -<p>Sinks of patented materials, with trade names, which -are often metals with a porcelain-like covering, also -come in many sizes and in many designs, and are, as -inferred above, quite as valuable in usefulness and -beauty as solid porcelain, with one exception, of course, -that under some remote circumstance a chipping off -of the material may occur. But the makers of solid<span class="pagenum" id="Page145">[145]</span> -porcelain sinks make a metal-coated slop sink where an -extra heavy thudding, by pails and cleaning instruments, -is apt to occur. This precaution speaks for itself. -The solid porcelain certainly gives you a feeling that -you have the best, yet some of the greatest houses in the -country use the other types of sinks.</p> - -<p>Although we have touched upon the subject of drain -boards, there are few more words to say about them.</p> - -<p>The sink with a double drain board is, of course, the -most convenient, but this is not always possible. They -are made of metal, such as copper and zinc, and also -of wood, either oak or ash, preferably ground ash, hard -enough to prevent absorption. Sometimes they are of -metal over wood. The porcelain drain board is easiest -of all to clean, requiring only a moist cloth passed over -the porcelain or metal under porcelain, while the others -need scouring and scraping. The grooves in any of -these boards must not be so deep as to require digging -to remove lost particles. Most pantry sinks have the -wooden drain boards and the wooden enclosed solid -porcelain sinks, just to save breakage. “Boards,” of -course, should always be slightly tilted toward the sink.</p> - -<p>It is wiser to have sinks 36″ high, or have them on -adjustable standards.</p> - -<p>If 36″ happens to be too high, a long wooden step can -be provided. It is better to step up than to form a -crick in one’s back.</p> - -<p>However, any plumber will alter the standards, no -matter what sink you buy. Sinks are purchasable -with from one to four standards, depending upon what -space in the kitchen is to harbor said sink.</p> - -<p>The standards of sinks are made of glass, brass, nickle -plate, or porcelain, or a porcelain coating over metal. -Some of these standards are supplied with adjustable -bracelets, making it possible to raise and lower the sink<span class="pagenum" id="Page146">[146]</span> -to desired levels. The nickle standard is very desirable, -as is the brass, but they require cleaning and polishing. -The glass and porcelain families need just to be rubbed -down with a moist cloth.</p> - -<p>Slop sinks are made to set lower than other sinks in -order to obviate lifting up heavy pails of water, etc.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Outlets</span></h3> - -<p>The question of outlets in the sink is simple. The -outlet should not be perforated so minutely as to prevent -rapid exit of the water, and yet the holes must not -be large enough to permit foreign matter to clog the -pipes of the plumbing system. Very often it is wise to -have a wire net over the outlet. Some sinks are equipped -with stoppers and with cylindrical outlets familiar -in wash basins and bath tubs. In these sinks the water -is kept in until it is time to release it, obviating the -necessity of wash basins. Sunken outlets are a nuisance -to keep clean.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Faucets</span></h3> - -<p>Faucets are usually of metal, and high priced ones -are of enamel. Some sinks have two sets of faucets, two -in each set. Some have a higher faucet, a goose neck -pattern, for filling carafes. The metal faucets are generally -brass and nickel plated. Brass corrodes and is -hard to keep clean. The nickel are very satisfactory -but cost more. The enamel are quite ideal because the -polishing is absolutely obviated. In this case it is a -toss-up to the purchaser what it is best to save—time or -money. Then there is the pressure faucet—the one -which has to be held in order to get water out of it. -These are quite hateful and ought never to be used unless -the water price is almost prohibitive. Sometimes<span class="pagenum" id="Page147">[147]</span> -a foot pressure faucet is used in order that the worker -may have his hands free for work. A new faucet which -can be swung into different positions is to be had on -the new pantry sinks.</p> - -<p>If the water pressure is extraordinarily high, try to -get faucets on your sink with air chambers to take -care of this extra pressure. And try, above all things, -to buy faucets that emit a flow of water which does not -splash the worker.</p> - -<p>Unless you are a skilled mechanic, don’t try even to -put a new washer in your faucet to stop a leak. Because, -unless you are skilled, you may forget to shut the -stop-cock which cuts off the sink from the main water -supply, which may be under the sink or in the cellar.</p> - -<p>And to prevent a woeful catastrophe, don’t forget, -if you leave your house unheated in the winter, to turn -off the water in the cellar.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Filters</span></h3> - -<p>The question of filters, (See <a href="#Page282">Chapter XXXII</a>, Polishing -The Water Supply) which are attached to -faucets, is full of danger, as there are only a few good -ones on the market, and those that are good can be -rendered, through careless handling, much more of a -menace than the ordinary water supplied to you. -The porcelain-like candle type is one of the best but -not absolutely fool-proof. The water sifts and filters -through this porcelain candle. If this is sent away to -be thoroughly baked, at regular intervals, according to -the manufacturer’s description, it is useful; but, when -this is not done, the filter becomes a breeding place for -germs. Therefore, all things being unequal, boiled -water is the safest insurance against germs.</p> - -<p>As for the refrigerator’s (See <a href="#Page106">Chapter XI</a> Refrigerators) -rôle, in the plumbing of the kitchen: this<span class="pagenum" id="Page148">[148]</span> -is, of course, very important and very simple. It -is necessary to keep noxious gases from the stored -food. If possible, have a connection through the -floor with the trap and pan in the cellar. If this is -impossible, have a trap and pan under the refrigerator -which can be often emptied. It is, of course, convenient -to have the ice box filled from the outside of -the house rather than have the ice dragged through the -kitchen.</p> - -<p>These are some excerpts from the plumbing code:</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Safe and Refrigerator Waste-Pipes</span></h3> - -<p>Safe and refrigerator waste-pipes must be of galvanized -iron, and be not less than 1<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub>″ in diameter nor -larger than 1<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>″ in diameter with pipe branches -at least 1″ in diameter with strainers over each -inlet.</p> - -<p>Safe and refrigerator waste-pipes shall not be -trapped. They must discharge over a properly water-supplied, -trapped sink, with trap vented unless an -approved anti-siphon trap is installed in the manner -specified in Rule 91, such sink to be publicly placed, and -not more than 4′ above the floor. In no case shall any -refrigerator or safe waste-pipe discharge over a sink -be located in a room used for living purposes.</p> - -<p>The branches on vertical lines must be made by Y or -TY fittings and carried up to the safe with as much -pitch as possible.</p> - -<p>Where there is an offset on a refrigerator waste-pipe -in the cellar, there must be cleanouts to control the horizontal -parts of the pipe.</p> - -<p>In all lodgings and tenement houses the safe and refrigerator -waste-pipes must extend above the roof.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page149">[149]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Homilies</span></h3> - -<p>When I started to write this article I thought I would -give specific plumbing rules, but the buying of fixtures -is really all that is necessary for the housewife to know, -as all first class plumbers know the rules of the code. -So the best plan to adopt is to use the best plumber. -Even if he be expensive, he will save your money in the -end. And remember, always use one in your vicinity -for, if you do not, you will be very unpopular, as you -will know when some dire emergency emerges!</p> - -<p>If your pipes freeze in the winter, warm cloths until -the plumber comes is the best remedy.</p> - -<p>If you build in a remote district, have your water -tested by an expert on the spot, so that he can examine -not only the water, but the source of its supply, and -help you in settling where to build your well or pump, -and where the cistern should go, etc., etc.</p> - -<p>After a new installation of plumbing is made, there -is applied always a test like the peppermint smoke test, -etc., to see if there are any leaks in the pipes. This is -also accounted for in the plumbing code.</p> - -<p>Although not quite technically a plumbing fixture, -there is a ventilating, self-cooled motor propellor fan, -which is being put up in kitchens, to keep the kitchen -cool in summer, and to remove traces of excessive heat, -steam smoke, and objectionable odors.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page150">[150]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XVI<br /> -<span class="chapname">KNIFE-LIFE IN THE KITCHEN</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">“I</span> would like to have a vegetable knife,” says -a woman to the salesman.</p> - -<p>“Yes, Madam,” says he, handing her a knife.</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” says the customer, not even looking at -it. Then she goes home and tries to pare a pumpkin -with the dainty little flexible knife that she has bought -and finds that the task is quite impossible. Why? -Because she has used a knife not designed at all for -anything but a potato or an apple.</p> - -<p>Such things are very frequent because the purchaser -doesn’t realize that “vegetable knife” as well as “motor -car” spells many types, and that the knife is even more -diversified in design than the car to meet various kinds -of work. What carpenter would think of cutting across -the grain with a plane meant for cutting with the grain? -The carpenter realizes the range of design in his tools, -however. So should it be with women if they wish to -save their nerves, their hands and their time and make -their food look worthy of its cost.</p> - -<p>The background of the knife and fork is surrounded -with historic significance and romance. The knife -seems to be the first-born of Father Cutlery and the -fork a late development as a table essential; and the -spoon comes so late that it isn’t even romantic.</p> - -<p>First of all, cutlery was developed from the hunting -knife in various guises. Then it became the sword of -history. Not until the Middle Ages were knives used<span class="pagenum" id="Page151">[151]</span> -on the table, and then only one or two. Not until two -or three hundred years ago were they used by each -individual! And this first took place in Italy.</p> - -<p>Ordinary cutlery was really first used in the form -of the sheep shears, very much like the shears used in -the Rembrandt painting: The Old Woman Cutting -Her Nails.</p> - -<p>Before steel was used, bamboo, shell, then copper, -bronze, tin and copper and the so-called “steel” of -Damascus were the materials out of which the knives -and swords were built.</p> - -<p>As forks were a later development and were used at -first only as a means of helping the diners from the -central dish, it was necessary for the diners to wear -gloves to shield them from the rigors of hot foods. -Therefore, with such methods it was necessary to recover -in sanitary fashion and to this end servitors would meet -each diner with a bowl of water and a towel. -Thus has the finger bowl descended unto us.</p> - -<p>For some time after the knife and fork were used -generally, each person would carry his own beautiful -set in a handsome case at his belt or girdle. During -the 18th Century when the fork was commonly used it -was with the knife superbly fashioned of jewels and -metal work. For the most part forks were two pronged, -and not until Louis XV of France did the four-tine -fork come into being.</p> - -<p>So from the hunting knife and the crotched wooden -stick was born our own diversified cutlery. Not only in -steel of fine temper and hardness, but recently of steel -with the added qualities of stainlessness.</p> - -<p>Although Sheffield, England, in the past has the reputation -for the finest cutlery in the world, and although -Sheffield must be given the credit for fathering the -craft, yet the United States to-day is making some of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page152">[152]</span> -best cutlery and bids fair to outmake and outsell the -world in quantity and quality.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Kitchen Cutlery</span></h3> - -<p>The subject of kitchen cutlery, the one which this -chapter is dealing with, does not interest itself in silver -plate and all the cutlery so beautifully made for table -use. The same general principals apply, but there is -too little space here to go into the detail of pattern, -brands and general details of table cutlery.</p> - -<p>However, the blades for most cutting articles are -made of shear steel, and for this crucible cast steel and -forged steel are used.</p> - -<p>The essential parts of the process of cutlery making -are: (1) forging; (2) hardening and tempering; (3) -grinding; (4) polishing; (5) assembling, honing and -the finishing touches; and these are subdivided into -many divisions, making nearly a hundred in some instances -and more in others.</p> - -<p>The last division is the one which the “cutler” does -to-day. In the 18th Century the cutler did the whole -work of making a knife, but to-day the polisher polishes -and the grinder grinds, etc. The hundreds of processes -to-day in the course of the manufacture of one piece -of cutlery are in the hands of nearly as many workmen.</p> - -<p>Of course, the value of modern cutlery is in the finesse -of manufacture and the quality of steel that is used, -and in the perfection of its varying parts and their -assembling.</p> - -<p>Knives are meant to cut.</p> - -<p>Knives, therefore, must be so made that they will keep -their cutting edges, so proportioned as to fit the thing to -be cut; so limber or so stiff as to be comfortably -wielded; so assembled as to keep their handles fastened -to them; and so balanced (even as a golf club) as to be<span class="pagenum" id="Page153">[153]</span> -not only easy but pleasant to use. Pleasant tools make -light work.</p> - -<p>The knife has three or four main parts—the blade; -the tang (that part which fits into the handle); the -handle itself, or haft, as it is sometimes called; and in -some cases a metal ferrule. Much depends upon the -way these parts are made and fitted; they must be so -married that nothing can divorce the knife from the -handle, so that they will preserve their oneness indefinitely. -The great Reno for the knife is the huddled -drawer in which it is for the most part kept, but more of -this later.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Variety in Knife-Life</span></h3> - -<p>The kinds of knife in which the housewife is particularly -interested are: carvers, vegetable slicers, parers, -fruit, cleavers, etc. Subdivided, they are: paring, -bread, meat, poultry, carving, cake, boning, paring -(small pocket type style), spatula, lemon, grape and -orange, curved in French, German and American fashions, -cleavers and scrapers.</p> - -<p>Where it is necessary for a knife to conform to shape -in paring, a flexible knife is more comfortable than a -stiff one. Therefore, if you want a vegetable knife for -slicing potatoes never think of buying a long stiff one because -your work will be seriously impeded. If you -have the right tool the job of paring, or what not, will be -as much fun as carving is for the artist who in his turn -always has the correct tool.</p> - -<p>“Gracious, I can never slice a ham that doesn’t look -as if some one bit it up,” said a friend of mine.</p> - -<p>As gently as I could I told her it was because she -was trying to do the impossible. She used a knife for -bread and cake, broad and short, and expected it to do -the work of a long, thin blade slightly curved off at the<span class="pagenum" id="Page154">[154]</span> -end. The heavy, wide-bladed knife cleaves to the surface -of the meat and makes it a practical impossibility -for any ordinary mortal to push it through. The narrow -blade is what you must have, as it requires less -strength and cuts therefore more efficiently. The knife -with the almost scimitar formation makes it simple -to cut around a bone.</p> - -<p>Most everybody has a bread knife, so we need not -bother about that familiar object, but the only thing -necessary is that the bread knife should be kept for -bread (and kept sharp) as far as possible, unless it is -adapted by having a medium wide blade, to cut meat -and cake.</p> - -<p>For hot meats a rather flexible, but not too flexible, -knife should be used, especially in the case of hot steaks -and ham. It is a real comfort to have a good knife for -these things; the meat is not chewed before its time and -is not wasted in formless gobs.</p> - -<p>For the person who must economize on the number -of utensils, a knife about 8″ or 9″ long with rather wide -blade can be bought which can very comfortably be used -for cold meat slicing as well as bread and cake. A set -of six knives, two spatulas and two forks, will fill most -kitchens’ needs. Other knives and forks can be added -as specials. Here is the 2″ paring knife, 3″ for splitting. -The general household keeps a fork with the -French pattern blade for general work and the heavy 6″ -blade for cutting vegetables such as turnips, pumpkins, -squashes, etc., where a thin blade would snap; the fork -has hardened blades with needle points. The spatula -for pastry works as well as the wide spatula. The carving -knife in 8″ short blade, and the flexible slicing knife -with 9″ blade usable for cold meats, cake, bread, etc., -and the general utility knife.</p> - -<p>For tough cutting and broad surfaces the narrow,<span class="pagenum" id="Page155">[155]</span> -stiff knife is best, for crumbly broad surfaces the broad, -stiff knife. For rather tough, small surfaces, to be pared -and trimmed, the medium flexible, narrow blade is best. -Use the narrow and stiff and short knife for tough small -surfaces like squash and turnips. With these simple -logical suggestions the knife problem is easy.</p> - -<p>“Had I only learned the use of the spatula in cooking -school I should have thought my course to be a lifelong -economy.” This was said somewhat in jest, but it -shows just what the value of the spatula is. It is an -economy. It is not a cutter but a very flexible, bendy -blade with round corners which can assume the curve of -any vessel and pick up dough or anything left behind -in bowl or pastry board which is worth saving. It is a -scraper and saver. You need not waste a bit of the -precious egg on the sides of your dish or a bit of batter if -you use the spatula. It also lifts comfortably the egg, -griddle cake, fish etc., from the pan. It is really a joy -unbounded.</p> - -<p>A larger sized spatula is a convenience, too, for scraping -and cleaning large kettles and also for a cake or pie -lifter. Being larger it is a trifle stiffer. One corner -of the end of this blade is sharp and the opposite corner -is round. The reasons are obviously for attacking -corners and not scratching surfaces.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Home Butchering</span></h3> - -<p>In some homes a certain amount of butchering is done -in the kitchen, sometimes to save expense and sometimes -for certain and very fine results if the chef is a -jewel.</p> - -<p>To this end there are some good implements on the -market: strong, well balanced and riveted to give good -service. Knife blades for this work range from 5″ to -14″ in length and are in various styles.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page156">[156]</span></p> - -<p>The cleaver is a good thing to have should the butcher -sometimes neglect to break a furtive bone. These come -in pleasant weights and dimensions, the one with blade -6″ long by 2<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>″ wide, weighing in all one pound.</p> - -<p>In connection with knives for fruits and vegetables -you will be interested in the story of the late product of -steel which is so fast coming to the markets of the world. -It is stainless steel. A steel (with an admixture of -chromium) which resists rust, does not corrode or scale, -and is impervious to food acids (with the exception of -the mustard plus vinegar plus salt combination which -makes a muriatic acid, which is the acid with which -steel is etched).</p> - -<p>It keeps a fine edge and is of fine temper and hardness -when made by accomplished manufacturers. The steel -you use now is a carbon steel. Before the war, both in -England and America, it was rapidly coming into our -markets, but the value of such steel was so patent to -governments that the war and construction departments -used it all. Now, however, it can be bought even in -some department stores.</p> - -<p>Think of not having to scour or polish your knives. -Think of the knife having an indefinite life and always -looking highly polished. Soon, too, even the handle will -be made of this steel and the knife will look like a highly -polished silver utensil.</p> - -<p>What may this mean in a servantless home?</p> - -<p>No cleaning powders must be used to clean this steel; -only warm water and a mild soap. Its advent reminds -you of the early days of aluminum utensils, doesn’t it? -The manufacturers are planning to make kettles, pots, -and pans of it, as they will wear well, and will not scale -and wear as do iron ones.</p> - -<p>As this steel is non-staining, the hands are not stained -as much when it is used with fruit juices; the factor of<span class="pagenum" id="Page157">[157]</span> -the juice combining with the elements in the -steel is absent. There are some people whose -hands stain from certain juices whereas the -hands of others do not, but generally speaking, -there will be less hand staining with this newer steel.</p> - -<p>If you do your own work, how your hands will be -saved!</p> - -<p>The few years of its service may not have revealed -all of its good points or some of its bad points. Only -time will tell, of course. But as a fruit knife at present -the stainless type seems to be a fine thing, though the -ordinary steel knife, if sharp and well made, is no less -of a joy than ever it was. Manufacturers are adopting -the stainless—even those who think that it isn’t as good -as it is claimed to be.</p> - -<p>Vegetable and fruit slicers and parers come in many -sizes and styles. They are usually small and light with -narrow blades and sharp. They are to be had in stainless -and carbon steel in sets and in singles, and when -bought wisely make the kitchen maids’ job an artistic -one.</p> - -<p>Grape-fruits and oranges have knives for their very -own. Manufacturers have given much time and thought -to the easiest method of preparing these fruits easily, -without loss of juices and flavor, and without waste of -time on the part of the operator. And so there have -been born a few of these knives which are excellent and -live up to their glowing advertisements.</p> - -<p>Their characteristics are: Two-edged, like the great -swords of old. They cut from either the right or left -with ease; the blade is curved to fit the fruit and has -rounded points so as not to lacerate the outer skin and -waste the juices and spoil the shape of the fruit. The -blade is exceedingly sharp and honed carefully like a -razor—the sharper it is the swifter it will do its work.<span class="pagenum" id="Page158">[158]</span> -The blade must be securely fastened in the handle. -The handle must be light, of comfortable shape and well -balanced. In a few words, the knife must be able to get -down and under the center, cutting the side segments -as well as making the tough walls “fade away” easily.</p> - -<div class="container w35em"> - -<img src="images/illo190.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">DEVICES DESIGNED BY THE AUTHOR FOR KEEPING CUTLERY -IN CUTTING FORM</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p>The knives are made in stainless steel, in nickel-plated -steel and in the ordinary and fine vanadium steel. Your<span class="pagenum" id="Page159">[159]</span> -fruit when prepared with such a knife may look as if -hands never touched it.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Handles</span></h3> - -<p>The question of handles is interesting because the -knife without the handle, however sharp it may be, is -of little use. The main question is of ease in gripping, -in the balance, and in the duration of time that the -blade will stay firm in the handle.</p> - -<p>There are many ways of accomplishing these things: -in some cases the tang of the blade is cemented in the -handle. This is done where the knife is used with little -pressure and strength, such as the feather-curling knife -of the milliner; there are some knives which are riveted -such as butchers’ knives because much force is used with -them; household knives are pinned and pinned and cemented -sometimes, and in the case of home butcher -knives as many as three pins are used to keep the handle -steady.</p> - -<p>With knives like the corrugated types, there are often -metal wire handles drawn out on them. The corrugations -on these blades are to obviate tearing and reduce, -some think, the pressure necessary in cutting.</p> - -<p>Handles themselves are made of various things,—woods, -rubberoid, celluloid, metals, stag and in the case -of table knives, mother-of-pearl, shell, silver over nickel, -etc.</p> - -<p>The kitchen knife handle must be able to stand all -heats, be impervious to hot water, be smooth and comfortable -in shape, and must be nicely finished so as to -give the worker a feeling of worth-whileness in his job. -Sloppy tools make for sloppy work. Think of your -cutlery as the dentist does his tools and you will feel -professional.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page160">[160]</span></p> - -<p>The housewife errs in no place quite so much as in -the care of her cutlery. In nine and one-half houses -out of ten the good blades are huddled and hustled into -a drawer where they loosen from their handles, nick, -scratch and hammer each other to their own destruction. -What good is there in having good materials if they are -to be stored in this manner?</p> - -<div class="container w30em"> - -<img src="images/illo192.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">ANOTHER DEVICE DESIGNED BY THE AUTHOR FOR KEEPING -CUTLERY IN CUTTING FORM</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p>Consider the carpenter how he stores! He hangs -each tool in a certain groove, and as he desires a certain -thing he extracts it. He can’t afford to have auto-destruction—it -is too extravagant a disease. Yet it is -the hardest thing in the world to make the housewife -hang up her few knives and keep them forever in good -shape.</p> - -<p>Clean them after every using. It’s easier then. A -little scouring powder now and then will keep them in -condition. Do not use scouring powders with stainless<span class="pagenum" id="Page161">[161]</span> -steel, as it reduces the polish—the very thing which -maintains its imperviousness to stain.</p> - -<p>All new knives should be so finished when you buy -them that they need no further edging. The best -manufacturers see to this and have a department just -to hone and make knives ready for use.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Sharpening</span></h3> - -<p>The housewife’s best method of sharpening or rather -keeping the edges straight and keenly cutting is the -steel. When the knife really gets dull it should be -ground. The use of the stone or carborundum by the -ordinary operator often wears the steel. However, if -the use of the grinder or the stone or the carborundum is -really known, time and money will be saved in the sharpening -process. Sharp knives save temper, save food to a -great degree, and therefore if you can’t sharpen knives -yourself send them out to be taken care of once or twice -a year.</p> - -<p>There is a special stone on the market for stainless -steel sharpening; it is well to get this for your stainless -utensils. Follow the directions with it carefully.</p> - -<p>All sharpening steels should have a guard for the hand -in case the knife slides back towards the fingers.</p> - -<p>Never hold the knife on edge on the steel, for it should -be quite flat; remember you are trying to flatten the -two sides toward the edge, and thereby make it a better -cutter.</p> - -<p>There are good rotary grinders and polishers on the -market, and knowledge of them and their use is very -valuable. There are also stones flat and stones in -handles, all for keeping knives sharp. They are yours -if you want them and realize that you must know how -to use them to save rather than to destroy your cutlery.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page162">[162]</span></p> - -<p>The story of forks is almost the same as that of its -confrères, knives.</p> - -<p>The tines must be rigid and sharp enough to pierce -immediately and not drop their prey by dull points.</p> - -<p>Forks were not meant to open cans or lift lids. Many -a perfect fork has had its life history snapped by this -usage.</p> - -<p>As with the sharpening steel, so with the fork which -accompanies the carving knife—it too should have a -guard to prevent the knife slipping and injuring the -left hand.</p> - -<p>If you buy the best cutlery from the most representative -firms you will have the best results and be well -repaid. Good cutlery, like everything good, is more -expensive than the cheap varieties. Good cutlery may -stand up longer under bad usage than poor cutlery; but -don’t tempt it and waste your money!</p> - -<p>A little care with cutlery will curtail your bills, give -your food a better appearance and swifter accomplishment, -for, after all, the kitchen work is mostly cutting -up.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page163">[163]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XVII<br /> -<span class="chapname">THE ANCIENT WOOD IMPLEMENTS</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">I</span><span class="afterlargecap">n</span> -these days of metals, electricity and enamels, -you are very prone to forget that there is still virtue -in the ancient wood, which with true aristocratic -gentleness, has given way to those more parvenu products -that boast their sanitary qualities.</p> - -<p>To-day there are still things of wood for the kitchen, -pantry and laundry which are retained to advantage -and other things which can be kept, if not with advantage, -at least for utility.</p> - -<p>Some purchasers have wasted time in their zeal to kill -entirely the wood tradition and substitute metals in -every instance. To save this time, this article is written -and dedicated to you who would have the right thing, -be it of the darker ages or of this so-called sanitary or -enlightened era.</p> - -<p>For example, could you ever use a metal plank for -planked fish or meats? Of course not! The wood itself -in this case gives up its own essence as it combines, -through the medium of heat, with the juices of the food -cooked on its surface. What metal could do this without -imparting the metallic taste to the bill of fare?</p> - -<p>These planks come in different sizes and shapes. The -best are of oak. Some cost more than others. But the -thing to remember is that a plank is like wine, the older -it is, that is, the more it is used and becomes impregnated -with the empyreumatic flavors of the food stuffs,<span class="pagenum" id="Page164">[164]</span> -the more exquisite become its quality and the better -flavor it imparts to the food.</p> - -<p>According to Nicholas Sabatini, Chef of Delmonico’s -the best thing to do with a plank when you buy it is -to keep it for at least six weeks, to be sure that it is -seasoned sufficiently. After using a plank, do not soak -it in water, but clean it off with a damp cloth only. -Then keep it under a weight of some sort to prevent -any probable warping of the wood. Mr. Sabatini was -very insistent about the plank being of oak, as any other -wood imparts too definite a flavor of its own to the -food stuffs cooked on it.</p> - -<p>Ironing boards have never been replaced with metal -to any large extent. It is their “give” when swathed in -“white stuff” that makes them comforting and usable. -Even the modern bracketed ironing boards are wooden -with the exception of their metal joints and arms, -enabling them to be folded against the walls or put -out of the way. So, too, the sleeve and skirt board. -Time would be wasted in hunting for a more modern -material to use for these staples.</p> - -<p>Ironing folding tables are neat little things for the -small house. These are made of white wood. They -will not last a lifetime but they are inexpensive and useful.</p> - -<p>Skirt boards come from 3′ to 6′ long and the sleeve -board around 18″ to 20″ long.</p> - -<p>In some cases where there is available both a wooden -article and a china or metal, it is often better to get the -non-wooden. For example, the wooden salt box; good -enough in its way but it is out-ranked by the china, -porcelain or composition boxes, because these materials -look better, wear better and cannot help being smoother -and less fibrous than the wooden variety. So would -you rather buy sharpeners, flour sieves, some of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page165">[165]</span> -pot racks and sink racks in metal garb than wood, -although there are some sink racks of wood which not -only have a porcelain lining but save breakage of china.</p> - -<p>Chopping bowls of sugar maple (not southern maple) -are kitchen necessities. These do not splinter and they -make the din of chopping less obnoxious. The rotary -chopping machine is not always analogous to the chopping -bowl, for who could chop parsley as well in a -chopper as with blade and bowl?</p> - -<p>Wooden bread boards and cake boards, of course, are -invaluable (pie “boards” are better of marble, porcelain -or their cognates). These must be of hard wood -such as maple or birch and so made as to be knotless, -crackless and long grained. A damp cloth will remove -traces of material used thereon.</p> - -<p>The onion should have its own little chopping board -for obvious reasons.</p> - -<p>Noodle boards are oblong, usually of white wood and -come from 14″×20″ to 20″×30″. These have a descending -ledge at the near side to hold fast to the table -and an ascending ledge on the far side to keep the -dough from sliding off. Bread boards are round and -are from 10″ to 11″ in diameter. Pastry boards can -be had from 12″×16″ to 20″×30″.</p> - -<p>The wooden step, non-rickety and solid, is of inestimable -value in the kitchen where the worker is too -short for the tables or tubs, or where things must needs -be on high shelves. The step chair which readily is -changed from ladder to chair combines a 2-in-1 arrangement, -that makes room in a kitchen by obviating extra -chairs and extra space for a pair of steps or ladder.</p> - -<p>We would warn purchasers against the salesman of -wood garbage buckets or pails. In no case are they as -sanitary as regular metal containers.</p> - -<p>But the oak pail, keg or bucket for cider, vinegar,<span class="pagenum" id="Page166">[166]</span> -preserves or water is a good culinary adjunct. They -are hard, firm and well constructed in the best makes. -Often these things have been quite forgotten and yet -they are quite useful in kitchen economy.</p> - -<p>Wooden pails come for various uses—scrubbing pails, -water pails, jelly pails and flour pails. They are made -with two or three hoops and are of pine, cedar, oak grain -or oak. The flour pails hold from 12<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> to 50 pounds of -flour. The jelly pails hold from 5 to 30 pounds of -jelly and are a convenience to the house-keeper who -puts up a lot at a time and who has a large menage.</p> - -<p>The large wooden spoon for use in acid cookery—preserves -and the like—is indispensable to the epicurean -household and should be on every kitchen utensil -list.</p> - -<p>The clothes-horse is practically an extinct animal. In -its place has come a different species of varying kinds. -Some fold up against the wall, some are pulleyed up -to the ceiling and get the ascending heat of the room -for drying and some don’t fold at all. Some are built -for porch use, garden use and roof use. But all are -less aggressive than the extinct “horse.”</p> - -<p>A close relation to the clothes rack is the towel rack -and hand towel roller, usually of wood and made as -well of this material as any other.</p> - -<p>The bread and pastry roller is usually of wood and is -quite efficient. There are glass rollers on the market -but, of course, these can chip. Special noodle rollers -are made now of maple and birch and are long and thin, -giving quick contact like a low gear! Some rollers -have designs cut in them for finishing off a bit of dough -with a pattern.</p> - -<p>Potato, slaw and bread cutters are merely wood receptacles -with cutting blade insertions.</p> - -<p>Knife drawers or racks with grooves to keep the<span class="pagenum" id="Page167">[167]</span> -knife blade inviolate are too little used. This is one of -the things that will make the kitchen a more proper tool -chest, prolong the life of cutlery and save time in the -search for wanted knives on the part of the worker. -These are being made in compact, useful fashion to -meet the needs of the well ordered kitchen. We can’t -stress the housing of cutlery hard enough—and it is a -real housing problem.</p> - -<p>The pot cover rack for those who do not hang up their -pots is a great comfort. It is inexpensive and easily installed. -With these cover racks you easily identify the -cover and it doesn’t get lost in a dark closet, although -many folks think quite the contrary and deplore the -newer methods of hanging up pots and their covers -to the public gaze.</p> - -<p>The question of serving butter delightfully is taken -care of by keeping it in the ice box in a stone crock, -and making butter balls with little wooden butter pats. -There are also wooden butter prints, which enable one -to serve butter in forms with a probable little raised -design on its top surface. These come in a flattened -butter ball size and also in <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>-pound print moulds.</p> - -<p>The question of wood in the kitchen becomes acute -in the handle situation. Brushes, brooms and mops of -all kinds have wooden handles, and the handle makes -for comfort and comfort for efficiency. Therefore it -is not out of place here to give a few suggestions as to -what a handle ought to be:</p> - -<p class="padl2">1. Smooth—no splinters—hard non-porous.</p> - -<p class="padl2">2. Easily held in hand (if on scrubbing brush, sink -brush, etc.).</p> - -<p class="padl2">3. Long enough to do the work (if on wall or ceiling -or radiator brush).</p> - -<p class="padl2">4. Set firmly in its socket and easily set in (if on -mop, wall brush, etc.).</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page168">[168]</span></p> - -<p class="padl2">5. Non-snapping, not brittle (if on a wall duster).</p> - -<p class="padl2">6. Enameled to resist heat and water.</p> - -<p>The mallet and the potato masher are heavy tools and -quite necessary. The former is usually of hickory or -lignum vitae, the latter of maple. The potato masher’s -function is obvious, but the mallet is often needed for -cracking a bone, or ice. For fixing lobster and making -a chicken go a long way a mallet is quite a little “fixer.”</p> - -<p>The coffee mill and the sink rack can be as well made -of wood as of metal. Yet this does not need to preclude -the metal ones for those wanting them. The wooden -ones themselves are really more of hardware than of -wood.</p> - -<p>The mouse trap of wood used once and then to be -thrown out is rather a pleasanter idea than using the -same impregnated trap over and over again. These are -cheap and ready to use at any time.</p> - -<p>The wooden salad set, knife, spoon, fork, are rather -epicurean but seem to be passing out of fashion.</p> - -<p>Tables of wood are so common that they need little -description, yet a few suggestions may be of real value. -The table with the stove is all important in the kitchen. -It is so valuable, indeed, that it has been lately combined -with the dish-washer and the effete refrigerator -in order to make it possible in limited spaces to install -these quite noble but less royal things.</p> - -<p>Tersely said, the table must be large enough for the -work to be done, steady on its legs, simple in construction -and easily kept clean and wholly sanitary.</p> - -<p>If possible metal capped legs will prevent the legs -becoming unlevel by swelling when the floor is washed -or shifting through general use. The table top would -easily take a whole story; the main requisite is that it -be hard, easily cleaned and scraped—be it of wood, -composition, marble, metal or of the porcelain family.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page169">[169]</span></p> - -<p>Kitchen tables 3′ to 7′ long, with and without shelves -beneath and also with or without closets and drawers -below.</p> - -<p>The wooden top of maple is most satisfactory and -probably, of all the table tops, most used. Yet for those -that can afford the wooden table with marble top and -German silver trimmings, nothing could be more perfect -even though the price soars.</p> - -<p>Finally, if there be benefit in this article take from it -suggestions for the wooden wedding gift. Few people -think of the kitchen as a realm for gifts. In our experience -presents of culinary use have been a boon to -many householders, especially at the wooden wedding -period.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page170">[170]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XVIII<br /> -<span class="chapname">GLASS WEAR</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">G</span><span class="afterlargecap">lass</span> -ware is now no longer for ornament alone, but -for cooking uses as well.</p> - -<p>The only way to tell if you have a good piece of -glass or not is to compare it to other pieces for color -and sound. If it sounds clear and bell-like, it is pretty -sure to be a good bit of glass. But don’t strike it if it -happens to be in a groove or it will, of course, shatter -it, as the pieces will have no room to vibrate and will -break the bounds.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Annealing</span></h3> - -<p>Annealing is the process brought to such a perfection -to-day that glass can be made almost shell proof. In -fact glass for automobile windows was and is being -made that when it is struck will not shatter but will -simply crack or craze. This process is one of careful -heating and cooling many times repeated. It makes -the glass more elastic so that the particles are in more -of a state of equilibrium and can be struck without -danger of breaking.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Manufacture</span></h3> - -<p>The basis of all glass is soda, aluminum or oxide of -lead in combination with silica of sand. Doesn’t this -sound hiphalutin? Well, it isn’t. Then this is heated -to something like 1200 degrees Fahrenheit and when in<span class="pagenum" id="Page171">[171]</span> -molten form is blown with air incorporators into the -requisite shapes. You no doubt have seen glass blown -at bazaars or fairs. But of course this blowing in the -factory is done with huge blowers. The best glass -is dependent on its base as it is combined with lead. -This combination is the fine glass called flint glass. -And it is from flint glass which has the luster that the -cut and engraved glass is made.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Color</span></h3> - -<p>The color in glass is given to it by the use of metal oxides, -blue is derived from copper oxide, yellow from iron -oxide, the stunning reds from gold. Don’t these facts, -make glass more interesting to you?</p> - -<p>Rock crystal is the fashion now and probably will -persist. But don’t, for goodness’ sake, be untechnical -enough to say anything but polished engraved glass, -when you speak of it! The old time glass with intersecting -canyons cut in it which left tell tale gouges in -one’s fingers, is dead and if you use it you are dead too! -Now be it remembered, it’s polished engraved alias -rock crystal.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">How it Differs from Cut Glass</span></h3> - -<p>Cut glass is decorated with geometric lines by means -of steel wheels and carborundum used for the cutting. -Then these lines are smoothed with stone wheels and -given a high polish. Some manufacturers press in the -design by putting the glass into moulds in its moulten -state, but this makes the cheaper glass commonly called -Pressed to imitate the cut variety. Then the glass is -cooled and the effects are often good enough to fool the -ordinary person. Cut glass can always be distinguished -from the pressed by feeling the inside of the cutting,<span class="pagenum" id="Page172">[172]</span> -where it is the deepest, and if there is a slight lump corresponding -to the cutting it is surely cut and not pressed.</p> - -<p>Engraved glass is thinner than the cut glass very -often and is decorated by copper wheels fed with emery -and oil, which does not cut so deep. The skill of the -designer and workman are the only limits to the beauty -of this glass. This kind of decoration is left in the satin -gray finish with the exception of the polishing out of the -centers of the flowers, and other figures according to the -taste of the engraver. This gives the contrasts in gray -and clear glass which give the tonal value to the glass. -And when the engraving is sunk deeply and then polished, -it is called rock crystal because it has the peculiar -colorless mat-finish brilliancy of the natural rock crystal.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Colored Glass</span></h3> - -<p>What about colored glass? There is much of it about, -some of it the frank imitation of the old stuff and some -of it the real old thing. It is very popular. The reason -it isn’t epidemic is because one has to have all the -fixings with it to use it well and to be <i>au fait</i>. Unless -one has center pieces and side dishes and flowers and, to -go even to extremes, old chairs and antique refectory -tables, colored glass gives a vagrant restless spotty cast -to the table! You know what it means to have everything -<i>en rapport</i>, in the way of expenses and fussing -these days! ... to the majority of people anyway. And -so when colored glass is used, even if one has all the -articles necessary, real vision must be employed and -discrimination exercised in massing everything to give -the ease and grace (the basis of beauty) necessary.</p> - -<p>One of the most interesting things about glass to-day -is that a firm in America has been taking the <i>Grand<span class="pagenum" id="Page173">[173]</span> -Prix</i> and the Gold Medal in a competition with the glassmakers -of the world in Paris! And some of the best -glass is made in little old America! Talk about American -prowess! And too, because the foreign markets have -not been able to make the rather staple enamel and gold -glass, America has again stepped in, and has been engaged -in making this sort of glass too, and making it -well.</p> - -<p>Some very old and exclusive dealers say colored glass -is not in vogue because these firms have in their clientele -very selected people who probably do not buy it as they -have inherited all they need. Furthermore, many of -their clients don’t want to be bothered with it. But -from the way colored glass has been selling in some -places it is certainly safe to say it is very popular. -Yet on the other hand many dealers are afraid to stock -up heavily with it because they fear a slump. At any -rate, the manufacturers can hardly keep up with the -demand for their excellent reproductions of the old -Scotch, English, Irish and Venetian glass. But many -hostesses like it because it takes such taste and skill to -assemble a table when it is used.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Cooking Glass</span></h3> - -<p>No other utensils on the market combine as these do, -beauty, durability, economy and cleanliness even if the -initial cost is more. You see they save fuel, because -they cook food more rapidly, they save the cook’s time -and the waitress’s time because they save the cooking -time, and because they are easy to clean, collecting no -burn to be forced off and no food to be laboriously -scraped away. Besides all this, the food can be served -directly from the stove without putting it into another -dish for the table. This saves more time and insures<span class="pagenum" id="Page174">[174]</span> -hot food. It doesn’t crack in the oven, it comes -in many styles—it is not inexpensive but it is worth the -outlay.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Plate-Glass</span></h3> - -<p>Of late, plate-glass has been taking an important -part in the household.</p> - -<p>This glass differs from other glass in the way it is -made. In short it is spread over iron tables in a -molten state and cut and trimmed to measure. It is -made more carefully than other flat glass and of the -finest material. It is, of course, very carefully annealed -to make it as soft and as little brittle as possible.</p> - -<p>For the tops of bureaus, dressing tables, desks, -shelves, medicine cabinets, etc., it has no equal. It is -easy to clean and protects what is under it. Many are -using it now for the tops of dining tables and sideboards -and serving tables. This is a good way to protect -the table and save laundry as beautiful linens shine -through the glass and yet do not soil so readily. The -same can be said of the glassed bureau scarf and the -dressing table where so much may be spilled.</p> - -<p>Some people who do their own work like plate-glass -for the kitchen table. As yet we feel that the brittleness -of plate-glass makes the kitchen table a little too -temporary, yet while it lasts it is a comfort for pastry -work as well as for anything else.</p> - -<p>For the motor it reduces danger in driving, and looks -better. For the house doors and windows it adds 90 -per cent. to the elegance of the lay-out.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page175">[175]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XIX<br /> -<span class="chapname">THE BRIDE’S KITCHEN</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">W</span><span class="afterlargecap">e</span> -moderns are so up to date that although we -expect our women to marry they know less of the -kitchen needs and the infant’s psychology than of the -constituencies of the planets’ atmospheres. So to correct -some of the deficiencies we are going to list in this -article the prices of the necessities of the bride’s kitchen -at the present, which you must remember are subject -to daily change and can only give you approximate -values as this book reaches you months after the data is -collected.</p> - -<p>To-day prices veer so rapidly that we can only hope -that they will not veer upward before your kindly eye -peruses these pages.</p> - -<p>Whether you use electricity, oil, gas, or wood should -be part of the determining factors in buying utensils. -For this reason we will, as far as possible, designate the -special uses of these utensils whenever possible or necessary.</p> - -<p>May it be said at the start that aluminum and enamel -(best quality) can be used on any stove. Aluminum is -more expensive but doesn’t blacken up on the stove and -lives longer than enamels. We will not take up copper, -as it is too heavy and costly for the ordinary kitchen -and takes too much labor to keep in the brightened -condition in which it should be kept.</p> - -<p>We favor glass whenever it can be substituted for -kitchen utensils as the most ideal oven utensil. If your -purse can stand it and its initial expense, it will save -fuel, time and energy in the end and therefore money.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page176">[176]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Lists</span></h3> - -<p>Our omissions in this listing in any case are due to -personal experience and choice and also to a feeling that -there are many things that can be omitted when the -kitchen is started and be put in later when exigencies -appear and the income is greater.</p> - -<p>We have purposely not added up the list to get an -aggregate expenditure as it would mean little when -cheaper or more expensive materials can be substituted. -Therefore we have given but the individual costs which -can be combined in the ways you desire. Thus the -list is meant to be a nomenclature rather than a hard -and fast formula, a <i>vade mecum</i> rather than a crystallized -rule of thumb.</p> - -<p>You may consider some things unnecessary in these -lists. Again, the list is a personal compilation, as lists -are as yet not machine-made, and the maker has considered -what are the essentials to culinary habits.</p> - -<p>Nor have we mentioned stoves as a consideration of -the first tool chest, because the architect or the landlord -in many cases has decided this for you. If you need -to purchase a stove your choice is usually bounded by -the kind of fuel which is cheapest in the place your -spouse has necessarily to live.</p> - -<p>So, although utensils are dependent on the stove -and stoves on utensils, we have omitted the stove here -but if you read chapters <a href="#Page62">VI</a>, <a href="#Page75">VII</a>, <a href="#Page86">VIII</a> you will get -data on ranges and can find out from the manufacturers -the present cost.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Cabinets and Conveniences</span></h3> - -<p>Were we fitting out a kitchen we would either buy -a kitchen cabinet or have one built in the home of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page177">[177]</span> -steel unit type. We have not included it in the list -for fear of being too commanding, and it can be dispensed -with if the shelving and hanging room is sufficient; -though we venture to say not quite so delightful -will be the kitchen atmosphere without one. The -kitchen cabinet in steel costs from about $92 upward; -in wood $89 up.</p> - -<p>Devices on which to hang the pots and pans and -house the knives in frictionless positions are, too, omitted, -because these things vary in price with carpentering -and the amount necessary to spend in room and -money. It is the only way to house utensils ... in -the open air where they are visible and where the arm -can reach and where the back is not unrelentingly and -unnecessarily bent in the performance of the manifold -duties of kitchen usage.</p> - -<p>The ice-cream freezer is not included as this is not -an essential, unless you think it to be one. It is to be -had in a two-quart measure from about $4.90 upward, -and the gallon is available at $7.50.</p> - -<p>In some instances we have put an article under two -heads; trays, for example. This is done to show you -that the two articles in aluminum or tin are equally -useful and if the cheaper grade is desirable it is a -safe “buy.”</p> - -<p>The grapefruit knife may be a glaring omission—we -hope it is. Yet as it is not strictly necessary we have -omitted it. If this little joy is bought, the stainless -steel is the best material in which to look for it. It -costs about 75 cents. And as soon as the purse is large -enough and the manufacturers have come to the point, -stainless steel is the best in which to buy nearly every -bit of cutlery, as it requires little attention and neither -rusts nor stains.</p> - -<p>Here follow the lists:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page178">[178]</span></p> - -<p class="tabhead">UTENSILS IN ALUMINUM</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Tea kettle, 3 qts.</td> -<td class="price">$6.15</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Quart measure</td> -<td class="price">2.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Double boiler, 2 qts.</td> -<td class="price">4.05</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Funnel</td> -<td class="price">.90</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Ladle</td> -<td class="price">2.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Pie plate, shallow</td> -<td class="price">.53</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Pie plate, deep</td> -<td class="price">.62</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Sauce pans, 1 qt.</td> -<td rowspan="3" class="brace padr0">-</td> -<td rowspan="3" class="brace bt bb bl"> </td> -<td rowspan="3" class="left">These<br />have<br />covers</td> -<td class="price">1.40</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Sauce pans, 2 qts.</td> -<td class="price">2.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Sauce pans, 6 qts.</td> -<td class="price">3.75</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Kettle covers, extra</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article level1">1 qt.</td> -<td class="price">.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article level1">2 qts.</td> -<td class="price">.44</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article level1">6 qts.</td> -<td class="price">.62</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Pitcher</td> -<td class="price">7.85</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Baking dish</td> -<td class="price">1.30</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Measuring cup</td> -<td class="price">.60</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Dripping pan</td> -<td class="price">2.95</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Frying pan</td> -<td class="price">3.60</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Griddle</td> -<td class="price">5.55</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Roaster</td> -<td class="price">7.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Angel caker</td> -<td class="price">1.85</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Bread pans</td> -<td class="price">1.15</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Cake pans</td> -<td class="price">1.60</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">2 Muffiners, 6 cups</td> -<td class="price">1.65</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Steamer—fits kettle</td> -<td class="price">3.15</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Trays</td> -<td colspan="4" class="price">$2.55, 3.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Jelly cake pan</td> -<td class="price">1.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Jelly mold</td> -<td class="price">2.90</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Waffle mold</td> -<td class="price">6.65</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Strainer</td> -<td class="price">1.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="4" class="article">Dish drainer</td> -<td class="price">4.00</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page179">[179]</span></p> - -<p class="tabhead">UTENSILS IN ENAMEL</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<th> </th> -<th> </th> -<th class="right">2nd<br />Grade</th> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Double boiler</td> -<td class="price">$2.20</td> -<td class="price">$2.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Colander</td> -<td class="price">1.30</td> -<td class="price">1.05</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Funnel</td> -<td class="price">.50</td> -<td class="price">.40</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Ladle</td> -<td class="price">.45</td> -<td class="price">.35</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Pie plates</td> -<td class="price">.55</td> -<td class="price">.40</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Measure</td> -<td class="price">1.00</td> -<td class="price">.80</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td rowspan="3" class="article">Uncovered sauce pans</td> -<td class="price">.55</td> -<td class="price">.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="price">.75</td> -<td class="price">.60</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="price">1.35</td> -<td class="price">1.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Basting spoons</td> -<td class="price">.30</td> -<td class="price">.28</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Tea kettle</td> -<td class="price">3.00</td> -<td class="price">2.55</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td rowspan="2" class="article">Mixing bowls</td> -<td class="price">.95</td> -<td class="price"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="price">1.20</td> -<td class="price"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Tea pot</td> -<td class="price">1.75</td> -<td class="price">1.60</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Dipper</td> -<td class="price">.85</td> -<td class="price"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Oval dish pan</td> -<td class="price">2.40</td> -<td class="price">1.85</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Soap dish</td> -<td class="price">.55</td> -<td class="price">.45</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Sink drainer</td> -<td class="price">.75</td> -<td class="price"> </td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">UTENSILS IN GLASS</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Three kitchen glasses</td> -<td class="price">$ .10</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Baking dish (oval)</td> -<td class="price">.55</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Baking dish (deep)</td> -<td class="price">1.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Lemon squeezer with holes</td> -<td class="price">.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Measuring glass</td> -<td class="price">.15</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Spice jars</td> -<td class="price"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Casseroles (according to taste as to size and depth)</td> -<td class="price"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">range in price from 2<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> qts. at</td> -<td class="price">3.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">to <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> qt. at</td> -<td class="price">1.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Individuals at</td> -<td class="price">.75</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Pie dishes, shallow</td> -<td class="price">.90</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Bread pans<span class="pagenum" id="Page180">[180]</span></td> -<td class="price">1.75</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Layer cake dish, 9<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>8</sub>″</td> -<td class="price">.90</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Custard cups, 4 oz.</td> -<td class="price">.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Fruit jars, 1 qt.</td> -<td class="price">1.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Fruit jars, 1 pt.</td> -<td class="price">1.05</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Glass butter crock, 1 qt.</td> -<td class="price">.45</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Glass butter crock, 2 qts.</td> -<td class="price">.70</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Glass butter crock, 4 qts.</td> -<td class="price">1.00</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">EARTHENWARE</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Tea pot (medium size)</td> -<td class="price">$1.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Butter crock</td> -<td class="price">.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Small mixing bowls (two)</td> -<td class="price">.60</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Large bowl</td> -<td class="price">4.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Casseroles (individual)</td> -<td class="price">.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Custard cups, per doz.</td> -<td class="price">1.70</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">JAPANNED WARE</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Bread box</td> -<td class="price">$3.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Cake box</td> -<td class="price">4.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Dust pan</td> -<td class="price">.63</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Flour bin (10 lbs.)</td> -<td class="price">7.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Boxes:</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">Tea</td> -<td class="price">1.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">Coffee</td> -<td class="price">1.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">3 Sugar</td> -<td class="price">1.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Trays (2)</td> -<td class="price">.75</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Salt box</td> -<td class="price">1.75</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">TIN WARE</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Flour sifter</td> -<td class="price">$ .56</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Grater</td> -<td class="price">.30</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Flour scoop</td> -<td class="price">.30</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Biscuit cutter</td> -<td class="price">.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Apple corer<span class="pagenum" id="Page181">[181]</span></td> -<td class="price">.18</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Nutmeg grater</td> -<td class="price">.15</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Pastry sheet (10″×17″)</td> -<td class="price">.70</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Steamer, fits any kettle</td> -<td class="price">4.25</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">IRON WARE</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Garbage pail (galvanized)</td> -<td class="price">$1.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Poker (coal stove)</td> -<td class="price">.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Lifter (coal stove)</td> -<td class="price">.10</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Ash can (coal)</td> -<td class="price">5.75</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">WOODENWARE</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Mop handle and mop</td> -<td class="price">$ .80</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Broom</td> -<td class="price">1.70</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Chopping Board</td> -<td class="price">.75</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Meat board</td> -<td class="price">1.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Bread board</td> -<td class="price">.75</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Rolling pin</td> -<td class="price">.35</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Pair of butter pats</td> -<td class="price">.35-.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Spoon</td> -<td class="price">.15 up</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Onion chopping board (an extra board not so called in the shops)</td> -<td class="price">.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Towel rack</td> -<td class="price">.60</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Salt box</td> -<td class="price">1.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Step chair</td> -<td class="price">5.75 up</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Table, all wood (3′)</td> -<td class="price">10.00 up</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Knife board</td> -<td class="price">1.00 up</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">CUTLERY</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Scissors</td> -<td class="price">$2.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Silver nickel</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">3 knives at</td> -<td class="price">per doz. 4.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">3 forks at</td> -<td class="price">per doz. 4.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">3 spoons at</td> -<td class="price">per doz. 4.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Set of kitchen cutlery including<span class="pagenum" id="Page182">[182]</span></td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">One 2″ paring knife</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">One 3″ splitting knife</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">One household knife and fork (fine point)</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">One French bladed knife for general work</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">One 6″ blade for tough vegetables</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">One spatula for pastry</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">One large spatula for lifting cakes, candy, etc.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Two carving knives</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">8″ blade, stiff</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">9″ flexible slicer</td> -<td class="price">5.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Measuring spoons</td> -<td class="price">.38</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">HARDWARE</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Ice pick</td> -<td class="price">$ .20 up</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Meat skewers (set)</td> -<td class="price">.35</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Metal mesh pot cleaner</td> -<td class="price">.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Nut cracker</td> -<td class="price">.75 up</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Can opener</td> -<td class="price">.10 up</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Cork screw</td> -<td class="price">.45</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">BRUSHES</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Bottle</td> -<td class="price">$ .15</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Dust</td> -<td class="price">2.63</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Pastry</td> -<td class="price">.70</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Refrigerator</td> -<td class="price">.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Scrubbing</td> -<td class="price">.65</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Silver</td> -<td class="price">3.63</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Sink</td> -<td class="price">.15</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Vegetable</td> -<td class="price">.12</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Stove</td> -<td class="price">2.75</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">WIREWARE</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Egg beater</td> -<td class="price">$ .25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Broiler (coal, oil, wood stove)<span class="pagenum" id="Page183">[183]</span></td> -<td class="price">2.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Deep fat basket</td> -<td class="price">1.60</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Potato masher</td> -<td class="price">.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Purée sieve</td> -<td class="price">.85 up</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">FABRICS AND PAPER</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Cheese cloth, per yd.</td> -<td class="price">$ .38</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">6 dish towels at</td> -<td class="price">.90</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">6 dusters at</td> -<td class="price">.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">3 floor cloths at</td> -<td class="price">.40</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">2 oven cloths at</td> -<td class="price">.15-.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Roller towels</td> -<td class="price">1.25</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Roller towel rack</td> -<td class="price">1.38</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">6 glass towels at</td> -<td class="price">1.25</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">MACHINERY</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">(When possible electric. Prices here not for electric devices)</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Bread mixer</td> -<td class="price">$4.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Cake mixer</td> -<td class="price">4.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Meat, nut grinder</td> -<td class="price">4.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Egg beater</td> -<td class="price">.40</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="article">Electric fireless, 2 units</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="article">Electric mixing units—Price on inquiry at electric appliance stores.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="article">Motors—Price on inquiry at electric appliance stores.</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">GENERAL</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Pail (12 qts.)</td> -<td class="price">$2.38</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Scales (with scoop)</td> -<td class="price">7.75</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Scrap basket (metal)</td> -<td class="price">2.75</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Large needles</td> -<td class="price">.35</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Labels (per box)</td> -<td class="price">.15</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Cork (per box)</td> -<td class="price">.15</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Clock<span class="pagenum" id="Page184">[184]</span></td> -<td class="price">$2.50 up to 9.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="article">Paper—</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">Shelves (roll)</td> -<td class="price">.85</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">Drawer (roll)</td> -<td class="price">.85</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">Wax (roll)</td> -<td class="price">.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article level1">Napkins (per 1,000)</td> -<td class="price">$3.00 up</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="tabhead">A SET OF UTENSILS IN ALUMINUM SUITABLE FOR FAMILY OF FIVE</p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Tea kettle</td> -<td class="price">$6.50</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Double boiler</td> -<td class="price">4.05</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Straight sauce pan</td> -<td class="price">4.05</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Straight sauce pan</td> -<td class="price">2.35</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Sauce pan and cover</td> -<td class="price">1.40</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Preserving kettle and cover</td> -<td class="price">2.35</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Strainer</td> -<td class="price">1.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Steamer section</td> -<td class="price">1.80</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Coffee pot</td> -<td class="price">4.15</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Fry pan</td> -<td class="price">3.60</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Pudding pan</td> -<td class="price">.80</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Pudding pan</td> -<td class="price">1.30</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Bread pan</td> -<td class="price">1.15</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Tubed cake pan</td> -<td class="price">1.85</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">2 jelly cake pans (each)</td> -<td class="price">1.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Corn cake pan</td> -<td class="price">1.65</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Roaster</td> -<td class="price">7.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">2 pie pans (each)</td> -<td class="price">.62</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Measuring cup</td> -<td class="price">.60</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Mountain cake pan</td> -<td class="price">.85</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">3 boxes “Wear-Ever” cleanser</td> -<td class="price">1.05</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p>Here follows what a first-class aluminum manufactory -believes to be a complete set of aluminum for the -home. This shows another’s ideal of essentials.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page185">[185]</span></p> - -<table class="kitchenlist" summary="Utensils"> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Tea kettle</td> -<td class="price">$7.05</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Double boiler</td> -<td class="price">4.05</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Sauce pan and cover</td> -<td class="price">1.40</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Straight sauce pan</td> -<td class="price">2.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Straight sauce pan</td> -<td class="price">2.35</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Sauce pan and cover</td> -<td class="price">1.88</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Preserving kettle, cover</td> -<td class="price">3.62</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Strainer</td> -<td class="price">1.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Steamer section</td> -<td class="price">1.80</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Coffee pot</td> -<td class="price">4.15</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Tea pot</td> -<td class="price">5.85</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Fry pan</td> -<td class="price">3.60</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Griddle</td> -<td class="price">5.55</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Waffle mold</td> -<td class="price">3.65</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Pudding pan</td> -<td class="price">.80</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Pudding pan</td> -<td class="price">1.30</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Bread pan</td> -<td class="price">1.15</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Tubed cake pan</td> -<td class="price">1.85</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Mountain cake pan</td> -<td class="price">.85</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">2 jelly cake pans (each)</td> -<td class="price">1.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Corn cake pan</td> -<td class="price">1.65</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Gem pan</td> -<td class="price">1.60</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Roaster</td> -<td class="price">7.20</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">2 pie pans (each)</td> -<td class="price">.62</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Measuring cup</td> -<td class="price">.60</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Tray</td> -<td class="price">1.65</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Water pitcher</td> -<td class="price">6.00</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="article">Jelly mold</td> -<td class="price">2.90</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p>See <a href="#Page354">chapter XL</a> for suggestions as to weights and -measures.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">China</span></h3> - -<p>China for the kitchen can be had at varying prices depending -largely on the part of the country where you<span class="pagenum" id="Page186">[186]</span> -live—from ten cents upward if there is a dime shop -around. Yet there are inexpensive sets to be had from -time to time at from $20 upward—and downward.</p> - -<p>It isn’t always necessary to buy at the beginning a -whole set of china for the kitchen. Six of each thing -ought to be plenty for a time, counting breakage, which -is perennial.</p> - -<p>Platters for the ice box in enamel are excellent, but -if you have extra plates for kitchen use they might -(subject to easier breakage) be utilized.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Cook Book</span></h3> - -<p>Last but not by any means least is the cook book. -For what availeth it if you have utensils by the score -if you know not how to fill them and manage foods in -them?</p> - -<p>There are many books on the market of fame and repute, -but we have yet to see one for the beginner that -outdoes the <i>Home Science Cook Book</i>, by Anna Barrows -and Mary B. Lincoln. Both these women have -cooked and lectured and taught the science of cookery, -and, what is more, they know its practise. In this book -are to be found simple, brief, successful, economical -recipes and methods of serving which in their very -simplicity knock terror out of the culinary life for the -matrimonial initiate. The writer of this article has had -eulogies heaped upon her by various brides and even -experienced housekeepers for the knowledge given them -of this book.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page187">[187]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XX<br /> -<span class="chapname">CANNING AND PRESERVING</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">T</span><span class="afterlargecap">o</span> -get the best results in canning and preserving -fruits and vegetables (disregarding, of course, the -necessity of good recipes, for this is not a cooking history -in any sense of the word) you must use the best set -of utensils.</p> - -<p>It has now been proven that the process of packing -fruits and vegetables into containers, and sterilizing -them after packing, is a better method than the old way -of cooking in an open kettle, transferring hot to the jar, -and sealing without further sterilization. Therefore, -you must know what utensils to use for the process -(that is, the final application of heat to the sterilized -product) as well as for the packing.</p> - -<p>There are canners made for the express purpose of -doing this work and they must be chosen for the amount -of work necessary to be done. The small, hot-water -canner is the least expensive for home use and is good -for fruits and tomatoes. These two are canned in this -safely at the boiling point, and are often better than -products processed at higher temperature in other canners. -If you have not got a water-seal canner or a cast-iron, -steam-pressure canner, or a small, portable hot-water -canner (water bath canner), you can use a wash -boiler or bucket or an aluminum or enamel combination -roaster-canner, or an enamel or aluminum boiler, if -you place the bottles of fruit during the processing on a -false bottom and put on a tight cover.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page188">[188]</span></p> - -<p>The false bottom, of course, is best made of strips of -wood and keeps the glass jars from contact with the -metal container, which is dangerously near the flame. -This, of course, is to prevent breakage. You can use -wire netting and galvanized trays, which must be raised -1″ to 2″ above the vessel floor to permit circulation -of water underneath the jars.</p> - -<p>A very simple steam-canner is on the market now, -made of copper covered with nickel.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Processes of Canning</span></h3> - -<p>The processes of canning are well known—the cleansing -of fruits and containers, the scalding or blanching, -cold dipping, packing, processing, air releasing and sealing. -For these processes the following articles are -used: Colander; steamer for blanching; preserving -kettle when preserving; ladle; measuring cup; funnel; -canner or aluminum or enamel roaster-canner; -strainer; dipper; silver knife; shallow trays; pans; -vegetable brushes for cleaning; sieve; squares of cheese -cloth also for blanching; wire basket; teaspoon; spatula -(a most convenient pliable blade to use like a paddle to -let air out of the jars before sealing); scales; and saccharometer -if accurate work is necessary in preserving. -Wooden spoons and saucepans are necessary if the product -to be packed is to be cooked. Also the indispensable -handle with which to lift the jar from the hot processing -utensil.</p> - -<p>In using the aluminum roaster and canner with rack, -fill half the lower pan with hot water. Place the rack -in position, and set the jars on the rack. Place the caps -on the jars lightly—do not screw them down tight. -Place the cover on the canner, being sure that the ventilator -is closed tight in order to confine all the steam.</p> - -<p>Only one burner is necessary in case a gas, gasoline or<span class="pagenum" id="Page189">[189]</span> -oil stove is used. After the water begins to boil, the -flame may be turned down one-third to one-half—just -keep the water boiling nicely for the proper length of -time as per schedule.</p> - -<p>When the time necessary for sterilization has elapsed, -remove the cover from the canner, and the jars can be -taken out without difficulty.</p> - -<p>Then come the mechanical parers, hullers for strawberries, -stones for cherries, corers and slicers, all valuable -when the products to be preserved or canned are -in sufficient quantity to warrant their purchase. Of -course, a good steel knife must always be in the kitchen, -and a thermometer makes work less haphazard, for the -kitchen without a thermometer is like a motor car without -a speedometer.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Preserving and Canning Jars</span></h3> - -<p>Probably of all the pernickety parts of preserving and -canning operations, the jar question is the most jarring -(pardon the pun, but it truly must have had its genesis -here, and one can’t refrain from putting a joke back on -its native heath!).</p> - -<p>We will entirely disregard the tin container because -it is rarely, if ever, used in the home. In the use of -glass jars the same attributes of construction, efficiency, -utility and economy must be considered. There are -numerous brands and variations of these brands on the -market. Sometimes, in a canning or preserving operation, -strange to say, the contents of five jars will turn out -well, and the sixth will be a failure. This is, of course, -due to the human or inhuman equation. Here are some -of the types:</p> - -<p>1. Glass jars with metal screw tops lined with porcelain, -made more air-tight by a rubber ring. These tops -can be used again and again.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page190">[190]</span></p> - -<p>2. Glass jars with glass tops fastened by a wire clamp, -plus the rubber ring. The tops are usable again and -again.</p> - -<p>3. Glass jars with flat metal tops held on temporarily -by a metal clamp until firmly sealed and then taken off. -These look neat and ship-shape, but the top must be -punctured before its removal and therefore new caps -must be bought each time.</p> - -<p>4. Glass jars with flat metal cap over the rubber ring -and a bracelet ring with thread and overlapping top -edge which, when screwed over, holds the top securely. -These tops can be used indefinitely.</p> - -<p>5. Glass jar with hermetic seal with lacquered metal -top; around the inner edge of the top is a narrow lining -of a composition which, when heated, softens and -sticks to glass, and while the adhering is going on a -wire clamp holds it together and is removed after it is -sealed. It is self-sealing but you are unable to remove -cover if for any reason during the processing it has to -be removed.</p> - -<p>The government has this to say about the types mentioned -above:</p> - -<p>“If the old-fashioned screw-top jar is used (No. 1), -good caps are essential for safety. After having been -used the edge of this cap becomes flared and the porcelain -lining frequently is loosened from the top. This -lid then not only is difficult to sterilize but may fail -to give an air-tight seal. If such jars are on hand and -must be used, it will be better to use them for the canning -of fruits, preserves, and other products which are -easily processed and to secure jars of the lightning-seal -type for vegetables which are more difficult to -preserve.”</p> - -<p>In preserving it is always well to put a three-ply<span class="pagenum" id="Page191">[191]</span> -hot towel underneath the jar when pouring hot material -into the jar to insure against breakage—<i>especially</i> when -the table has a glass or porcelain-like top.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Sealing Tests</span></h3> - -<p>If, after twenty-four hours, the seal or hermetic jars -can be lifted by their lids without falling from grace or -from anything else, the seal is pretty sure to keep the -contents in good shape.</p> - -<p>Screw-top jars can be tested by inverting in order -to discover leakage. All jars should be tested and -reprocessed if jars leak.</p> - -<p>Sad to say, foods in the best seal containers are often -ravaged by the culinary Bolsheviki which are bacteria -forming in the most airless jars. Unless all the bacteria -are killed in processing, the tight seal is no indication -of salvation.</p> - -<p>To make safety surer, the laws of cleanliness must be -observed to a scrupulous degree. The table scoured and -covered with oil cloth, to prevent dirt; refuse cans near -at hand to prevent any accumulations of bacteria or -decay; containers and tops boiled at least fifteen minutes -before using, and used as soon after as is possible, -and then inverted either in water or on an exquisitely -clean surface until used. Rubber rings for sealing jars -must be cleaned immediately before using by dropping, -for one minute, into a boiling solution of soda and water -(one quart of water to one teaspoonful of soda) and -removing quickly from fire to prevent rubber deterioration. -Buy only the very best rubber rings on the market -or else your crop may fail. New rings must be -bought for every canning and preserving process.</p> - -<p>Preserving is the result when whole fruits are cooked -in syrup until the syrup is clear and transparent. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page192">[192]</span> -object is to have the fruit thoroughly permeated with -the syrup. Preserving then is the process of introducing -syrup into the fruit.</p> - -<p>A United States Government authority says: “In -order to prevent shrinkage it is necessary to put fruit -at first into this syrup and increase its density slowly -enough for diffusion to take place and for the fruit to be -permeated with the syrup. This is done by boiling the -fruit in syrup or by alternately cooking and allowing -the product to stand immersed in the syrup, the density -of the syrup being increased by evaporation or by -substituting a heavier syrup for the lighter one after -each period of standing. If at any time the fruit -shrivels or wrinkles the syrup should be made less dense -by the addition of water. If this process be carried on -gradually enough the fruit may be completely saturated -with sugar (as is the case with crystallized products) -without shrinking.”</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Density Measures</span></h3> - -<p>When there is much preserving to do, and absolute -accuracy is a saver of money and time, a measure is -used for determining the density of the liquids. This -is called a saccharometer. It is inexpensive, about the -same price as a thermometer, and consists of a long glass -spindle like a thermometer with a scale on it, but, instead -of mercury, the bulb is full of shot. When put in -a vessel of water it rests at the bottom of the vessel and -registers zero. As the density increases the spindle -rises until the solution is saturated with sugar at the -temperature indicated, the reading being one hundred. -This, however, is the Balling scale. The Brix scale is -more accurate and is more expensive. When using a -saccharometer use a 250 cubic centimeter glass cylinder, -or a brass saccharometer cup for the liquid.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page193">[193]</span></p> - -<p>The preserving kettle and the rest of the list of tools -can be used for preserving. For cooling, enamel or -aluminum trays are the best. Fruits will discolor tin. -When jars are full, as mentioned before, slip a paddle, -silver knife (silver doesn’t discolor fruit) or spatula -through the fruit next to the container when packed to -remove air bubbles.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Aluminum Utensils</span></h3> - -<p>Aluminum is light and enduring and contrary to -allegations, cooking acids in aluminum utensils does no -harm whatever. In fact, if any chemical action should -take place, it does in the aluminum, and not in the food. -Chemists use it to cook acids in sometimes which is a -proof of the hardness of it in cooking fruit acids.</p> - -<p>If compounds were formed with aluminum, they are -entirely harmless and have no more effect than any -of the organic salts. Salts solutions can be cooked in -aluminum, but don’t store a concentrated brine as pickling -mixtures in aluminum, or the aluminum may become -pitted.</p> - -<p>To clean aluminum never use a strong alkali. Steel -wool is the best cleanser on the market at present. If -when a utensil is washed any slight stains or discoloration -on the inside are immediately removed with some -steel wool and a mild soap, it will be kept in a bright -and shiny condition all the time.</p> - -<p>Oxalic acid is often recommended as one means of -removing the discoloration from aluminum, as it unites -so readily with the iron or mineral deposit which sometimes -forms on the aluminum from the action of hard -water. This, however, we do not generally recommend -as it is not a safe plan to have it around.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page194">[194]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Enamel Ware</span></h3> - -<p>Enamel ware has a steel basis coated with porcelain. -Probably no cooking utensil has so long and classic an -inheritance, for enamel on metal, as jewelry, comes to -us from the ancients, but it is not until modern times -that this process has been used for cookery.</p> - -<p>The porcelain or enamel is so spread, hardened and -annealed or tempered that it is about as elastic as the -steel and therefore does not break or crack under high -temperatures. But the cheaper qualities are not reliable; -consequently buy the best. There is no chance of -appendicitis in using enamel ware for never has any -intestinal disturbance been found to have originated -from chipping enamel (as has been said by enamel’s -enemies).</p> - -<p>So have no fear about using good quality enamel or -aluminum or any other of the best quality utensils sold -to you by reputable manufacturers. You are not only -safe but fortunate when you can afford the best variety -of the best species.</p> - -<p>The enamel merchants say that their ware is decorative -and therefore lends charm to the kitchen because -it can be bought in blue, green, white, gray, maroon, -etc., and we add, too, that aluminum is decorative and it -adds a silver-like touch to a well put-together kitchen.</p> - -<p>Enamel is cleaned like a china plate, with plain water -and good soap; whereas burn adheres more tightly to -an enamel dish than an aluminum dish, it is easily removed -and the upkeep simple and swift, adding much -comfort to the housewife.</p> - -<p>In the purchase of any utensil, see that it is smooth, -seamless, crackless, air-bubbleless, and light in weight.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page195">[195]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Electric Canning and Preserving</span></h3> - -<p>When it comes to canning and preserving, the electrically -equipped kitchen is splendidly prepared to -handle this matter with the greatest ease and facility. -Where there is a large electric range, it is unnecessary -to have any additional canning machinery, for the -sterilizing of the jars can be done right in the oven of -the range. The jars may or may not be immersed in a -water-bath, just as it suits the cook, without the bath is -certainly easier and quicker, for the jars, when cold-packed -in the usual way, are merely set on a rack in the -oven. In this case, however, care must be observed not -to keep them there the full length of time prescribed -in the water-bath method, lest the rubber rings be -scorched and afterwards develop defects.</p> - -<p>Failing a large electric range, the next best thing is -the electric fireless cooker. Into this, a few jars may -be placed at a time, kept at “high heat” long enough -for the contents to reach the boiling point, when the -automatic time-clock attachment will then throw the -cooker on the “low” for the sterilization period. This -method of canning is particularly desirable for suburban -households where the kitchen garden is only of medium -size; in that case the “crops” usually are produced -in just about the quantity to make this the normal way of -canning. With both of these electrical methods, it will -be noticed that there is no huge, cumbersome and heavy -boiler to be handled, a great labor-saving feature.</p> - -<p>In the electric kitchen, jams and marmalades are made -in open kettles on top of the stove, or for that matter, -can be cooked on the much smaller table appliances. -The even, dependable temperature furnished by electric -heat is appreciated in these long, slow-cooking processes,<span class="pagenum" id="Page196">[196]</span> -where with other methods, there is danger of -burning unless ceaseless watch is maintained.</p> - -<p>In some of the new stoves, you can set the containers -right in the oven (see Gas Ranges <a href="#Page75">Chapter VII</a> also -Electric Ranges <a href="#Page62">Chapter VI</a> and Oil Stoves <a href="#Page86">Chapter -VIII</a>). This is a great saving of effort to the woman -without a maid, as in this way the canning and preserving -processes can be much simplified, if attention is -given to cutting out extra utensils and processes.</p> - -<p>For a household where marmalade, jelly and fruit-juice -making is carried on on a large scale, an electric -fruit-juice extractor adds greatly to the rapidity with -which the work can be done.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page197">[197]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXI<br /> -<span class="chapname">CASSEROLES OR THE REVOLUTION CULINARY</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">“S</span><span class="afterlargecap">ince</span> -my daughter came back from driving an -ambulance in France and from living in the -various towns, she has not only brought back an international -atmosphere with her but she is quite a Kitchen -Red. She has revolutionized our whole culinary system.”</p> - -<p>“You strike terror to my soul. What can you mean?” -I said with amusement.</p> - -<p>“Well, since she has returned she is keen for cutting -down unnecessary effort and unnecessary processes and -she thinks that the French have solved the simplifying -of cookery by the use of the casserole or casserole system -as I like to call it!”</p> - -<p>It is quite true that these fads are overdone, generally. -But this is no fad, as it’s been popular for æons, -and if it had not been, why should you not give it a -trial? Because a thing can be used intemperately is -no reason why it should not be attempted. We drink -water, yet we don’t choke or drown ourselves very often.</p> - -<p>In these servant famine days where people either have -none, one or a very depleted staff of them, processes -must be cut down, handling of utensils must be decreased. -Therefore, cooking in dishes that can be used on -the table, and coming directly from the stove, cuts the -use of one set of dishes, of washing the extra dishes, and -as these utensils are of pottery or glass the ease with -which they can be washed cuts this process in half.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page198">[198]</span></p> - -<p>These casserole dishes are made in glazed pottery, -white on the inside and you can buy them in pretty -nearly every color, as far as the outside is concerned. -Because of the heat-conducting attributes of pottery long -and slow cooking is the result of their usage. This fact -is, of course, their greatest asset, because slow cooking -is necessary to bring out the best flavors and render -food more digestible.</p> - -<p>Casserole cookery—after all with the French it means -really a kind of dish. Adapted to our use as mentioned -before, it is a system by which cooking is done -(slowly in the casserole) in utensils usable on -the table. Strictly speaking, casserole cookery is cooking -done in the casserole. The French use the casserole -for made-over dishes and have given the world -a fund of dishes and ideas which have saved much money -and besides given much pleasure. This, of course, is a -culinary as well as an economic feat. And probably -one of the best uses of the casserole is the fact that -tough cuts of meat and cheaper grades of vegetables -which are just as nutritious as the expensive are rendered -delicious and appetizing by this slow casserole -cooking.</p> - -<p>The appearance of these dishes is enough to stimulate -the jaded palate. They come, too, with cases made in -the different metals: copper, brass, iron and silver. The -dish as it is taken from the stove is slipped into one of -these open-work cases and gives quite a finish to the -table. These holders, be it remembered, are not necessary, -but for that reason they are alluring.</p> - -<p>But, people are prone to think that casserole cookery -means living on stews and cheap cuts all the time. -But this is entirely wrong, as you can bake, roast, boil -and braise in these dishes. Excellent cake and bread, -soup and fruits can be cooked and all very deliciously.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page199">[199]</span></p> - -<p>Scalloped dishes and marmites and things in ramekins -are very good, too. These are casserole cookery, -too, only those dishes are for the most part “individuals,” -and these individual dishes are often made in the -more delicate pottery wares. Naturally, you do not have -to use the family size always.</p> - -<p>They are so made that they do not break if you use -ordinary common sense with them. When they are new, -they should be set in very cold water for a few hours, -let the cook apply gradual heat, never sudden heat, and -remember that she must not put them on or in the stove -without something in them, and that when she uses them -on top of the stove she must put asbestos or metal trays -under them to insulate them from too direct a heat.</p> - -<p>Common or uncommon sense has to be used with all -cooking utensils to lengthen their lives. But here are -some of the good points in casserole cookery:—Less -liquid need be added when using them as the food in -long cooking cooks its own juices; left-over foods become -delicious in them; freshly cooked foods become most -appetizing; the tight covers keep in all aroma and -flavor (if the cover doesn’t fit tight enough a little flour -paste around the top of the casserole will seal it completely); -there is no burn to remove when washing these -dishes and food cannot adhere obstinately to cause a -loss of time and patience; anything that is to be removed -is very evident and rubbing it off the smooth -sides is very rapidly accomplished. And they look so -well after they are cleaned that the cook is well repaid.</p> - -<p>In buying casserole dishes, you should be sure that -they are smooth on the inside and outside with no -little blisters or cracks. The best casseroles are not -expensive and it is very encouraging to-day to get anything -with epicurean attributes at proletarian prices.</p> - -<p>Women should try things as business men try things<span class="pagenum" id="Page200">[200]</span> -when they are cutting down expenses, and operations. -And it doesn’t matter how wealthy a firm is either when -cost reduction can be made. Isn’t it queer that our -wealthy women never think of cutting costs in their -kitchens? Yet the wealthy firm is always trying to -shave costs.</p> - -<p>After women realize that slow cookery is healthiest -and is most economical, why do they persist in being -too conservative to buy new things? There seems to -be no reason except that they may unconsciously feel -that were they to begin on slow cookery, they would -adhere to it so rapidly that rapid cookery would fade -away. It may be recalled that some housekeepers insist -upon cooking even the demi-tasse in paper bags!</p> - -<p>But to save the rapid cookery processes, the glass -utensil has been born and is waxing popular. Rapidity -is its chief attribute. By this rapidity in cooking -there is a saving of fuel, and as the utensils are taken -directly from the stove, as are the casseroles, and used -on the tables, there is the same saving of service time. -These glass utensils bring out the flavors in all kinds -of foods; they do not absorb odors or greases; they are -very easy to keep clean; there is never any burn to -remove and one can always see inside the utensil to -find out how the food is faring!</p> - -<p>On first thought you may fear breakage. But they -don’t break. They are strongly guaranteed against -breakage in the oven. They are annealed so perfectly -that they can stand intense and sudden heat and not -break. Chauffeurs from France came back with great -tales of safety glass which is used on motors. This glass -rarely breaks. Even if hit by shrapnel it simply cracks -and crazes. This fact will give confidence in what the -scientific manufacturers of glass are doing to-day.</p> - -<p>This cooking glass is also made in engraved patterns<span class="pagenum" id="Page201">[201]</span> -which make it suitable for the most exacting table use.</p> - -<p>But why is it that cooking can be done so much more -rapidly in the glass ware?</p> - -<p>Because the glass utensil utilizes by the nature of -glass composition every bit of heat in the oven and the -metal utensil does not. This is proved by putting a -metal and a glass pot in the oven equally full of water -and the glass pot will boil very soon while the ... -you can guess the rest.</p> - -<p>Of course, this glass is only usable in the oven. It -is really miracle stuff because even boiling water poured -into one of the utensils won’t break it.</p> - -<p>Can everything be cooked in this ware?</p> - -<p>A pretty good range: light omelets, dried fruit, cake, -bread, meat and rechaufférs. The glass casserole is -very much in vogue at present because the glass ware -is adaptable to slow cooking, too.</p> - -<p>It’s amazing, isn’t it, to think what can be done with -glass and china fire-proof as they have become! Yet -it isn’t when you think of crossing the ocean in sixteen -hours.</p> - -<p>But what is amazing is that some women are so slow -to investigate and are willing to live in their unexplored -mediæval culinary ruts, while in every other line they -seem to be so up and coming. But women that do their -own work are far more forward looking.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page202">[202]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXII<br /> -<span class="chapname">FURNISHING YOUR KITCHEN</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">F</span><span class="afterlargecap">urnishing</span> the kitchen sounds simple enough. -But it is not. Everything put into the kitchen -must have not only beauty and uniformity, but also -utility, durability, tool shop convenience, and the maximum -hygienic attributes. In one word, the furnishings -must have absolute utensibility.</p> - -<p>In the other rooms (save the bathroom) you can -humorously tell your decorator to do it in early Pullman -or seriously in Louis Quinze—and all will be well. -Your furniture in these rooms must be passably durable, -consistent, and beautiful, but it need not be unstainable, -washable, non-absorbent, rigid, non-corrosive, etc., etc. -Equipping a kitchen is like equipping a medical laboratory—skill -must be employed.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Table</span></h3> - -<p>Chief among the furnishings of the kitchen are the -table and its relatives. They have to be rigid, enduring, -and must be the correct size for the job and the correct -kind for the work they are meant to do.</p> - -<p>The table has been the storm center of discussion for -years. The problem is this:—to find a table top that is -non-absorbent, easily cleaned (not holding stains like -an artist’s palette), not brittle, not cracking under -changes of temperature or when utensils are dropped -upon it.</p> - -<div class="container"> - -<img src="images/illo235.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Duparquet, Huot & Moneuse</i></p> - -<p class="caption">SHOWING THE MEAT-CHOPPING TABLE, RANGE, TABLE ARRANGEMENT, RUBBER MATS, -SINK, AND POT SHELF ARRANGEMENT</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page203">[203]</span></p> - -<p>For if you are doing your own work, you do not -want to be scraping and cleaning all day, and if you -have servitors you will want them for more productive -work.</p> - -<p>This is a big order. Teachers, scientific experts, and -manufacturers of laboratory conveniences (they are -never called kitchen conveniences in these circles! -Would this nomenclature help the servant problem?) -have massed their findings and the results of the world-wide -demand for a practical kitchen table top are the -following:</p> - -<p><i>Enamel Tops.</i> These (and their confrères vitrolite, -etc.) are excellent if you know that the manufacturer -is good. They do not crack or craze (fall into multitudinous -vein-like cracks) and break with ordinary -usage. The enamel is baked over steel or iron and -should be at least three coats thick.</p> - -<p><i>Glass Tops.</i> Not for general utility, but well -adapted for the pastry table since with this top no -special pastry board is needed. Glass tops are really -very beautiful and have every qualification but unbreakableness. -Some new patents are less brittle than old -makes.</p> - -<p><i>Marble Tops.</i> Excellent for the pastry table, and if -one can afford them, fine for most things. There is only -the remotest chance that they may break and only when -they are less than 2″ thick.</p> - -<p><i>White Metal Tops.</i> Excellent, non-corrosive, flat -coverings. They are expensive but do not need any -nursing to keep them in order.</p> - -<p><i>Zinc Tops.</i> Very much used, but these tops buckle -and puff and are very much affected by acids and -alkalis.</p> - -<p><i>Wooden Tops.</i> Far better than zinc for the householder -who cannot afford the other tops. The wood -can be treated with non-staining varnish, or a varnish<span class="pagenum" id="Page204">[204]</span> -that can stand heat without being annihilated, and you -will have a fine table. If this is not possible, the ordinary -wooden table, fresh from the shop, if covered with -linoleum or oil cloth, is very useful and durable, especially -since the linoleum can be changed inexpensively -and often. There may be a metal binder around the -wooden table top if desired.</p> - -<p><i>Composition Tops.</i> These need a guarantee as they -are often of glass or some mixture undefined.</p> - -<p><i>Tin Tops.</i> These are not used any more, as far as we -know.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Special Tables</span></h3> - -<p>The ordinary table length is from 3′ to 7′, depending -upon the size of the kitchen. There are usually from -one to three tables in use,—more often two. The ordinary -heights are from 32″ to 28″. Get the height that -fits your workers. Be sure to find this out if possible; -otherwise you will have to make a later arrangement.</p> - -<p>Maple is a satisfactory wood for strong tables; ash, -and pine for the cheaper kind of top.</p> - -<p>The marble top table is the royal pastry table, which, of -course, though not a luxury, is an extra table. Fancy -a seven foot marble slab 2<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>″ thick! Isn’t it like an -Alma Tadema conception! The pastry table usually -has a rack of some sort beneath it, either slatted or solid. -This rack may be half shelf and half electric plate -warmer. In smaller homes the pastry table of 3′ length -is the most convenient with a somewhat thinner marble -top or glass top.</p> - -<p>The top of the cook’s table is sometimes divided into -two parts, one part made of marble or glass for pastry -work and the other part of polished wood for ordinary -pursuits. This effects the saving of a table if the cooks -do not squabble or there is but one cook and little room!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page205">[205]</span></p> - -<p>The cook’s table is placed opposite the range and has -a 7′ pot rack attached.</p> - -<p>The legs of most of these high-grade tables are tipped -with metal to keep them unspotted from the washings -of the floor. The trimmings, too, are of the same metal, -formerly called German silver.</p> - -<p>It would not be a bad idea to have a metallic tip of -some sort put on the legs of the less expensive tables, -to keep them from wearing and to maintain a rigidity -well beloved in tables. For there is no happiness in -table tipping outside of the spiritual seance!</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Kitchen Cabinets</span></h3> - -<p>A kitchen cabinet (see also <a href="#Page244">Chapter XXVII</a>, Kitchen -Cabinets) is a thing of duty and joy forever. It is the -first cousin to the table and really is but the table extended -and expanded into drawers and shelves and -closets. It signifies the demand of the modern housewife -for a shipshape tool chest with all the materials -ready to her hand so that there may be no reaching, -stretching, or relay races around the kitchen in the -preparation of the recurring daily meals.</p> - -<p>For the most part these cabinets are moveable. That -is, they are not built into the walls of the room. At -present, however, architects are planning for them as -stationary and essential parts of the kitchen equipment.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Materials</span></h3> - -<p>Steel and wood are the materials out of which the -cabinet is made. The steel ones are better in many -ways than the wooden types because they are easier to -clean and are more protected against vermin. However, -the wooden cabinets which are built with rounded corners -are a close second to the steel cabinet, since these<span class="pagenum" id="Page206">[206]</span> -corners cannot become a receptacle for food waste and -are practically vermin proof. Wooden cabinets are -finished in a hard enamel paint and can be washed with -impunity.</p> - -<p>Some kitchen cabinets are equipped with a rolling -door which folds upwards; others have swinging doors. -The swinging door, although it extends into the room a -few inches, has the convenience of being able to hold -extra little racks for extra little things, such as small -bottles, market lists, and the like.</p> - -<p>Never fill your cabinet too full of things, as they are -prone to fall down and jangle the nerves of the worker, -thus really defeating the purpose for which the cabinet -is built, which is maximum convenience.</p> - -<p>Besides the table top, which is used as a molding -board, there are places for the flour bin, sugar container, -bread, cake, pots, pans, rolling pin, cutlery, jars, -dishes, marketing slips, and even the favorite cook book.</p> - -<p>The kitchen cabinet is a boon to the small housekeeper -and is becoming so appreciated for its concentration -of work and saving of steps that even the owners of -large homes insist on installing it. That is why architects -are including the kitchen cabinet in their plans. -It means a saving of 75% of toil and thus becomes a -factor in making servants willing to stay with you.</p> - -<p>Where there are no servants employed you, Mrs. Wife, -get the benefit!</p> - -<p>There are many smaller cabinets on the market. The -sink closet, which contains all the sink soap, swabs and -brushes, a real convenience indeed, as is the long and -narrow broom closet, for brooms and cleaning materials. -Until you have your brooms properly garaged your -nerves never will be entirely rested.</p> - -<p>Dealers and manufacturers are ready, in fact, to -make any sort of a cabinet for you if they are not in<span class="pagenum" id="Page207">[207]</span> -stock. Don’t be bashful, get what you need for your -kitchen—but never get more than you can use.</p> - -<p>Small neat white cabinets are made, to fit corners as -well as flat spaces, and give the kitchen the efficient, -clean look of the laboratory.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Shelving Units</span></h3> - -<p>Steel shelving and built-in kitchen cabinets are growing -more and more popular. Stationary shelves, built -once and for all, can be installed, or you can begin with -a few units and as you require more they can be bolted -on to what you have, just like sectional bookcases.</p> - -<p>These shelves are covered with three coats of enamel -baked on steel and very durable, having the same qualities -as the good table:—rigidity, non-absorption, and -ease in cleaning.</p> - -<p>They are the parallel of the steel filing case in the -office—and that is another sign that the kitchen is becoming -as systematic as the business sanctum. Just as -soon as the home approximates the efficiency and standardization -of the office, just so soon will the servant -problem cease to be. But we are not discussing the millennium -in this chapter.</p> - -<p>The shelves can be made with or without doors. Of -course doors are a little help in the fight against dust, -yet even they are not infallible enemies of this household -nuisance.</p> - -<p>Very often under the shelves the plate warmer and -the refrigerator are placed. Their close proximity -shows that the refrigerator is insulated against the heat -and the plate warmer is insulated against the cold. -This is really an object lesson in the possible self-identification -of good apparatus.</p> - -<p>This arrangement will work well both in the pantry -and in the kitchen.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page208">[208]</span></p> - -<p>Wooden shelves are less expensive than the steel ones, -but require careful attention, frequent cleaning, and -new coverings at intervals.</p> - -<p>Plate glass shelves are being used of late.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Plate Warmer</span></h3> - -<p>In speaking about the above luxurious pastry and -cook’s tables, we touched on the matter of plate warmers.</p> - -<p>In small homes plate warming is accomplished by -ovens, oven tops, or warming plates arranged above the -ovens or stove. In larger homes, however, where guests -are many and often and plates and dishes multitudinous, -the electric plate warmer has come to do the work.</p> - -<p>It may be under a table, as you have seen above or it -may be a separate entity.</p> - -<p>The doors of the plate warmer are generally of the -sliding variety and are of a special make of iron, -trimmed with steel or white metal. The interior of the -warmer is perfectly insulated with asbestos and other -materials. It does not warm the kitchen. This is -proved by the possibility of its being placed next to a -refrigerator without any bad results to the ice.</p> - -<p>There is a little ruby pilot light which tells you if the -electricity is on or off, thus obviating the chance of -unnecessary heat getting out when you wish to find out -whether the warmer is functioning or not.</p> - -<p>The electric warmer usually stands a little higher -than a table, but does not alter the size of the table when -built underneath it.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Chairs and Stools</span></h3> - -<p>Since the kitchen is in no way a lounge, the chair in -the kitchen is really only another tool to assist in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page209">[209]</span> -work or possibly to permit a few moments of relaxation. -Of course, it is quite obvious that in some kitchens -which are a combination sitting room, living room and -dining room, the chair and even the couch are real comfort -factors. However, this type of room is not being -considered here.</p> - -<p>In the kind of kitchen we are furnishing the ordinary -modified Windsor chair is as good a model as any we -know, and can and should be finished to match the rest -of the kitchen.</p> - -<p>The stool is most convenient and should be about 24″ -in height, because a worker can work efficiently while -sitting on this.</p> - -<p>The chair step-ladder is convenient in rooms in which -you have had to build high shelves for sufficient storage -room, lack of space being the only excuse for such unreachable -shelves.</p> - -<p>There is, too, the ladder-stool, which serves the same -purpose as this chair step-ladder combination.</p> - -<p>The little wooden step is a convenience if perchance -your kitchen maid is not an Amazon and needs a few -more inches added to her, or if your cook happens, too, -not to be of heroic mold.</p> - -<p>In small kitchens the settle-table is a convenience. -For when a bench is needed it can be used as a bench, -and presto! when a table is needed, it is quickly changed -into a table—the two things taking but the space of one.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Mats</span></h3> - -<p>Stone, composition, tile, and even wood floors are -often very trying to the feet and back of your kitchen -denizen. A strip or two of linoleum or cork is a great -relief as it adds to the unrelenting floor a little elasticity -and resiliency which takes the strain off the feet and -makes for comfort and ease. These materials are the<span class="pagenum" id="Page210">[210]</span> -best, for they are washable and non-absorbent, and they -add rather than detract from the beauty of the surroundings. -If the strips are not usable, mats can be -bought or made for the space to be filled.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Matching Up</span></h3> - -<p>It is quite as possible to have uniformity in your -kitchen as well as in your other rooms. Even if the -kitchen must be fixed up after the architect has done -his worst, you can at least have the same color scheme -throughout.</p> - -<p>There are on the market to-day kitchen furnishings -to suit every pocket, so there is really little excuse for a -kitchen to look heterogeneous and messy. Furnishing -a kitchen is a most tempting problem, especially with -not too full a purse. The trouble is mostly that people -who know nothing about a kitchen always furnish it, -because it is considered easy. It isn’t easy. Even -after furnishings are bought if they are not placed -well they are of as little value as if they did not exist.</p> - -<p>In getting household apparatus the first and great -demand is: Know your manufacturer. And the second -is as important: Buy the best you can afford after -the most careful thought, and be very sure where it is -going to be placed when you get it.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page211">[211]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXIII<br /> -<span class="chapname">KITCHEN COSMETICS</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">L</span><span class="afterlargecap">ike</span> women, kitchens must be made up continuously -to be kept up. Like women, the fairer and even -blonder they are the more attractive they seem to be; -but unlike women, they must never be applied with powder -(as a beautifier) or with oils, varnishes and paints -which for any reason disintegrate into powder.</p> - -<p>Every Domiologist (the author’s coinage for home -scientist) likes a light, clean, glistening kitchen. Oils, -paints and varnishes and their relatives, enamels, -shellacs and lacquers, do the trick.</p> - -<p>This article is not going to teach you to be a painter, -but ought to give you the salient facts of kitchen “make -up,” which every Domiologist should have in her mental, -if not actual, filing case.</p> - -<p>Furthermore, in the maidless or maided house the -basic supply of to-be-cleaned-things must be as nearly -self-supporting as possible. Hence a smoothly varnished -wood-work and un-peeling painted wall or ceiling will -go a long way to simplifying the care of the kitchen, -yea the whole house.</p> - -<p>Briefly, paint, according to Wood, is any liquid or -semi-liquid substance applied to any metallic, wooden -or other surface, to protect it from corrosion or decay -or to give color or gloss or all of these qualities to it. -Note the stress on the protective quality.</p> - -<p>According to Heckel: Paint is a mixture of opaque -or semi-opaque substances (pigments) with liquids,<span class="pagenum" id="Page212">[212]</span> -capable of application to surface by means of a brush -or a painting machine, or by dipping and forming an -adherent coating thereon.</p> - -<p>House paints are made of pigments, drying oils -(volatile or thinners), driers or “Japans” and varnishes. -Pigments are divided into white bases (like oxide of -zinc, the most important), inert reinforcing pigments, -natural earth colors, chemical colors, pigment lakes, -etc.</p> - -<p>Varnish enhances the beauty of surfaces, protects -them from injury, increases the luster or hardness of -other coatings, excludes moisture and gases, vapors and -other atmospheric agencies of decomposition or decay.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Preventives of Disease</span></h3> - -<p>Paint and varnishes in the main have been thought -to be beautifiers only, but in reality they are much more -than this, for they are very complete means for the maintenance -of sanitary conditions in the kitchen and are -made for application on metals, cement, concrete, plaster, -wood, etc. Therefore, there is nothing in the -kitchen that cannot be re-surfaced if necessary.</p> - -<p>Cracks and holes spell vermin and germ traps, which -make efficient distribution centers for disease. Here is -where paints and varnishes and the adjuncts not only -fill the cracks, but fill the bill before the physician has -time to send his.</p> - -<p>The best blanket dictum to remember is that: -Cleanliness is next to hole-iness. Fill up the holes, -cracks, splits, roughnesses and unevennesses. Render -all surfaces non-porous by application of liquid paint -fillers. But before all else, scrape and pumice and wash -surfaces with good old soap and water. Benzine is -very often not sufficiently efficient in preparing for -paint applications. Evenness, cleanliness, non-porousness,<span class="pagenum" id="Page213">[213]</span> -these three, and, to be Irish, the greatest of these -is elbow grease—the best of all kitchen cosmetics applied -in preparation and in brushwork.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Choose the Manufacturer First</span></h3> - -<p>“What criterion have we,” asks the Domiologist, “in -the choice of paints?”</p> - -<p>The answer is, “Choose the manufacturer, then choose -the paint.”</p> - -<p>No household has a laboratory, and the widest advertised -paint brands have stood the test. Consequently, -a can opener, the paint, and an all-seeing eye to keep -abreast of the advertisements are the requirements for -the pocket laboratory. But, the standard for any paint -is the overworked word “service.” If the paint you -and your friends have used does not wear, get another -make. But by all means, do not use these things blindly -any more than you would use face powder without knowing -the brand. Buy the best. In no other household -commodity is this advice more important.</p> - -<p>Sometimes the best paints and varnishes deteriorate -in storage or transit, by being kept in too cold a room, -and may be explosive if treated with too high a temperature.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Paint Rules</span></h3> - -<p>In buying paint it will do no harm to bear in mind:</p> - -<p class="padl2">1. That one gallon of paint should be distributable -over an area (in two coats) of 300 square feet.</p> - -<p class="padl2">2. A good paint should produce a surface that is -neither too hard nor too soft. Surfaces that are too -hard are prone to chipping and cracking or splitting. -Sometimes they remain sticky if they are too soft, or -chalk or powder or flow.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page214">[214]</span></p> - -<p class="padl2">3. The average life of a good application of good -paint is four years. It ought to last fifteen years, -but to-day in our apartments we are glad if it lasts -one month. Three years is the minimum, but a -simple pigment paint frequently plays out in three -years.</p> - -<p class="padl2">4. That paint must be durable in color and should -last at least four years under normal conditions. -Good floor paints and varnishes can stand dragging -furniture, walking, hot utensils, steam, water, even -alcohol and greases.</p> - -<p class="padl2">5. That good paints should leave surfaces suitable -for repainting, which, being interpreted, means that -the old paint should be still unbroken, making paste or -liquid fillers practically unnecessary.</p> - -<p>Paste fillers with or without color are used to fill -deep cracks, etc., not, however, caused by broken paint -surfaces, but by faulty construction, warping, blows in -plaster, wear, and such injuries.</p> - -<p>The common ills which are met with in paint life are:</p> - -<p class="padl2">1. Peeling, cracking or powdering, due to imperfect -attachment, probably on greasy, damp or over artificially -heated surfaces from which the moisture is -driven up through the paint.</p> - -<p class="padl2">2. Blistering, due to underlying vaporized moisture. -An excess of volatile oil prevents this. It often -occurs on incompletely dried lumber, and often light -or some chemical agency is the cause.</p> - -<p class="padl2">3. Alligatoring, incipient cracks due to heavy coats -of paint applied to unseasoned wood especially if the -paint is drier, tougher or more elastic than the under -coats.</p> - -<p class="padl2">4. Wear. This is the only legitimate ill, if it takes -place after the allotted period of its life.</p> - -<p>The common epidemics in varnish life are bloom<span class="pagenum" id="Page215">[215]</span> -(opalescence), blistering, spotting, cracking, sweating, -powdering, livering, crawling (refusal to spread), flasking, -deadening (loss of luster), pitting, silking (looks -like enameled silk), seedy or specky, wrinkling, grain -showing, crumbling, all due to imperfect preparation of -surfaces and the presence of moisture, greases, poor varnishes, -poor application of good varnishes, different -brands of varnishes put together, increase or decrease -of temperature in drying or storage or transportation, -etc.</p> - -<p>There are hundreds of kinds of varnishes divided -into: oil varnishes, spirit varnishes, japans, enamels -and specialties.</p> - -<p>In house finishing, oil varnishes, enamels, painter’s -Japans and sometimes spirit varnishes (shellac and -dammar varnishes).</p> - -<p>Lacquers are highly transparent varnishes used on -metals to produce a lustrous film.</p> - -<p>Japans (decorative) are dark varnishes applied to -metals and wood.</p> - -<p>Japans (painter’s), are varnishes added to paints for -luster and drying.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Employ an Expert</span></h3> - -<p>So it can readily be seen that the painting and varnishing -of the kitchen should be, if nothing else, given -over to experts. The painter should understand these -requirements. “The priming coat,” says Heckel, -“being the one on which the adhesion of the entire paint -film depends, should be most carefully considered. It -should be sufficiently liquid to penetrate every pore and -irregularity of the surface, carrying with it particles -of the pigment; but this fluidity must not be obtained -at the cost of the future strength of the dried film. For -the priming coat it is customary to add a quantity of<span class="pagenum" id="Page216">[216]</span> -oil and some turpentine or benzine or, in the case of -cypress, yellow pine and resinous woods in general, -some form of benzol. It is easy to overdo both. Only -enough of the volatile thinner should be used to avoid a -high gloss, to which subsequent coats will not readily -adhere. Hard, unabsorbent woods require a thicker -priming coat than spongy woods, such as poplar, soft -pine, etc. Resinous woods, like yellow pine, again require -special treatment—a preliminary varnishing of -knots and resinous spots with shellac, and subsequent -priming with a fluid priming coat containing a benzol -product.</p> - -<p>“The second coat, which in many instances is also -(improperly) the finishing coat, should be tempered -accordingly. If there are to be three coats (as there -should be), the paint should be lightly reduced with -turpentine or benzine, so as to promote amalgamation -with the priming coat, and to reduce the surface gloss. -If it is to be the finishing coat, prepared paint of the -average consistency can be used without reduction, -but a very little turpentine is sometimes desirable to -assist penetration and adhesion.</p> - -<p>“The third or finishing coat should usually be -employed as it comes from the can. In the case of all -coats, thorough, hard brushing is essential, and a round -brush is always preferable to a flat brush. The failure -of paint is frequently due to insufficient ‘elbow grease’ -with the brush.</p> - -<p>“Every coat of paint should be completely dry -throughout before the next coat is applied; but it is a -mistake to allow a priming coat to ‘weather’ and become -weakened before painting is continued.</p> - -<p>“Too much drier or Japan, or cheap rosin Japans, -are at the bottom of many paint failures. The manufacturer -of a scientifically prepared paint will introduce<span class="pagenum" id="Page217">[217]</span> -the proper kind and quantity of driers into his -formula, and none should be added in use.”</p> - -<p>A fit condition of surface is obtained by:</p> - -<p>(1) By delaying the application of the priming coat -until the wood is thoroughly seasoned, unless seasoning -has been properly attended to in the lumber; secondly, -by seeing that the plaster on the inside of the building is -completely dry before painting is begun on the outside. -A new house should have been heated some weeks before -it is painted. In an old house, leaking spouts, etc., -should be repaired and the adjacent wood allowed to dry -thoroughly before repainting. Thirdly, by avoiding -the application of paint in moist weather or when the -atmospheric moisture is high. Fourthly, by selecting a -dry, mild season, as late spring or early fall, rather than -a cold or hot season, as winter or mid-summer, for the -work. Fifthly, by seeing that sappy or resinous spots -in new lumber are properly treated before painting. -Sixthly, by due care on old work that all loose paint -and dust are removed by scraping, sand-papering, wire-brushing, -dusting or, if necessary, burning, before new -paint is applied.</p> - -<p>As a rule, it should always be remembered that two -thin coats thoroughly brushed out are better in most -cases than one thick coat, and that repainting should -never be delayed until the under coats begin to loosen -seriously.</p> - -<p>Only when conditions are favorable should the householder -be his own painter. In any case he should study -carefully the directions on the can, and unless they are -found to apply to his particular job, should consult -either the manufacturer or a practical painter for fuller -advice.</p> - -<p>Ceilings and walls of the kitchen are improved by the -application of flat washes, calcimines, etc., of which<span class="pagenum" id="Page218">[218]</span> -there are many on the market. These surfaces are -easily kept clean and sanitary and for this reason have -been used instead of papers in the kitchen. All discolorations -and dirt, grease and dust are removable by -soap and water. The best paints are not poisonous and -are a great factor in home sanitation.</p> - -<p>The kitchen floor is a more difficult problem, as the -wear and tear is so much greater than suffered by the -walls. However, paint and varnish manufacturers have -the problem well in hand and there are paints and stains -on the market and varnishes, too, which withstand wear -and tear, heat, grease, steam, gases and every other -normal nuisance. Of course, this holds good only if -they are applied correctly. Floor varnishes should dry -in forty-eight hours. Dressings for revivifying linoleums -are on the market, but beware of poor ones.</p> - -<p>Don’t be afraid to investigate! This is another mandate -to the Domiologist!</p> - -<p>And bear in mind that floor varnishes and stains -should be able to stand dragging furniture and foot -wear, should be tough, withstand shock or abrasion, and -be unaffected by normal contact with moisture. Good -surfaces will give enduring service and will permit the -scrubbing and washing of floors almost indefinitely. -New coats can be added as the wear and tear demands. -In addition to paints there are varnishes and stains -combined which give effect of natural stain, and these -applied to floors are more than satisfactory. These combinations, -too, are useful on linoleums that have aged. -These materials are made, it must be understood, to -stand wear. Do not ever think of applying a wall stain -or paint to the floor, as the floor compositions are made -to withstand different use. Before using a stain, etc., -on linoleum it is well to get advice from a linoleum firm -or a topnotch paint firm.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page219">[219]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Enamels or Pigment Varnishes</span></h3> - -<p>Probably nothing gives the Domiologist more delight -than the effect a fine white enamel gives the objects over -which it is laid. Here is a way to keep the kitchen -a real blonde!</p> - -<p>There are many of these enamels on the market which -give the refreshing aspect to the kitchen. Many of -them have the appearance of porcelain, and can be kept -clean with little trouble. They can be bought in the -glossy finish or the flat or dull or mat finish. All the -woodwork of the kitchen can be treated with enamels -if a charming kitchen is wanted.</p> - -<p>The high cost of construction to-day demands the protecting -powers of paints. The beauty theory of paint -still holds good, but the protective power is predominant -and most important.</p> - -<p>The use of a good floor oil has been proven by Dr. -Wallace Maunheimer to reduce the quantity of dust in -a room from 80% to 100%. Flying dust is the aeroplane -of disease. Oils, paint and varnish the anti-aircraft -guns!</p> - -<p>And, finally, read the directions on the can, get the -admirable books of directions mailed gratis by the service -departments of manufacturers of paint, and <i>buy -the best</i>.</p> - -<p>And do not fail to realize that the kitchen with a -good complexion augurs well for the complexion of -every one in the house.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page220">[220]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXIV<br /> -<span class="chapname">THE GREAT AMERICAN DISH</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">T</span><span class="afterlargecap">o</span> -be one hundred per cent American, each one of us -must eat at least two and a quarter quarts of ice-cream -annually. This is the national American dish, -despite Boston’s claim for the baked bean and the -South’s for beaten biscuits.</p> - -<p>Rich and poor, the be-butlered and the maidless make -their own ice-cream. The more remote from civilization, -the more each individual housekeeper makes her -own ice-cream.</p> - -<p>It is no longer a luxury; it is now recognized as a food. -The Government classifies it, and it is experimented -with at most of the State agricultural colleges and State -experimental stations. Its making has become an industry -standardized by the Government and certain -rules must be adhered to by every manufacturer.</p> - -<p>The introduction of ice-cream as an industry not -only stimulated purchasers of ice-cream, but has stimulated -machinery builders. To-day the making of large -plants and small household freezers comprises a large -industry.</p> - -<p>For these mechanisms many problems of refrigeration, -ice, brine, rock salt and packing arise. Some of these -problems are important to the housekeeper as a maker -of ice-cream, some as a buyer, and some not at all.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Kinds of Ice-Cream</span></h3> - -<p>In this sketch we will, of course, only touch upon -those parts of this problem that are of interest to the<span class="pagenum" id="Page221">[221]</span> -housekeeper—doing her own work or with assistance.</p> - -<p>Ice creams are classified under various heads and -sub-heads. Nearly every one interested classifies them -differently. For the sake of convenience, we will give -here one classification.</p> - -<p class="noindent">I. Plain uncooked ice-cream</p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">Known as Philadelphia ice-cream, which consists of -sugar, flavoring cream with or without condensed -milk.</p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">1. Plain with flavoring.</p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">2. Fruit with flavoring.</p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">3. Nut with flavoring.</p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">4. Bisque with marshmallow, macaroon cake, wafers -and other bread products well dried out.</p> - -<p class="noindent">II. Cooked</p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">French ice-cream—sometimes called Neapolitan -(though Neapolitan is really the many-colored layer -ice cream only) made of cream, sugar, eggs and -flavoring.</p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">1. Parfaits</p> - -<p class="hind46">Highly flavored fruits, nuts, spices (Nesserold -pudding, Roman and English plum puddings).</p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">2. Custards</p> - -<p class="hind46">Flavoring, cornstarch, vanilla.</p> - -<p class="noindent">III. Sherberts and Ices</p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">Water and milk, sugar, white of egg, fruit juices, -etc.</p> - -<p class="ind13">1. Ices (granites frozen by oscillation and frappés—semi-frozen -like mush.</p> - -<p class="ind13">2. Water Sherberts—Ices and egg, sometimes called -soufflé.</p> - -<p class="ind13">3. Punches—with liquor (passing out).</p> - -<p class="ind13">4. Milk Sherbets.</p> - -<p class="ind13">5. Lacto—skimmed milk bases.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page222">[222]</span></p> - -<p class="noindent">IV. Mousse</p> - -<p class="hind24">Rich cream sweetened and whipped, frozen in molds -without oscillating or turning the freezer.</p> - -<p class="noindent">V. Fruit layers</p> - -<p class="hind24">Stabilizers and fillers.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Stabilizers—such as gelatine, ice-cream powders and -gum tragacanth, are used in commercial ice-creams -to give the product body, but manufacturers should, -according to law, admit this addition if necessary.</p> - -<p class="hind24">Housekeepers often use gelatine; it is quite wholesome -and not dangerous in any way.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Freezing</span></h3> - -<p>Apart from the recipes, with which this chapter shall -not deal, the most important part about ice-cream is the -freezing of the mixture. Its dangers are many.</p> - -<p>First of all, freezing incorporates air into the mixture -and therefore increases its bulk.</p> - -<p>Ice-cream can be frozen too slowly or too fast, and -experience here is the best teacher.</p> - -<p>If frozen too rapidly, says the Omaha State Experiment -Station, the ice-cream doesn’t expand very much -(this is more important to the commercial maker of ice-cream). -Without the air incorporated, it is soggy and -heavy. It will also be grainy and will fall apart.</p> - -<p>If frozen too slowly, it is buttery, greasy, non-expansive -and fat will rise.</p> - -<p>If frozen too long, it will be churned creamy, it -loses expansion, it is greasy, soggy and heavy.</p> - -<p>These are the reasons why cream is not a velvety, -smooth, ungrained stand-without-hitching quality.</p> - -<p>Here are some other defects and their causes:</p> - -<p>First, the cream must be clean and creamy, combined -with flavoring material which blends with the cream -to a full delicious flavor.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page223">[223]</span></p> - -<p>There may be defects in the flavor, due to the cream -used, such as sour, old, bitter or metallic cream flavor.</p> - -<p>It may be due to the filler or stabilizer, such as a -starch, gum or gelatine.</p> - -<p>Defects may also be due to other ingredients. It -may be too sweet, not sweet enough, coarse flavor due to -flavor material, stale fruit, rancid nuts, moldy nuts.</p> - -<p>The cream must be firmly frozen to be smooth and -velvety. If it is not, these conditions may prevail:</p> - -<table class="icecream" summary="Errors"> - -<tr> -<td class="error">Icy:</td> -<td class="problem">Due to improper packing.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="error">Coarse:</td> -<td class="problem">Too thin cream or packing while too soft.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="error">Sticky:</td> -<td class="problem">Due to fillers, such as gelatine or a sweetened -condensed milk.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="error">Buttery:</td> -<td class="problem">Use of cream partially churned before freezing, -or to cream too cold when put into -freezer, or because freezer was operated at -too high speed.</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Cure</span></h3> - -<p>First, buy a good freezer, never less than a gallon, -because you can always freeze a little in it and always -be ready for a crowd.</p> - -<p>There are various types of freezers on the market. -(1) those that you turn by hand, (2) by motor, (3) -ones that aren’t turned at all, (4) ones that are oscillated -only and in which, at home, two flavors can be -frozen at once. In this type it takes longer to freeze -cream, but as the arm only works back and forth it is -not so tiring. The can in the tub is partitioned in two -segments and the paddles and dasher only turn half -way.</p> - -<p>The freezer that isn’t turned at all needs no lyric -from me. It tells its own story in making good ice-cream -of a smooth mousse-like consistency, but real ice-cream. -It is rapid and restful.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page224">[224]</span></p> - -<p>The various motorized freezers are good for large -families and the small motors attachable to small freezers -geared for motors are joys.</p> - -<p>There are some kitchen units that are clumsy, some -that are convenient which turn the freezer, polish the -silver, sharpen the knives, in fact do everything but -shine one’s boots. (See <a href="#Page229">Chapter XXV</a>).</p> - -<p>In buying these units don’t be “pulled in” by salesmen -talk. Watch for compactness, durability, cleanability, -lack of danger in use, replaceable parts, and ease -of manipulation. In the use of motors the attachment -must be so made that the connections will not be catching -in gearing, etc. Above four quarts, hand work is -heavy and we would advise turning the freezer by a -motor.</p> - -<p>In the non-turning freezer, the chamber for the ice -and salt is separated from the can so that the freezing -mixture cannot enter the ice-cream.</p> - -<p>It is cheaper to buy ice-cream, the home-made kind -tastes far better. When you buy ice-cream, it is wise -to watch the containers in which it comes, and to know -where it is made. The Government is very particular, -but slight slips in the ice-cream organizations can breed -the most dangerous of bacilli. At home you can watch -everything; above all, cleanliness of ingredients.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Freezing Mixture</span></h3> - -<p>The greatest of all the science of ice-cream making is -the mixture of ice and salt. Most cook books say three -parts ice to one of salt for home use. For hardening -after it is frozen eight parts of ice to one of salt, and the -mixture must cover the can entirely, top and sides.</p> - -<p>Of course, the ratio of ice to salt regulates the freezing. -The United States Government Bulletins are full -of these ratios if you want to look up this matter.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page225">[225]</span></p> - -<p>On this subject Bowen of the United States Department -of Agriculture in Bulletin 98 says:</p> - -<p>“When two solid bodies, as salt and ice, mix to form a -layer, a certain amount of heat becomes latent, called -the latent heat of solution. Since this latent heat is -taken from the mixture itself the temperature falls -correspondingly. The temperature obtained by a salt -and ice mixture depends on relative proportions of the -mixture and to less extent on the salt at which the heat -is supplied from the outside, the size of the ice lump -and salt particles and the amount and density of the -resulting brine. Hence it is impracticable to give other -than approximate temperatures with fixed ratios of -salt and ice.”</p> - -<p>It usually takes thirty minutes at least to freeze a -gallon of ice-cream.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Freezers</span></h3> - -<p>Electric freezers come from about $75 up and can -be had for alternate (A. C.) or direct (D. C.) current.</p> - -<p>The advantage of the freezer with its own directly-connected -motor, rather than a motor which has to be -connected, is readily apparent to those who have suffered -the annoyance of belting, pulleys, and countershafts. -Being self-contained, such an outfit may be -readily located at will; to operate merely requires securing -it in place and connecting the wires. You have, -therefore, no belts with attendant annoyance and expense, -no countershaft with its necessity for continued -attention and causing vibration, nor is there dirt and oil -being thrown here and there. In addition to the mechanical -advantages secured by the motor-driven ice-cream -freezer unit, there are had by its use cleanliness -and increased space.</p> - -<p>Every freezer should be so made that the action of<span class="pagenum" id="Page226">[226]</span> -scrapers and dasher is continuous. Some freezers have -a device in which the scrapers are hung on the dasher -so their lower ends rest on the bottom of the can, and -the friction between ends of scrapers and can bottom -when in motion moves the scrapers against the side of -the can, and holds them there positively and continuously.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Tubs</span></h3> - -<p>The tubs should be strong and if possible bound with -welded wire hoops or metal bands. If the tub is metal -this is unnecessary. Tubs are made of pine, white -cedar, etc. The zinc tub is a good substitute for the -wooden tub, but the wooden one is good if made water -tight and smooth and easy to clean. All parts of the -freezer should be non-rustable, especially the can.</p> - -<p>The best cans are made with drawn-steel bottoms. -They do not leak, do not fall out, as may happen with -those having the tin plate or cast bottoms.</p> - -<p>The best bodies of the can are made of heavy tin -plate. The top of can is strongly wired and turned -over, while the bottom of can is made to fit over and -under the drawn steel bottom.</p> - -<p>All gears must be completely covered so that neither -ice nor salt can get in the cogs nor the fingers be caught -and injured. Some freezers have gearing enclosed in a -box-like fixture.</p> - -<p>The inside parts touching the cream should be of -harmless metal, generally of pure block tin. All outside -parts should be smoothly finished, galvanized -usually.</p> - -<p>The ice space between the can and the tub must be -so arranged as to use the least amount of ice and salt, -and freeze as quickly as possible.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page227">[227]</span></p> - -<p>The cross bars which connect the handles and cover -and clamp on the opposite side are often a source of -agony. These must be simple in operation. Some -freezers have a clamp, some a key. This is a matter -of choice and manufacturer. Some cross bars are -hinged and others are dove-tailed.</p> - -<p>Freezers are supplied with fly wheel instead of cranks -to turn. The fly wheel costs a little more but it is far -more convenient, as it requires less turning.</p> - -<p>Some freezers have a glass peep hole in the cover of -can so one can see the progress of the freezing and -obviate loss of time and cold by opening the can.</p> - -<p>Scrapers are made of rolled steel bars ground straight -and fine to fit can and to insure clean scraping of the -cream, so that all parts of the mixture are being frozen -continuously.</p> - -<p>The dashers and beater are usually of malleable iron -heavily coated with pure block tin. Generally (and -better so) there is one scraper for the bottom of the can -and two metal scrapers for side.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Buying Freezers</span></h3> - -<p>The same principals hold in buying freezers as any -other culinary utensil. They must be seamless, smooth, -easily cleaned, non-dangerous, non-corrosive, non-chipping, -and be made by a reputable manufacturer.</p> - -<p>Besides the freezer must have ease in running, quick -freezing, economy, convenience, and give practical results.</p> - -<p>Freezers are equipped with best standard motors. -The motors should be so placed as to eliminate danger -of motors burning out or being injured by careless -handling of the ice and salt.</p> - -<p>In ordering a motor outfit include the following—your<span class="pagenum" id="Page228">[228]</span> -voltage, Direct or Alternating Current; if Alternating -what Cycle and Phase. (See <a href="#Page1">Chapter I</a>).</p> - -<p>Buy a freezer with thought. All machinery pays -better when the best is bought and close attention has -been given to the purchase.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page229">[229]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXV<br /> -<span class="chapname">THE KITCHEN ROTARY CLUB</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">A</span><span class="afterlargecap">re</span> -you a culinary rotarian? Or do you still -“beat it” by hand?</p> - -<p>The Kitchen Rotary Club is becoming a real factor -in culinary economics! By means of rotary motion the -mixer, the beater, the combination of these two have -come to relieve the back, arm and hand and where electrically -driven cause no waste of time!</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Electric Rotaries</span></h3> - -<p>To begin with, these fairy-like machines are somewhat -like and unlike patent medicine advertisements—alike -because they claim to do many things and unlike -because they can and do fulfill their claims!</p> - -<p>For example, they beat eggs, mix bread dough, mayonnaise; -stir cake batter, frostings, dressings; whip -cream; mash potatoes; grind nuts, spices and meat; drive -(some) ice-cream freezers; turn the food chopper; -have grinding and buffing wheels for sharpening cutlery -and polishing silver. In fact, they are companions -not idly to be cast aside.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Housewives Bad Mixers</span></h3> - -<p>This will especially appeal to the housewife mayonnaisly—because -many a good mixture has been wasted by -inefficient mixings by the mixer being called away -suddenly, etc. Then, too, many a mayonnaise is never<span class="pagenum" id="Page230">[230]</span> -born at all because the housewife or the cook “hasn’t -the time to-day.” Where the mixer is electrically -driven, time is added unto the menage and while the -mayonnaise is forming the cook is <i>per</i>forming elsewhere.</p> - -<p>Egg beating, cream whipping, batter beating, all these -take time. Now with the electric machine the home can -revel in soufflés and cake. It can buy coffee in the bean -and grind it with no effort—here is a real epicurean -saving. For coffee in the bean and grinding it at home -saves the volatile essences of the coffee which gives to -perfect coffee the added aroma and full flavor. These -machines grind cutlery and not “exceedingly slow” -and so can add finesse to a slice of meat!</p> - -<p>As with the mayonnaise mixing, these utilitarian investments -take the guess work out of cake, meringues, -batters. Improper mixing is an immorality not easily -cleansed from kitchens. Yet these instruments with -perfection of mechanical agitation do the mixing with -assurance and become real vice chasers. Imagine! (all -things being right)—you can be sure that success will -come to your cakes, sauces, breads, rolls, pies, cookies, -doughnuts, cheese dishes, puddings, sauces—Remember -that lumpy cream sauce? Well no more of that! Your -sauces and your mashed vegetables will be lumpless!</p> - -<p>Removing doubt, removes nerve strain in a kitchen—and -maybe the cook without nerve strain will be affable -and a comforting dweller in your halls!</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The New Machines</span></h3> - -<p>Among the best machines is one so made as to effectively -chop food and meat, grind coffee, slice vegetables -and fruit, etc., etc.; has with its attachments a hot-water -and ice container to be used as a “bath,” if stirring -must needs be done in a cold or hot medium; soup -strainer and colander connection; ice-cream freezer -attachment; a meat slicer (a great comfort and saving -of meat). This motor has three speeds.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page231">[231]</span></p> - -<div class="container w35em"> - -<img src="images/illo265.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Troy Metal Products Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">A MEMBER OF THE KITCHEN ROTARY CLUB AT WORK ON -CAKE-MIXING.</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page232">[232-<br />233]</span><a id="Page233"></a></p> - -<p>You may have never felt the need of these types of -workers, but then you never knew the use of the radiogram -until you used it!</p> - -<p>Don’t you hate to strain and <i>persuade</i> large quantities?</p> - -<p>The strain is gone from straining large quantities -now. This is gently done by the coaxing electric -strainer and colander device.</p> - -<p>One “mixer” is also accompanied by a cabinet if -desired. It is finished in white and is made especially -for this device and houses comfortably all its attachments. -It has an enameled metal top and does not add -much to the total cost of machine.</p> - -<p>Another power unit advertises two speeds and has all -the above attachments. It comes with a metal table -with a shelf (open), on which all the work can be done -with comfort.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Smaller Craft</span></h3> - -<p>If you don’t want a machine that can do so much, -there is one on the market electrically driven, which -beats eggs, mixes mayonnaise, angel cake and light batter, -mashes potatoes and fluffs them if mixed with butter -and cream, mixes custard, soufflés, etc.</p> - -<p>It has a small <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> H. P. motor of fine construction -designed for 110 voltage. It is necessary in this case to -state whether your current is direct or alternating (DC -or AC). This motor can run on either direct or alternating -if the speed control device is not to be used. -But the speed control in this instrument is its crowning -glory. That is, you can mix rapidly or slowly, a performance -the older type of mixers small or large could -not do. It was racing speed or nothing. All cooks<span class="pagenum" id="Page234">[234]</span> -know that some things take rapid beating or stirring, -some other things slower agitation. The cook or housewife -can in the course of her experience with these new -comers into our kitchens find new uses continually for -them.</p> - -<p>For example, this small motor has a speed regulator -which ranges from 4800 to 8000 revolutions per minute. -This motor takes from 25 watts (extra load) to 60 watts -(heavy load).</p> - -<p>It is well to have a detachable motor as in this one, for -when cleaning is necessary the motor remains—due to -its hydrophobiac (fear of water) elements—unharmed!</p> - -<p>The beater itself here is the ancient and honorable -Dover type, so you see it is not so foreign to your ken.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Time and the Mixer</span></h3> - -<p>1000 revolutions is all you can effect in a minute, no -matter how “Red” you may be. This machine turns -2000 revolutions, outrushing the Russians and all Central -Europe!</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Some Evolutions</span></h3> - -<p>In from one to five and ten minutes can eggs, frostings, -and mayonnaise be accomplished!</p> - -<p>Full speed for heavy mixtures, half speed for lighter, -a gram of cream can be had in less than five minutes.</p> - -<p>A gallon of oil in relation to a mayonnaise dressing -took but ten minutes to be used up.</p> - -<p>Now can <i>you</i> beat it? Hasn’t this phrase lost its -slangy significance?</p> - -<p>This little angel weighs but 2<sup>3</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub> pounds, and its -lightness is one of its charms.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page235">[235]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Requirements</span></h3> - -<p>All these machines should be easily attached to wall -or lighting sockets or outlets. (Electric).</p> - -<p>They must be easily cleaned.</p> - -<p>The motor must be protected from you and food -stuffs and you must be protected from it.</p> - -<p>All attachments must attach easily. When easily is -used it is meant to the limit of ease. All parts must -fit, so that the doing of a new operation is not accompanied -with dread. It must be a pleasure to depart -from coffee grinding to turning the ice-cream pail and -polishing silver.</p> - -<p>Now, kitchening is no endurance test. The fatigue -is eliminated. Your days may not be so “stirring” -but at the end of them you will feel like the theatre -and what not.</p> - -<p>The hand-turned cake and bread mixers are better -than mixing by hand and spoon—but if possible, the -electrically driven mixers which come in many styles -and prices will give you more than comfort and will -outlast many a cook.</p> - -<p>The hand-turned stoners, buffers, grinders, etc., are -very efficient but not quite the joy an electrically -driven unit may be in an electrically conducted -ménage.</p> - -<p>These machines are Utopian agitators! Agitating for -food and helping the Kitchen Workers of the World.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page236">[236]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXVI<br /> -<span class="chapname">FLAWS OR FLOORS IN YOUR KITCHEN</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">T</span><span class="afterlargecap">he</span> -question of the kitchen flooring in the home -is of course, a very profound and serious subject. -Those who build away from cities are hard put to it to -know exactly what there is on the market and those -who live in cities are confused by the variety of floorings -and the attractive attributes as their salesmen recite -their eulogies. In order to help the prospective -buyer we have set down a few basic facts.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Floor Requirements</span></h3> - -<p>Of course, you realize that every kitchen flooring -should, as nearly as possible, <span class="nowrap">be:—</span></p> - -<p>Attractive,</p> - -<p>Easy to keep clean,</p> - -<p>Noiseless,</p> - -<p>Odorless,</p> - -<p>Vermin and dust proof,</p> - -<p>Comfortable to feet and back,</p> - -<p>Non-slippery whether dry or wet,</p> - -<p>Durable (no upkeep but washing and polishing),</p> - -<p>Fire proof or fire retardent,</p> - -<p>Impervious to changes in temperature,</p> - -<p>Laid over any kind of floor base,</p> - -<p>Lightweight enough to be suitable to any structure,</p> - -<p>Seamless or joined so as to be virtually seamless,</p> - -<p>Non-warping, non-expansive or non-contracting.</p> - -<p>Before enumerating the kinds of floors that you will -have laid before you in this chapter, it would be well -to realize that a floor will sometimes keep a maid or -lose her, and you will not know the “why.” But the -fact is that a floor can tire you if it be not a good kind -for the purpose and can reduce fatigue and make for -general well being if it be a good type.</p> - -<div class="container"> - -<img src="images/illo271.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Janes & Kirtland</i></p> - -<p class="caption">AN IDEAL KITCHEN WITH LINOTILE FLOOR (ARMSTRONG CORK CO.), BUILT-IN STEEL KITCHEN -CABINET UNITS (JANES & KIRTLAND), AND COOK’S TABLE, WITH POT HANGER COMFORT</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page237">[237]</span></p> - -<p>Here is a list of the most important kinds of flooring -in <span class="nowrap">use:—</span></p> - -<p>Marble,</p> - -<p>Wood and wood block,</p> - -<p>Linoleum, Linotile,</p> - -<p>Cork,</p> - -<p>Composition and concrete, (laid in paste or blocks)</p> - -<p>Tile,</p> - -<p>Terrazzo.</p> - -<p>Marble can be dismissed as being too expensive, too -beautiful and too resisting to the feet. It is also too -cold under foot.</p> - -<p>Wood is very popular because in the commoner varieties -it is the cheapest flooring. In whatever grade a -wooden floor is used, it has the disadvantage of needing -attention. It always needs refinishing. The better the -floor the more attention it will need. It will splinter -eventually and show marks if things are dragged over -it. Although the scraping down and refinishing always -make the floor look like new, the wooden floor is better -in any room in the house than the kitchen, laundry or -pantry. There are some housekeepers who wouldn’t -have anything else but the hard wood floors in their -kitchens—oak, maple or Georgia pine, etc.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Laying the Floor</span></h3> - -<p>The wooden floor must be carefully laid or else the -cracks become traps for germs and dust. Of course, -this applies to all flooring. And while on the subject<span class="pagenum" id="Page238">[238]</span> -of laying floors, let me say that even though you order -the best kind of flooring in the world, if it is laid badly, -you might as well have bought the worst sort of material. -It is imperative that you have the manufacturer -or the manufacturer’s delegated dealer lay your floor. -Don’t go to your village builder or carpet man. It -won’t pay; in fact, it will cost you dearly, as in such -case the maker of these products has developed a way -to lay flooring which is inseparable from the life of the -flooring itself.</p> - -<p>Many a householder knows a good floor, but few -know what to look for in the laying of it.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Linoleum Family</span></h3> - -<p>Among the best known floorings for kitchen use is -linoleum. It is so well known and so popular that purchasers -in their ignorance often accept, unwittingly, -substitutes and lay felt paper instead of the real thing!</p> - -<p>If you decide to buy linoleum, go to the best maker or -his dealer. Follow their gospel <i>Buy the Best</i>. If you -heed this you make an investment. If you do not, you -make an expenditure.</p> - -<p>So when you decide to buy linoleum first look on the -wrong side of it, and if it has burlap on the back and -if it is very difficult to tear, it is pretty definitely linoleum. -It also carries the name of the maker.</p> - -<p>It is well for the prospective buyer to know something -of the manufacture of a popular article. It -makes you appreciate and understand how to take care -of it better.</p> - -<p>Women should not buy unless they know exactly -what they are buying.</p> - -<p>Linoleum is made of burlap, linseed oil and cork, as -the main ingredients. The oil is first boiled to thicken -it. When it is cooled it is poured down over suspended<span class="pagenum" id="Page239">[239]</span> -sheets or scrim and by coming in contact with the -oxygen of the air, becomes oxidized and solidified. Then -these oil-impregnated skins are ground up and mixed -with gums to give the fabric elasticity and it is then -mixed with ground cork or cork flour, the coloring -matter, and the rosin, (to harden it). This mixture -is fed into a machine which distributes it evenly over -the burlap. It later passes through a series of finely -adjusted rollers weighing about 27 tons each and adjustable -to space of <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>1000</sub> of an inch between rolls -which, of course, give any required thickness to the -linoleum. This is plain linoleum and it is many weeks -in the making.</p> - -<p>The printed linoleum is made by passing the plain -over print drums.</p> - -<p>The straight line or inlay is done by a still more -involved process, but the patterns never wear out as -they are an integral part of the linoleum, going through -from back to front of the material.</p> - -<p>Highly paid designers are engaged in this work and -many craftsmen of great skill are employed for stencil -work, etc.</p> - -<p>You don’t always realize the time, work, and expense -of the ordinary things that you see about you.</p> - -<p>When the linoleum is being laid, look out for these -things. (They apply pretty generally to the laying of -any flooring of this kind.) If over wood—the nails -must be hammered in below the surface, the wood laid -too to avoid dampness and cracking. If over concrete—it -must have dried a month or two and be filled in with -plaster of paris if it has any cracks. It should be laid -over felt in both cases to insure long life to the linoleum -and the comfortable resiliency to the foot and consequent -ease to the back. The felt acts as a cushion, makes -the linoleum fit better, and obviates later refitting and -trimmings. See too, that the workmen are careful to<span class="pagenum" id="Page240">[240]</span> -force the strips close together and cement closely. -These things if it is absolutely impossible to get the linoleum -people themselves to lay the floor. It would be -wise then, to get their booklet.</p> - -<p>It is easily kept in condition if you:</p> - -<p>Use only mild soaps, never caustic powder, with warm -water. Rinse immediately with clear water and dry -immediately. Wash and dry about a square yard at -a time; do not flood the whole room at once. Strong -soaps will eat the pattern in the printed linoleum -and wear the inlay.</p> - -<p>Use elbow grease!</p> - -<p>Use glass casters on heavy furniture as the linoleum -will show marks.</p> - -<p>Store linoleum, when necessary, away from excessive -heat and moisture.</p> - -<p>Waxing occasionally is good. But an oil mop does -very well.</p> - -<p>The numberless designs and coloring to be had in this -fabric add to its value and pleasure, and the kitchen can -be in lovely accord with the decorations of the house.</p> - -<p>The ordinary dripping will not effect linoleum, nor -the ordinary moisture. It requires no extra mats as -foot resters, is not a substitute but a flooring, and in -every way deserves its great popularity.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Cork Family</span></h3> - -<p>Another attractive, useful and popular flooring is -what is called the corks. It is made of clean cork -shavings compressed in closed steel molds about an -inch thick for five hours under high pressure and high -temperature. All the moisture is thus driven out and -it is pressed together into a waterproof mass. No foreign -substance is introduced to bind it together as this -is done by its own gums. Inferior cork tile is mixed<span class="pagenum" id="Page241">[241]</span> -with foreign substances and this often makes it break -down and detracts from the resiliency and wearing -power. After this process is completed it is cut into -the desired sizes.</p> - -<p>Cork tile comes in shades of brown and there is an -excellent cork compound tile that comes in many designs -and colors.</p> - -<p>It is not absolutely fireproof but is what is called a -fire retardent in that it takes a flame of 1500 degrees F. -one hour to burn a hole in a tile 6″ × 6″ × <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>″.</p> - -<p>The cork tile floor of the best make will last as long as -the building. It is of the loveliest coloring, delightful -in tone, noiseless and soothing to the feet and back, warm -to the touch and altogether psychologically comforting -to the nerves.</p> - -<p>It requires but soap and water and elbow grease to -keep it in condition forever. It is never slippery, is -non-absorbent of dust and moisture and when laid correctly -needs no effort nor money for its upkeep. This -is why the initial investment though larger than for -some other flooring is a wise one, as it is positively the -ultimate expenditure.</p> - -<p>There is much inferior cork tile on the market and it -is very hard to tell it from the best quality. It looks -attractive until it has been used a little while, then it -will begin to “pit” and “sap” (become dark, and emit a -pungent odor), due to inferior manufacture.</p> - -<p>Heavy tracking does not effect cork tile as it is so -elastic that is springs back into place. This is proven -by the restaurants, banks, libraries and hospitals that -use it so generously.</p> - -<p>In laying this, the same general things should be observed -as in the case of linoleum. It is laid over felt, -the base must be free from moisture, cracks and nails. -If the cork is put over nailable material, small headless<span class="pagenum" id="Page242">[242]</span> -sunken brads are used. If not, it is pasted on the base. -All joints are pressed together by a special compressing -machine, and are sealed with a preparation virtually -making the cork tile into one large seamless covering -under which no dust, moisture, germs or vermin can -collect.</p> - -<p>The velvety quiet of these floors imparts a tranquillity -to the kitchen, contagious to mistress and to maid.</p> - -<p>It is needless to say much for the tile as you know its -beauties. It may be cold to the feet, non-resistant and -tiring to the back and slippery when wet, but this is -overcome by mats of matting, cork or linoleum. Tile -is made in every design and color to fit any desire or -design. All corners and joints at the base of walls can -be curved. It makes a unit of the whole room in design -and intention as no other thing does. It can be -cleaned out with a small hose. Of course, poor tile -cracks.</p> - -<p>Needless to say, it takes real skill to lay these floors -as the under bed of cement has to be very perfect to protect -the tile upon it. However, it looks royal, it wears, -and is a favorite with great kitchen builders.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Compositions</span></h3> - -<p>The floorings of composition, cements and mineral -mixtures are innumerable. Some are excellent, embodying -nearly all the good points enumerated in this -latter. They are a little warmer than tile and not quite -so expensive. They have probably a little more foot -comfort but not much more. They are fire proof, do -not weigh too much for a lightly constructed house, and -are kept clean with the usual elbow grease and water.</p> - -<p>These floors for the most part are made in various -colors and designs.</p> - -<p>In tile and composition the joint at the base of walls<span class="pagenum" id="Page243">[243]</span> -can be made practically one with the wall in a curving -connection. In the case of linoleum and cork, this joint -is either accomplished by a curving connection or more -generally by a highly compressed and sealed joint, allowing -for absolutely no trapping of foreign matter and -rendering the floor easily swept and washed.</p> - -<p>Many great institutions and some private homes have -found these to be practical, so if you observe the “Buy -the Best from the Best” rule you cannot go wrong.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Linotile</span></h3> - -<p>A newer kind of floor is a cross between a cement and -a linoleum. It wears indefinitely and can be highly -recommended, as handsome as it comes in tile form, -and silent, easily kept clean, resilient and all the good -points of cement as well as linoleum.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page244">[244]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXVII<br /> -<span class="chapname">FEDERALIZING YOUR KITCHEN</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">F</span><span class="afterlargecap">ancy</span> -a carpenter with his tools all over the room!</p> - -<p>Fancy a painter with one color here and another -color there! Do you think we would have had a Michelangelo -if he had been forced to get down from the -scaffold every minute for a tool or a bit of clay? And -yet women for the most part, women who need their -energy for making the home a fit place to live in, still -persist in scattering their tools about the kitchens and -walk miles daily, because they have not mobilized their -tools.</p> - -<p>To what can be accredited the woman’s hatred of saving -steps, even though she complains of fatigue and -extra work? What can account for the woman’s dislike -of having her things handy? Is it money? No, because -she often buys motors, “movie” tickets, dogs, -jewels and garments in quantities far more than she -needs. It is perhaps due to a past vastness of ignorance. -But now when there are specialists descanting on the -glories of saving steps, time and money there is little excuse. -In this article one stumbling block will be removed -and the kitchen can well transform itself into a room -where the most methodical man can work and where -any maid coming in for the first time will not have -to use levers, telescopes, periscopes and what not to prepare -the first meal. For the kitchen cabinet is the first -plank in the platform of standardizing domestic work -even as it is being standardized in the factory. This is -the basic glory of the kitchen cabinet. Now, for the -more important details of its makeup.</p> - -<div class="container w40em"> - -<img src="images/illo281.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Janes & Kirtland</i></p> - -<p class="caption">A STEEL UNIT KITCHEN CABINET FLANKED BY BROOM AND DUSTER -CLOSETS. SEE THE ELEVATION FROM THE FLOOR. THIS CAN BE BUILT-IN -TOO</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page245">[245]</span></p> - -<p>These cabinets group in one place the necessary tools -and materials for getting together the meals of the -house. They hold the spices, flour, sugar, bottles, pots -and pans, sometimes linens, ice and gas or electric stoves, -packages of cereals, etc., and they are the table, the -bread board, the flour board, the flour bin and dish -rack all in one.</p> - -<p>Here you can work where everything is within arm’s -reach; you can sit at your work and not fatigue yourself. -In short, you have a work bench at last and can -feel as professional as the carpenter or the artist, and you -must, if the kitchen is ever going to be as important in -the life and best living of mankind as it deserves to be.</p> - -<p>Built of steel entirely in some cases, all wood in -others, and a combination of both in still others, they -are comfortable and worth while in the best makes. Of -course in this product, as in all others, one must go to -the best manufacturers who know their business and -take an interest beyond the sale.</p> - -<p>When you buy a kitchen cabinet you must get the -maximum comfort and utility. Go about and see which -one you think will save you the most work.</p> - -<p>The all-steel cabinet, of course, is less responsibility -to keep free of vermin. The wood type is a little more -care.</p> - -<p>If your cabinet is to be of wood, see to it that it is ant -proof (the castors as well), has all round corners, is -varnished and finished steamproof, has locks that lock, doors -that easily open, whether one leaf is shut or both, -whether it is winter or summer, supplies a broad enough -table to sit down and work at comfortably, a table top -impervious to liquids, grease and heat, sanitary glass -drawer pull, dovetail wood joinings, easy rolling castors,<span class="pagenum" id="Page246">[246]</span> -everything easily withdrawn to clean, and of non-warping, -well-seasoned wood. The finish must be the best, -whether enameled, painted or varnished.</p> - -<p>In the cabinet of steel construction you must be sure -that the enamel is on to stay; that the doors, drawers -and locks are of the best construction, electrically -welded. The doors, etc., must be rigid enough not to -emit hollow sounds every time they are closed. In the -best type the doors do not dent or wobble but are double, -about <sup>7</sup>⁄<sub>16</sub>″ thick, reinforced on the inside with heavy -steel angles, making them rigidity enthroned. The -frames are rabbeted to receive doors and drawers, thus -giving no overhang but making a flush surface. The -doors in the steel cabinet are more comfortable to handle -if they are hung on concealed brass hinges, with bullet -catches which enable the doors to open and shut absolutely -independent of each other.</p> - -<p>In both the steel and the wood cabinets the table tops -are all of different material. The best steel type in our -opinion uses nickled zinc; the best wood cabinets use -porcelain, iron, aluminum, vitreous steel, enamel, etc. -Any of these tops are good and when in the standard -makes you can be very sure that they have been well -tried and not found wanting in any essential quality.</p> - -<p>In general, then, the cabinet is a receptacle for the -most used things in the kitchen; therefore, is so much -used itself that it cannot be too good and should be -adapted to your special need.</p> - -<p>If you are building a house and want to have your -kitchen a real comfort, install a kitchen cabinet or go to -the firm that, with its unit system, can make up a -kitchen cabinet combining most of the best things you see -in any. This is an expensive way but a miraculous joy. -If you want a cabinet to be installed before the house is<span class="pagenum" id="Page247">[247]</span> -built it is a saving in wall tiling where the cabinet is -placed, especially if the cabinet is made of steel.</p> - -<p>There is one cabinet on the market that has an ice box -in it, which when installed with the back toward the -porch wall makes it possible for the ice to be put in from -the porch and all packages delivered from the porch -through its parcel-service shelf opening on the porch!</p> - -<p>In this cabinet there is, too, room for a gas stove or -electric plates, so that with it you have a complete, -compact kitchen.</p> - -<p>The unit systems in steel are most elastic, as they can -be duplicated over the broadest and the narrowest, longest -and shortest kitchens. Whole pantries can be -equipped with them. Diet kitchens in the upper floors of -large residences can also be equipped with these units so -that any member of the family, nurse or valet, can prepare -a little meal with everything comfortably housed -in the pantry cabinet. They are one of those examples -of household developments which are so rapidly coming -to the front to-day and mean so much in convenience.</p> - -<p>Each maker of kitchen cabinets has a specialty or -two which he tells you makes for superiority. Each one -is right, so you must choose your favorite and most -appealing speciality and buy accordingly.</p> - -<p>Some, to obviate the little back bending, have a device -by which the whole shelf of the bottom of the cabinet -pulls out when you open the door and enables you to -see what you want without strain, or time loss. -This we think a delightful device. Others have -gravity locks and catches which always fall in -place; sanitary leg bases, high enough from the floor -to sweep under; a rolling open front, which makes it -simple always to keep the cabinet closed and away from<span class="pagenum" id="Page248">[248]</span> -cooking odors; white enamel interior; roller bearing on -table so that the table rolls in and out with least possible -rebellion or noise; and a drawer for kitchen linen, -which is a great comfort.</p> - -<p>Another advertises the possibility of its use with detached -gas or electric range, its silver drawer, bread -board, parcel service, and ice box and special flour bin. -All the cabinets are proud of their flour bins and sifters. -And nearly all have special construction so that they -are filled and emptied with ease and dispatch.</p> - -<p>One fine cabinet has a revolving spice container which -is very convenient, of course.</p> - -<p>The unit system is proud of the adaptability to any -need, including even broom closets on the side of the -cabinet, filling any wall space. These are usually made -of steel and provide a cheaper method of backing up -one side of the kitchen than by the use of tile or kitchen -shelving.</p> - -<p>The steel unit systems also come in special “store” -sizes and are not much more expensive than the wood.</p> - -<p>The steel are either 6″ from the floor to allow for cleaning -or are stationary and are attached to the floor by -curved constructed tile or linoleum, which gives continuity -and unity, thus reducing the swabbing out of the -floor to simplest terms.</p> - -<p>The kitchen cabinet that is put in when the house is -built, be it of wood or steel, is more convenient than any -other closet, as no builder has given sufficient thought to -maximum utilities. We have seen architects send their -“handy man” to install closets who seemed to be absolutely -unlearned in the necessities of the problems. -Therefore, before and after building, the kitchen cabinet -or the kitchen cabinet unit system is by far the best -policy to pursue.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page249">[249]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Essentials of the Cabinet</span></h3> - -<p>The cabinet must be able to fulfill these conditions: -It must be easily moved if on castors, it must be easily -taken apart, drawers must run smoothly, racks to hold -things must hold things, they must hold enough things, -too, to prevent relay kitchen races.</p> - -<p>The wood cabinets are excellent, the steel we think -a degree more self-protecting because they cannot absorb -odors, or get vermin investitures. However, the best -grades of wood cabinets are so perfect that we can endorse -them ungrudgingly.</p> - -<p>The cabinet must have: Supply closets, china -(nearly every case), molding boards, work table, cutting -board, linen receptacle, pot, pan and lid holders, bread, -cake, spice, sugar containers and flour and bin shifter -devices.</p> - -<p>All other departures are specialties and are more or -less inviting according to the buyer.</p> - -<p>There is a cabinet, remember, for any space as well -as purse. Get the best of the best dealer and make -yourself sure that the one you are getting is the least -complicated and the easiest to keep clean. They range -in price from around $50 up to the thousands. But no -matter what they contain, or how thrilling they look, -unless the cabinet itself is the acme of fine workmanship, -you will be in constant irritation over warping -parts, dust and uncleanable surfaces.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page250">[250]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXVIII<br /> -<span class="chapname">WHEN THE POT HANGS HIGH</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">M</span><span class="afterlargecap">y</span> text is “one kitchen tool hung up is worth two -in a low cupboard”—taken from The Kitchen -Libel—Chapter 1, Verse 1.</p> - -<p>This may not look like a technical chapter—like one -with a lot of mechanical information—and it really -isn’t—it intends to get behind technicalities and be a -radical (don’t fear the word) over-hauling of women’s -opinion on the disestablishment of old forms of kitchen -usage by very slight changes in kitchen arrangement.</p> - -<p>For years kitchens have been built with closets for -kitchen pots built in “below the belt” with pernickety -little doors with cranky little locks. For years these -closets gave the kitchen denizen or housekeeper herself -all the rhythmic exercise necessary to the development -of backache and nerves and sense of touch. Into these -closets you had to feel for the pan you wanted and then -often had the musical treat of hearing them crash -down behind something, and you must needs kneel in -prayerful posture to extract the necessary pot or pan.</p> - -<p>If there were ever a condition in the kitchen so uncongenial -to the Woman-Doing-Her-Own-Work, it’s this -hidden pot and pan game. If the carpenter has learned -how to save his back, why not the housewife, who not -only does cooking but also a hundred other things.</p> - -<p>Avaunt ancient superstitions and affections about -dark low-set closets and come out in the open on high -with your utensils and whether you have a maid or not,<span class="pagenum" id="Page251">[251]</span> -some one’s back will be preserved, if not for higher for -more things!</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Argument for Hanging</span></h3> - -<p>I have written the above in the past tense—but it is -really existent to-day in the majority of homes. -“Why,” I asked a splendid housekeeper, “don’t you -seal up those dark receptacles and hang up your utensils?”</p> - -<p>“Gracious,” said she, “if I hang them up they’d get -all dusty and it wouldn’t be sanitary. Ridiculous,” -quoth she!</p> - -<p>“But, my dear friend, do you think those dark closets -are dust-proof and do you think darkness is a germ -killer?”</p> - -<p>The truth is these closets, away from light, are almost -ominous!</p> - -<p>“But,” continued my friend, “if I decided to hang -my things up, where could I do it in this tiny kitchen? -It’s all right in modern kitchens, but here it is impossible!”</p> - -<p>Here she touched a universal note—in fact, two notes—the -old fashioned kitchen, and no room. Two notes -upon which the housekeeper plays monotonous choruses -to excuse modern advances.</p> - -<p>“My dear friend,” snapped I—“once upon a time I -ran an experiment station in a tenement kitchen—the -kitchen was four feet wide by ten feet long—in it -were tubs, stove, glass closets under which were the pot -and pan receptacles. I was too busy to stoop every -time I needed anything so I had the carpenter nail on -the wall over the tubs and over the sink a piece of wood -three inches wide (this will go in even the tiniest kitchen) -into which I screwed hooks, and there I hung every -tool I used. Later I had a shelf nailed above it and made<span class="pagenum" id="Page252">[252]</span> -my work a smooth performance. I felt like a carpenter -working at my bench with all my tool ‘en plein air.’” -And I went on to say, as I had a good opportunity, there -is no reason why your kitchen can’t be made like a -tool chest. No man would tolerate breaking his very -strong back to get a pan, or his nerve to pull out a -drawer, which so often sticks, for a can opener! Not he.</p> - -<p>Could you imagine a carpenter, a butcher, or any one -else, who worked at everything requiring sharp tools, -or fine quality tools, jumbling them all up together in a -drawer that moves in and out, provoking an earthquake -rhythm among the tools, or a little closet in which -everything is banged to pieces and has to be groped for?</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Good Tools, Good Treatment</span></h3> - -<p>No!—No one could. Because no tools will last under -such treatment and good tools are worth keeping—and -the very best are reduced to nothingness if not kept well. -It’s a case, pure and simple, of noblesse oblige.</p> - -<p>There is a good housekeeping reason, too, for things -to be hung up, and this is: when things are in plain -sight they become a constant curse to the cook or to -the beholder if they are not scrupulously clean. -In the kitchen of “suspended animation” you are -pretty sure to have clean and spotless pots and pans, to -have knives whose edges are not nicked, and to have egg -beaters and mayonnaise mixers that are not so out of -kilter that you get nervous prostration in coming in -contact with a scrambled egg or Russian dressing. -These are facts to grapple with.</p> - -<p>To prove it, just visit a man-manned restaurant or -hotel kitchen some time—and there you will see the -brightest, cleanest looking copper, aluminum, nickel, -etc., etc., pots and pans hung up on racks near operating -centers—ready to be used. If this were anti-hygiene<span class="pagenum" id="Page253">[253]</span> -the Board of Health would intervene. Anyhow, -water is at hand in a kitchen and dust is easily swabbed -out!</p> - -<p>Of course, in the new kitchen, racks are built, and -you have no choice, so you accept the pleasanter condition -without cavil.</p> - -<p>In this connection I can’t forbear to mention the -apartment garbage can which owns a hygienic lid which -sits a foot above the floor and for every useless egg shell -to be thrown away the worker must needs bend double -to remove the lid, empty her plate, put on the lid and -raise herself up. Time and energy lost. This could -easily be on a little stool under a common kitchen table -in which a round hole could be cut, or alongside the -garbage creating table and the stuff slid into it, if it -can be bought with a sliding lid. There is also a pail -whose lid is lifted by a pedal worked by the foot.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Hanging Within Reach</span></h3> - -<p>To be sure, this does not mean to hang up the kitchen -table or the stove, but it does mean to keep things, that -are used hundreds of times every day, within the reach -of your hands without superfluous stooping and bending. -It means, too, that cleaning utensils, such as brooms -and dusters and rags, if hung in separate racks in or -outside of a closet, will live longer in good condition than -if hurled into a corner of a closet where they get smashed -and have their one hundred per cent. utility diminished.</p> - -<p>Where a culinary tool decreases in efficiency, the -human element effort is necessarily increased, and unnecessary -fatigue ensues—then: sloppy preparation of -food and then, dyspepsia.</p> - -<p>Now, don’t you see the inevitable result of slipshod -kitchen arrangement?</p> - -<p>If, for any reason, you like closets for pots and pans,<span class="pagenum" id="Page254">[254]</span> -have glass doors on them and have them no lower than -thirty-two inches from the floor. This way you don’t -have to stoop, the light penetrates, and an arrangement -like this has only the opening and shutting of the door -in its disfavor and the fitting in of the utensils each -time and their possible denting. Even the finest utensils -will dent with improper provocation. Open shelves are -very convenient, too, if you do not care to hang things -up.</p> - -<p>If you have a niche for each tool, the work becomes -almost play.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page255">[255]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXIX<br /> -<span class="chapname">BRUSHING UP ON BRUSHES</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">H</span><span class="afterlargecap">ousehold</span> -work is drudgery unless it is put -on as nice (I say “nice” advisedly in its purest -sense) a plane as any other craft. The best way of doing -this is to have tools that are adapted to the different -kinds of work—and furthermore, and quite as important, -tools you are proud of, proud enough to keep well -and advantageously.</p> - -<p>The carpenter does not use one kind of tool for everything—he -does not use a chisel where a plane could be -used not only to better the job but for his own comfort -or pleasure. The same thing can be said of the painter, -who would not use a whitewash brush for a varnish -job. But the housekeeper seems to think it part of -her duty, somehow, to use a one-for-all tool, and then -wonder why her work is irksome and her job ill done. -It is very often difficult to get a maid to use the proper -brush, but you will find, if you do your own work, that -you will simplify it by using the right brush at the -right time. The long handled type for long distance -work, the short for local jobs, soft ones for delicate and -so on. This careful work too will preserve the finishes -of various things which must needs be brushed and save -the cost of renewing paints and varnishes.</p> - -<p>Brush work in the home is the most pregnable of -citadels, but one that can be easily fortified against -calumnies by a little attention to what a brush is, does, -and can be.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page256">[256]</span></p> - -<p>Of course, a brush is meant to brush. The two main -classes of brushes in which you are interested are the -household and personal. Of these two we will discuss -the household and just touch in passing the personal -brush (such as nail brush, clothes, etc.), and will not -enter into the paint-brush story even though the paint-brush -is in household use on a surprising number of -occasions.</p> - -<p>Bristles and fibers and hair are the brush of the brush. -The finest brushes are of bristle and hair and the less -fine are of fiber save where bristle would not function -any better for the job than fiber. Hair is used in some -brushes where fine work and delicate surfaces are involved. -For example, the shaving brush is of hair, the -silver brush of bristle, the whisk of fiber. A room wall -brush, too, is often of hair to save the paper or wall -finish.</p> - -<p>Bristles come from the hog’s (or boar’s) back, and the -colder the country in which this quadruped roams the -longer and tougher the bristle. Therefore, the Siberian -bristle has always been the toughest—and the Chinese -have come a close second. We get bristles, too, from -France and Belgium. The bristles from the United -States are not tough, as we kill the hog too soon—for -bacon. However, for a soft brush these bristles are -very fine. Japan imports bristles and so did Austria -before 1914.</p> - -<p>The resilient, springy quality in the bristle cannot be -duplicated in any other brush material. Due to-day to -the disorganized trade conditions, with Europe and -Asia, the bristle brush is almost a luxury.</p> - -<p>The American brush has been conceded to be as fine -as the European or magically “imported” brush, as -there is not any place to-day where the home is being<span class="pagenum" id="Page257">[257]</span> -studied by the brush makers as it is being done in -America.</p> - -<p>Bristles don’t break if bent—and the longer the -bristle, the stiffer and stouter is the butt end by which -it is securely fastened. Therefore all hail the wild old -hog!</p> - -<p>Horsehair, badger, camel’s hair, etc., are ideal materials -for some brushes. Many household brushes are -made of horsehair, shaving brushes of badger, and the -artist’s brush is made of camel’s hair when it can be -had. Hearth brushes are sometimes made of the mane -hair of the horse, wall brushes, too; sometimes goat -hair is used. Among other brushes made of horsehair -frequently are the crumb (table), pastry, bottle and -dish washing (white hair). The very best white horsehair -comes from the Russian pony and is very nearly -as stiff as bristles. The black horsehair of the finest -grade is also imported, as the domestic is not as good. -Other horsehair comes from China, Australia, South -America.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Fiber or Bristle</span></h3> - -<p>When you buy a brush, if you don’t know a fiber -from a bristle, ask your dealer. He may say: “No -this is not bristle, it is made of Bass” (or Bassine, Kitool, -Palmyra or Palmetto or Rice Root, or Mixed Fibers, or -Union, or Union Marble, etc.). If he is a good dealer -you need not fear, if his price is not very low you -need not be suspicious, because no good brush is inexpensive -to-day and no cheap brush is a saving.</p> - -<p>Of all the fibers Tampico (from Mexico, Central -America largely), the product of a species of cactus -plant, is probably the best fiber. Palmyra, too, is an -excellent fiber, and comes from a plant indigenous to<span class="pagenum" id="Page258">[258]</span> -regions near the Indian Ocean and the Valley of the -Tigris. What geographical scope we have in our -homes!</p> - -<p>There are trade names for fibers such as Ox fiber, -a fine quality of fiber from the cabbage palmetto, and -many other trade named fibers which must be procured -by ye purchasers only from purveyors of royal lineage.</p> - -<p>Brushes are made of mixtures of bristle and hair, -such as some flesh brushes or hand brushes, the bristles -taking the brunt of the action and holding the water -better, yet protecting the hair. Fiber and bristles are -sometimes used in combination, too.</p> - -<p>If you buy an “all bristle” brush you don’t want a -mongrel variety. If it is a mixture you are getting -a usable and amply priced brush.</p> - -<p>Black bristle is often made into pipe, window, stove, -wall, radiator, milk bottle and percolator brushes.</p> - -<p>The color, black or white, of bristles doesn’t stamp -quality. In some cases black bristles are bleached for -esthetic reasons. For example, a white tooth brush is -more attractive. The natural white bristle usually -comes from China and the natural black from Siberia.</p> - -<p>Fibers in browns and whites, blacks and whites are -mixed in brushes for appearances. Color in brushes is -a matter of attractiveness and does not alter the usefulness -or the wear of them.</p> - -<p>The number and variety of brushes on the market -are tremendous—one firm makes sixty-nine ordinary -household brushes, and besides this has others tucked -away, to say nothing of the personal, industrial and -professional classes of brushes. Thousands is not an -exaggerated figure to apply to the variety of brushes -for all uses on the market to-day.</p> - -<p>Another firm shows twenty-nine different kinds of -scrubbing brushes (all of fiber—Palmyra, Rice-Root,<span class="pagenum" id="Page259">[259]</span> -White Tampico, Ox Fiber, Palmetto, etc., etc.) of varying -shapes, sizes and color. The object being in every -case for the purchaser to buy the brush that fits the -hand and the job.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Brushes Must Brush Only</span></h3> - -<p>Brushes, like any other implement, should do their -own jobs only and nothing else. A brush that gouges -and does a chisel’s work is a poor brush, no matter -what quality the fiber or brush mark. The brush you -buy for your wall or your hardwood floor must not -scratch, and must have nothing in its construction that -can scratch. Likewise, the brush you buy for your -toilet bowl must not scratch or wear the enamel and -the bristles must be bristles, for if of fiber you will have -your brush acting like a blotter. Your brush must -clean and brush, it must not become a bacteria nestling -haven.</p> - -<p>Brushes bought for the radiator can get under the -piano and into small spaces, but they are still brushes -and the more things they brush the better, of course. -Furthermore, bristles in a stove brush should not be -stiff enough to engrave designs on the nickel-work on -the stove.</p> - -<p>The same may be said for the pot-scouring brush. It -(if made of fiber or bristle) must not chip enamel or -aluminum by any part of its construction.</p> - -<p>The brush that fits its works, saves time. For example, -the brush that is meant for the toilet bowl should -be shaped to fit the toilet trap. It should be so built -that its wire will not rust; after it is shaken out it -ought not to drip when hung up; the bristles should not -mat or separate and should be so made as to bend to your -will. If it is of fiber, this brush will mat and become of -no avail in short order. Such a brush can be used as a<span class="pagenum" id="Page260">[260]</span> -bath-tub cleaning brush and will not break the back -when functioning.</p> - -<p>Baldness is the worst disease of bad brushes. Bristles -and fiber must be stitched and anchored so as not to shed. -The frosting brush would be a danger if a bristle were -swallowed with a bite of cake. You probably know the -agony of a clothes brush that sheds bristles. The backless -twisted-in-wire brushes give brush area on all sides, -and are so secured that the bristle is fixed indefinitely. -The brush that is all brush, which has no emerging -back to scratch, and which brushes at every angle, -saves time and extra effort, too.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Protean Vegetable Brush</span></h3> - -<p>One of the most useful brushes on the market is the -vegetable brush. A little brush whose uses are many. -If there are a few in a household they can be used for -washing vegetables, scraping silk from corn, scrubbing -poultry, scouring pots and pans, cleaning white shoes, -sprinkling clothes, for they hold enough water, and scrubbing -dishes.</p> - -<p>For the kitchenette to-day the sink brush and dishwashing -brush with their long handles are a boon for -the housewife as she can keep her hands in condition by -not getting them into hot water so constantly. These -brushes have various other obvious uses besides.</p> - -<p>Don’t use paper to grease pans or glaze cakes; use a -pastry brush. Of course this brush must be made without -glue or cement so that it can be frequently washed -in scalding water and the bristles still be where they -should be.</p> - -<p>A brush small enough for the percolater tube is to be -had. It is good for teapot spouts, gas burner holes, -typewriter interstices, etc.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page261">[261]</span></p> - -<p>Among other brushes to which you may need introduction -are:</p> - -<p><i>Wicker-Reed.</i> This gets in the tiny places so annoying -to clean with mammoth tools.</p> - -<p><i>Refrigerator</i> (or pipe brush). This is a fairy wand -to keep off plumbers from your estate. Almost a pipe-dream -in its general pipe-cleaning skill.</p> - -<p><i>Hearth Brush.</i> A good utilitarian tool for those -owning not only a home but a hearth.</p> - -<p><i>Radiator.</i> Gets around a radiator as if it loved it. -Can be used under a piano, etc. Good for chandeliers, -under oven or gas stove, etc.</p> - -<p><i>Comb Cleaner.</i> The same brush company which -makes the above backless, and twisted wire brushes has -just put a little comb cleaning brush on the market. It -is like a little lawn mower which travels over and through -the comb teeth.</p> - -<p><i>Brush cleaner.</i> This new thing is intended to loosen -the soil which attaches itself to brushes by scraping it -off. It is made of bone entirely.</p> - -<p>Remember there are hundreds of brushes and that -they are designed for every kind of thing, and best of all, -there are companies who exist just to fit you out with -brushes and who will advise you just what kinds to get.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Mops and Dusters</span></h3> - -<p>Just a word or two about mops, which are more and -more coming to be made of cotton which, though not -technically absorbent cotton, does absorb the dust. -They are not oily, but chemically treated and so will -not hurt the rugs. They should be of wire construction, -no parts exposed so as to scratch. They must be -of strong, enduring cotton, reversible, washable, with an -adjustable long handle, usable for ceiling, walls, doors, -windows, pictures, baseboards and floors; good for corners.<span class="pagenum" id="Page262">[262]</span> -The handle should be at least long enough to -obviate all back bending.</p> - -<p>Of course there is a dish mop for washing cups, -pitchers or dishes, and the light weight wet mop, with -long handle, of washable, reversible, corner-hunting, -absorbant cotton yarn.</p> - -<p>The duster that dusts and does not smudge is what is -needed. The one that can dust finger marks off polished -surfaces, absorb the dust and can get into difficult places -without breaking the back or—more important still—the -heart. These and many other brushes are to be had -for your comfort and for the asking—and paying.</p> - -<p>Many times in the use of fiber brushes, whether for -personal or household uses, it is wise to immerse them -completely in water for one-half minute and set them -aside to dry, resting on the fiber face of the brush instead -of the wooden back or on one of the ends. Laying -the brush flat down permits the entire surface to drain -in the shortest possible time. The object of dipping -the brush in water before use is to overcome a factory -defect which is possible in some factories, for once the -fibers of the brush are dipped in water, the water is -drawn up into the hole by capillary attraction and -rusts the staple which is of iron wire; and as this -staple starts to rust, it forms a bond with the wood that -makes the anchoring permanent. Should there be one -or two loose tufts, they will be cured by the rusting -process.</p> - -<p>After using the brush, shake out the water and place -it face downward or standing on the bristles so that it -will drain and dry.</p> - -<p>You are particularly interested in the manufacture -of brushes, except to get what you pay for.</p> - -<p>The handles of your brushes must be comfortable, -smooth, long enough in some instances to save your back<span class="pagenum" id="Page263">[263]</span> -from pain and short or small enough to fit your hand. -In all cases they must be firm and reliable. The handles -are preferably not joined with a swivel joint, as this -is apt to turn. The clamp is a better fastening.</p> - -<p>In the best grade of household brush most of the handles -are of wood or twisted wire, treated so as to be -practically rustless.</p> - -<p>The nail brush and tooth brushes, of course, are -often of French ivory and the handle is so made as to -allow no dirt to remain in the handle. Often, too, the -bristles can be taken out to be cleaned or replaced. -(The hair-brush is a story in itself.)</p> - -<p>Brushes must be easily cleaned and cared for.</p> - -<p>Brush racks can be bought or carpenters make them -very simply.</p> - -<p>Above all, you want a brush that brushes, whose -bristles or fibers are anchored to stay, whose utility goes -with years, not months, whose death depends not on use -but abuse, and to whose employing you look forward -with pleasure.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page264">[264]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXX<br /> -<span class="chapname">THE QUIET HOUSE</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">T</span><span class="afterlargecap">he</span> -entrance to a house is like the tonic chord of -a sonata. It gives you the key, the introduction to -the atmosphere of the home. You really get an impression -of a home immediately upon entering the hallway. -It is also true that on entering a house you are lured or -repelled by the sounds in it, whether from the house -itself or the people living there. If you are greeted by -loud voices, slamming doors, creaking stairs, there is -immediately the impression that this particular home is -not well ordered and that the people in it are not at -peace. But if you are at once enveloped by quiet and -loveliness, a feeling of peace is suggested and involuntarily -we expect to meet a charming family.</p> - -<p>The good architect always gives the builder a set of -plans that should make a satisfactory house, but, as an -eminent architect recently said, “It seems to be the aim -of most builders to change every detail of the architect’s -plan.” So it is a wise idea to watch the construction -of your home so that when the house is actually -built you will find it not only attractive to look -at but so well constructed in every detail that there -are no complaints to make as to leaks or noise or cold. -If a house is built of good materials, is well planned, -is well put together, a sense of peace is usually the result. -In order to accomplish this, every detail of the -house must be considered, the windows and the doors, -the stairs and floors.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page265">[265]</span></p> - -<p>Due to the high cost of building, heavy masonry -is not always used in the division of rooms and -the separating of stairs from rooms. Where a slight -partition only is required, there are on the market to-day -asbestos, felt, and composition “boards” which render -excellent service, and are often fireproof and sound-proof.</p> - -<p>To shut away a nursery, these light weight, sound-proof -partitions are admirable. They not only leave -a nursery perfectly quiet at night, shut away from all -the disturbances of the house, but during the daytime -they keep the family from hearing the play, the romping, -or the unhappy times in the nursery. Of course, -the arrangement of rooms, such as the relation of the -nursery and kitchen to other parts of the house, has -much to do with the peace of the home. The service -end of the house should, so far as possible, be shut -away by halls and doors, from too close communication -with the living part of the house. Think of this when -you are planning your home.</p> - -<p>All uncovered floors are noisy no matter how well -they are laid or how nicely they are finished. Of whatever -your floor is made it should be well constructed, -over an adequate sub-floor; if of wood, it should be put -down so compactly that there is never a sound from it. -But when it comes to quiet you must have the carpets or -rugs. Bare floor never produces it, under any conditions.</p> - -<p>Metal weather strips! So important are they in relation -to comfort and peace in the house that they should -really be included in the specifications for the building -of a home. Besides keeping out wintry blasts, they contribute -much to a quiet atmosphere. In the first place, -they help to keep the din of the street from indoors; -also when they are applied to the interior of doors, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page266">[266]</span> -noise from one room doesn’t easily reach another. Windows -that carry weather strips slide up and down easily. -And a good word can be said of the weather-stripped -door. A door with this silencer about it closes quietly -and surely; even if one is in a hurry, the door does not -show it. Another device for lessening the sound of doors -shutting is a piston noise retarder. It has an air -cushion which is attached to the frame of the door and -the piston is fixed to the door. This keeps the door -from slamming. Screen doors, which are of no use unless -they shut quite tightly, should be fitted with this -device. Children will bless it and so will the servants -in the house. All these things should be considered -both as to price and comfort when you are planning your -house, so that when you first begin to live in it you find -peace and quiet, instead of a succession of irritating -worries.</p> - -<p>A small device but one not to be regarded lightly, is -a set of rubber or glass furniture protectors which, -when affixed to the legs of any piece of furniture, make -it possible to move it about without noise and without -any especial effort. These protectors also save the floor -and keep the carpets from being worn and torn. They -are easily attached and not expensive.</p> - -<p>The “silence cloth” on the dining table, whether made -of cloth or asbestos, is another means of lessening disturbing -sounds in a house.</p> - -<p>And in some homes I have known it to be a rule that -all the servants must wear rubber heels. This not only -lessens the noise in the house, but it mitigates, to a very -great extent, the weariness felt by busy maids who are -on their feet practically all day long.</p> - -<p>A great deal of the clattering sound in a kitchen can -be avoided by lining the cutlery drawers with felt, so -that when silver and knives are put away the clashing<span class="pagenum" id="Page267">[267]</span> -of pieces together is avoided. Pantry dresser drawers -should be lined in the same way. This lining felt -can easily be installed by pasting or tacking, and it is -not expensive.</p> - -<p>A place for everything and everything in its place is -an especially good idea in connection with the pots and -pans in a kitchen. Much of the annoying sound from -this source can be obviated by hanging the utensils, because -most of the sound is due to the falling together of -pots and pans as they are piled on top of each other -when being put away on the shelves after use.</p> - -<p>One of the chief offenders against the charm of the -home in the matter of noise is cheaply constructed -plumbing. This is not only unsanitary, but at times -deeply embarrassing. Good plumbing is an absolute -essential in the well-constructed house. Nothing will -betray your economy so promptly as plumbing that is -not of good materials and well placed. It is necessary -to get all your fixtures from the most reputable dealer, -and have the best workman put them in, and then you -will save money in the long run and charm and peace -will envelop the plumbing side of life.</p> - -<p>The bathtub with a water inlet so fixed that there is -only a little noise for a few seconds or none at all is a -point of perfection that manufacturers are making -every effort to attain. Perhaps the nearest to it is a -device hung very low in the tub so that after the first few -inches of water the faucet is covered, and the noise from -the inflowing water is smothered.</p> - -<p>People who will not endure the slightest rattle or -creaking in an automobile will live for months with a -squeaking, leaking faucet. A slight adjustment will -usually remedy the difficulty; sometimes only a washer -is needed. And even an entirely new faucet is not a -purchase with very serious consequences.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page268">[268]</span></p> - -<p>As yet no way has been found to modify the noise of -the telephone without lessening its effectiveness. The -telephone is rung to catch your attention and if you -muffle the bell too completely you are liable to lose an -important call. If you have a very noisy telephone bell -in an apartment where every sound is heard, you can -muffle it slightly with a little pad of absorbent cotton. -This is an especially good thing to try where the sound -of the bell disturbs an invalid or little children.</p> - -<p>Rugs are a delightful way to reduce noise in the hall. -A long runner that goes the whole length of the hall -and about half its width will keep your hall quiet for -your own house and prevent its disturbing your neighbors. -Of course, in a house where the hall is large -and capacious, the surface is much more interesting -covered with groups of rugs; a runner spoils its interest -and a carpet is less intriguing.</p> - -<p>Quiet is one of the most difficult things to find these -days in the city, and also one of the most essential -things for one’s work and happiness and health. There -is only one way to acquire it in the modern home and -that is to look after every detail of your house at the -very beginning.</p> - -<p>After all, the things that make for quiet are in the -main little things. Yet it takes thought, some experience -and a good deal of attention to detail at the beginning -of making a home, to insure in it that pervasive -charm which must have for its foundation quiet -throughout the house.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page269">[269]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXXI<br /> -<span class="chapname">OSTRACIZING THE FLY</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">“T</span><span class="afterlargecap">ry</span> -my glasses,” coaxed a kind old lady, when -her young friend broke her own bone rims. And -she did. But she was far from happy—in fact, quite -miserable; and her eyes took a long time to recover -from the ravages of the ill-fitting glasses.</p> - -<p>Naturally nobody should use glasses made for another. -Glasses that have been more than carefully fitted to the -individual’s eye are none too good if comfort and eye -ease are desired.</p> - -<p>So it is with the installation of screens. It may -sound queer to compare eye-glasses and screens, but -nevertheless the analogy is nearly perfect. As the eyes -vary, so do the apertures of the various homes. Therefore, -unless screens are fitted carefully to each window, -door or porch there will be discrepancies, and if one fly -or insect can get in others can and there will be not only -discomfort but probably disease distribution.</p> - -<p>Swat the fly? No! Don’t give yourself a chance to -swat it. Keep it out!</p> - -<p>Therefore if you have a house to screen do it the best -way you can or the money spent will be a dead loss. -They must be bug-tight even as a ship is water tight; -unless they are, you will be the host at continual insect -balls and chairman of the rust convention and store up -for yourself an irritability unprecedented. For there is -no more annoying thing in the home than recalcitrant or -obstinate screens.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page270">[270]</span></p> - -<p>It is strange that any missionary work need be done -about screens because almost every one agrees upon their -uses in health prevention and comfort assurance, yet -withal the purchasing of them is done ignorantly and as -carelessly as the young woman who uses anybody’s -glasses for her own particular and peculiar eyes.</p> - -<p>To begin with, do not order screens to be made “right -away”; they cannot be done in less than a thirty-day -month and be made with any finish. Order early -enough after you have received estimates from the best -screen makers; then take the estimate which gives you -the best value after you have either seen the models, -actual installations, or are satisfied that you will get -the thing that you need for your particular case. The -skilful screen men treat your case as individually as the -oculist treats your eyes.</p> - -<p>Your screens should be:</p> - -<p class="padl2">1. Simple to manipulate, should pull up, lower, -raise or thrust out, easily and happily, and should be -simply removed for storage if necessary and uncomplicatedly -re-applied.</p> - -<p class="padl2">2. All the hardware should be inseparable from the -body of the screen—that is: catches, bolts, locks, etc.</p> - -<p class="padl2">3. All the metal work should be rustless and -adapted to the region in which you live.</p> - -<p class="padl2">4. Frames must be rigid and wire cloth taut, well -fastened at every point in the frame, not sag, and be -rigid.</p> - -<p class="padl2">5. Wooden frame screens must be of kiln-dried, -seasoned wood, and when expedient, of hard wood.</p> - -<p class="padl2">6. Renewal of wire cloth must be a simple matter -without an armory of fancy tools.</p> - -<p class="padl2">7. All should be neat, attractive, matching the -window, door or porch trim where they are placed.</p> - -<p class="padl2">8. They must be a pleasure to use, not limiting the<span class="pagenum" id="Page271">[271]</span> -use of the window or door screened, nor breaking -the back or arm when in use.</p> - -<p>Screen frames are made of metals and of wood. Due -to the architectural design of some windows or doors it is -necessary for a wood frame to be used, and for the -same reason it is often wiser to use a metal frame. -Wherever metal frames can be used they are the best -to buy, as they will stand up longer, and, if the best be -bought, they will need less renovation, as they can be -made rigid at only half the width of the wood screen. -Furthermore, you get more ventilation than you do with -the wood-framed screen. Of course, you want air and as -much as you can get of it; therefore the narrower the -frame the more perfect the screen.</p> - -<p>The metals used in frames are pretty much up to the -quality of your screens’ maker. They are to be had of -bronze and various concoctions of bronze dependent on -the patents of your purveyor; of grass finish, copper -finish; steel enameled; steel painted; steel grained to -look like the wood trim; steel galvanized and steel regalvanized; -monel metal.</p> - -<p>To be honest, there are two better classifications of -screens: those that are rustless and those that are not.</p> - -<p>Monel metal is used for seashore houses, as the salt -air does not corrode or corrupt it. Variations of the -bronze screen are also adapted to seashore use.</p> - -<p>The painted steel screen has to be painted over and -over again to keep it from rusting and wearing out.</p> - -<p>The galvanized screen is practically rustless and -the re-galvanized is quite positively an insurance -against rust.</p> - -<p>Be sure that when you buy a bronze frame it -is not simply a bronze steel frame. Steel invites -rust, and the way to have a rustless screen is to make -steel an absentee or galvanize it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page272">[272]</span></p> - -<p>All the hardware must be of non-rusting metal. -No doubt, as soon as the rustless steel is on the market -in large quantities, screen men will be using it instead -of galvanizing, painting, etc., and using it and bronze -and monel metals for hardware.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Some Details</span></h3> - -<p>The corners in the metal (and in the wood frame -as well) have to be of exquisite workmanship. The -best types have no screws or rivets or plates or projections -of any sort, yet are of a perfect interlocking or -welded construction and hold the screen cloth at every -point with infallible tenacity.</p> - -<p>There is no aperture so shaped that it cannot be -framed in screens by the ablest screen makers. In the -case of the metal screen the bent work is really a work -of art, in that they are not puckered or pinched, but -are <i>sans</i> humps, <i>sans</i> bumps, <i>sans</i> everything but -beauty, rigidity and conformity to conditions.</p> - -<p>Every screen manufacturer has his own scheme for -fastening the screen cloth firmly in both metal and -wood frames. The idea is that the cloth must not sag -in the frames, on the largest openings in doors or -windows, porches, etc., that when either whacked by -the children or inadvertently struck by adults, the -cloth will remain taut and rigid and stay in place in -the frame. The tubular metal frame in this connection -seems the most logical metal frame. It is lighter -and as strong as the other types of metal frames. It -is so admirably contrived that the cloth can be removed -without an extra tool and the springs and slides can -be very conveniently and admirably fitted.</p> - -<p>The tracks or slide upon which the metal frame -works must be a slide and not a series of sticking -points. This means good workmanship.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page273">[273]</span></p> - -<p>Another advantage the metal frame has over the -wood frame is that it does not need the disfiguring -hinges; if hinged, it can be hung on the pivot hinge -which leaves no scar, and is inserted in the casing of -window and leaves no trace. When it is to be taken -down for the winter it is simply lifted out—no pins -to come out of hinges and no unscrewing.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Varieties of Metal Screens</span></h3> - -<p>The type of screen is of course dependent upon the -kind of window or opening you have to screen. The -usual types are: sliding and rolling, casement and -stationery.</p> - -<p>The sliding screens are usually used on the double -hung window and slide on a slide. The best slides -are of metal backed by wood. A double hung window -can be screened by a single screen or a double one, dependent -on the wish of the purchaser. The double -slide is necessary, of course, in the case of the -double screen.</p> - -<p>In this connection it is interesting to note that there -is a new type of window lately on the market that -arranges in the head of the window a space into which -not only the screen can disappear but the window itself, -and be out of the way. This of course allows for a completely -open window even more so than the casement.</p> - -<p>The pleasure of the slide screen is in the fact of its -sliding and not catching in a series of struggles to -make it work. Springs and tubular grooved frames -complete this type. If the springs get out of order in -a tubular grooved frame, they can easily be taken out -and restored without special tools. They are protected -also from wear and rust and made so as to withstand -atmospheric ravages. A safety device should be provided -to prevent the spring from accidentally disengaging<span class="pagenum" id="Page274">[274]</span> -itself. If the screen is hung inside the window, -one hand lift is sufficient. If it is hung outside it is -well to have another on the inside to be of service when -removing them for winter storage.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Rolling Screens</span></h3> - -<p>The acme of screen perfection is attained in the -rolling screen. At present this type is creating the -interest it deserves, as it is adapted to every kind of -window and can be kept on the window throughout -the year.</p> - -<p>The screen is of metal and rolls up on a roller like -a window shade; it is of simple construction, durable -and non-rusting. It is light and rolls with great -despatch. Some of these shadelike frames can be raised -and lowered at any point on the window frame; they -are rigid, do not sag on the broadest of windows and -are equipped with non-rusting metal, and are either -of monel or bronze in fittings and framing. The track -in which they slide is also non-rusting and holds the -screen well in place. The screen cloth is of the best -mesh and is tightly fastened at every point in the -frame.</p> - -<p>The fact that these screens are inside the window -leaves them free from the ravages of the elements, -which is another point in their favor. Some of these -screens are supplied with a cord like a shade that -pulls up and down the same way. Some of these roller -screens have employed zinc on all exposed parts, and -this is a rust preventive. The same brand employs -a waterproofed fabric less expensive than metal, also -bronze, copper and monel metal.</p> - -<p>One especial type of rolling screen presents an advantage -that is very desirable—it has a patent side -grip for the edges of the monel screen cloth and a -perfected runway in which travels a series of metal -clips holding the cloth and so arranged as to roll up -without difficulty. The screen roll is assembled in a -zinc casing, made exactly to fit the window, which is -easily attached to the “stops” at the top of the window -frame and, when painted or stained to match the trim, -looks like a part of it and is almost invisible. The two -side “runways,” also of zinc, are screwed to the window -“stops” like weather strips and are painted or stained -in similar manner making them entirely inconspicuous.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page275">[275]</span></p> - -<div class="container w35em"> - -<img src="images/illo313.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Rolup Screen Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">THE SCREEN WHICH ROLLS UP IS A COMFORT AS WELL AS A -SAFE AND SANE INSECT OSTRACIZER</p> - -<div class="illotext w25em"> - -<p class="right"><i>Wire cloth rolls into this bar</i></p> - -<p class="right"><i>Screen raised to any height for adjustment of windows</i></p> - -</div><!--illotext--> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page276">[276-<br />277]</span><a id="Page277"></a></p> - -<p>The window shade is then replaced just below the -screen casing and neither interferes with the other.</p> - -<p>The screen is so adjusted that it easily pulls down or -pushes up at will, automatically locks itself on being -brought down to the sill, and, after being released by a -slight upward push remains in whatever position it is -left. It covers the whole of every window and is so -simple in construction and direct in action that, once -installed, it should never get out of order. In case -of damage it can easily be removed, new parts obtained -and as easily be relocated. In new houses, under construction, -provision can easily be made to “sink” the -screen casing and side runways into the window frames -so that they are almost invisible.</p> - -<p>If the rolling screen is not used, the casement can -be covered with top-hung outside screens, side-hung, -double-door style, or single from one side or stationary -on the outside, if the window opens inside. When -possible the casement screen should be hung on pivot -hinges to permit ease of detaching for storage, and, as -we said before, to leave the window without the marring -of the hinge there or removed. However, frequently in -the case of the unusually large screen the use of a -little strap hinge is sometimes necessary to carry the<span class="pagenum" id="Page278">[278]</span> -extra weight. In marble window casing the hinge of -course is an impossibility.</p> - -<p>A couple of side levers on either side of the screen -for releasing the pivots when the screens are to be taken -off for the winter make the matter of removal as easy -as “falling off a log.”</p> - -<p>The top hinge screen on the outside of the window -which pushes out from the inside has to be hung very -securely and the bolts and pivots and handles and -adjusters have to be made to perfection. The adjuster -for pushing this window out or open must be a pleasure -to use or else this type of screen will be a curse. There -is an adjuster now on the market that is put on the -window in such a way that the screen can be opened -or closed without opening the inside of the window. -A double insurance against inroads of bugs while opening -the window to adjust screen!</p> - -<p>Put up to “stay put” stationary screens are fastened -with bolts which are removed when necessary to store.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Wooden Frames</span></h3> - -<p>The story of the wooden frame is about the same as -the metal, only that the wood frame can’t rust, but can -wear out if not seasoned and kiln dried and given all -the care in manufacture that long life in woods necessitates.</p> - -<p>Here, too, the corner construction must be perfect, -must be able to bear the weight of the screen and take -out the jars. The frame must be rigid, light and strong. -The wire cloth must be so fastened at every point that -there is no sag or bagginess in the broadest window.</p> - -<p>Now all this is possible in the best wood frame -screens and with good workmanship. Every one -thought for a long time that the metal screen could not -incorporate their good points. Don’t be fooled by some<span class="pagenum" id="Page279">[279]</span> -one saying that the wood screen cannot be made “fool -proof,” for it can and is. Here again every maker has -his own device for catching the metal cloth; here again -the metal cloth must be rustless; here again the metal -work and hardware must be rustless; the screen must -make easy manipulation possible.</p> - -<p>The screen door question, too, is rallied round with -the same provisos of manufacture as metal and wood -screens. There are the two leaf door and the one leaf.</p> - -<p>The new thing on the door is the fact that the whole -door may be screened or only one-half screened, the -rest of wood or metal. Yet it is far better to have the -whole door screened, but for the sake of beauty and -lack of monotony the lower half can be guarded with -a metal panel which will not only look well but protect -the wire cloth. Sometimes, too, in the wholly -screened door just a metal guard rail is applied to prevent -injury to the wire cloth on the full expanse of a -door.</p> - -<p>If half the door is of wood, there again you lose the -free entry of air, so it is advisable to screen the door -completely and use the guard metal work to beautify -and protect it.</p> - -<p>Some of the lower portions of doors (as is the case -with French windows) are beautifully carved to be in -keeping with a handsome wood interior.</p> - -<p>Doors, too, should be equipped with a good check to -prevent them from banging and close tightly.</p> - -<p>Locks or no locks, are questions to be decided by -the buyer, but all hardware, belts, catches, pins, hinges, -etc., should, of course, follow the “no-rust” régime, -and be of the most durable stuff and match up with the -surrounding hardware.</p> - -<p>Even though the frame and its hanging are of vital -importance, yet what would the screen be without the<span class="pagenum" id="Page280">[280]</span> -screen cloth? And, of course, there are as many kinds -of cloth in this quarter of the world’s work as in any -other and you have to know something of the variety in -order to know what you are buying, to buy advantageously. -Here again you play the old tune: Rustlessness.</p> - -<p>The cloth must be of a mesh not too fine for free entry -of air, and fine enough to prevent the smallest insects -from entering. But here you must use discretion. If -your home is in the Adirondacks where black flies and -midgets precede the mosquitoes, then it is the better part -of wisdom to use a finer mesh; if you are at the seashore, -the ordinary coarser mesh is sufficient.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Wire Cloth Varieties</span></h3> - -<p>There is also choice here. You can have:</p> - -<p class="padl2">1. Painted steel cloth which must be repainted -often in accordance with its exposure and in regard -to where it is exposed and whether it is hung inside or -outside of the window.</p> - -<p class="padl2">2. Galvanized steel mesh: This is often blackened -for eye ease.</p> - -<p class="padl2">3. Monel metal (an alloy of copper and nickel) -guaranteed rust proof, used mainly at seashore resorts -but good for any place.</p> - -<p class="padl2">4. Bronze and patented bronzes: Used as is the -monel wire cloth. Here a coat of paint to dull the -bronze glare is of real service to the eye.</p> - -<p class="padl2">5. Copper: A coat of dull paint here, too, will -take off the glare.</p> - -<p>Manufacturers have various bronze cloths and they -are sold under various names. Its great use is imperviousness -to rust but it has to be of the best manufacture -to insure this paradisiacal condition.</p> - -<p>The porch that is screened with pernickety screens<span class="pagenum" id="Page281">[281]</span> -never is screened in time to reject the insect world. -So here is another case where they must fit and be made -to order.</p> - -<p>What is a sleeping porch without a screen? Without -a functioning screen? One swallow may not make a -summer, but one fly can make torture out of night.</p> - -<p>Some makers will key your screens so that each screen -has its tag for replacement and there is no loss of effort -and time in resetting them next year in their proper -places. This can be done in windows, door and porch -work. Of course, with the rolling screen—they are -never taken down and much labor is saved.</p> - -<p>Screens are not a luxury; they are a health measure. -When we get more civilized we will probably have our -screens inspected to see that they fit, and the boards of -health in the various towns will keep a close watch on -them, for diseases are rapidly being traced to the minute -insect carriers. Typhus and yellow fever are the last -results. Think what Central Europe would have been -spared had it been properly screened!</p> - -<p>Contrary to usual opinion screens can be most attractive -and fit in with the surrounding wood trim, and be -a department of house furnishing not to be belittled. -And don’t fail to realize that a lot of trouble can be -saved and unsightliness be avoided, if the screen is -thought of before building your home—and if the roller -type is installed, you have no storage care, or removal -and recurring slavery.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page282">[282]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXXII<br /> -<span class="chapname">POLISHING THE WATER SUPPLY</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">“I</span> found a fish in my bath-tub to-day,” said I to a -friend.</p> - -<p>“Wasn’t that the best place in the house to find one?” -was the reply.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” I said, “but I can’t say I enjoy bathing in an -aquarium, and my civic pride is hurt because I have -been so proud of my city’s water quality and all of the -sister municipalities which filter or chlorinate or both.”</p> - -<p>In this anecdote is the crux of the filter situation.</p> - -<p>In times gone by a filter was sold to save life from -polluted waters, from streams, wells, surface sources, -sewage-burdened rivers, etc. It was a dire necessity -and became by its efficiency or lack of it a godsend or -a menace. If it were a good filter it needed care and -attention in the greatest degree to make it a boon; if -it were a bad filter it continued despite care to be a curse -far more dangerous than the unfiltered product because -it became a collector and a breeding place for bacteria -and doled out water as pure to the most modest of drinkers.</p> - -<p>But as with every department of living in this realm, -things have moved on. In this case gloriously. For -since the municipalities have taken our lives in their -hands the dangers from bad filters are slight and the -need of good ones necessary but not a life-and-death -matter. In short, the excitement about filters in the -home is dead but their use goes marching on.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page283">[283]</span></p> - -<p>However, as this story will be read by inhabitants of -unfiltered municipalities and towns, whatever danger -and comfort can accrue from non-filtration or filtration -of water will be evident after a glance at this attempt to -bring it to your mind. Just as this goes to press we see in -the paper that a western town of Salem has seven hundred -and eighty cases of typhoid in a population of ten -thousand. Here is food for thought!</p> - -<p>Hundreds of towns (one firm alone has installed about -163 plants) in the United States have municipal filtration -plants. Some even oxygenate the water by fountaining -it esthetically skyward and allowing it to entice -to itself oxygen (from the free air), by which it gets -life and polish and becomes refreshing.</p> - -<p>Some towns chlorinate the water supply. When -water is chlorinated, minute quantities of chlorine are -added which absolutely destroy the germs in the water, -but do not alter its chemical or physical characteristics -in the least. The difference between a water that has -been chlorinated and one that has not been so treated is -that in the first case the germs are destroyed, but in -the second case they remain in the water to cause possible -disease.</p> - -<p>This process is rarely used in the home as the control -is too difficult. But in the case of the elaborate residence -with large incumbencies in the way of model -farms, dairy, stables, machine shops, etc., it is used. -Also the smallest plants are used in the case of large -swimming pools in and out of fine residences, where, of -course, the water has been found to be bacterially degenerate -and where the work of purification is not done by -a benign municipality.</p> - -<p>To get to the roots of the matter you want water (you -don’t care what the high-browed engineer does to it) to -be:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page284">[284]</span></p> - -<p class="hind46">1. Colorless.</p> - -<p class="hind46">2. Tasteless.</p> - -<p class="hind46">3. Odorless.</p> - -<p class="hind46">4. Free from suspended matter.</p> - -<p class="hind46">5. With enough oxygen gas to make it refreshing and -give it life.</p> - -<p class="hind46">6. Without germs or food for germs.</p> - -<p>What you want to keep out:</p> - -<p class="hind46">1. Suspended impurities: vegetable, animal (such as -the fish), mineral, microscopical algæ (what you -see on the stagnant waters), infusoria, etc.</p> - -<p class="hind46">2. Dissolved impurities.</p> - -<p class="hind46">3. Disease germs: typhoid, cholera, etc.</p> - -<p>What you must demand in a filter:</p> - -<p class="hind46">1. All the above.</p> - -<p class="hind46">2. Durability.</p> - -<p class="hind46">3. Simplicity of management.</p> - -<p class="hind46">4. Nearest approach possible to self cleaning. (The -uncertain human element makes many a good filter -fall down.)</p> - -<p>These four things are essential to the longevity of the -filter and to you, if you inhabit filterless vales.</p> - -<p>Another thing suggested by the fourth article of -faith above is the care of the filter. If you have a maid -you can’t be sure in what state the filter is, unless you -keep close watch or have constant inspection by a service -bureau. Slight danger from the nearly self cleaning -filter can by care be entirely eliminated. But only -with care.</p> - -<p>To clarify after its long pipe journey (probably -through rusty pipes, etc.); to insure plumbing (in case -of the installed filter in the cellar) against clogging, -incrustations and general wear, accumulations of material -bound to enter the water on its trip through the -pipes to the house—due to broken water mains, fires in<span class="pagenum" id="Page285">[285]</span> -the city—accidents of any kind; to give the laundry a -clean appearance, for the best laundry work availeth -little if the water is murky or turbid; to polish water, or -render it free from flavor and turbidity.</p> - -<p>When typhoid had its happy hunting ground in -plumbing it was thought quite in keeping to have typhoid -cases in abundance. In Pittsburgh and other -such afflicted towns it is now felt to be a heinous sin, -since filtration has become a part of the service that -towns render to their inhabitants. In fact, all boards -of health to-day feel it to be a felony and disgrace to find -a case of such a disease in the community.</p> - -<p>So, to public-spirited citizens in unfiltered regions, -your task is cut out for you. You can get rid of muddy, -dirty water by municipal filtration plants or home filters -and care.</p> - -<p>For those who live in filtered towns the use of filters -is manifest, too.</p> - -<p>There are various kinds of filters in use, but only two -kinds are of interest for use in the home.</p> - -<p class="noindent padl4">1. The type affixed to spigot (or water cooler).</p> - -<p class="noindent padl4">2. The installed filter placed in cellar or other part -of the home to filter the whole water supply.</p> - -<p>These are divided into many technical categories, but -what you are interested in are the following questions: -Do you need a filter? What shall you have to know -to buy a filter intelligently?</p> - -<p>Rapidly stated, it is safest to buy a filter from a -manufacturer who says “my filter is not absolutely perfect -but it is the nearest thing to perfection we can get. -We know our filter can render water from 90 to 100% -free from bacteria, as we have had bacteriological tests -made by competent chemists.”</p> - -<p>When you order a filter, put down on paper the -answers to the following questions, and send them to the<span class="pagenum" id="Page286">[286]</span> -manufacturers who will then give you the data and -prices. Choose the best manufacturer and then invest:</p> - -<p class="hind46">1. Are the fixtures all on direct water supply or are -they supplied from an open storage tank or combination -of the two?</p> - -<p class="hind46">2. What are the source, nature and peculiarities of -the water to be filtered? Has it odor, taste, vegetable -discoloration, clay or iron stain?</p> - -<p class="hind46">3. What sort of water supply system do you use and -what of the water pressure? What is the size of -the supply pipe? (Ask your plumber.)</p> - -<p class="hind46">4. How many gallons of water are required to be -filtered per minute, per hour or per 8, 10, 12, or 24 -hours? (Ask your plumber.)</p> - -<p class="hind46">5. How many bathrooms and other water fixtures are -in your home?</p> - -<p class="hind46">6. Is there a municipal plant in your town? What -kind?</p> - -<p>Since 1885 thousands of filters have been patented. -Years ago the smallest and most unreliable maker would -put a filter on the market and promise immunity from -death and let it go at that, because folks are anxious -to be saved. To-day not many more than six filters are -really sold with a guarantee by reliable firms backing -them. Why? Because most of these filters were cheap -and flimsy, did nothing but strain water and strain their -point as well. These small manufacturers would spring -into being one day and sink into oblivion the next. The -filters, if they did filter (not strain, only), would become -breeding nests for bacteria. Physicians feared -and forbade them.</p> - -<p>The filters on the market to-day are in varying degrees -reliable, depending greatly on their functions, on -the amount of care and wear, and how they are used. -For example, coarse gravel as a medium through which<span class="pagenum" id="Page287">[287]</span> -to purify water might be good to take out bits of -sediment—big bits—but it would not act on the bacteria.</p> - -<p>In general, the materials used in filters through -which the water must pass to be purified are: sand, -quartz, charcoal, cloth, paper, etc. Another class of -filters passes the water through a bougis or candle made -of unglazed porcelain (Kaolin), natural stone, artificial -stone, asbestos, diatomaceous earth, etc. The pores -through which the water flows catch the bacteria and -sediment.</p> - -<p>With this list before you you must ask yourself if -you need only a strainer. Is the water free from -bacilli? Have you a municipal chlorinating plant or -filter plant? If so, any good filter will do to strain -out suspended matter; but if you are very anxious to -have perfect water you cannot go wrong by having a filter -which will catch bacteria which may have accidental -entry, in any community whatever.</p> - -<p>If you know you have dirty water and no municipal -plant you cannot be too careful as to what you use -in rendering safe the water from well, stream or any -other source.</p> - -<p>The most reliable faucet filter is the diatomaceous -earthen candle type which is simply cleaned by brushing -off its soft surface and boiling occasionally to kill furtive -bacteria. The great drawback to this type of -filter is that it is not a reformer and cannot force the -user to keep it clean. Therefore it is up to the user, -and as its agent told the writer, “Filter use in a city -like New York is a matter of temperament. Some -people enjoy caring for a filter in order to make a -splendid water supply fool-proof, others dislike the care -and do not mind the slight risk in any city water supply -or the discoloration that is often inherent.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page288">[288]</span></p> - -<p>Filters, whether installed or attached to faucets, are -built to fit the occasion.</p> - -<p>It is interesting to realize that nearly every fine home -in New York, especially on Fifth Avenue, has a filter, -despite the city’s excellent water supply. Not so much -to save life, as it so often does owing to frequent invasions -of germs into even excellent water, but for the feeling -of clean unflavored, unfishy, unwoody water and for -the insurance of long life of the plumbing system—and -to save deterioration in plumbing is a thing devoutly to -be wished.</p> - -<p>Sand or quartz is the usual medium for filtration -in the home. Bone char is often added to these to destroy -taste, for there is nothing as disagreeable as water -with a decided taste.</p> - -<p>There are a few filters to-day which when installed -in the cellar consist of one or two vertical tanks attached -to the water supply. In one tank is quartz through -which the water passes and in the other is bone char -to carry away flavor.</p> - -<p>In one case the filter has a simple lever which when -set at a certain spot on the dial washes out the filter -beds and frees them from contamination.</p> - -<p>As the impurities in the water are removed by a -filter they accumulate in a mass or cake on top of the -filter bed. If this cake or matted formation is not -broken up and thoroughly disintegrated, it will roll -up during the washing process and not only clog but -contaminate a filter bed, utterly destroying its efficiency -as a purifying medium, steadily diminishing the -water supply. Hence a cutting plate is placed immediately -above the bed of quartz. As soon as the -operating lever is moved to the point “Washing,” the -washing current is introduced at the bottom of the -filter, the filter bed is lifted bodily upward and forced<span class="pagenum" id="Page289">[289]</span> -through the cutter, which literally tears the matted -film of impurities into fragments. At the same time -it thoroughly breaks up the bed, separates and perfectly -scours each grain of filtering material, by the force of -the reverse current of water in a space twice the size -it occupies during the filtering process.</p> - -<p>The impurities having been separated from the bed -and broken up into minute particles are carried out -of the filter through the waste pipe by the reverse current -of water. During this process a screen at the top -of the filter prevents the filtering material quartz from -escaping out of the filter.</p> - -<p>In this way by the least effort—the turn of a handle—once -a week—the filter becomes a boon and not a -menace. After the cleaning process is over, a matter -of from ten to twenty minutes, the lever is turned to -another point “designated in the bond” and the filter -goes back to normal. The agitated sand and char are -calmed down and ready to chasten the next lot of water.</p> - -<p>In some localities where the water (though it may be -chlorinated and bacteria-free) is dark and turbid and -full of the finest sediment, the usual sand or quartz -(even with the tiniest of spaces between the grains) -cannot prevent this hyper-fine sediment passing -through into the filter. In order to catch this impure -water with its fine sediment alum is often introduced -into the filter to coagulate the fine sediment (as you -have seen the white of an egg coagulate coffee grounds) -and permits it in the “flock” to be caught as it passes -through the interstices of the filter bed.</p> - -<p>Here you can easily see why you must be careful to -give the filter manufacturer a graphic description of -your water supply. Then, too, the installed filter, just -described may be rendered useless if by any means the -pipes in the home become contaminated.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page290">[290]</span></p> - -<p>There are some filters on the market (this caution is -for the unfiltered community) which only strain.</p> - -<p>Those fitted with paper, cloth, cotton, etc., are fine -in their places, but you must know their places.</p> - -<p>One filter, for example, is said to be very speedy. -However, in this case (this filter is attached to the -faucet) you are admonished to let the water run for -about half a minute, because, as the water ran through -before, the collection of germs must be given a chance -to flow out. In this filter the water flows in at one -end through bone char and quartz and the next time it -is used the current is reversed and flows back through -the filter bed, self-washing but carrying with it the -bacteria collected on its last passage. Therefore, if you -forget to let the water run for a time, you may get your -stomach full of more potent germs than if you used the -ordinary water with its occasional bacteria.</p> - -<p>Good filters in the last analysis spell “safety first” -wherever they may be. For despite municipal intervention -accidents will happen, and even though the -trouble be corrected in a short time, fifteen minutes -can prove a real menace.</p> - -<p>There is one filter just coming to our markets, made -in Germany, which has been tried and tested and found -good. It is affixed to the water supply (direct, not in -cellar) and accomplishes filtration by the process of -passage of water through a paper-like fabric of disks <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub>″ -thick. These disks keep water absolutely sterile in the -laboratory for 17 days but the makers, rightly, will only -guarantee them for 48 hours in order to obviate danger -to their promises, through the accidents which may -happen. The test under German scrutiny proved that -typhoid germs were rendered nil for 17 days and try as -they might could not force their way through the disks.</p> - -<p>This is a good certificate of good conduct. Sewage<span class="pagenum" id="Page291">[291]</span> -for example during the war was rendered harmless as -drinking material by the means of this filter disk, so -it is claimed.</p> - -<p>Filtering, unlike sterilizing, does not take the life -out of water or make it readily absorb odors and flavors.</p> - -<p>Remember, that some filters remove bacteria and the -finest sediment only (the candle type). Others remove -sediment of all sizes and bacteria, too; while still -others kill flavor to boot. Discuss the point with your -plumber, architect, doctor and manufacturer and water -department. As with clothes so with filters: buy what -suits the need and buy carefully after securing all the -advice available.</p> - -<p>One might say pompously that the purchasing of a -filter may be the purchase of life itself, or—facetiously—that -the good filter takes the “imp” out of impure -water.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page292">[292]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXXIII<br /> -<span class="chapname">OUTSTRIPPING THE GALE</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">W</span><span class="afterlargecap">eather</span> -strips are not the caviar of the building -menu—far from it. They are a whole lot -more like the roast beef with pan gravy and baked -potatoes.</p> - -<p>Those of you who bought weather stripping years ago -and either put it on yourself or had the town carpenter -tack it on, do not believe it is any good, and at best -only a “fancy fixing.” But those days are passed -and the weather strip has properly outstripped many -other things in development and has come to be no -hors d’oeuvre but the pièce de resistance of the -bill-of-fare. So important has the effect of the strip -become that heating and ventilating engineers have -been and are to-day carrying on experiments, not to -prove their value (no, for this has been proven), but to -have exact data to show how much fuel is saved and -just how evenly the temperature can be maintained -throughout a home under varying conditions of gale and -stability outdoors and in. (See <a href="#Page313">Chapter XXXV</a>, Heating).</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Things They Obviate</span></h3> - -<p>Do you care to heat the great outdoors? This is the -first important question. If you do, how dare you with -the shortage of coal to-day? Have you sufficient coal -to waste it? Is your home hard to heat? Why? Do<span class="pagenum" id="Page293">[293]</span> -you like the gales and little hurricanes racing over -your floors, chasing the little snow flakes? Do you -like to cultivate colds and other draught diseases?</p> - -<p>These are pertinent questions even if they seem impertinent. -They suggest the graphic pictures that we -do not want inhabiting our homes.</p> - -<p>These conditions can be obviated.</p> - -<p>If you inquire from your friends who know intelligently -the value of the furnishings they use, you will -get concrete figures before investing. One conspicuous -friend, Uncle Sam, says that in 1918 he saved two -million dollars’ worth of coal by the use of weather -strips. And this led the director of conservation to -make the extravagant statement that weather strips are -100% fuel conservation.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">What They Are</span></h3> - -<p>In the past when the telephone had just become a -household staple and before horse cars evaporated you -used to paste the weather strips on the outside of your -windows. Then they were made of cloth, or rubber or -heavy paper, and they made life slightly fair and -warmer; but most of the heat accrued by them was that -which was fired in trying to raise the windows which -stuck due to the adherence of the weather strip.</p> - -<p>To-day the weather strip is gentler and not only keeps -the cold air at bay, but keeps out the dust and noise -and permits the window to go up and down more easily -because it runs on a metal track; really the weather -strip allows it to glide like magic. To move a window -with the weather stripping affixed is a pleasure which -the weakest reed can enjoy.</p> - -<p>The dictionary says “the weather strip is a narrow -strip, as wood edged with rubber prepared to be placed<span class="pagenum" id="Page294">[294]</span> -over crevices, as at doors and windows to exclude -wind, rain, etc.”</p> - -<p>This is the old weather strip. To-day they are in -general metallic tubular strips fitting into complementary -depressions in metal linings or window sashes that -are designed and shaped to seal the cracks that naturally -occur between and around doors and windows and -their frames, sealing up these openings so that the -elements are turned back before they get even their -noses into the house. They are made of non-corroding, -non-rustable metals such as zinc, bronze and copper, and -they keep their elasticity plus non-leakage qualities as -long as, and sometimes longer than, the building itself.</p> - -<p>Every type of door and every type of window present -different problems, and every window or door of each -type has again different problems, so to each there must -be different applications. The following will explain -more particularly than the foregoing.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Sliding Window</span></h3> - -<p>The sliding window is the most general type to be -treated.</p> - -<p>Here the top and bottom, sides and meeting rail must -be considered. How to stop leakage and seal against -unwelcome callers are the problems.</p> - -<p>At the top of the window, as in the <a href="#Ref4">illustration</a>, two -strips are used; the tubular protuberance in the head -of the frame nestles cosily in the depressed concavity -of the window sash. Some brands line the depression -with metal—others do not.</p> - -<p>When the window is closed, there is a complementary -interlocking device at the rail where the upper and -lower sash meet, often in the upper sash of S shaped -bronze and in the lower sash a hook-shaped copper strip.</p> - -<p>The side of the frame upon which the window is<span class="pagenum" id="Page295">[295]</span> -raised and lowered is a real problem. The weather -stripping makes the window weather-proof, yet it makes -it open and shut easier than it could before the application -of the strip.</p> - -<div class="container w40em" id="Ref4"> - -<img src="images/illo333.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of Monarch Metal Weatherstrip Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">DOUBLE HUNG OR ORDINARY SLIDING WINDOW TREATMENT -WITH WEATHERSTRIPS OBVIATES DRAUGHTS, DUST -AND NOISE—SAVES COAL!</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p>In some brands the frame lining and sash lining are -of metal. In some only the frame is metal lined. In -some the frame is corrugated and the window sash slides<span class="pagenum" id="Page296">[296]</span> -up and down easily as the protuberance slides into the -depression in the unlined sash furrow. In another -brand two metal tubular strips are used, the metal protuberance -fitted into a metal lined depression. Here -the window slides easily and no amount of warping can -disturb the nice adjustment. In such weather strips -are created conditions which absolutely prevent the side -action of windows, so hard to cure with carpentry or -cheap types of weather strips.</p> - -<p>The lower sash is managed as is the upper, only the -strips are reversed.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Other Cases</span></h3> - -<p>The casement window has its peculiarities of treatment, -as have doors and windows which open in the -center.</p> - -<p>In the casement which opens in, for example, a brass -triangle is provided with “weep holes” to drain out -any water which may accumulate on the sill and follow -through into the room. The meeting rail is sealed in -a way approximately as in the sliding window.</p> - -<p>The sill strip is peculiarly shaped to spring into its -sealing power; sometimes it is called a Z-shaped plate, -each manufacturer having his own name and pet plan.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Doors</span></h3> - -<p>The door sills are made with metal, and metal strips -forming a sealed joint against warping, settling air, -etc. There is a very nice device used to prevent the cold -air let into the bedroom at night from escaping into -the halls and cooling them off. On the lower edge of -the door is fitted a spring which when the door is closed -by contact with the hinged side of the frame releases -a felted pad which fits tightly against the sill of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page297">[297]</span> -door. This makes one’s winter immersions a pleasure, -for the bathroom, if you have one connecting with your -room, as well as the hall will be warm for your morning -use.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Application</span></h3> - -<p>Weather strips can be applied after as well as when -the house is built.</p> - -<p>“My house is so well built,” said a friend of mine, -“that it does not need weather stripping.” If that -could have been so, it was a unique house. There is -hardly a house where the wood around the doors and the -windows does not warp or shrink or do something -equally obnoxious. Whether seasoned by long processes -of actual weathering or rapidly kiln dried, wood in -captivity becomes restless, and seems to strain and -struggle in its fury. Nothing can be said against the -builder—it is the nature of wood. The builder is always -glad to install the strips because then the owner -does not get a chance to feel antagonistic on account -of recalcitrant windows, difficult heating, etc., and is -therefore relieved from grumbling.</p> - -<p>The weather strip must be put on by the experts from -the manufacturers of the brand of weather strips that -you buy. <i>Do not call in your favorite carpenter or -plumber, for he cannot do it right.</i> The putting on of -weather strips is a science in itself. They must be put on -so as to insure a uniform efficiency during the inevitable -warpings, shrinkings and swellings of the window. The -windows have to be conditioned carefully because the -stripping must be so fixed that it cannot be removed, if -necessary to do anything to the window itself afterwards, -such as fitting new pulley cords, etc. Every -window and door offers different problems, so an expert -must apply the strips to your window and door. This<span class="pagenum" id="Page298">[298]</span> -is not a commodity that a baby can affix—it’s a man -sized job.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Purchasing</span></h3> - -<p>Remember the weather stripping that you buy -should last as long as the life of your house. For this -reason the all metal kind is the best to buy. The metal -and cloth are efficient as long as they last, and so are -other combinations; but they do not last long enough. -You must get a longevity insurance. They must be -made of non-rusting, non-corroding materials such as -bronze, copper, zinc or brass manufactured to a high -degree of dependability, and subjected to the most -rigid inspection and tests for accuracy, thereby awarding -the buyer a rich guarantee.</p> - -<p>Find out from users of the brand you think you will -buy, before you buy, and see what they say and what -their experience has been.</p> - -<p>Weather strips can be put on any opening, and should -the purveyor you speak to say this or that opening cannot -be properly stripped, that is your cue for seeking -elsewhere. Buy only from established makers, who will -be in business for years—because in twenty or thirty -years you might want a window adjusted.</p> - -<p>Early in this article mention was made of the saving -in fuel by Uncle Sam. Professor Allen, of the Research -Laboratory of The American Society of Heating -and Ventilating Engineers, in a letter to the writer said:</p> - -<p>“Roughly with ordinary good house conditions we -can say that the air in a room changes every hour due -to leakage around windows. With good weather strips -you reduce the leakage very considerably. Of course, -this depends upon the type of construction in the house. -Some years ago I installed a complete system of weather<span class="pagenum" id="Page299">[299]</span> -stripping in an entire institution and we roughly estimated -that the saving of fuel was about 15%.” Since -then other tests have been made to bring the percentage -of saving of fuel from 15% to 40%.</p> - -<p>When you think that a window shade keeps in 19.2% -of warm air, think what the fitted metal and interlocking -strips can do.</p> - -<p>The weather strip not only keeps the cold air out but -actually by not admitting the cold air allows the heated -air inside to maintain the moisture necessary for comfort. -With the admission of cold air the moisture is -precipitated from the air and we have not got the proper -humidity necessary to be happy. The moisture in the -home comes from water evaporation in kitchen lavatories, -air itself which comes in, etc.</p> - -<p>The warm air can carry the humidity, but the cold -air does not do it as well, and when it strikes the warm -air the latter is forced to condense.</p> - -<p>Comfort is the main thing in the home, even more -sometimes than saving fuel bills.</p> - -<p>“Comfort,” says Professor Allen in an address, “is -the prime consideration, more than maintaining a definite -temperature. Getting the temperature right -brings comfort. We should aim at 40% to 50% of moisture -in the winter with 68 to 70 degrees.”</p> - -<p>The fact is that the heating engineer to-day allows -for about <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> more heating area when the house is not -weather stripped. And then, sad to relate, at this consequent -extra expense the house will be probably unevenly -heated, because some rooms will have big window -and door leaks and other rooms little leaks, so there will -be overheating in some rooms and underheating in -others.</p> - -<p>Another engineer said, “I have caught snow in my<span class="pagenum" id="Page300">[300]</span> -hand at a distance of two feet from a tightly locked -window in a house supposed to have better than ordinary -construction.</p> - -<p>“What ... can better this condition? Weather -strips, metal weather strips....”</p> - -<p>He also said in the same address on heating the home -that the builder did all he could do, with the materials -he had. So there is the dilemma!</p> - -<p>The storm window can often be obviated by weather -strips. The storm window is much more of a nuisance -than the appliquéd weather strips. Who wants to add -another set of windows to be cleaned? And who enjoys -the manipulation of them in rush moments of storm and -wind?</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">For Wind, Dust and Noise</span></h3> - -<p>The weather strip is the solution of the gale exposed -home, of the noise, dust and weather exposed home, of -any home with windows at all. It is not subject to -depreciation but increases in value, and as the house -depreciates the weather stripping takes on the burdens -of the ever increasing depreciation and prevents any -more rapid fuel consumption, keeps down the dust infiltrations -and lessens the cleaning bills. If, by -chance, the woodwork is still obstreperous the defect -can always be corrected, if a good brand of stripping -has been used.</p> - -<p>In other words, weather strips are a good investment. -Good weather strips, like any good material, are a good -investment.</p> - -<p>Much of our trouble with the heat in our homes comes -from the impossibility of even heating. Do what he -will, the furnace man cannot seem to heat the house. -Often you say: “Why do you burn so much coal and<span class="pagenum" id="Page301">[301]</span> -give us so little heat?” There may be other causes, -but the lack of weather stripping is very prone to be one.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Quiet and Cleanliness</span></h3> - -<p>The charm of the house is quiet. Don’t you unconsciously -gage the dignity of the homes that you visit -by the quiet of them?</p> - -<p>The weather strip keeps much of the street noises out. -It dulls and reduces the raucousness of the clang and -clatter.</p> - -<p>Every housewife knows that the hangings next to -the windows get very dirty. She also knows that the -room gets full of dust whether the windows are closed -or not. A certain amount of dust will get into the room -no matter what precautions are taken, but there will be -less of it when weather stripping is applied to the -windows. This is a consideration worthy of notice, as -the servant problem to-day makes all effort in the home -more arduous and the less cleaning there is to be done -the better for all concerned.</p> - -<p>Weather strips are not a luxury. They save money -and give comfort by maintaining an equal temperature -and humidity, and by permitting more quiet, less drafts -and a minimum of dust. Finally, the weather strip -is a good investment and, although not intrinsically a -thing of beauty, is a thing of duty and lasts forever.</p> - -<p>But remember weather strips are easy to make—cheap -ones. There are many mushroomic dealers—born -to-day and dead to-morrow. Beware of them and buy -the best.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page302">[302]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXXIV<br /> -<span class="chapname">BEAUTY AND THE BATH</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">P</span><span class="afterlargecap">robably</span> -no development of the home has mirrored -human accomplishment to such an extent as -has the bathroom. We have prided ourselves on our sanitary -bathrooms; on the devices for comfort and idyllic -perfection in this, the smallest, yet the most important -room in the home. We have developed it to such a point -that in new homes everyone has a bathroom to himself -with comfortable additions to fit the individual -whim.</p> - -<p>For a few decades this room has been a replica of -hospital efficiency and that has sufficed. But to-day, -the artist in home-making is bringing the bath room -back to the luxury and ease seen in the boudoirs of ancient -days, the days from which we take our beautiful -drawing rooms, chambers and general schemes of decoration.</p> - -<p>This reversion toward bathroom luxury has come -about because the ordinary bathroom has been too cold. -It lacked warmth, well-being and coziness. Then, too, -bathrooms are always the smallest rooms in the home, -and for that reason can be more easily dressed in glorious -sheen and kept in harmony with the color scheme -and general plan of the home.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">A French Bath</span></h3> - -<p>A few years ago no one would have thought of having -wood panels in the bathroom—we proudly felt that<span class="pagenum" id="Page303">[303]</span> -we had gone beyond that stage. Yet to-day in the -elaborate combined dressing-bathrooms we find white -wood panels giving a feeling of warmth, together with -almost as rich an effect as when marble itself is used.</p> - -<p>The French bathroom in one great house is as carefully -designed as any room in the house, even more so, -for there both utility and beauty are achieved together. -Take, for example, the closet seat which looks like a -comfortable chair with cane back and seat. The seat -of course, is hinged to raise up and down. Here an -ugly necessity is beautifully camouflaged to fit in with -the entire scheme of the dressing room, and it gives no -jar to the inhabitant who must, forsooth, spend many -hours of careful toilet making in this superb room. The -fixtures here are gold of lovely design, the woodwork in -keeping. The floor is of large tile and spread with rugs -to add warmth and the room is lit, not only by the -regular bathroom fixtures, but also by a crystal center -chandelier.</p> - -<p>Some bathrooms even have a corner for the bathtub -which transforms it into a chaise longue.</p> - -<p>In modern bathrooms in luxurious homes we have a -reincarnation of the art of Benvenuto Cellini in the -gold wrought metal work. This is made to harmonize -with the general style of the room in which it is placed, -and, though expensive, it is easy to take care of. Besides, -when you are really making a bathroom, what does -it matter if it goes into the thousands when other rooms -go into tens of thousands?</p> - -<p>Usually only one or two bathrooms—the master’s and -the mistress’s—reach this height of gorgeousness. The -others, however, conform pretty well to the highly convenient -and thoroughly delightful rooms in the rest of -the house.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page304">[304]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Equipment</span></h3> - -<p>An interesting development, too, is the shape of the -bathroom—the departure from the rectangular. Sometimes -it is octagonal, with a radiating tiled floor and the -various functioning fixtures in the far sectors. One -room which we have investigated has in one corner a -sunken marble tub and in the center the radiator. The -gold work in this room is beautiful, but practical, of a -design that takes plumbing into the arts.</p> - -<p>The thoroughly equipped woman’s bathroom must -have the usual tub, showers, lavatory, watercloset seat, -a closet or two in the walls, a table, towel rack, brackets -for soap and sponge, hooks for hanging things, scales, -rugs, a chair or stool, toilet paper receptacle, mirrors -and tiling for floors and wall.</p> - -<p>In the men’s bathrooms is added the bidet, sometimes -a shaving chair and other shaving necessities such as a -special lamp for fine work. To both these rooms can be -added various things, more or less necessary according -to different people’s taste, such as the sitz bath, which -is luxurious for bathing the feet after a hard walk or -a game of golf.</p> - -<p>This article in no way intends to be a plumbing article. -All it means to do is tell you what there is new in -the development of the bathroom and leave the choice -to you. See <a href="#Page136">Chapter XV</a> on plumbing where we have -taken up the necessities of plumbing fixtures. All you -need to remember here is to buy your fixtures at the best -possible shop and then get the best plumber obtainable -to install them. The installation of all good plumbing -work should be in the beginning, in the plans of the -architect, for it is difficult and quite complicated to put -in plumbing installation after the house is well advanced. -There is nothing quite so important to the<span class="pagenum" id="Page305">[305]</span> -successful builder as the early consideration of pipe requirements. -The plumber is equipped with the sanitary -code, which, of course, the architect knows too, and any -householder can get one to read and digest. However, -with a licensed plumber, a good architect and a faithful -builder, this is unnecessary.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Bathtub</span></h3> - -<p>The most interesting fixture in the bathroom, to -Americans and Britons, at least, is the bathtub. Aside -from the kitchen stove, this is the nucleus about which -our content is generated.</p> - -<p>Civilization has been kind enough to leave us two -generally used types of bathtubs—the solid porcelain -and the enamel over iron (enamel lined or porcelain -over iron) tub. The tin tub has gone out, the glass tub -is too perilous, and the porcelain or porcelain lined -proves about the most satisfactory when we can’t have -marble or old Italian basins for our bathing.</p> - -<p>Recent advances in methods of manufacture and design -have made the choice between solid porcelain or -enamel iron baths a matter of personal liking as influenced -by their fitness for positions assigned to them -in a room. On account of the losses sustained for the -manufacture of clay products, selected grades of porcelain -baths are of necessity higher in cost than the porcelain -lined or enameled iron. The porcelain bath is fine in -appearance, but it is not reasonable to expect the same -perfection in shape and uniformity of glaze. This is -due to the difference in methods of manufacture, and -allowance should be made for the irregularities occasioned -by the baking of glazed clay products. In the -past when English porcelain baths were being imported -it was perhaps considered distinction to have a solid -porcelain bath. With the present extensive manufacture<span class="pagenum" id="Page306">[306]</span> -of these products in this country, this condition has, -of course, changed. The porcelain lined bath is preferred -by some on account of its requiring less hot water -to hold the desired temperature. Against this is the -fact that cheap porcelain lined baths should be avoided.</p> - -<p>There are some points in favor of the enameled tub. -It doesn’t absorb so much heat from the water; hence a -hot bath can be obtained in it more quickly. It is -lighter in weight, therefore more easy to install in frame -houses and its plumbing is easier to handle. Furthermore, -greater uniformity can be had in its construction.</p> - -<p>In the tub which is built into the wall, there is a -tendency to neglect proper piping conditions. When -installing a solid tub, it is necessary to build a bulkhead -in back of the tub so as to take care of the -waste pipe which should be available to the plumber as -it often needs a new washer. Or it must be built against -a closet wall so that the pipes are easy to get at, or -against a hall wall or some stable place.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Valves</span></h3> - -<p>There are myriads of styles of faucets, vents and outlets -used to-day in tubs.</p> - -<p>It was at first thought advisable to have the inlet as -near the floor of the tub as possible in order to make -the pour of the water practically soundless after the first -inch or two came in. This is about the only advantage -of this arrangement. It is far better to have the inlet -higher up, either on top of the wall of the tub, or even -in the wall above the tub. If it is in the wall of the -room it is impossible to hit your back while bathing; and -you may have a shampoo nozzle attached; or draw water -from it whether you are in the tub or not, and when -necessary, fill a pail or dish. There is more noise when -the water is running into the tub, but what of it? If you<span class="pagenum" id="Page307">[307]</span> -have a good door on your room, that will silence the -sound.</p> - -<p>With the low inlet, there is a remote danger of drawing -in through the pipe dirty water from the apartment -above if some one is bathing in the tub which is a twin to -yours. It is quite possible for this to happen unless -the plumbing system is very well contrived.</p> - -<p>You can have a hot water and a cold water faucet or -one faucet from which both hot and cold come. This -is a matter of taste. More often there are two, but many -people like one, so that there can be a mixture of water, -giving a comfortable temperature.</p> - -<p>Tubs, of necessity, have to be placed in many ways. -When in recesses or in a corner, the valves, etc. can be -placed at one end. When against a wall, the piping -can be placed above the bath in the wall. This method -often lends a luxurious air to a room and has been utilized -in the most elaborate ones.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Shower Bath</span></h3> - -<p>Nearly every modern bath has a shower of some description.</p> - -<p>The difficulty with the shower is the splashiness of it. -The first protective device was a cloth on a bracket. -This is still used to a great extent, but the ideal arrangement -is to have the shower in a closet designed for it, -opening into the room. This closet may be of glass, -marble, or tile, with a cloth curtain or a door to match -the material of which the section is built. The door -should be as small as possible. Twenty inches is quite -large enough. The smaller the opening, the less chance -for the escape of water. Besides, a large door is a -nuisance to clean.</p> - -<p>When the compartment is used there can be, besides -the ordinary head bath, a needle bath. This may consist<span class="pagenum" id="Page308">[308]</span> -of from eight to twelve nozzles pointing in from the -four corners of the compartment, or it may be a series -of apertures in metal pipes hung around the inside of -the compartment. When the separate compartment for -the shower is not desired, you may find a substitute for -the sheet in the arrangement seen in the Warburg bathroom—plate -glass leaves. The glass sheets are practical -and not cumbersome. Nevertheless, they involve more -cleaning, and in the average home this must be considered -to-day.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Mixing the Water</span></h3> - -<p>There are various propositions on the market to mix -the water in the shower so that it can not scald the -bather. One manufacturer offers a little toe pipe, with -which to test the temperature of the water before starting -the bath. These things are more or less desirable -and dependable but are not at all necessary.</p> - -<p>It is best to have the valves at the entrance as you -walk into the shower, so that your arm may not be under -the flow when it begins. If the piping is well done and -the valves work, the mixture of hot and cold water can -be tempered sufficiently to be safe and comfortable. -Here, as well as in every other department of purchasing, -you are told a lot of things, and if inexperienced, -you may be horribly taken in, and led to buy a lot of -unnecessary things, which though good in themselves, -are quite dispensable.</p> - -<p>The shower bath compartment must, of course, be -large enough to permit the bather to stand inside without -having to be all the time under the shower. This -is an important point. Glass doors are not necessary -either for a tiled or for a marble compartment. A light -weight curtain is good, with the smallest possible entrance. -This obviates the cleaning of the door.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page309">[309]</span></p> - -<p>Tiled floors and floors of honed marble are better for -shower receptors than are the porcelain ones. They fit -into the building problem better, can be made in any -size and are less slippery. Be very careful in selecting -the plumber who puts in your shower, because unless -the drain and curb are absolutely right you will be exposed -to the danger of flooding the room and the partitions -of the house.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Lavatories and Tables</span></h3> - -<p>The styles of these are legion. The sizes are so well -standardized that unless one wants them made according -to some bizarre pattern it is not necessary to give dimensions. -The usual length is about 33″. This is -ample and graceful. The 54″ takes more space than -most bathrooms can give up to the lavatory, and makes -quite unnecessary bulk. The 33″ lavatory—and any -smaller size—can be made of vitrified china, which is -handsomer and less absorbent than the solid porcelain -lavatory. The vitrified china is fired, and therefore it -is difficult to make in large pieces.</p> - -<p>Lavatories may be made for corners, or straight walls. -They may have two legs, or a center pedestal or four -legs, or they may be simply hung on brackets. Two -legs, however, is the usual style, although four makes -a very luxurious looking table. The legs can be had in -nickel, glass, brass or in the handsomest types of gold, -with carving or some other kind of design.</p> - -<p>There has been a reversion, too, in the lavatory. The -new style is to make them of imported marble, cut in -one piece. With these the gold leg is suitable, also glass -which looks well and is most satisfactory, and is easy to -clean. Soft American marble is absorptive and stains -easily, so when you use marble, get the imported if -possible. Another point should be noted in buying the<span class="pagenum" id="Page310">[310]</span> -lavatory,—have enough space on it so that it can hold -a glass; otherwise extra cost will accrue from breakage -and ruined nerves.</p> - -<p>In addition to the lavatory, as we have said, is the -bidet, and the dressing table. The latter is sometimes -made of glass on gold, nickel or brass standards, but it -is oftener made of vitrified porcelain on four legs.</p> - -<p>These regal appointments are given to show how some -people live.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Faucets</span></h3> - -<p>The faucets on tubs, lavatories, bidet, shower, etc., -require a great deal of care, since they must be cleaned -so often. Various materials have been used, such as -cut glass, porcelain and nickel, porcelain-like enamel, -brass, silver, gold, etc. For a very rich room, gold and -cut glass, or the gold alone is beautiful. But for most -rooms the porcelain and nickel faucets are the very best -and demand the least care. All-white enamel is not -durable and is hard to take care of properly.</p> - -<p>It is very much better to have one faucet through -which both hot and cold water can flow. The faucet -should have an overhang of at least 1″ from the side -of the lavatory, so that it will be possible to get a glass -under it for filling or your hand under for washing, -thus obviating the necessity of filling a basin every time -you want to rinse your hands. There are fancy faucets -which do not meet these requirements, but avoid them.</p> - -<p>Faucets which only flow when held are a curse and -should only be used in public places where the water -tax is high.</p> - -<p>What you must look out for in the floor tile is that it -be as little slippery as possible. Therefore do not get -a glazed tile. More and more floors are being tiled in -colors, to match the home scheme. Also, the dull tile<span class="pagenum" id="Page311">[311]</span> -obviates the squeak occasioned by the shoes touching -it. This is a minor point, but one worthy of notice.</p> - -<p>Walls can be tiled to any height desired. In the -average room the tile is carried only 4′ 6″ up except at -the point where the shower is installed. There it should -be carried up 7′.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Closet</span></h3> - -<p>The syphon type is, of course, the best obtainable. -Many closets are sold especially from catalog and by -mail, as absolutely silent. Never, if you can help it, -buy anything of this sort from a photograph. No closet -can be absolutely silent. If there is any flow at all, -complete silence would be impossible. A minimum of -noise is the best that can be achieved, and the best -makers have closets of this sort.</p> - -<p>The bowls are generally of porcelain, and the best -ones are of vitrified china (really porcelain), which -is non-absorbent and quite the thing for this use because -of the freedom from discoloration.</p> - -<p>For general use, the less wood around the seat, the -better.</p> - -<p>The tank as a flushing medium is still about the best -thing to use. There are on the market various flush -valve types, some of which operate with a foot button -on the floor or with a hand lever on the right side of the -closet. These may be good in some locations, but -neither the ordinary plumber nor the man in the house -can repair them in an emergency. The piping in the -valve type of flusher requires careful arrangement to -avoid trouble.</p> - -<p>Sometimes it is rather convenient to have the closet -in a doored recess opening into the room and available -from the hall as well. This is especially to the point -when there are few bathrooms in the house.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page312">[312]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Incidental Fittings</span></h3> - -<p>Chairs and stools are usually in white enamel or in -fancy rooms are made to match the general style which -prevails in the decoration.</p> - -<p>The question of closets in the bathroom is entirely -dependent upon individual taste. You can have the -wall and mirror finished type, or the long door regular -closet, or a combination of these, with or without full -length mirror. In some rooms a glass shelved linen -closet is found to be a real convenience.</p> - -<p>The soap racks, etc., have lately become recessed in -walls. This system is not popular, however, because, -although useful and economical for hotel or institutional -use, it adds no charm to the fine bathroom. Rather, -it detracts from its dignity.</p> - -<p>A nice way to have scales in a bathroom is to have -the dial encased in the wall, and the tray on which one -stands, sunk into the floor. This arrangement economizes -space and is very welcome to fastidious people.</p> - -<p>Plan the bathroom of your house early. Talk with -your architect. Insist upon the best and get it. Your -bathroom need consist of very few things, in the last -analysis, and the wisest plan is to get the best. The -cost will be from $250 upwards, for fixtures. However, -it is wisest to buy the best you can afford so that -a replacement cost is obviated. There must be no -skimping of plumbing work, because that would be a -menace to both health and wealth, and the plumbing -costs no more for good material than for bad.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page313">[313]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXXV<br /> -<span class="chapname">THE WINTER OF YOUR CONTENT</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">H</span><span class="afterlargecap">ot</span> -or tempered air is the theme—how the air in -our rooms is kept pleasant in cold weather and not -too hot—this is the duty of the heating plant.</p> - -<p>Furthermore, beyond the duty of the heating plant, -it has been the great civilizing influence in the life of -man. Wherever the heating plant has gone, there has -man been able to regulate his work, play and goings and -comings. In this way health has been better maintained -and more regularly in work, therefore, continuous -endeavor which, of course, spells advance and -civilization.</p> - -<p>Not wishing to deprive heating engineers of their -profession we shall not drag you through tortuous technical -pipes and valves, but simply tell you what you -must demand in a heating installation.—Here, unless -you are properly equipped you will add to the junk -pile in quantity and therefore waste your money by the -wholesale.</p> - -<p>First: you must decide whether you really want <i>hot -air</i> or furnace heating. In this case the furnace heats -the air and it rises through a register in the floor or -wall of your room. According to J. Byers Holbrook, -the distinguished heating engineer, this sort of heating -tarnishes your silver, your bookbindings crack and -your lungs are made either immune to poison or function -in spite of the “rich air” reaching them.</p> - -<p>In this place it is wise to mention the pipeless heating -system which is hot air sent from the furnace to one<span class="pagenum" id="Page314">[314]</span> -central vent or register which is supposed to heat the -whole house. It can be used only for small houses. -It is very cheap in comparison to other systems, but it -is unsafe. (See the safer method further along in this -chapter under “Bungalows.”) It is unsafe; for example: -If there be illness in one room it has to be open -to be heated therefore disease will be spread. Furthermore -rooms that are closed will get no heat, as the door -must be open to receive the hot air.</p> - -<p>Second: there is steam heat. This is an excellent -system well adapted to residences and buildings, hotels, -institutions, business houses, etc.</p> - -<p>Third: Vacuum and Vapor, the steam circulates -through the system at practically atmospheric or greatly -reduced pressure. Vapor heating is used in residences, -vacuum heating is used mostly in large buildings.</p> - -<p>Fourth: Hot Water, which is probably best for your -purposes. And with these deterring and encouraging -words we will launch directly into what you should -know before installing a hot water heating plant.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Heating Engineer</span></h3> - -<p>There is such an “animal” as the heating engineer. -He it is who can tell you to an iota how much heating -surface you have in your home to be heated. He it is -who can subtract and add footage and finally tell you -whether you must heat 4400 feet or 3000 feet. When -you know this, of course, you can more readily order the -boiler which is best adapted to heat such a surface.</p> - -<p>For example, suppose you had a conservatory in one -end of a large room—your heating engineer could tell -you—due to the glass surface—how much more heat was -required for this room, even had you no flowers for -your conservatory. Glass windows in a shop or in any -room add to the heat units required.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page315">[315]</span></p> - -<p>Computing heating area is not easy—because the -shapes of rooms, kinds and varieties and areas of walls -and door openings come into the problem, to say naught -of the badly fitted windows and doors permitting -draughts, etc. So you see the heating and ventilating -engineer has a job that the amateur or even the steam -fitter knows not of. (See <a href="#Page292">Chapter XXXIII</a>).</p> - -<p>Usually the householder isn’t asked about her heating -plant at all. The contractor, architect and builder -fix it all up. But—we don’t hold with this. You have -to live with your heating plant, they do not—and it’s -pretty much on your head that discomfort falls. Were -we building we would be quite intimate with the heating -end of life, in fact take a heated and intensely feverish -interest in it. Therefore, after your plans, etc. -are hatched, call on a heating engineer for a few suggestions, -and then go to your contractor and see from -whom he is to buy your boiler and what type. Then -tell him you require certain things in your boiler which -we have listed “here below” for your winter of content.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Principal of Heating</span></h3> - -<p>Steam heat is, of course, heating by means of circulating -steam through pipes to radiators. This is affected -by a one pipe system sometimes, or a two pipe. The -steam ascending from the boiler in one pipe and condensing -into water falls back into boiler in same pipe. -In the two system arrangement the steam ascends in -one and returns in the other. The one pipe system, -of course, is cheaper but takes skill in setting, as the -pitch of it (the angle) must be perfection. In the radiators -the steam condenses and returns in separate -pipes in the two pipe system.</p> - -<p>Hot water heating is the circulation of hot water -through pipes to radiators. The heated water being<span class="pagenum" id="Page316">[316]</span> -lighter rises and as it cools in giving off kind heat to -you, it falls back again into the boiler where it is again -heated and takes another “rise” and so it circulates -through its system. Therefore, in all heating systems -there are two main divisions: the generation part of -boiler and the circulation part of piping throughout the -house. Both parts must be perfect to insure perfection -of heating. The first part dependent on many factors, -the second on a few more. In the hot water system -an expansion tank is always placed at the top of the -house in order that the overflow can be taken care of.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Boiler Purchase</span></h3> - -<p class="hind02">1. Swiftly speaking—the boiler must make every -pound of coal do its best, it should respond rapidly -to climatic changes, it must be easily fueled, shaken, -regulated, cleaned, free from repairs, rust, leaks -water heat or gas and it must be easily set up in room -for its use. (All good boiler makers send you “coal -information.”)</p> - -<p class="padl2">Economy in fuel and labor.</p> - -<p class="padl2">Save coal yes? But economy in coal means getting -out of every pound the maximum. So when you buy -coal ask what its fuel value is? It ought to be about -12,500 to 14,500 B. T. U.—that is, it takes to raise 100 -pounds of water 1 degree Fahrenheit, 100 British -Thermal units of heat. B. T. U. is the way to -measure heat units as 7 yards of satin is the way you -measure goods for a dress. The best type of boiler -for the home is the sectional, cast-iron type. In this -the water is run through tubes and presents a large -number of surfaces of water to the heat.</p> - -<p class="padl2">You must demand a boiler amply large and of the -best type of tubular—where heating is most rapid, and -direct in order to save fuel, in order too, that all the<span class="pagenum" id="Page317">[317]</span> -heat generated goes to heating the house, not in warming -the flue or chimney.</p> - -<p class="hind02">2. Fuel portion. These must be <i>deep</i> to insure enough -coal at least for 8 hours of heat. So that in the -morning your house will be warm and some coal left -in to be joined in lawful heating to the next supply—leaving -no interim of coolness which wastes the -coal and supplies pneumonia. It takes more coal to -reheat completely than to add heat to a heated mass -of coal.</p> - -<p class="hind02">3. Boiler capacity. Find out how your boiler is rated. -If its capacity only assures you 6 hours of heating; -you must not expect it to do 8 or 10. Only in the best—the -very best makes, do the ratings have much -weight. Experience counts. You can tell approximately. -But buy the boiler you don’t have to force. -For forcing a boiler adds to your coal bill. Your -boiler capacity must be a little <i>beyond</i> what you -actually need. 70 degrees in zero weather is the -standard. A strong “Coal-ition” government is here -necessary!</p> - -<p class="hind02">4. Rapid water heating <span class="nowrap">essential.—</span></p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">Water-ways thin enough to heat water rapidly. -Quality and position of heating surface must not -allow for waste of heat. 65% of heating surface -should be in direct contact with heat, 35% in flue -surface. Response to your dampers will show you if -you have 65% of your heating surface in direct contact -with flame! Go and see the best hot water boiler -in your vicinity—before you buy consult your engineer -and ask about others.</p> - -<p class="hind02">5. Operating must be easy “as pie.” Grates should -be easily pivoted and balanced. Arrangement must -prevent all accidental dumpings of fuel in fire pot. -Coal so used as to not disappear through grate. One<span class="pagenum" id="Page318">[318]</span> -boiler employs a damper rod running to the front -which enables the caretaker to open and close the -smoke damper rapidly when building and this prevents -gas and smoke leakage when door is open. Such -a device as this makes a floor room in a cellar feasible. -The boilers of some companies are so beautifully -contrived and finished that they are no worse than a -talking machine or upright piano in a play room. In -fact better looking!</p> - -<p class="padl2">Feed doors should be wide mouthed enough to put in -easily the various “meal time” supplies.</p> - -<p class="padl2">The ash pits must be big enough to hold ashes away -from the grates.</p> - -<p class="hind02">6. Sectional construction <span class="nowrap">desirable.—</span></p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">These sections make it possible to enlarge a boiler; -(2) to move it into a house built completely without -tearing down the house, and obviates its sitting -around in a house which is being built, a prey to all -sorts of bad treatment; (3) can be taken through any -cellar door; (4) can easily be taken apart.</p> - -<p class="hind02">7. Must be easily <span class="nowrap">cleaned.—</span></p> - -<p class="noindent padl2">All surfaces must be available, fire and flue parts -largely self cleaning. The surfaces can be so made -that soot peels off. Flat surfaces must be easily -reached for quick cleaning, <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub> inch soot deposit will -demand 50% more coal. So get an easily cleaned -boiler or no one will clean it at all!</p> - -<p class="padl2">Boilers should have conveniently placed doors into -which cleaners can have access. If cleaning is easy -it will be done, otherwise it will not. We made this -point too, with refrigerators, etc.</p> - -<p class="hind02">8. All connections must be water tight, steam tight, -gas tight. There should be no packed or gasket joints -made of rubber, asbestos, paper or other washers in<span class="pagenum" id="Page319">[319]</span> -connecting joints, etc. This is very important. Re-packing -should never be necessary with <i>your</i> boiler—the -longer it is used the tighter the sections, etc., and -yet they are easily taken apart at any moment. The -nipples or valves must be easily closed and everlastingly -tight, yet easily opened.</p> - -<p class="hind02">9. The steam boiler for steam heat; the water boiler -for water heating. No straddlers must be used.</p> - -<p class="hind02">10. The best boiler is of cast-iron. It will outlast the -building; will not rust or pit. It is so built as never -to need repair and it doesn’t ever seem to wear out.</p> - -<p class="padl2">This is an investment—other kinds of boilers are -finally permitted to add a value to the junk pile by -rusting, pitting, and other useless decadences.</p> - -<p class="hind02">11. No danger in a boiler where the fire chamber is entirely -surrounded by water and steam surfaces; and -when the boiler stands low and therefore well away -from the joists and woodwork. Boilers are generally -tested for 80 pounds pressure, but to operate them 2 -pounds ought to be enough, though 1 to 5 is the usual -bill-of-fare.</p> - -<p class="padl2">Steam boilers should have a relief valve—when -pressure builds up to 10 or 11 pounds.</p> - -<p class="hind02">12. Should be few outside fixings—should be able to -be installed without digging a pit. This, by the way, -would be a good way of starting your chat with the -regal contractor, “I want a simple, fine boiler, for -which no pits must be dug, or brick enclosures.” The -best boilers only require a brick base, for obvious -reasons. There should be no alterations of building -necessary, because the sectional boiler like the sectional -bookcase is made to fit in anywhere. Asbestos -covering of boiler often prevents waste of heat -in the cellar.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page320">[320]</span></p> - -<p class="hind02">13. Thermostatic valves come with some boilers to cut -off automatically and “set on” heat. This conserves -fuel. (See section on <a href="#Ref5">heat control</a>.)</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Piping</span></h3> - -<p>The piping from boilers to radiators has to be done -carefully. The best steam fitter is none too good. The -grade or pitch of the pipes etc., the area of surface, -the diameter <i>et al</i> must be adapted to area to be heated -and to the system employed—all of course, is too technical -for your needs here. Only you must require care -to be used here and let your contractor know you’re -“on.”</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Gas Boiler</span></h3> - -<p>In this boiler you get maximum comfort and maximum -heat. No coal, no ashes, no bother, little cash. -But this must be from the best makers. It is usually -more costly to operate—but—!</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Water Backs</span></h3> - -<p>Boiler makers in outstanding manufacturers make -excellent water heaters in which water for laundry -etc. is heated by heat which would otherwise be unused.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Radiators</span></h3> - -<p>Radiators are the translators! They are like the -English writers who translate the Russian novel. The -radiator alone tells us whether our hot water in the -boiler is being translated into heat for our comfort.</p> - -<p>They are either curses or benefits! But they are -usually the eye-sore of the home.</p> - -<p>In short they are a series of tubing which present<span class="pagenum" id="Page321">[321]</span> -a maximum of heat radiator surface. They have valves, -for controlling the heat.</p> - -<p>If you buy the right valves, your radiators will not -leak, water-hammer or bang, or flood.</p> - -<p>An air valve must let out the <i>air</i> to permit the steam -or water to fill the pipes. If it doesn’t do this, it is -of no use. Varying steam pressure, flooded radiators, -forced firing of boiler (which you must avoid by having -a boiler with large enough capacity) are overcome with -correct valves. The right valve saves fuel, because -unnecessary amount of pressure is not needed to force -out air, the right valve copes with dirt and dust, prevents -floods, requires no adjustment. Air and steam -units cannot mix, the valve releases the air. The valves -must be all metal five years guarantee, and no adjustment -necessary.</p> - -<p>The radiator which is recessed in the wall has the -advantage of being less visible, but unless you employ -heat reflectors you will lose a lot of heat—and even -with them you lose some.</p> - -<p>Some manufacturers are doing their super-level best -to build radiators which are lovely to the eye. But, -again like the upright piano, they can be made but -comparatively beautiful. Gratings can veil them but -are gratings lovely? Then too, there is a loss of heat.</p> - -<p>One radiator company has good-looking radiators -which are very successful. Their series of columns -make them able to resist high internal pressure. The -internal area of the tubes in relation to the heating surface -has been reduced to <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub> of that run in general use. -This not only greatly increases the pressure resistance -but in reducing the internal area, the water or steam -contents are likewise reduced.</p> - -<p>There is on the market a covering for radiators which -is very satisfactory.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page322">[322]</span></p> - -<p>There is more heating surface in this type too.</p> - -<p>The water content is <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> the content of other radiators. -This means quick and positive venting for steam, vapor, -or hot water installations and provides rapid circulation, -causes radiator to heat up more rapidly.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Air Vent (Steam heating)</span></h3> - -<p>The air vent on each main, allows the air to escape -so that the heat arrives more rapidly to radiator. This -of course, saves fuel.</p> - -<h3 id="Ref5"><span class="smcap">Heat Controls</span></h3> - -<p>To take the heating of your home out of the area of -dreams and out of the expensive realm of “feeling,” -some sort of heat regulating device is recommended. -It is foolish to say “Do you think it is warm enough?” -to a group in the room. For no two will think alike!</p> - -<p>Apart from this, the perfect thermostat not only tells -you at what temperature is your house, not only keeps -the house evenly heated, but in doing this saves you -fuel, expense, illness and what not.</p> - -<p>By simple mechanical means the thermostat opens -and closes the door of the furnace as the heat needs -to be lowered or increased. In this way if less heat is -required, the door closes, and less coal is used etc.</p> - -<p>Thereby another simple yet ingenious device. The -thermostat can be set to do these things at any <i>time</i> you -wish it to be done. If you want the damper opened at -7 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, so it will be done—and you don’t need to go in -your pajamas boiler-ward!</p> - -<p>There are two or three excellent thermostats on the -market and many not so good. Be sure you consult -before investing. The best thermostats have no corroding,<span class="pagenum" id="Page323">[323]</span> -or wearing parts, look well and prove themselves -thoroughbreds.</p> - -<p>The thermostat prevents cooling off of the boiler -which means starting a fire over again—which means -wasted fuel. All means must be taken against such -waste. Much coal is lost in uneven combustion, some -coal being entirely wasted. The thermostat prevents -this, by ordering a steady, definite consumption of coal.</p> - -<p>It takes far less coal to heat hot or tempered return -water than to heat cold—the thermostat prevents the -cooling down entirely.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Bungalow Owner</span></h3> - -<p>There is now on the market a hot water boiler which -is compact and good-looking which if put into a cellarless -house heats it with the efficiency of the subterranean -boiler! This is done through pipes and radiators and -with a maximum comfort and a minimum care.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Heat’s Influence</span></h3> - -<p>It is usable in schools, cottages, etc., and bids well to -civilize sections of the world which have starved for -heat and consequently have been stunted in physical -and mental growth. This boiler is the Ford of boilers, -giving unto every man the right to be comfortable -wherever he lives!</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Heating with Oil</span></h3> - -<p>Oil heaters for special rooms are made by the principal -oilstove makers. These give good results but of -course are not comparable to hot water heating, steam -etc., plants.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page324">[324]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Electric Heating</span></h3> - -<p>As yet heating a house by electricity is too expensive -and isn’t done except by small comforting heaters which -heat one room at a time. These are very clean and -efficient and not expensive.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Hot Water Heating</span></h3> - -<p>The problem of heating water is of serious dimensions -for life without hot water to civilized man and woman -is a poor struggle.</p> - -<p>At present there are on the market, distinct from the -usual hot water plant installed in properly built and -equipped houses—many different and efficient heaters -and boilers.</p> - -<p>In houses where there is no hot water central plant -there can be bought for moderate rates an electric heater -which is attached to the faucet in tub or wash basin -or sink and through its system of copper coils over -which the water flows through, you can get hot water -immediately! This needs be but connected to your electric -light circuit—outlet or fixture.</p> - -<p>Then there are large circulation water heaters of -electrical contriving which of course has to be separately -connected—as the (Wattage) heating unit is rated at -about 660 watts! These heaters are of excellent construction, -but in most vicinities as yet—electricity is too -expensive to use thus. This is controlled from any place -in the house, so you need not go down in cellar to start a -hot water “anything!” In the best of these it is possible -to turn on more heat or less from original source by -the use of multiple heat switches.</p> - -<p>All conductors must be insulated, these heaters should -be easily installed. There is possible here hot water -without ashes, gas fumes, fire risks—and desired temperature -at will! It is a fine hurry device for the -sometimes opened country house. In winter it is a boon.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page325">[325]</span></p> - -<div class="container w30em"> - -<img src="images/illo363.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of National Electric Water Heater Corp.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">A METHOD OF HEATING WATER BY MEANS OF A FAUCET -ATTACHMENT</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page326">[326-<br />327]</span><a id="Page327"></a></p> - -<p>Then of course there are the little electric emersion -heaters. This is a heating unit which is dropped into -the water basin, pitcher, tea-pot or what not and attached -to electric light bulb very quickly heats your -water.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Gas</span></h3> - -<p>The gas heater up to date has been most reliable and -efficient.</p> - -<p>There are many good gas heaters too on the market, -which when you turn on the water start the fire! These -are rapid and have given very good results.</p> - -<p>There are many “boiler” heated water schemes—the -water backs on gas and coal stoves etc. Then too a -very efficient method is using the heat (over) not used in -the sectional boiler for heating the house. This is -effectively used in auxiliary boilers for heating hot -water. Some firms are rightly proud of this contrivance -as it is inexpensive, ample and convenient.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page328">[328]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXXVI<br /> -<span class="chapname">OUTLETS SAVE YOUR INCOME</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">L</span><span class="afterlargecap">et</span> -there be light and there was none—is the -verdict of many an estimator who goes over a home -after it is built and sees the occupants laboring to read, -sew, game or cook according to their separate desires.</p> - -<p>And so to take the “bull by the horns” and begin with -the practical first—one of the best ways to get proper -lighting is to have sufficient outlets for electricity, portable -lamps with oil and enumerable fixtures with gas.</p> - -<p>This will deal specifically with electric light, yet the -general principals will apply to all other lighting.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Lighting</span></h3> - -<p>Good lighting can mean good health. Eye strain is -often the cause of depleted systems, indigestion and -things that lead to other calamities. Many a doctor -would better analyze a home to see what could afflict the -sufferer than analyze the patient!</p> - -<p>Flickering lights strain the eye, because it cannot -adapt itself to the rapid variations in intensity. So the -flickering light must go. Lights that are too bright -hurt the eye, lights that are dim cause strain, all in -turn having disastrous effect on sight and on health—these -too must perish.</p> - -<p>The best sort of lighting, of course, is the diffused -light which without glare is sufficient for reading, etc. -Here, though, the distribution may be so imperfect that -the glow is dispiriting and consequently a light softener<span class="pagenum" id="Page329">[329]</span> -in the guise of a lamp shade or frosted dulled glass -helps the situation.</p> - -<p>The indirect lighting system, is popular to-day. -When buying this type you must be sure to get them as -dust and bug proof as possible. The simpler they are -the easier to keep clean, of course.</p> - -<p>Money can be saved by having outlets at frequent intervals, -so that lamps can be attached at the point -needed, rather than having to light many lamps at various -ridiculous places in a room as contributory lights.</p> - -<p>Fixtures which have lights set obliquely in them are -hard on the eyes, lights are not meant to shoot light in -your face but to supply aid quickly and politely to the -eye. Fixtures should have their globes, in the perpendicular.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Height of Lights</span></h3> - -<p>Lights should be high enough only to cast a direct -light on the subject in hand. The reading lamp must -help the reader, not impede him. Try over and over -again until it is placed correctly. The shade should -be such that it not only directs and diffuses the light, -but softens and subdues and makes it a pleasant thing to -the eye.</p> - -<p>Very often dim lights can be magnified by a reflector. -Never, though, can a reflector actually increase the light, -that is to say, the reflector doesn’t increase the electric -power or size of lamps but simply reflecting more than -absorbing, the light gives you its fuller value.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Reflection</span></h3> - -<p>You are probably aware that certain colors absorb -or reflect in varying degrees. Usually in the papering -of rooms no account is taken at all of this perfectly<span class="pagenum" id="Page330">[330]</span> -honest color vagary. Consequently, a dark room is often -somberly decked in deep chocolate paper and therefore -you get something like 4% reflection whereas in that -room white would reflect about 70% and a wall yellow -painted would reflect about 62%, thereby saving the -necessity of just that much more lighting.</p> - -<p>Green reflects about 18%, blue 12%, so you can see -here what to do with certain rooms that should be dimmer -or brighter.</p> - -<p>In the same way shades of globes enhance or detract -in reflection capacity.</p> - -<p>Clear glass absorbs about 5-12% of light and cobalt -blue about 95%, so here you see if you have a lamp -absorbing 95% of light—that you will need more lamps -than one absorbing but 5%! Think on these things.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Light Measurements</span></h3> - -<p>The foot candle is the unit of light measurement. A -standard candle has been decided upon and all lighting -calculated on this basis. We say we have 16 candle -power lamp that it means it gives light of 16 of these -standard candles. From a 60 watt lamp the candle -power obtained from a tungsten is 56 candle power. A -saving in money is had if the tungsten though more -expensive is used.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Cost of Light, Electric</span></h3> - -<p>The amount of electricity taken by a lamp is measured -in <span class="nowrap">watts—</span></p> - -<div class="formulae"> - -<p>Watts ÷ 1000 equals Kilowatts<br /> -Kilowatts × hours equals Kilowatt hours<br /> -Kilowatt hours × rate equals cost.</p> - -</div><!--formulae--> - -<p>(See <a href="#Page1">Chapter I</a> on Electricity.)</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page331">[331]</span></p> - -<p>Economy is quite possible here as in burning oil or -any thing else. If your lights are well placed, you need -less light, if they have not too absorbent globes you will -also need to use less light, if you have proper wall tints, -etc. You often need fewer lamps. One good lamp in the -right place saves two or three wrongly placed.</p> - -<p>The Tungsten filaments burn brighter and more -cheaply than the old filament of carbon. There is -a saving of electricity somewhere around 50% in the use -of new filament.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Incandescent Light</span></h3> - -<p>That brings us to the story of the incandescent <span class="nowrap">lamp—</span></p> - -<p>Incandescent means to glow with heat—In short the -incandescent light is one which employs a globe in which -the air has been exhausted and in which a vacuum exists. -Before the air has been exhausted a filament of metal -has been affixed through which the current of electricity -is passed. In the resistance of this current the -filament glows and gives the light that you use.</p> - -<p>Don’t take any lamp you can get. Ask for the -number of candle power or watts you want. The lamps -to-day are more popularly sold according to watts -rather than candle power.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Indirect and Direct Lighting</span></h3> - -<p>Of course there is a loss every time the light is reflected -through a diffusing medium. In correct direct -lighting most of the light is only reflected once before -using point. In indirect lighting it has one more reflection -(at ceiling) causing a loss hardly much less than -25% and maybe more. The diffusing bowls throw a -large part of the light—in semi-direct lighting—where -there is a similar loss and the part of the light which goes<span class="pagenum" id="Page332">[332]</span> -through the bowl is considerably reduced by absorption. -Naturally direct lighting is most efficient. Yet lighting -is a matter of diffusion of light and often the indirect -system gives not only more joy but better illumination -with no greater consumption of power than -direct lighting.</p> - -<p>Avoid shallow reflectors not covering filament (or -mantle in gas lamps).</p> - -<p>The plain electric glass shades through which the -source of light is plainly seen are practically nil. They -absorb more light than a good reflector and do no good—unless -to look a wee bit better than a bare lamp. -Ground glass is a better thing but poor enough.</p> - -<p>Colored shades do absorb light but they are decorative—a -combination of white reflectors and colored -shades is often a good trick.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Special Room Service</span></h3> - -<p>In lighting rooms remember their special needs. It -is very unpleasant to have a light unshielded by a shade -of some sort as the eye rebels against the sharp concentration -of light.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Dining Room Domes</span></h3> - -<p>Dining room domes are like mountains of flowers—obstruct -the view and make you hurdle to see a diner -opposite to you. They should be hung high enough not -to become obstructive to the view and low enough not to -throw light in your eyes. If this can’t be done, hang -it high rather than low and cover the opening of the -dome with a material somewhat alike in color to the -dome.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page333">[333]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Bedroom</span></h3> - -<p>Have your fixtures on the side walls and plenty of -them. Yet in some bedrooms, there are often three lights -used when one properly placed would be enough! -Think of the money outlay! A few outlets in convenient -places will make it easy to use the vibrator, electric -pad, shaving stand etc.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Kitchen and Closets</span></h3> - -<p>Over the sink if necessary a small light can be placed. -All dark closets should have an electric light; which -can be switched on from the outside of the closet. It is -a real sanitary measure to say nothing else of the ancient -blind groping in a dark cupboard for these things—which -roll and break in the groping! Blind sport—Electric -lights in all closets are not luxuries now they -are nervous prostration preventives! Light is a detective. -Nothing bad can survive in the light! Dirt -is revealed, bad conditions laid bare—hence the light -works for good! Closets need light, shelves as well -need light to visualize little corner lurkings!</p> - -<p>A good light in the vestibule is often a perfect chaperon -for youth!</p> - -<p>The shaving mug and stand need careful lighting to -prevent discomfort and inadvertent cuts.</p> - -<p>The cellar can be a lonesome spot if not properly -lighted. No one will clean it. A switch upstairs to -light the cellar before going below, with enough other -lights will do much to “sell” the cellar as a usable, cleanable -room.</p> - -<p>Flexible lights for desks are great comforts. There -are countless decorative as well as practical desk lamps -on the market to-day.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page334">[334]</span></p> - -<p>Although the primary object of lighting is to light, yet -the market to-day has any number of fixtures which -seem primarily for artistic purposes. And we must -say that the fixture makers have a long way to go yet in -the sheer beauty field—as have most non-custom made -products.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Architects</span></h3> - -<p>Don’t leave your lighting to your architects. Illuminating -engineers are good but you can even be more illuminating -by knowing your own needs and habits.</p> - -<p>There is no excuse with electricity in not having your -lights where you want them. Buy the right lights to -save your health and eyes.</p> - -<p>Talk to your contractor before the house is “let” -for building. Here is the time to talk outlets!</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">In Finale</span></h3> - -<p class="hind03"> 1. Clean globes mean more light. Don’t think you -don’t have to clean electric lights. You waste money -on electricity with every grain of dust on your globes.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 2. Tired eyes often mean too few lights or light placed -in wrong places.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 3. Remember don’t always blame cook or work for indigestion, -it may be your eyes from bad lighting.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 4. A bare lamp if it must be used should be above the -eye line, always use a shade.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 5. Too much is as bad as too little; both strain the eye.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 6. In low ceilinged rooms use two or three side small -lamps rather than one large one.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 7. Remember ask for the size lamp you want, don’t -just say “I want a lamp.”</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 8. If you don’t understand lamps, go to a library and<span class="pagenum" id="Page335">[335]</span> -read or consult a good electrician, or go through some -one’s home.</p> - -<p class="hind03"> 9. Standard plugs throughout the whole house so that -all connections can be made at any outlet.</p> - -<p class="hind03">10. It is wiser to have more rather than too few outlets.</p> - -<p class="hind03">11. Switches—remember you can have lights so arranged -to snap on and off in the closets by a switch on -the outside. (1) You can have switches (3 and 4 -way switches) that enable you to light the light upstairs -from downstairs and turn it off when you get upstairs -and turn it on again either up or downstairs. -(2) Side wall switches—near doors as you enter; -(3) Another switch to turn on all lights in house at -once in case of danger.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Some Suggested Novelties</span></h3> - -<p>There is a “cute” little thing now to be had to prevent -you bumping your shins on a table when leaving -the room—a light that when you put it out stays lit one -minute after you pull the chain!</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Cord Divider</span></h3> - -<p>There is also a device which connects the long electric -cord so that you can easily lengthen or shorten it -without calling in an electrician.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Tinting</span></h3> - -<p>Lacquers for globes can be bought whereby you can -reduce the glare of the ordinary lamp at will or even -color them to suit.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Principles</span></h3> - -<p>First principle is that diffusion of light is necessary -in order to see the object clearly and pleasantly. (2)<span class="pagenum" id="Page336">[336]</span> -Brightness is to be avoided. No general rule can be -given for number of foot candles—different rooms—whether -dark or light in decoration—need different -treatment. Experiment and experience are the only -arbiters here.</p> - -<p>Some rules: (1) <i>Avoid flickering light</i>—fatigue and -nerves result from flickers. (2) <i>Use shaded lamps.</i> -More diffused light from a large source gives better -light than from a small. (3) <i>Don’t judge the light by -the lamp.</i> The lamp doesn’t give light. The light -which comes directly from the lamp to the eye does no -good and may interfere with the useful light which has -gone from the lamp to the surrounding objects and -thence to the eye.</p> - -<p>(4) <i>Do not face the light.</i> It is well to have the light -from above over the left shoulder. This plan obviates -the shining surfaces of paper, table tops etc. from interfering -with pleasant seeing. In this way too, you do -not see the lamp itself. If you have to shade your -book the light is wrong for <i>you</i>. (5) <i>Avoid brilliant -reflection</i> of the lamp. (No matter how brilliant your -own reflection may be!) Glossy paper in books especially -for children should be “verboten.” (6) <i>Keep -lamp away from your work</i>, your eye likes not to concentrate -on concentrated light. The desk light or factory -light lying “away” rather than “next to” is far -better for worker. A special reading lamp is good but -is often pleasanter when used in connection with a soft -general lighting. (7) <i>Vertical light carrying fixtures</i> -are best—old ones can be bent to carry light vertically.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page337">[337]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXXVII<br /> -<span class="chapname"><span class="smcap">Tin Ware, Rubber and Paper</span></span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">T</span><span class="afterlargecap">in</span> -is one of the oldest metals in the world. The -Ancient Greeks and the Ancient Hebrews made -mention of it frequently.</p> - -<p>Before the advent of the Kingly Aluminum and the -Queenly Enamels, agates, granites etc., tin was used -extensively in the kitchen, but now the cooking utensil -is very rarely tin and rightly so.</p> - -<p>However, tin still remains a good thing for various -things in the home and is well worth employing in -different ways. These ways will interest you to consider.</p> - -<p>However—firstly—all things made of tin to-day are -but steel or iron dip and coated with tin.</p> - -<p>Tin melts at a comparatively low temperature and -is besides affected by acids. That is why baking, stewing, -etc. are not to be done with tin utensils plus -acid food. The dark rings on baked apples cooked in -a tin dish show very plainly what acid and tin do in -combination.</p> - -<p>In buying tin the criterion is its weight. It is only -wise to buy tin ware in the best shops, because small, -but out of the way hardware shops can rarely afford -to keep on hand the best tinware.</p> - -<p>It should, of course, adhere closely to the lines of all -other utensils in that it must be smoothe without rough -globules, without seams, which might catch food or -dust particles to create an aftermath condition difficult -to rectify.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page338">[338]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Cleaning</span></h3> - -<p>Put tin to be cleaned in hot soda, never more than 5 -minutes because the tin will dissolve somewhat, as the -heat and soda meet and though it will disintegrate the -grease it will make the iron or steel base show through. -But with more fine powder like whiting, rinse hot, and -dry while hot. Tin will rust so it is best to dry while -“the tin is hot!”</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Japan</span></h3> - -<p>Among the most useful and jaunty things in tin is the -so-called Japan wear which is but painted tin.</p> - -<p>Bread and cake boxes in different colors, with and -without shelves, sliding doors and in varying fasteners -to suit your fancy. These are light and easier to manage -than the shiny metallic ones and easier to clean out -than the wooden ones.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Cake Cutters</span></h3> - -<p>There is no reason either why you cannot use the less -expensive tin cake cutters in their multitudinous designs. -They are keen cutting and light and very durable.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Galvanized</span></h3> - -<p>Galvanized wear—is usually steel heated to a special -finish of tin. Some of the things in this material are -most useful and necessary—for example, the refrigerator -drain pan, garbage pail and ash can. These are -extra heavy and withstand wear and jouncing.</p> - -<p>For the less elaborate kitchen, the tin muffin pans, -funnels and pie plates are useful yet not as good as other -kitchen wear such as the Aluminum and Enamels.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page339">[339]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Necessities Not Known</span></h3> - -<p>The ideal Christmas tree holder which keeps the tree -fresh for months on account of its simple reservoir for -water is really something well worth knowing about. -It holds the tree very steady and is japanned in a dull -green.</p> - -<p>For country or suburban homes the out-door incinerator, -a perforated tinned container, permits the burning -of rubbish without danger from blowing cinders; of -course, this is not meant to burn fats and animal refuse. -An incinerator (see <a href="#Page119">Chapter XIII</a>) of another -order is necessary for this.</p> - -<p>There is no reason whatever, however, why the copper -bottom wash boilers whose numbers and designs are legion -should not be used. As they are light in weight -and durable.</p> - -<p>The galvanized coal scuttle, flour bin—japanned or -plain heavy tin, is not a pariah even yet.</p> - -<p>If you have the “tin,” it is usual for you to buy -the better metals. Yet there are quite legitimate uses for -tin. There are some householders who have tin ware -left over from the past. To those, however, we can say -don’t let it worry you; as they die out replace them -with better, if you care to, but be loyal to what you have -used if they have served.</p> - -<p>No one recommends tin to-day for cookery when on the -market are ideal cooking utensils, but what we do wish to -convey to you in this chapter is that tin has very legitimate -uses.</p> - -<p>For example spice, sugar, coffee etc. canisters in -white enamel tin, brown, black etc. with gold lines. -These are not as autocratic as the blue and white china -but they will outlast any such delightful and much to -be desired shelf trousseau. A kitchen in white with<span class="pagenum" id="Page340">[340]</span> -white enameled tin containers is a very pretty thing to -contemplate.</p> - -<p>Some of the heavier tin ware is iron or steel dipped in -tin, this, of course, is very resistant and enduring and -not particularly cheap.</p> - -<p>Agates, enamels etc. are merely steel and iron covered -with layers of composition that when dry are made up -to resist cookery onslaught.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Ice-Cream Freezers</span></h3> - -<p>There are two or three very interesting and effective -ice cream freezers made of tin. There is one in fact so -built as to need no turning.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Trays</span></h3> - -<p>Tin trays are invaluable as they come in all sizes -and are exceedingly light. They come plain, japanned -and some decorated—but any one with a sense of paint -and form can make an ordinary tin tray a thing of joy—while -for the most part the tin ware houses execrably -decorate the trays! A word to the wise!</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Rubber</span></h3> - -<p>The rubber wear that is used in kitchens is not extensive -but what is used is indispensable.</p> - -<p>For preserving, of course, the rubber ring to tightly -close certain jars is a necessity and the best is none -too good to buy. Unless you have the best here you are -cheated by breakage.</p> - -<p>Rubber gloves for kitchenette and kitchen use save -and prevent breakage, they also prevent the sink becoming -“holey.” For “holey” sinks are horrible to -contemplate!</p> - -<p>Some people like perforated rubber mats on linoleum<span class="pagenum" id="Page341">[341]</span> -or tiled floors and on kitchen hallways and stairs. -These wear for a long time.</p> - -<p>A few rubber corks to have on hand in the home often -helps you out of a dilemma of temporary corkage.</p> - -<p>Rubber brushes for sink use in combination with tin -are useful and can be well scoured and kept in condition.</p> - -<p>Rubber gloves for kitchenette and kitchen use save -the hands and are worth their weight in radium. If -more women used them, the house work problem would -be less like martyrdom. They preserve the hands, -health as well as beauty, in fact could anything be -“handier?”</p> - -<p>Rubber is used for door steps to preserve the door -surface and to prevent noise. It is also used on the tip -end of legs of tables and chairs to preserve floors and -rugs and to diminish noise.</p> - -<p>This is about the full list of rubber things for the house -except, perhaps, the rubber heel for maids’ and butlers’ -shoes and rubber stoppers for sinks.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Paper</span></h3> - -<p>The uses of paper in the home are not so many.</p> - -<p>Shelving in the pantry or kitchen can be kept in renewed -health with paper, laces of course.</p> - -<p>The bungalow, or motor trip or picnic can be well -supplied with paper and fiber plates.</p> - -<p>Rather would we warn you against paper uses! such -as wrapping up your ice to preserve it, to spoil food, -wrapping up your food stuffs in paper in refrigerator, -greasing muffin pan with paper for which you should -use a brush.</p> - -<p>Sometimes, however, a piece of paper will clean off the -top of the stove very efficiently, yet even here a brush -would be better.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page342">[342]</span></p> - -<p>Clean brown paper to absorb French frys (potato) is -quite indispensable.</p> - -<p>The paper napkin has made its place even in the -homes of wealth.</p> - -<p>Wax paper is a delight to wrap up sandwiches and -keep bread stuffs and cake fresh.</p> - -<p>Paper lining for drawers, of course, is necessary.</p> - -<p>The pretty paper lace doily for under finger bowls, -cake and bread, these are delightfully pretty and save -the linen, the laundress and the laundry list.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Chop Papers</span></h3> - -<p>Paper “golf stockings” for chop bones, poultry legs -etc. are decorative.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Charlotte Russe</span></h3> - -<p>Vegetables and charlotte russe are often, too, served -in the paper cup.</p> - -<p>Which, by the way reminds me that in large kitchens -the paper cup is indispensable.</p> - -<p>In this place it would be well to say that a pad—a -writing pad—should be in every kitchen for multitudinous -listings and memos. No kitchen is a perfect one -that isn’t “padded.” In fact it is a sell if it isn’t!</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page343">[343]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXXVIII<br /> -<span class="chapname"><span class="smcap">Come Out Of The Parlor</span></span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">I</span><span class="afterlargecap">f</span> -I were a cook (of course, being a democrat, I aspire -to no such plutocratic eminence, but were I a cook), -I should want to have for my use a number of culinary -accessories to make life more rosy, more serene and even -more delightful than it naturally must be.</p> - -<p>If I were even a wife, I should welcome gifts that -would make the work I had to do in the kitchen more -saving in time, effort and labor.</p> - -<p>But being neither of these, and therefore, free to roam -through manufactories, laboratories, and shops, I will -suggest from the myriads of fascinating kitchen articles -and appliances some that will make captivating and useful -gifts. When you once have made a present of any of -them you will automatically become entablatured in the -recipient’s memory, and maybe you will be saved the -expense of many a meal!</p> - -<p>If I were that cook—I would hanker after the ice pick -that doesn’t slide—the spring pick (25 to 35 cents). -You just jab it into the ice and slide the handle up and -down, and you waste neither ice, food, nor temper in the -process. It is a gem of comfort.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Small Equipment</span></h3> - -<p>The cream bag, with all the alluring little tubes for -making fascinating designs on the birthday or Christmas -cake, saves the cook time in rigging up paper tubes -for spreading cream and sugar.</p> - -<p>If it were only to obviate the unpatriotic cry against<span class="pagenum" id="Page344">[344]</span> -our thick bread in comparison to the British gossamer -slice, it would ease one’s life to have some one of the -bread slicers on the American market which cost very -little. (About $4.<a id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a>)</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> -All prices here are merely approximate. By the time this -book reaches you the prices will be much lower, we hope!</p></div> - -<p>Nothing saves more energy than the food chopper -(from $2 up), the nut-cracker (from $1 up), the cherry -stoner (75 cents up). These processes of stoning, chopping -and taking out nuts whole are all tedious by hand.</p> - -<p>The coffee mill, too, is a pleasure, the kind that has -the glass top to keep you cognizant of how much work -there is before you. Some of these screw on the wall -and are about $1.35 and upwards. The beef press ($1.50 -to $5) (See <a href="#Page229">Chapter</a> on electric mixing units) for -invalid or baby is also a boon.</p> - -<p>The prices of all these things are very low as prices -go these days. In some of the realms, however, the -prices vary so from day to day that one is afraid to -mention them. But, whatever the prices are, the devices -are worth the cost in helpfulness and service. And, -strange as it may seem, the kitchen denizen, imperial -though she be, rarely dowers herself with the time-saving, -step-saving apparatus.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Scales and Sharpeners</span></h3> - -<p>Kitchen scales, good ones, are really indispensable -to the careful housekeeper. The balance type is the most -accurate and costs from $8 up. Very often you can -test your purchases and if under weight you can scold -the grocer (what fun!) and if over weight—but what’s -the good of dream stuff here? The hanging spring scale -is accurate and costs from $2.50 up. (See <a href="#Page354">Chapter -XL</a> on Measures.)</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page345">[345]</span></p> - -<p>“Oh, for a sharp knife!” A feminine and hopeless -cry often ... but the carborundum knife sharpener -(30 to 50 cents) would obviate the humiliation and let -the lady cut a big swathe with her menfolk—if they -found sharp carving knives set before them. There are -many types of sharpeners on the market. Some of -them, of course, are quite expensive. Buy the best in -this case as in every other case. The best is an investment; -less than the best is an expenditure.</p> - -<p>Nothing can cut down the antagonism between time -and service like vegetable slicers. They slice any vegetable -and cost about $2.50 up. Do you realize what -such a donation could mean? Could any little fluffy-ruffle -pincushion mean so much to anybody, be she cook -or pauper?</p> - -<p>If you want to give something in the realm of a card -for Easter, Christmas or New Year, or some trifle in the -case of another sort of anniversary, why not send some -of the silencers for kitchen chair and table legs at 10 -cents a set? Or the permanent gas lighters for 25 cents. -They are convenient and amusing.</p> - -<p>Owning a rotary fruit parer ($1.50 up) saves energy -and caters to your sense of form, as the fruit can be -served unangular and with little waste, and besides, -the cook’s imperial temper is not stirred.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Table Bells and Griddles</span></h3> - -<p>Table bells of sweet tintinabulation save the nerves. -At any rate there is poetry in such a gift, and one can -spend from $1.50 to any price at all on these romantic -things, as they also come in the precious metals.</p> - -<p>There may be many domiologists with doubts about -cake, bread and mayonnaise mixers, but if you ever -gave any of these articles to a household, you would -go down into history as a benefactor. I wonder often<span class="pagenum" id="Page346">[346]</span> -why so many of us forget that such gifts are really gold -mines.</p> - -<p>No one likes to do unnecessary cleaning and scraping -of utensils, so the aluminum waffle and griddle are -presents of unusual pleasure-giving potentialities. The -prices here are prone to fluctuation but there are always -sizes to be had around $4.50. The electric ones cost -three or four times as much.</p> - -<p>If you would give a regal gift to the Monarch of -Culinaria, the kitchen cabinet is the thing. It is compact -little kitchen “with everything in it but the kitchen -stove,” and fills the need of the worker in the badly -planned and equipped city kitchen and the unplanned -kitchen out of town.</p> - -<p>Although not exclusively a kitchen gift, the vacuum -cleaner cannot be excelled as a present. Once bestowed -you are looked upon as a fairy god-parent. Why not -give one for a wedding present sometime? The fireless -cookers and refrigerators would come under this -classification too, but they vary in price too much to -record here.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Electric Dishwashers and Stoves</span></h3> - -<p>If there be a regent and not a cook in your kitchen, -she will welcome with tired arms the electric dishwasher, -the boon to the woman doing her own work. It costs -about $150. or thereabouts and makes housework a -game rather than drudgery. Haven’t you often heard -the young wife say: “I wouldn’t mind house work at -all if it weren’t for the dishwashing.”</p> - -<p>Then there is the magic—yes, magic—electric stove -family! There isn’t time enough left to tell of some -of their wonder workings. If you gave one of these -(costing about $180), you would be giving at the same -time money, time-to-herself, and the rest cure. Some<span class="pagenum" id="Page347">[347]</span> -of these stoves automatically cook and stop their cooking -while you are out or sleeping, save money because -they make cheap cuts of meat taste like expensive cuts, -act as fireless cookers and refrigerators and ... I -will leave the rest to your investigation.</p> - -<p>Of course, there are the electric laundry appliances, -casseroles, ice-cream freezers which must be turned -and which must not be turned, convenient egg-heaters, -buffers, kitchenette articles, and countless other things -in the line of percolators, etc., which are obvious and -need no mind-jerking from us.</p> - -<p>All these things are gifts of value, tremendous helps -to the cook and ought to be boons to the seeker for something -to give.</p> - -<p>Be elastic! Come out of the parlor and go into the -kitchen for a new field of giving.</p> - -<p>Gifts raise the value of things and the value of culinary -pursuits need raising.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page348">[348]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XXXIX<br /> -<span class="chapname"><span class="smcap">Latest Inventions</span></span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">T</span><span class="afterlargecap">here</span> -may be nothing new under the sun but there -is always something inviting under the roofs of -our manufactories, in these labor, time and energy sparing -days. Not to keep abreast of the news is perhaps -to lose at least a week out of your year in time -and a few tons of actual effort.</p> - -<p>There is an ideal mixer on the market which attacks -and synthesizes a mayonnaise, cream or eggs, mixes -cakes, makes bread of its ingredients, and all in all can -almost be hitched to the stars and change the rotations -of the solar system, extravagantly speaking. It is -modeled on a giant mixer formerly used in hotels and -soda fountains but now adapted to home use. Furthermore, -it is prepared to annihilate meats, nuts and fruits. -It is a complete power unit and worked by electricity.</p> - -<p><i>Multum in parvo</i>—here you have it. A little washing -machine that can be a sweet pal of the portable typewriter—less -its weight, not requiring, though, either -ink or hand labor. This tiny wooden washer is placed -under a water faucet and the weakest stream of water -revolves its little cylinder so that you can wash two or -three shirtwaists and six hankies and seven towels in -one operation while you sit and think how lucky you are. -Fancy this little fairy in a hotel room, in the country, -where the wash ladies are obsolete and your nurse won’t -wash—or where you don’t want to trust your trousseau -to any laundry resident in your rural haunt. And it is<span class="pagenum" id="Page349">[349]</span> -invaluable for the baby’s wash—because the baby is no -respecter of labor and needs much rehabilitation.</p> - -<p>It fits on any wash-stand, is simply made, easily -cleaned <i>très bon marché</i>. So your parlor, bedroom -and bathroom need not be a limitation to your wardrobe’s -perfection.</p> - -<p>How many times have you toasted bread at your morning -meal—the meal at which most of us are poorly adjusted? -How many times have we nearly (?) sworn -because your magic electric toaster only did the trick -on one side of the bread? Now—there has been born a -toaster which, when one side of the toast is done, “turns -the other cheek” (by a pat of one’s finger on a lever) -and in most traditionally ethical fashion, so that you -have self-turned toast, well cooked, waiting for you—disgruntled -or radiant. It’s a nice thought—to have -toast without blackened fingers or disintegrated character.</p> - -<p>Every sick room at some time or another needs, besides -air, a gentle deodorant. In accordance with electricity’s -forward march an electric incense burner can -be bought which though not in the traditional mode is -very much to the manner of to-day.</p> - -<p>Whether this will appeal to our Greenwich Village -friends who espouse with all their modernity archaic -methods, we cannot tell—yet would we suggest this -device whether they be incensed or not.</p> - -<p>Soon there will be on the market a wee electric washette—a -portable six shirtwaist or twelve soxer which -washes clothes and will spare the fare on silk hose or -lingerie. Most city and country dwellings have electricity -and in a few months this vital little machine -will be yours for the paying.</p> - -<p>Bathrooms to-day without the shower would be like -the kiss to the strange maiden who liked it not, were her<span class="pagenum" id="Page350">[350]</span> -lover unmustachioed. In order to have a faultless -shower—for they are often built haphazardly so that -they leak, spatter, burn and scatter—a standardized -shower has been put on the market which, when ordered -by the architect, can be put into any bathroom. It can -be in curved or square design and in almost any size. -After installation it can be finished in paint, marble, -tile or in whatever uniform your bathroom mobilized. -The fixtures are the most modern, completely covering -the bather with sprays enticing and affording thorough -refreshment.</p> - -<p>Practically speaking, the electric washing machine in -which boiling water is put is a perfect instrument. -Yet we can see some instances where the self-gas-heated -electric washer might be a great convenience if the -clothes are not permitted to have the dirt boiled in and -the gas jets left burning beneath them. To-day, to -meet the demand of a self-heating washer, there are a -few being put on the market.</p> - -<p>Along the line of washing machines is a “filler” -which acts promptly and swiftly so that the washing -machine is filled and emptied of water with a minimum -effort. There are two or three of these assistants on -the market—two of which are good but one of which -we think better. They can be tried before purchasing.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Electrified Tables</span></h3> - -<p>Furniture is furniture. That seems rational—it has -beauty but not life. Yet in the Middle Edison Period -in which we live, furniture arterially supplied with -electric current has come to pass. Table tipping has -gone out, but electrified tea tables have come in. There -is no limit to what the electrified tea table might not -be, or might not contain. Tea, toast, lectures or -music fill its usual shallow depths. But now a veritable<span class="pagenum" id="Page351">[351]</span> -companion to man—not only a pal but an advisor. -Yet you must be careful lest the amiable invention ousts -the charm of tea itself. But all new inventions when -they seem the most perilous are the most useful. Think -of the charms of the electrified toilet table—shaving-water -hot, curling irons ready, lights in perfect range. -It is beyond imagination lovely. Then think of the electrified -bed! It is too—Enough!</p> - -<p>Overlooking the fact that an ironing board and iron -are prohibited in many hotels, they seem to arrive in -other guises. A folding contraption delightfully like a -little box has been made and charmingly cretonned, -which is itself the telescopic board and inside of whose -folds repose the leveling iron, electric connections, etc.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Sleeping Accomodations</span></h3> - -<p>Gunpowder can be made out of the air, but that -isn’t what we are looking for—after all it’s a constructive -use we give it—breathing and health. Of late, -people are longing for health—see the new religious -sects. So the home longs for it, and devices are continually -being made to give the home more air and -better. An automatic device to make rooms breathe is -now a practical thing. It looks like a little box of -copper wire on one side, open on the other and fitted -with little shutters so that the warm air escapes and -the cool fresh air is imprisoned in the room. It is -put on outside the window sash and without draft -you breathe clean, fresh morning air.</p> - -<p>You can always supply a bed to the new-comer, or -make your living room into a more livable and sleeping -one by the use of the new beds housed behind a small -door in the wall which swing easily to position at night. -The small door can be near the porch, so the sleeping -porch by day can be free of bedding and be an upper<span class="pagenum" id="Page352">[352]</span> -porch only. Furthermore, if the door be placed rightly, -the bed can be swung to the porch or to the room. -Rainy nights or cyclonic you could sleep indoors. It is -not a folding bed with that device’s many drawbacks. -Of course this is more practically installed when the -house is built, yet it can successfully be put in afterward. -Its makers also offer a concealed ironing board—behind -closed doors—which for a limited home is a -comfort.</p> - -<p>Should your home not have enough electric connections -which, of course, it should have—you can now get -electric sockets with two or three plug extensions. -This can double your electric elasticity. For example, -a lamp and an electric piano player can get their nutrition -from one base plug—and you can put two bulbs in -one plug. A makeshift, of course, but it doesn’t look -like one; and if your home was built in the pre-electric -era you can keep up with the times with this device.</p> - -<p>Lamps seem to-day to be one of the newer adjustabilities. -A very useful lamp to fix on the piano to light -the eye of the musical page will be a real convenience -to the home in which the piano has to be in the living -room. The whole room can be dark except for this illumination -of the music pages—the audience can sit in -darkness and have their comfort evolve from the lighted -region. Here is a time when from sitting in darkness, -light, comfort and good deeds may emerge. This lamp -can be had in all wood finishes and can be placed on beds -or chairs if wanted in these ways.</p> - -<p>Not snubbing other devices at all, we must lump a few -suggestions in electric apparatus. For example, the -hair dryers, giving cold and hot air, the violet ray machines, -the vibrator—all three made in convenient size -and light weight. With these three things your boudoir -is much more complete.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page353">[353]</span></p> - -<p>Yesterday, the silence cloth of cloth was all we had to -put under your tablecloth. To-day asbestos in all its -fire impenetrability is to be had in comfortable sheets -for table use—to protect the polished surface in entirety -and enrich the tablecloth. You have known the mats -in asbestos—now you have the table rug.</p> - -<p>Jars of pottery can be rapidly turned into electric -lamps by a new device made to fit down in and raise -above a lamp shade, bulb and complete paraphernalia. -Think of the good uses some old wedding presents can be -put to! This device comes in sizes to fit jars with 3″, 4″, -5″, or 6″ openings at the top.</p> - -<p>Very nearly meeting the constant question: “Do you -know of an instantaneous heater?” comes the electric -water heater which when attached to your faucet gives -instantaneous, exceedingly hot water. It is a small -thing not more than 8″ high and will be a boon of boons -when absolutely perfect.</p> - -<p>During the summer, the attic gets overheated and -makes itself an impossible place for sleeping. This -need not be, as there is a material that comes in sheets to -line the walls and ceiling. For cellars the warmth is -kept in; for attics the heat is kept out. Could there -be anything more simple and adaptable.</p> - -<p>To close this chapter safely we can do no more than -suggest a ready-made fence! It has been on the market -years—for the pastures—but is now being introduced -for the garden use of people who don’t want to -or can’t make a new fence. It is delightful—of rough -hewn wood, 4, 5, or 6 bars, posted and diagonalled. -For a rambling place for roses and vines it has no -equal and to be able to buy fences by the yard for the -yard is veritably both joy and comfort brought to your -very doors.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page354">[354]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XL<br /> -<span class="chapname"><span class="smcap">Measure for Measure</span></span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">“A</span><span class="afterlargecap"> pint’s</span> -a pound the year around,” said a little -old lady dealing out some lead shot, to a young -man gunner, who received a pint of shot for his pound -and went off thinking he had begun his hunt with augury -well imposed! “What’s lighter, a pound of feathers -or a pound of lead?” These two idea rousers never -would have been born were it not for the average ignorance -and negligence of weights and measures in the -average time-bound home. True it is, if we are time-run -we certainly are inaccurately measured and weighed, especially -in our kitchens—where over-doses may injure, -where under-doses and over-doses may ruin recipes!</p> - -<p>There is really no need for this—we have had careful -training in <i>our</i> youth with “tables.” Recall herewith -when absolutely perfect.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Avoirdupois</span></h3> - -<table class="measures" summary="Measures"> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">27</td> -<td class="fracdec">.3</td> -<td class="text">grains</td> -<td class="text">equal</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">dram (dr.)</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">16</td> -<td rowspan="3"> </td> -<td class="text">drams</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">ounce (oz.)</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">16</td> -<td class="text">ounces</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pounds (lb.)</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">100</td> -<td class="text">pounds</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">hundred weight (cwt.)</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Dry Measure</span></h3> - -<table class="measures" summary="Measures"> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">2</td> -<td class="text">pints</td> -<td class="text">equal</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">quart (qt.)</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">8</td> -<td class="text">quarts</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">peck</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">4</td> -<td class="text">pecks</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">bushel</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">105</td> -<td class="text">dry qts.</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">bbl.—vegetables etc.</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page355">[355]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Liquid Measure</span></h3> - -<table class="measures" summary="Measures"> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">4</td> -<td rowspan="3"> </td> -<td class="text">gills</td> -<td class="text">equal</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pint</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">2</td> -<td class="text">pints</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">quart</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">4</td> -<td class="text">quarts</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">gallon</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">31</td> -<td class="fracdec"><sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub></td> -<td class="text">gals.</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">bbl.</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Linear Measure</span></h3> - -<table class="measures" summary="Measures"> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">12</td> -<td rowspan="2"> </td> -<td class="text">inches</td> -<td class="text">equal</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">foot</td> -<td rowspan="3" colspan="3"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">3</td> -<td class="text">feet</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">yard</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">5</td> -<td class="fracdec"><sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub></td> -<td class="text">yards</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">rod</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">320</td> -<td rowspan="3"> </td> -<td class="text">rods</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">mile</td> -<td rowspan="3" class="brace bt br bb"> </td> -<td rowspan="3" class="brace left">-</td> -<td rowspan="3" class="left">not quite indoors but useful to know</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">1760</td> -<td class="text">yards</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">mile</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">5280</td> -<td class="text">feet</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">mile</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Square Measure</span></h3> - -<table class="measures" summary="Measures"> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">144</td> -<td rowspan="2"> </td> -<td class="text">sq.</td> -<td class="text">inches</td> -<td class="text">equal</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">sq.</td> -<td class="text">foot</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">9</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="text">feet</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="text">yard</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">30</td> -<td class="fracdec"><sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub></td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="text">yards</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="text">rod</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">160</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="text">rods</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td colspan="2" class="text">acre</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="blankbefore75">These are the classics over which we of the ancient -régime trembled but which, in the new régime, youth -imbibes in unwitting doses and grows in spite of -itself into engineers and surveyors!</p> - -<p class="blankafter75">Yet for you and me there are still tables that may be -of use and L. Ray Balderston in her <i>Housewifery</i> -has published one which is worthy of <span class="nowrap">quoting:—</span></p> - -<table class="measures" summary="Measures"> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">4</td> -<td rowspan="11"> </td> -<td class="text">saltspoonfuls</td> -<td class="text">equal</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">teaspoonful</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">3</td> -<td class="text">teaspoonfuls</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">tablespoonful</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">16</td> -<td class="text">tablespoonfuls</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">cupful</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">2</td> -<td class="text">gills</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">cupful</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">2</td> -<td class="text">cupfuls</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pint</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">cup</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">8</td> -<td class="text">fluid ounces</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">32</td> -<td class="text">tablespoonfuls</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pound of butter</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">2</td> -<td class="text">cups of butter</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pound of butter</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">4</td> -<td class="text">cups of flour</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pound of flour</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">2</td> -<td class="text">cups of sugar</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pound of sugar<span class="pagenum" id="Page356">[356]</span></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">5</td> -<td class="text">cups of coffee</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pound of coffee</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="fracdec"><sup>7</sup>⁄<sub>8</sub></td> -<td class="text">cups of rice</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pound of rice</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">2</td> -<td class="fracdec"><sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub></td> -<td class="text">cups of oatmeal</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pound of oatmeal</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">2</td> -<td class="fracdec"><sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub></td> -<td class="text">cups of cornmeal</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pound of cornmeal</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<table class="measures" summary="Measures"> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">cup</td> -<td class="text">of</td> -<td class="text">liquid</td> -<td class="text">to</td> -<td class="integer">3</td> -<td class="text">cups</td> -<td class="text">of</td> -<td class="text">flour</td> -<td class="text">equal</td> -<td class="text">a dough</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">2</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="text">thick batter</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">cup</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="text">equals</td> -<td class="text">a thin batter</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<table class="measures" summary="Measures"> - -<tr> -<td colspan="7" class="center">To neutralize</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">2</td> -<td class="text">teaspoonfuls</td> -<td class="text">of</td> -<td class="text">soda</td> -<td class="text">to</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pint of sour milk</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">teaspoonful</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">cup of molasses </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="allnum"><sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub></td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td colspan="4" class="text">cream of tartar and one teaspoonful of soda equal 2 teaspoonfuls of “home brew” baking powder.</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="blankbefore75">But what of all this if we use a tea cup one time, -a coffee cup at another for measuring, a dessert spoon -one time, teaspoon another etc?</p> - -<p>There is but one way to take the guess out of home -cookery and that is have a set of approved scales, dry -and wet measures.</p> - -<p>A salt-spoon <i>is</i> a salt-spoon, even as a rake is a rake -and not a hoe—a teaspoon has a standard size even as -a peck is a peck and a quart is a quart. Those things -have governmental regulation—and you should, of course -profit by them.</p> - -<p>In some communities you can buy weights and -measures sealed with government approval. When -possible this is a good thing. Always find out, however, -before buying whether they have the sanction of -the Standard Bureau in Washington. Or what <i>your</i> -community’s regulation may be.</p> - -<p>Suppose you asked for a yard of ribbon in one shop -and got short measure? You would <i>soon</i> detect it. -Yet daily and hourly you accept a peck of “this” or a -quart of “that” and never measure it when you get -it home.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page357">[357]</span></p> - -<p>Home telephoning for groceries and meats have permitted -more short selling than Wall Street ever dreamed -of!</p> - -<p>Every kitchen should possess the series of spoons—attached -to one pivot. This set includes: salt spoon -(<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub> teaspoon), 1 teaspoon, <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> teaspoon, a metal (aluminum -preferred) measuring cup with designations of -<sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub>, <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub>, <sup>3</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub>, <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>, -<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub>, a glass cup divided into quarter cups -for high convenience.</p> - -<p>The glass graduate with spout, measuring a pint or -a quart divided into easily read divisions is a joy in any -kitchen.</p> - -<p>Then it is easy to have a dry measure such as a quart -wooden container—to measure things as they come from -the grocer.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Scales and Measures</span></h3> - -<p>Scales must be like Cæsar’s wife “above suspicion”—tested -by local authorities for accuracy and worth the -understanding that you will have them officially tested -and “blessed” and sealed by the “Sealer.”</p> - -<p>There are many kinds of scales—avoid the kind which -has a spring under the pan as the spring unless a very -expensive one gets out of order. The hanging pan -spring scale is generally good with per 10 to 20 lbs. capacity. -It registers the weight automatically on the -pan. The folding scale of the steelyard type is fairly -accurate at a reasonable outlay and folds against a wall -and is out of the way if not weigh. The counter beam -or balance scale is most accurate if you have table space -and promise to remember where you put the weights. -It requires care as you have to do the marking by hand -and no dial tells you the story. They are more expensive -but more accurate. For all purposes the scale -should be able to record from 1 lb. to 10 up to 30 lbs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page358">[358]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Liquid Measure</span></h3> - -<p>The quota here can comfortably be: 1 quart measure, -1 pint, and <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> pint—a 4 ounce graduate sub-divided to -1 dram or less. When buying those they should be -cylindrical or conical with top diameter smaller than -bottom diameter. These are purchasable in metal, -enamel ware, etc. Must be made to wear; seamless and -easily cleaned. The markings on these should be clear -enough to avoid the gawky game of “Guess.”</p> - -<p>To avoid error in reading cone-shaped graduate, you -will see that the subdivisions are more at base than at -the top. “A 4 ounce graduate may be subdivided to -<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> dram for each 2 drams, to 1 dram for the next 6 -drams, to 2 drams for the remaining capacity up to 2 -ounces and to 4 drams, or half an ounce for the interval -between 2 and 4 ounces. In filling or reading, it should -be held level and readings made at the <i>main</i> surface of -liquid. Disregard the creeping up of the liquid on -the width of glass.” (This is governmental bulletin -advice.)</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Dry Measure</span></h3> - -<p>Here the quota can be a nest of measures from <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> -bushel to 1 quart. These measures should be of metal -or well varnished wood bound by a metal or some sort -of band on top. Cylindrical here is the best style. If -conical have them with their tops 10% or <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>10</sub> larger -than bottom diameter.</p> - -<p>For your help:</p> - -<table class="measures" summary="Measures"> - -<tr> -<td rowspan="6" class="text">Diameters of</td> -<td class="allnum"><sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub></td> -<td class="text">bushel</td> -<td class="text">should</td> -<td class="text">be</td> -<td class="integer">13</td> -<td class="fracdec"><sup>3</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub></td> -<td class="text">inch</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="allnum">1</td> -<td class="text">peck</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">10</td> -<td class="fracdec"><sup>7</sup>⁄<sub>8</sub></td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="allnum"><sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub></td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">8</td> -<td class="fracdec"><sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub></td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="allnum">2</td> -<td class="text">quarts</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">6</td> -<td class="fracdec"><sup>5</sup>⁄<sub>8</sub></td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="allnum">1</td> -<td class="text">quart</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">5</td> -<td class="fracdec"><sup>3</sup>⁄<sub>8</sub></td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="allnum">1</td> -<td class="text">pint</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">4</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page359">[359]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Length Measure</span></h3> - -<p>How many a step has been wasted looking for a yard -measure, etc. Why not have a measuring corner in the -kitchen and add to it 1 yard measure or a tape 3 to 6 -feet long? Isn’t that easy enough? A yard stick of -course should be of well measured wood plus metallic -ends or all of metal. It is most convenient if sub-divided -not only into feet, inches and fractions, but into -fractions of a yard. The more fractions really the less -fractious will be your measurements.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Preserving etc.</span></h3> - -<p>For testing accurately water densities, hydrometers -are used. If in your community you intend to do a -lot of preserving or candy making, even in your own -home the saccharimeter (a kind of hydrometer) will -take the guess work out of the necessary thickness of a -syrup’s density. This is a short weighted spindle -graduated from 0-70. When placed in water, the spindle -rests on the bottom of the vessel and the reading at -the surface is zero. As the density is increased, the -spindle rises until when the solution is saturated with -sugar at the temperature indicated—the reading is -100. This is an inexpensive one, another type mercury -weighted is more expensive and more accurate. The -vessel must be same depth as saccharimeter. A narrow -vessel is best, so if you are doing much preserving a -250 cubic centimeter glass cylinder or a brass saccharimeter -cup is the “easiest way.” Buy the cylinder -and thermometer with hydrometer. Temperature -affects densities; with the three tools you are sure.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page360">[360]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Thermometers</span></h3> - -<p>Thermometers are useful things, if they are <i>accurate</i> -and as nearly unbreakable as possible. There are a -few good ones on the market.</p> - -<p>We cannot advocate the oven-door thermometer as -there is hardly one which can stand the onslaught of -banging and remain in on its accurate pinnacle!</p> - -<p>Many a good stove and many a bad one have inveigled -purchasers because of their neat little thermometer on -their oven doors. They work all well and good for a -while but you know a thermometer is a “dainty” instrument -and must be kept well to keep well. However, -there are many good thermometers built for pretty -rough use—rough as any good instrument may be -treated, which of course should never <i>be</i> rough.</p> - -<p>The home could really afford the bath thermometer, the -house thermometer, the kitchen and last and least the -clinical thermometer, but the kitchen thermometer takes -the guess work out of ovens’ heat and prevents the -“Fall of Doughs” a catastrophe like unto few in awfulness! -It does away with thrusting one’s hand in an -oven to find out through our uncertain senses how hot -is the oven, and often prevents a well burned finger, -tongue when tasting or whole body when carelessness -creeps in.</p> - -<p>The thermometer is no half measure! It is a real -necessity—it conquers feelings and tells the truth. If -we are slaves to time in this world, why not switch our -allegiance to the thermometer! Then with thermostats -our rooms will be habitable because they have the -right degree of heat, not because <i>one</i> feels it too hot -and another feels it too cool, and too our food will not -be wasted by under cooking or over cooking.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page361">[361]</span></p> - -<p>Buy only the best thermometers—others add girth to -the junk-pile—and here we <i>must</i> practice <i>girth</i> control -with all our vigor. Other thermometers useful at home -are for incubator, deep fat frying, refrigerator, pasteurizing -milk etc.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Some Precautions</span></h3> - -<p>Quantity as well as quality is necessary in household -economy. For this reason, it is well to consider -a few precautions and as there are a few confusing -things in even our “tables” it is best to drive ourselves -up to them like a timid horse is lead to face the -terror that causes him to shy and free himself from -terror.</p> - -<p>The avoirdupois pound is larger than the Troy or -apothecaries’ pound—avoirdupois is 7000 grains and the -latter is 5760. But the troy or apothecaries’ ounce is -larger than the avoirdupois ounce. Troy and apothecaries’ -weight differ in the division of drams, scruples -and grains (apothecaries’).</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Apothecaries’ Weight</span></h3> - -<table class="measures" summary="Measures"> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">20</td> -<td class="text">grains</td> -<td class="text">equal</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">scruple</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">8</td> -<td class="text">scruples</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">dram</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">8</td> -<td class="text">drams</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">ounce</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">12</td> -<td class="text">ounces</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pound</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Troy Weight</span></h3> - -<table class="measures" summary="Measures"> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">24</td> -<td class="text">grains</td> -<td class="text">equal</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pennyweight</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">20</td> -<td class="text">penny wgt.</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">ounce</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="integer">12</td> -<td class="text">ounces</td> -<td class="ditto">“</td> -<td class="integer">1</td> -<td class="text">pound (Troy)</td> -</tr> - -</table> - -<p class="blankbefore75">In purchasing drugs and chemicals for the home, -you may need to know these differences. Avoirdupois -system should be used generally in bulk buying. But -unless stiff regulations exist in your vicinity the apothecary<span class="pagenum" id="Page362">[362]</span> -is prone to sell all by the apothecary system. Troy -weight is used by precious metal purveyors so the house -is little concerned here.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Fluid Ounces—Weight Ounces</span></h3> - -<p>Like the “Pint’s a pound” fable so does “all ounces -look alike to me” prevision disaster! The liquid ounce -and the weight ounce <i>are not the same</i>. [In Great -Britain, however, the fluid ounce of <i>water</i> does weigh -an ounce avoirdupois.]</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Dry and Liquid Quarts and Pints</span></h3> - -<p>Without strict ordinances in your part of the world -pretty confusion exists in the leveling of dry and liquid -dissimilarities. The dry quart is 16% larger than the -liquid—so you see the loss incurred if liquid measure is -used for a dry purchase! When you buy a quart -at the hardware store for home use, you can find out -whether it is dry or liquid by filling it with <i>water</i>. The -dry quart measure should weigh 2 pounds 6<sup>3</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub> ounces, -the liquid quart would hold but 2 pounds 1<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> ounces -of <i>water</i>.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Uncertain Quantities</span></h3> - -<p>The barrel measure is <i>somewhat uncertain</i>—<i>It is -best to find out your state regulations.</i> The barrel -differs according to state law and commodities sometimes. -March 1915 a law was passed by (National) Congress. -This applies to all dry commodities except such -as have been sold by weight or numerical count (flour, -sugar and cement). The standard barrel has a capacity -of 105 dry quarts. The liquid barrel’s capacity is -generally marked on its side.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page363">[363]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Sacks and Bags</span></h3> - -<p>You are prone to “get the sack” here unless you are -careful. There are usually 94 pounds of cement to the -sack and 100 pounds of sugar. In the case of flour the -weights are usually in multiples of a barrel <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>, <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub>, <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>8</sub> etc. -expressed in pounds, but the custom is growing to drop -the <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> pound, <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub> pound, and <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>8</sub> pound, from the weight -of <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>8</sub>, <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>16</sub>, and <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>32</sub> barrel size and make their weights -24, 12 and 6 pounds. (Barrel of flour has 196 pounds.) -Potatoes generally weigh 2<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> bushels to the sack—according -to weight per bushel in your own State.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Heaped Bushel—Bulky Vegetables, Fruits etc.</span></h3> - -<p>In different states the heaped measure is heaped -differently, in some the measure is heapable to the point -where the commodity falls “down and out,” in others -the cone above the measure has certain lawful dimensions—So -find out before you are fooled.</p> - -<p>In buying peas, dried beans etc. be sure they are -measuring your purchase by <i>dry</i> not by liquid measures—or -you will lose 15% of your purchase!</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Baskets</span></h3> - -<p>Basket sizes are just about standardized to 2 quart, -4 quart and 12 quart baskets.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Boxes for Fruits</span></h3> - -<p>A national law says that the standard basket or boxes -or container for small fruits, berries and vegetables shall -be of the following capacities:—Dry half pint, dry -pint, dry quart, or multiples of the dry quart.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page364">[364]</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Cords of Wood</span></h3> - -<p>Practice differs here in large measure—Purchasers -must find out local laws. In most States a cord of wood -is 128 cubic feet—in piles 3 × 8 × 4 foot lengths. The -lengths, however, into which wood is cut in some places is -3, or 2, or 1<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> feet! Measurements are sometimes made -before and sometimes after splitting. The basket in -some states measures fractions of cords, occasionally it -is equal to a heaped bushel, in other states it is more -specifically designated. Look up your laws, here all -your safety lies!</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Containers</span></h3> - -<p>Finally, check up the contents of your containers and -notify the makers; you will help the public and the -manufacturer. Statements of weight are in avoirdupois -terms. Packages of 2 pounds or less are exempt from -marking, and containers below 1 fluid ounce come under -this exemption. Notify the maker if loss exists; it is -a public service.</p> - -<p>Losses often occur from evaporation, leakage, bad -packing, and consequent deterioration before opening. -The manufacturer will be glad to get a notification if he -is of integrity so that he can take steps to correct his -measure. Here is real need for a good scales and measuring -cups.</p> - -<p>The contents of a cylindrical can or paint pail can -be determined:</p> - -<p class="hind26 blankbefore75">Measure circumference with a tape.</p> - -<p class="hind26">Measure height with a tape.</p> - -<p class="hind26">Diameter of can equals <sup>7</sup>⁄<sub>22</sub> of circumference.</p> - -<p class="hind26">Subtract from circumference a slight amount for -thickness of can.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page365">[365]</span></p> - -<p class="hind26">Multiply the result by itself and the product of <sup>11</sup>⁄<sub>14</sub>.</p> - -<p class="hind26">This result should be multiplied by height of can less -proper allowance for inset and thickness of ends.</p> - -<p class="hind26">The result (if you have used inches) will be the cubic -contents (in inches,) it can be reduced to gallons -or fraction of a gallon by dividing by 231.</p> - -<p class="blankbefore75">These precautions are only a few in the course of home -buying. But we hope they will be suggestive.</p> - -<p>Know your state laws.</p> - -<p>No home should be—no matter what its scale—without -a scale, a liquid, as well as a dry set of measure.</p> - -<p>It is wisest to buy and sell by weight as the heaping -systems vary. It is fairest to customer and more comfortable -to merchant. If you and every one insist on -this fashion—it will prevail in the future.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Addition and Recapitulation</span></h3> - -<p>Finally we have added to our familiar weights, measures, -thermometers and scales—the hydrometer for -candy making, preserves etc., the water meter which you -don’t realize is working away in your home, the electric -meter which silently subtracts coin from your -pocket too, the gas meter which is just as financially -obstreperous and if you are inquisitive meteorologically -you may too have a barometer to tell the atmospheric -pressure and presage the weather and the -hygroscope or psychrometer which will measure the -humidity in the air. These things are the measures -which will take the “uncertain” out of your domestic -sailing and be an all encompassing compass for all your -goings, comings, and weighs.</p> - -<p>But above all don’t forget the egg timer—or the clock -for without these two things marriage can be a brittle -thing and homekeeping an anarchy.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page366">[366]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XLI<br /> -<span class="chapname">TAKING THE KITCHEN ALONG</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">I</span><span class="afterlargecap">t</span> -is no longer necessary for motorists to trust to luck -and the roadhouse restaurant for lunch. They can -take their own kitchen along and loiter down the highways -and byways and eat where and when they will. -Manufacturers who have studied the requirements of -motorists provide the neatest imaginable bits of equipment -for use on the road. With them you can be as -comfortable in the Gobi Desert as at home.</p> - -<p>The best known of these pieces is what is called the -“Restaurant,” a ship-shaped glazed duck or sole leather -case equipped with knives, forks, spoons, cups, saucers, -butter jars, sandwich boxes, vacuum bottles, salt and -pepper shakers and napkins, for from two to eight -persons. They can be strapped on the running board -or back rack of the car or slid unobstructively into the -tonneau. They are shaped usually like suit cases, although -one firm makes them in a flat, square shape of -sole leather, black grain leather or glazed duck (patent -leather).</p> - -<p>There is a case of this kind on the market that carries -a cooking apparatus, a long fork and a folding -gasoline cook stove with two burners. This burns ordinary -gasoline, which the motorist always has with him. -There are no loose parts to assemble or become lost. -When it is folded all parts are enclosed easily and rapidly -and the case fastens securely and simply. It can be -bought separately or in combination with the above case.<span class="pagenum" id="Page367">[367]</span> -These cases are built on a basis of bass or some other -strong wood and are practically unbreakable.</p> - -<p>If you prefer a wood fire to the gasoline stove, there -are small grates to be had which aid greatly in the building -of it. These are light in weight and can be carried -easily.</p> - -<p>Long ago the vacuum bottle solved the problem of -carrying cold and hot food. It is made in many shapes, -styles and forms. It insures comfort for the long or -short tour, and if a little care is taken in the handling -there is no danger of breakage.</p> - -<p>The best of these bottles are made of glass well -annealed, insuring elasticity. The outer walls are generally -of steel and relieve the jarring. The inner wall -is also of steel, and between these walls is the vacuum, -impenetrative to heat and cold.</p> - -<p>These jars and bottles hold from one pint to one -gallon, so the range of choice is vast enough for utility. -The stoppers are so made and fitted, plus their caps, to -prevent leakage of wind or advent of outside air, that the -temperature probably never changes more than a few -degrees in twenty-four hours.</p> - -<p>Cases for these bottles in various sizes are made of -leather, duck and wicker. They are convenient and -absolutely necessary to the longevity of the bottle as it is -so adjusted in the casing that it rests and vibrates -enough to ease strain which might overcome the elasticity -of the glass and cause breakage.</p> - -<p>The bottles themselves are finished in leather over -metal or in metal containers, and some come equipped -with handles and also with convenient cups.</p> - -<p>Another invaluable aid in an automobile trip is the -fireless cooker, which makes a hot meal at any time -a reality. Start it before the trip begins and by meal -time you’ll have a real dinner, not a pseudo-feast.<span class="pagenum" id="Page368">[368]</span> -These fireless cookers can be had, so don’t forget them in -planning a trans-desert tour amid sands and dry winds.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Refrigerators</span></h3> - -<p>There are on the market admirable ice-boxes for the -motorist. These come with partitions for ice and partitions -for food. Some have racks in which bottles and -other things are held firmly. The wicker basket lined -with metal is a useful one and has a convenient carrying -handle. It is of the finest workmanship of imported -reed, with hardwood bottom covered with two coats of -mineral paint. The covers are of three-ply basswood -finished in dark forest green. There are straps to fasten -the cover, and the hinges, buckles and nickel-plated fixings -are of perfect workmanship. The lining is nickel-plated -zinc and especially insulated against aggressive, -unwanted, outside air.</p> - -<p>The iceless refrigerator is an ice saving and remarkable -device which “works” on the old evaporation cooling -principle. The two earthenware crocks, which -fasten together, are submerged before filling in clear -water. When kept in a draught or in a moving vehicle -or in a window, the evaporation process cools the food -within. This device saves ice, the cool air doing the -work.</p> - -<p>The other refrigerator boxes are excellent, too, with -their fine installations and vents for melted ice. These -are generally leather covered and zinc lined.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Cooking Outfits</span></h3> - -<p>Campers use cooking outfits that motorists do well to -copy. For example, the cooking outfits made of hard -seamless aluminum, for from two to six persons, include, -in the smallest set, one frying pan, two cooking pots,<span class="pagenum" id="Page369">[369]</span> -one coffee pot, two plates, two cups, two soup bowls, -two knives, two forks, two dessert spoons and two teaspoons, -all nested together in the big cooking pot, and -weighing six pounds six ounces. The outfit measures -9<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>″ × 8<sup>3</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub>″, all wrapped in a canvas case.</p> - -<p>The nest for eight includes: three cooking pots, one E -cooking pot, one large coffee pot, two frying pans, -eight dessert and eight teaspoons. It is only 11″ × 12<sup>7</sup>⁄<sub>8</sub>″ -nested, and weighs 18<sup>3</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub> pounds. It can be attached -in canvas case to rear or side of running board racks, -or carried in the car.</p> - -<p>If aluminum is too expensive, there is always the very -same kit in steel, heavier, of course, but just as compact -in size. All are seamless and best quality.</p> - -<p>There are also pocket kits which weigh about 31 ounces -and measure 2″ × 3<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>8</sub>″ × 8<sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub>″ and include a folding -broiler, racks which thrust into the ground, two frying -pans with detachable handles and which when fitted together -make a perfect roaster. All fold neatly together -and there is room for knives, forks, etc.</p> - -<p>If this list of accessible accessories does not fire your -desire to take to the open road, nothing will.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page370">[370]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XLII<br /> -<span class="chapname"><span class="smcap">The Fire Hazard</span></span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">T</span><span class="afterlargecap">he</span> -chief underlying reasons for fires in civilized -communities are: carelessness, ignorance and panic.</p> - -<p>The immediate causes are: kitchen stove and range -maladjustments; heating stove and furnace pipe lapses; -trouble in chimney flues and pipings; carelessness with -lamps, gas, oily rags, cleaning fluids; soot deposits of -soft coal; spontaneous combustion; bad insulation; -no insulation; cigarettes, etc.; no means to put out -a fire when it starts; and, topping it all hidden electric -diseases cause almost more fires than any other one cause.</p> - -<p>In rural farm communities there are the forest and -brush fires, which we need consider but grudgingly here, -the many fires which catch from roof to roof, and the -fires from the chimney which start one’s own roof afire. -Then there are lightning, incendiary fires by tramps, -kerosene oil lanterns; creosote from the smoke and soot -in wood-burning communities disintegrates the mortar -in the masonry, and as the woodwork comes in contact -with the chimneys, fires are the result. To these are -added the other hazards common to all modern life to-day.</p> - -<p>Farmers or those living out of the range of the fire -department should be more especially equipped against -fire than any other groups. For example, a ladder is a -great necessity, and yet many people who are in isolated -places never spend a little money on a good one that -might save the roof and then the home, to say nothing of -lives.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page371">[371]</span></p> - -<p>Dirty lamps with loose connections cause many a fire -and should be thought about seriously. Wet days on the -farm are great fire makers, for clothes are put near to -the fire, and whoop la!—a very warm fire ensues! Candles, -too, are handled carelessly and should be treated -as inflammable material when they are lit. Most ashes -will spontaneously burn if set away, as the fine bits of -coal and grease adore fire. Lanterns plus hay if not -carefully used are another cause of fire. So carelessness -really is the root of 99% of fires, and yet we indulge -ourselves in this ruthless pleasure.</p> - -<p>Probably the kitchen is one of the best little hatcheries -in the home for fires. Why that is, is easy enough to -see. The chief cause here is negligence and its first -cousin, ignorance.</p> - -<p>Fires are swift followers of these conventions:</p> - -<p>Ignition of wood floors under, or walls back of, stoves; -drying wood in ovens; kindling left over night too near -the stove; clothes hung on backs of chairs too near the -stove or on the clothes horse too near to the stove, -especially if they have been cleaned with gasoline -or other cleaning fluids; thin clothes, flimsy sleeves -catching a flame make delightfully hot and dangerous -fires.</p> - -<p>Fires may be guarded against in these ways:</p> - -<p class="hind02">1. Metal shields projecting at least 6″ at the sides -and back and 12″ in front of ash pans should be -placed under all kitchen stoves standing on wooden -floors.</p> - -<p class="hind02">2. All ranges on wood or combustible floors and -beams that are not supported on legs, and have ash -pans 3″ or more above their base, should be set on -brick foundations.</p> - -<p class="hind02">3. Large ranges, if under combustible ceilings, -should have metal hoods above with a ventilating<span class="pagenum" id="Page372">[372]</span> -pipe passing through to the outer air through a sleeve -or asbestos packing.</p> - -<p class="hind02">4. Wood stud partitions back of ranges standing -12″ or less away should be shielded with metal from -the floor to at least 36″ higher than the ranges.</p> - -<p class="hind02">5. It should be remembered that tin, zinc or sheet-iron -used to protect woodwork from the heat should be so -placed that there will be an air space between it and -the wall.</p> - -<p class="hind02">6. If a metal is against the wood, it only serves to -conceal charring without preventing it. Bear in -mind that bright tin reflects more heat than sheet -iron.</p> - -<p class="hind02">7. Watch stovepipes for parted joints and rust holes; -clean soot from chimneys and stovepipes at stated intervals; -do not allow plaster back of stoves to remain -broken.</p> - -<p class="hind02">8. There is now a fine asbestos product made which is -a mixture of cement and wood and asbestos which if -placed under the stove or even back of it will prevent -fire. This material is not cold to the foot, can be -highly polished and is most delightful in a well -groomed kitchen. This too can be used for table tops -and is polished by a mixture made for its express demands.</p> - -<p>This asbestos wood is invaluable for partitions, obviating -very thick and expensive walls; and due to its lightness -it can be used for light frame houses and insure fire -protection. It is used for switch-board and other insulations -by electricians, etc. It takes various stains and -finishes in imitation of wood or marble, is rigid, light -and fireproof.</p> - -<p>It is the same physically as wood except that it is -fireproof, takes a higher polish and is harder. It can be -used not only for making walls, floors and ceilings fireproof,<span class="pagenum" id="Page373">[373]</span> -but window casing, partitions, base-boards, -cabinets, and all trim. It is moisture-resisting and impervious -to weather conditions.</p> - -<p>The people that are the most careful of the pocketbook -seem to forget the ordinary fire peril and don’t seem -to realize the necessity for concentration on the cures, -probably because they are optimists and do not think of -any trouble—yet why pay so dearly for optimism?</p> - -<p>For example, most stoves should be at least 24″ to 30″ -from these things that combine so affectionately with -them and should be at least 6″ off the floor if not standing -on metal or asbestos wood. If lath and plaster are -protected by a metal shield, then the stoves can be within -18″ with safety. A fire proof material should be at -least 36″ square on the floor to catch flying embers from -stove or fire.</p> - -<p>The fire clay linings in the stove should be watched -and seen to be sound, and the fire in any stove should -never be made above the fire clay linings. Possibly -you have not heard of these things before and they -sound like the cry of the alarmist. Never fear. It -is better to cry before you’re hurt, sometimes, than -afterwards!</p> - -<p>Never put kindling wood in the oven.</p> - -<p>Deposit all ashes in metal receptacles or upon non-combustible -floors, removing same from building at -least once a week. Barrels or boxes should not be used -for storing or carrying ashes unless they are constructed -entirely of metal.</p> - -<p>Before starting fires in the autumn, thoroughly clean -out the furnace and flues thereto, also the fireplaces.</p> - -<p>Carefully examine them and immediately repair or -replace any defective part. Don’t burn out chimneys -and flues by making an especially hot fire with paper, -etc. Main chimneys should be cleaned from roof to<span class="pagenum" id="Page374">[374]</span> -cellar. All stovepipes where entering chimneys should -be provided with metal collars and rigidly fixed in -place. Replace any tile, crock or flimsy flues and -chimneys with substantial brick chimneys.</p> - -<p>Gas stoves or other heaters should have a ventilating -flue to carry off the burned gas fumes, which are -poisonous. Do not use portable rubber or similar -tubing, but connect all gas stoves rigidly and securely -with gas pipe. Examine valves and see that they are -tight and do not leak.</p> - -<p>Never permit a stove of any kind to be set up without -stone, brick, concrete or metal protection underneath, -or near a partition without a metal shield and air -space. Never run stovepipes through partitions, or -paste paper over flue holes.</p> - -<p>All types of open fireplaces or stoves, especially -where there are children, should be provided with -substantial spark screens.</p> - -<p>Don’t throw waste paper on an open fire unless you -watch it more than carefully.</p> - -<p>Every period of extreme cold results in numerous -fires due to forcing the heating apparatus. Keep this -in mind next winter. Watch your heater.</p> - -<p>Keep hoods and pipes of kitchen range free from -grease and lint by cleaning with hot water and lye.</p> - -<p>Do not hang clothes or bags near stoves, or on stovepipes -or steam pipes or on electric bulbs. In the case -of the recondite furnace whose being we take for granted, -the same principles apply as to the stove. For safety, -asbestos about the wood and adjacent places makes -safety sure, and if safety first doesn’t apply here where -does it? It will at least keep the secretive fire below -stairs from breaking bounds.</p> - -<p>Where pipes, flues, etc., pass through woodwork there -should be asbestos or metal protection to the wood or<span class="pagenum" id="Page375">[375]</span> -else here again we will be victims of a lapse of precaution.</p> - -<p>Sometimes fires have occurred by the closing of all -registers in a house heated by hot air and the unnatural -heat left in the furnace overheats pipes, etc., to a dangerous -degree. In some homes so heated there are two -registers which cannot possibly be closed, and obviates -overheating.</p> - -<p>Inspection of flues to see that deteriorated mortar -will not permit the exit of fire to surrounding woodwork -will prevent many a fire. Very often where joists -and beams rest on chimneys and are not sufficiently -insulated against the ravages of faulty construction -or wear, they will catch fire slowly but surely.</p> - -<p>Faulty joints in pipes are many times the cause of -fire when the rest of the home is perfectly guaranteed -against it. For example, when a stovepipe is fitted -into another there should be at least a 3″ lap to make -a safe joint. Imperfect junctures of pipe and flue, -pipe and pipe, make for the escape of sparks and consequent -fire. Stovepipes should not pass through a -floor or plaster partition or any concealed place, lest a -parted joint or rust holes may cause mischief.</p> - -<p>Nor should any pipe that is likely to be heated pass -through an attic where fluff is bound to accumulate, unless -this pipe be insulated with asbestos to prevent -ignition. Neither should a stovepipe pass through -a roof, window or siding even of a summer kitchen; -and the running of a very long stovepipe perpendicularly -into a chimney is also hazardous.</p> - -<p>A stovepipe or a chimney, no matter how well isolated -by zinc or what not, can set the ordinary shingled -roof on fire by the escape of fiercely burning bits of -soot and cinder. Many a roof has been burned this -way, to say nothing of the whole house.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page376">[376]</span></p> - -<p>There is to-day, besides the heavy tile, metal and composition -roof, an asbestos roofing in the shape of -shingles of any color and shape that will wear indefinitely, -and is absolutely fireproof, moisture-proof and -light enough to be put on any house. Furthermore if -you don’t want to remove the old wooden roof, this -shingle can be put over it and make a better roof than -without the old one, as the insulation value of the wood -will keep the attic warm in winter and cool in summer. -There are many asbestos roofings, the best of which are -made of asbestos fiber, cement; these are made in all -colors, sizes and shapes and can be put on by any -roofer. There is never any reason to repaint or repair -them, and if they are a bit higher at first in price than -the ordinary shingle, you save in the lack of upkeep -and the fact that no sparking can go on between your -neighbor’s roof and your own or between your chimney -and your own roof. Copper roofs now are within the -scope of more purses than heretofore.</p> - -<p>You have to remove stains from your garments, and -for this may incur death and destruction by fire -quite readily. But death is not necessary if a few -precautions be taken. Keep the gasoline or whatever -you may have in a can that can be bought for the purpose. -Then don’t deposit it in the stove or near it, -but away from it where there is no chance of any fire -coming in contact with it. Don’t clean your clothes -with these fluids in the smoking room or the kitchen. If -possible clean them outdoors.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Fuels</span></h3> - -<p>Wood as a fuel is dangerous because it burns rapidly, -makes a lot of ashes and has to be replenished so often. -Kerosene makes a lot of trouble because there is such -crass ignorance in its use. Some people seem to love<span class="pagenum" id="Page377">[377]</span> -to fill a lamp when it is burning. Of course this is the -worst thing that one could do. And others dote on -pouring kerosene on an open fire. Gasoline is explosive -and as a fuel for the home not at all warranted. -Water won’t be a very good extinguisher in these cases, -but we will talk about extinguishers a little later on.</p> - -<p>When you realize that six percent of all fires are caused -by lamps it will do no one harm to learn the following -rules by heart and by brain:</p> - -<p>Kerosene should always be handled by daylight and -away from all flames and fires. Under no circumstances -whatever should a lamp be filled while its wick is -lighted. After filling a lamp both the burner and the -reservoir should always be carefully wiped free from -oil films.</p> - -<p>When a lamp is not burning it is well to keep the wick -a little below the top of the tube. This helps to prevent -oil from working over the burner and reservoir.</p> - -<p>Lamps should be filled as often as they are used. -Especially do not light a lamp when the oil is low in the -reservoir. Never use a burner which fits loosely upon -the rest of the lamp. Never use a lamp wick which does -not fit the tube provided for it. Never blow out a -kerosene flame downward. Turn down the wick a little -and let the flame go out of itself.</p> - -<p>If you must blow it out blow upward through the -burner or across the top of the chimney. Both of these -methods produce an upward draught.</p> - -<p>Do not try to carry a blazing lamp to a place of -safety. The least agitation may cause an explosion. -When the lamp is well filled there is small chance of -gas forming in it; but as the oil is consumed explosive -gases form.</p> - -<p>A burner that is kept clean and bright radiates heat, -while a dirty one conducts heat to a lamp.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page378">[378]</span></p> - -<p>Glass lamps are especially dangerous. The dropping -or breaking of lighted lamps and the spreading of burning -oil annually bring havoc to many hundreds of -homes.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Medicaments</span></h3> - -<p>As well as cleaning fluids the presence of medicine -and liniments made of ether and chloroform and alcohol -are always causes of fire when not properly housed in -the right kind of metal medicine chest and not directly -over or near a gas jet or oil lamp. So remember to use -carefully anything with these chemicals or camphor, -varnishes, turpentine, benzine or gasoline. Keep them -in tin cans, which are to be had for them. Use them in -daylight.</p> - -<p>Never leave rags around saturated with oils, medicines -or greases, because spontaneous combustion will take -place.</p> - -<p>According to the National Fire Protection Association, -the attic, cellar and all closets and outbuildings -should be cleaned at least once every year, and all useless -material and rubbish removed therefrom and -burned. These unnecessary accumulations are dangerous, -and are the causes of many fires. Store all remaining -material neatly so that a clear passage may be had -between or around boxes, cases, barrels, etc.</p> - -<p>Metal waste baskets, only, should be used.</p> - -<p>In storing clothing, first remove all matches or other -material from the pockets and then carefully fold and -neatly place away. Do not hang clothes where they will -be near hot chimneys. Do not go into closets with -lighted matches or candles.</p> - -<p>Care should be exercised in burning leaves, dead grass -or rubbish. Keep these fires a safe distance from buildings, -and never light them on windy days.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page379">[379]</span></p> - -<p>Do not bank houses in winter with straw, excelsior or -other readily inflammable material; a chimney spark -or carelessly thrown match may ignite it.</p> - -<p>Use safety matches, and make it impossible for -children to get them. Always place burned matches in -metal receptacles; never throw them on the floor or -into waste baskets.</p> - -<p>To smoke in garages, in beds, or around stables containing -hay is deliberately to invite disaster.</p> - -<p>Swinging gas brackets are dangerous, and never -should be allowed near curtains or dressers. Fix them -rigidly so as to avoid contact with combustible material. -If open gas flames are within two feet of ceiling, see -that ceiling is protected with sheet metal or asbestos -board. Tips for gas lights are inexpensive, while a light -used with a broken tip or without a tip often causes -fire. Don’t use gas pendant mantles unless protected -underneath with wire gauze. Hot carbon deposits -form and drop from mantles of gas arc lamps. A globe -closed at the bottom is safer.</p> - -<p>Examine the gas meter, see that it is securely set and -well connected, and is not located near open lights or -furnaces. An outside gas shut-off valve to service-connection -is desirable. Never look for gas leaks with a -match, candle or lamps.</p> - -<p>Where a dwelling is lighted by a gasoline vapor or -acetylene gas system the rules governing the safe use of -these illuminants should be carefully studied and rigidly -observed.</p> - -<p>Illuminating oils should be kept in closed metal cans -in a safe place, and lamps should never be filled except -by daylight. Kerosene lamps should be kept clean and -properly trimmed. If allowed to burn all night, select -one that contains much more than enough oil. A -dirty lamp containing only a little oil is unsafe.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page380">[380]</span></p> - -<p>Do not use paper or decorative shades of inflammable -material on lamps or electric light bulbs.</p> - -<p>Electricity can be a real hidden peril and extends -throughout the wire system in a building. Be sure it -is safely installed, and have the system carefully inspected -and approved by a recognized electric inspector. -Many fires are due to defective electric wiring. Do not -destroy insulation on electric light, fan or heater -wires by hanging them on hooks or nails. Immediately -repair or replace any defective switches, fuses, -sockets, etc. A fuse is the “safety valve” of an electric -system, and should never be replaced by one of larger -size or any other material.</p> - -<p>Before attaching electric irons, vacuum cleaners, cooking -utensils or any other electrical device to your lighting -circuits or sockets, consult an electrician as to the -ability of your wiring to withstand this additional load. -Electric wiring systems are designed to carry only a -certain current, and if overloaded may cause fires. -Numerous fires have been caused by leaving electric -irons with the current on. Disconnect them immediately -when through using. <i>Electricity is safe but -carelessness is unsafe.</i></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Heating and Garage Hazards</span></h3> - -<p>Coal and kindling should preferably be kept within -a brick or stone enclosure and not stored against frame -partitions nor directly against walls of boiler or furnace. -It is well to see that the garden hose may be attached -to the kitchen faucet.</p> - -<p>Never allow open flame lights in a garage. When -filling the tank, run the auto outside, so that gasoline -vapors will dissipate.</p> - -<p>Do not keep quantities of gasoline or calcium carbide -inside of garage or dwelling. An approved underground -storage tank is the safest method for keeping -gasoline.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page381">[381]</span></p> - -<div class="container w40em"> - -<img src="images/illo419a.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">DETACH PLUG FROM IRON AS WELL AS FROM SOCKET IF YOU -WANT YOUR HOME INTACT</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<div class="container w40em"> - -<img src="images/illo419b.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of N. Y. Edison Co.</i></p> - -<p class="caption">DON’T PULL THE CORD A MILE ABOVE THE IRON TO DETACH, -BUT TAKE IT DOWN CLOSE TO THE IRON. THIS SAVES THE -WIRES AND FIRES</p> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page382">[382-<br />383]</span><a id="Page383"></a></p> - -<div class="container w30em"> - -<div class="split5050"> - -<div class="left5050"> - -<img src="images/illo421a.jpg" alt="" /> - -<p class="illosource"><i>Courtesy of N. Y. Edison Co.</i></p> - -</div><!--left5050--> - -<div class="right5050"> - -<img src="images/illo421b.jpg" alt="" /> - -</div><!--right5050--> - -<p class="thinline allclear"> </p> - -</div><!--split--> - -<div class="split5050"> - -<div class="left5050"> -<p class="caption">SHE HAS PREPARED THE WAY FOR -A NICE LITTLE FIRE</p> -</div> - -<div class="right5050"> -<p class="caption">SHE IS CAREFUL AND HER IRON -WILL NOT PRACTICE ARSON</p> -</div> - -<p class="thinline allclear"> </p> - -</div><!--split--> - -</div><!--container--> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page384">[384-<br />385]</span><a id="Page385"></a></p> - -<p>A metal waste can should be located at a convenient -place outside the garage for all waste and greasy rags. -Burn these every week. Never use sawdust or shavings -to absorb grease and oil. Scrub floor (if wooden) -occasionally with hot water and lye.</p> - -<p>The use of gasoline for cleaning parts of the automobile -in the garage is a dangerous thing.</p> - -<p>The garage should not be heated by means of stove -or open fire of any kind, unless same is isolated in -another room so that the gasoline vapors of garage cannot -possibly get to it. Gasoline vapor travels. Being -heavier than air, it seeks low levels. Ventilation should -be arranged to take care of vapors collecting near the -floor.</p> - -<p>Keep an approved fire extinguisher and a pail of -sand in the garage. Water thrown on burning gasoline -merely serves to spread it.</p> - -<p>In many cases water will quench fire. But in the case -of oils, alcohol and other volatile liquids and grease -fires water simply spreads the fire and you are in more -trouble than you were at first.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Big Eight</span></h3> - -<p>The eight firemakers in the order of their devastating -power are as follows: Electrical, due to carelessness -and lack of proper inspection; matches and smoking; -defective chimneys and flues; stoves, furnaces, -pipings and boilers; spontaneous combustion; sparks -on roofs, and petroleum and its products. From 1915 -to 1919 the value of fires from these causes aggregated -$1,416,375,845. Is it any wonder that there is now -agitation all over the United States to have at least -thirty minutes given each week to the study of fire prevention?<span class="pagenum" id="Page386">[386]</span> -Saving the home is better even than building -more homes.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Extinguishers</span></h3> - -<p>Every home, of course, should be equipped with the -best possible extinguisher. There are any number of -them on the market. Do you know of many motorists -who refuse the call of the extinguisher? There are not -many who have not one in their car, yet there -are few homes with them. Large homes should have one -on every floor. Small homes, even if they have not -enough footage to lower their insurance rates, should -have them to reduce the fire hazard.</p> - -<p>What kind should the householder buy? The chief -thing here is to buy one that has no fancy method of -operation, that simply by inverting the container -turns on a forceful stream; light as possible in weight, -not over 25 pounds and preferably about 12, so that a -woman can use it. Right there it is interesting to note -that <i>The Fireman’s Herald</i> reports that women daily -put out more fires and obviate conflagrations than men; -that were it not for the fact that women put out so many, -the fire peril would have been far greater.</p> - -<p>Other things that you must demand in the extinguisher -are that it must have at least a stream of 20′ -long; that there must be no suffocating fumes from the -chemical’s contact with the fire; that the chemical -must be as nearly stainproof as possible so that in a -small fire the room is not unnecessarily disfigured. -The chemical must not freeze readily at least not above -27 or 28 degrees Fahrenheit.</p> - -<p>There is one extinguisher on the market to-day that -is gaining mightily in favor, because it spreads a foam -over the fire and cuts off the oxygen, and the laying of -the foam prevents a flash-back when the fire is nearly<span class="pagenum" id="Page387">[387]</span> -out. At first this was used in the extinguishing of oil -fires, the heaviest and most difficult of all fires to put out. -For example, where a chemical engine took an hour to -do the trick this foam type took a few minutes.</p> - -<p>This has the added power of expanding over eight -times its bulk in the container when released, so that -if the house type is used the container need not be -over <sup>3</sup>⁄<sub>4</sub> gallon and you really have about six gallons of -material for the fire. This does no more damage to -draperies than would water. It does not injure cottons -or wools and does not penetrate fabrics as many other -chemicals do. If it gets on one’s clothes it is easily -brushed off after it dries. On polished and varnished -furniture it has no effect and is easily washed off.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Service</span></h3> - -<p>Reliable firms will always tell you correctly what -kind of an extinguisher to buy for your particular purpose. -They will, too, in compliance with the Board of -Underwriters’ rulings, watch the apparatus once a year -and recharge if necessary. Actually they don’t always -need it, but it is a wise ruling of the Board.</p> - -<p>There are some extinguishers excellent for outdoors, -motor boating, etc., but which indoors are apt to give -off suffocating fumes.</p> - -<p>There are extinguishers of large capacity on wheels -for large homes and large estates. These are a great -insurance against fire. They are built on narrow gage -wheels for rolling on floors in the house and heavier -construction for outdoor use. Many big estates use -these little two wheelers, as they are fire departments -in themselves.</p> - -<p>A good quality fire hose is a mighty good assistance -in a large home, too, and is becoming very widely -used. Of course, there are many fires that water not<span class="pagenum" id="Page388">[388]</span> -only will not quench, but will spread; on the other -hand, there are many little conflagrations that water -immediately will kill.</p> - -<p>Another good method, but not as efficient, for use -in all conditions is the telescopic fire bucket set. Six -pails are set in a container in the liquid and all one -has to do in case of fire is to open the lid and each -pail comes out filled. If the fire is not great and has -just started and is within a few feet of you, this is -all well and good, but one can hardly throw water from -a pail as far as ten feet above your head, while with -the extinguisher the stream is from twenty to forty feet -in length. This pail system would not reach a roof, -you see, which the extinguisher might.</p> - -<p>An intimate acquaintance with the wizardly asbestos -will do a lot in the home to keep the hearth fires -burning in their right places. The asbestos ironing -pad on the ironing board is a good resilient thing. Although -not in this case primarily meant as a fire preventive, -it will stop the iron from causing a big fire, -even if it should burn off the top sheeting, for when it -reaches the asbestos the fire will go out.</p> - -<p>There are now some very convenient collapsible -ladder escapes which are stored in a small box near the -window, which makes the escape from a fire not dependent -on ancestors who were tight-rope walkers.</p> - -<p>There are regular fireproof builders who do naught -else but fireproof work, but in this article we are only -concerned in the home after it is built. Yet we cannot -refrain from saying that the right architect and the -right builder at first will reduce your fire hazard; they -will adhere not only to the Underwriters’ rulings but -they will build a house so that its insulation (electric), -air insulation and circulation and partitions will be done -according to safe and wise arrangement.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page389">[389]</span></p> - -<p>Don’t do foolhardy things and think you can get -away with them.</p> - -<p>Have the telephone number of the nearest fire station -on a special card at your telephone, or have fire departments -in your own home—extinguishers.</p> - -<p>Familiarize the family with the operation of the -nearest fire alarm box. After operating a fire alarm, -stay near it to direct the fireman to the fire. Every -minute is significant.</p> - -<p>Don’t fail to notify the chief of the fire department of -anything you may see that is dangerous or liable to cause -fire.</p> - -<p>We could say to-day that in the home millions are -spent for fires, but hardly one cent for prevention of -them. Should we not as enlightened human beings take -thought and save the world some of its useless expenditure -of life, limb and extravagance?</p> - -<p>There is now on the market a new little extinguisher -weighing about two pounds.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page390">[390]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XLIII<br /> -<span class="chapname">TAKING CARE OF THE HOUSEHOLD EQUIPMENT</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p class="chapstart"><span class="largecap">A</span><span class="afterlargecap">s</span> -we have intimated before in these articles, the -best of everything may be yours, yet if you care -for them in slovenly, careless or uninformed ways it -will be as if you had nothing whatever of any value.</p> - -<p>The persistent ignorance of the seemingly most enlightened -and experienced housekeepers as to the use -and care of the refrigerator is appalling. It is positively -amazing to see the breakage of sane rules of procedure -in favor of what seems to them proper. For -example, the best of housewives will insist on filling the -ice chamber of the refrigerator with but a suspicion of -ice and a riot of food, whereas the ice chamber is meant -for ice, and ice to the limit of its capacity, not once a -week but every and all day. Unless this is done the air -currents over which the manufacturer has slaved to make -possible will not occur, and the best refrigerator becomes -a useless thing. You might just as well get a packing -case and stuff it full of ice and food. The ice chest must -be full in order to cool the air and start the heavier -(cool) air falling through the chest, which as it descends -gets warmer, rises, passes over the ice, cools again and -drops—and so on in endless circulation. It is these -currents which keep the refrigerator cold; it is not the -ice cake itself. In a little ice box, yes, the food has to -be put into the ice chamber as there is no other, but here -you are not depending on the melting of the ice starting -air currents to descend and to rise. The problem is -quite a different one.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page391">[391]</span></p> - -<p>We think probably the difficulty with the owners of -refrigerators is that they have the ice box in mind and -it is an inherited notion that the food must be in close -proximity to the ice. This paragraph may seem a -digression, but it is purposely put in to emphasize the -fact that the ice box and the ice refrigerator are two -very distinct and different things. Therefore, be it -remembered that in the refrigerator you must not waste -the ice by cuddling warm provisions next it, because -your ice is like a battery. It, too, makes currents—not -electric, but air currents.</p> - -<p>Now then, when we have the ice-making currents, -what happens to the air of varying degrees of temperature? -The coldest air is at the bottom of the refrigerator -(of course we are always thinking of the best -refrigerators) because cold air is heavier than warm air -and the warm air rises. Therefore, if you have odorous -things do not put them in the ice chamber because the -air starting down will carry odors along. Put the -odorous things and the things that should be kept coldest -on the lower shelves.</p> - -<p>In some chests the currents of air are so good that -onions and butter never exchange compliments—a -highly snobbish society where there is little amalgamation.</p> - -<p>One buyer of an expensive refrigerator said that his -refrigerator was a great disappointment because the ice -chamber leaked. Now this was a strange thing, for -these ice chambers are made of the best workmanship -known to refrigeratordom. Everything was questioned: -Did you keep your ice chamber full? The -reply: Yes. Did you keep things other than ice in the -ice chamber? The orthodox answer came: No. Do -you close the door of the ice chest completely? Answer: -Yes.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page392">[392]</span></p> - -<p>So the repair man went to the house to give the -erring chest a stethoscoping and found that the floor -of the ice chest’s compartment was a little uneven and -the water was forced from the melting ice into foreign -channels and escaped through the front of the ice -box, dropping in streaking lines on the front façade.</p> - -<p>This is but a minor point, yet the refrigerator or the -stove or the vacuum cleaner or the anything is often -blamed for misplacements, lack of care and ignorance -on the part of the operator, and this article is meant -to forestall a very few of them.</p> - -<p>Here, then, are some things to watch out for:</p> - -<p class="padl2">1. Keep the doors of the refrigerator closed always. -If they don’t close easily, see to it that something -is done to make them close.</p> - -<p class="padl2">2. If you have a refrigerator with a lot of movable -parts it is well to remove them and immerse in -hot water occasionally. But don’t buy one that has -many outgoing parts; it’s unnecessary and a constant -bother to adjust.</p> - -<p class="padl2">3. Once a week wash out the whole chest with warm -water and soda; never use strong smelling soaps. Ammonia -can be used but it is probably best to use -soda. Hot water cleans better, of course, but it will -give the ice more cooling to do and if the box is -cleaned regularly cool water ought to do the trick -well enough. However, every so often the hot bath -is a good thing.</p> - -<p class="padl2">4. Every day wash off the ice that newly enters -the ice chamber.</p> - -<p class="padl2">5. Never wrap the ice in paper thinking to save -ice, because ice only makes cold air by melting. Here -is a place where the good and saving housekeeper -saves ice to the destruction of her food stuffs, yet this -is the hardest bit of politics to propagate.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page393">[393]</span></p> - -<p class="padl2">6. If the lining gets discolored use some harmless -preparation to remove the stains.</p> - -<p class="padl2">7. It is sometimes a good idea to put a piece of -waxed paper around highly odorous foods.</p> - -<p class="padl2">8. Wash everything in the way of utensils that are -put in the box. Have a regular refrigerator set of -dishes.</p> - -<p class="padl2">9. Wash vegetables before entering, for if there is -anything introduced in the way of foreign matter, the -enemy alien may make for odorous trouble.</p> - -<p class="padl2">10. Cover any receptive foods; it’s wisest even -with the most perfectly ventilated refrigerators. -Liquids will dry up a bit with a dry air circulation -and egg yolks kept in water will keep better if the -water is changed daily. If dampness collects in your -refrigerator something is wrong.</p> - -<p class="padl2">11. Wash off the outside of refrigerator with damp -cloth every week.</p> - -<p class="padl2">12. Remove ice rack and scrub well in water and -soda weekly.</p> - -<p class="padl2">13. Boil parts (removable) twice a month or use -very hot water.</p> - -<p class="padl2">14. Dry case thoroughly after every douching.</p> - -<p class="padl2">15. If the refrigerator is well connected to drain, -a little hose to flush the interior will be simple and -easy.</p> - -<p class="padl2">16. The drain pipe must be carefully flushed, as -here the invading army of typhoid, etc., loves to encamp -and make inroads. See to it that the drain -pipe is easily removed and cleaned and that the drain -pan (should the drain pipe have no outlet into the -plumbing system) be easily removed at least once a -week to be cleaned out.</p> - -<p>With these few words we will leave probably the -most familiar bit of household mismanagement to a<span class="pagenum" id="Page394">[394]</span> -reforming public, and pass on to some floor coverings.</p> - -<p>In the case of linoleum and similar floorings we -will take for granted that they are perfectly laid down -and that all that there is for us to think about is the -nursing of them. Even the cheaper (printed and not -inlay) of these floorings will last years if the following -suggestions are absorbed and put into regular practice:</p> - -<p>Sweep linoleums daily. This is easy.</p> - -<p>Use an oil mop daily.</p> - -<p>Never use anything but a mild soap and tepid water -for cleaning.</p> - -<p>Then rinse with clear water and dry thoroughly. It -should be done a square yard at a time, each yard carefully -dried before going to the neighboring yard. Do -not flood when a mop is used.</p> - -<p>Elbow grease, mild soap and warm water are all that -is necessary.</p> - -<p>Avoid as the plague: lye, soda, potash and all cleaning -inventions which may harbor lyes!</p> - -<p>Polishing makes the flooring last longer, of course. -Colors will be reborn each time and the floor withstand -wear better. Use a good floor wax. A home-made -kind, if you can’t buy any of the finest kinds on the -market, can be made of beeswax and turpentine in -equal parts. Use all the polishes sparingly and not -more than once a month. Rub in well, however, when -you are doing it.</p> - -<p>It is well to have glass or metal caps on heavy furniture -as narrow castors are prone to furrow.</p> - -<p>For cork floors:</p> - -<p>Sweep daily.</p> - -<p>They must be washed with tepid water and weak soap.</p> - -<p>Polishing is unnecessary.</p> - -<p>Floors of tiles, etc., should be swept daily. Flush -with warm water. Scrub once a week, strong soap and<span class="pagenum" id="Page395">[395]</span> -elbow grease. Soda and water will remove stains. If -not, use a weak hydrochloric acid or oxalic acid and -wash off immediately with water and soap which will -stop the further action of the acid on the tile. (One -part of acid to two parts of water.)</p> - -<p>Wooden floors also should be swept daily. Swab -(don’t scrub a varnished or painted floor) with warm -water and weak soap. Keep hardwood floors free from -grit, which bites and grays. Use a soft dry mop of felt -or the brushes the reliable manufacturers make for the -hardwood floors. Occasionally wipe off with some well -known and tested floor finish.</p> - -<p>To-day with rustless and ordinary steel the problem -of cutlery is simpler and yet more diversified. In the -case of cleaning and scouring ordinary steel you can use -almost any good scouring powder, but not in the case -of the stainless rustless variety, as it reduces the polish, -the very thing that maintains imperviousness to rust -and stain. Cutlery should be cleaned immediately -after using.</p> - -<p>Sharpening knives is best done by an expert. Yet -there are good rotary sharpeners and stones and steels -for home usefulness or knife destruction depending -upon how they are used. Remember when you use a -stone not to feel that you must cut through the stone -itself and that what you are trying to do is to flatten -the edge of the knife and wear off the offending bluntnesses. -The ideal thing is once or twice a year to send -the knives to a grinder and then occasionally at home -run the knife blade flatly over a carborundum stone to -get a smoother edge.</p> - -<p>The stainless steel cutlery has a special kind of sharpening -stone at present on the market and it is well to -use this.</p> - -<p>Good knives need no further edging when new.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page396">[396]</span></p> - -<p>But though you may have the best steel and the best -sharpening, if you house your knives badly you will -have lost all the good from these things that there is. It -is not good for knives to be huddled together. They -get as cutting as humans would in the same position. -If they live in a small place together without their own -places they, as people, wear on each other. They knick -each other’s blades and spoil each other’s usefulness. -Knives should be hung or laid in grooves. A box is now -made for the proper housing of them. You can, too, -hang each knife on a spring which you can get at a -hardware shop. If you reserve a tenement house law -for the knives of your household you will have real -health and help from them.</p> - -<p>The same story holds for forks. It would be a good -thing to have a <i>verboten</i> sign in your kitchen, reading: -“It is forbidden to open cans, uncork bottles, unlock -oven doors, pry open ice chests, take a nail out of a box -with the forks in this kitchen.”</p> - -<p>In the case of wooden handles, do not let them remain -soaking in hot water for ages. Wash and clean them -at once.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Floor Coverings</span></h3> - -<p>Floor coverings such as mattings and carpets are to-day -best taken care of by the vacuum cleaner. Hot -water cloths with a suspicion of ammonia laid on top of -matting are supposed to be a good thing for its longevity -after it is vacuumed.</p> - -<p>Carpets are now coming back into being after years -of retrogressive hate. Now on account of the vacuum -cleaner they can be used in all their warmth and beauty -and kept sanitary for ordinary uses by the vacuum -cleaner. Talking of this:</p> - -<p>The only thing that this instrument of redemption<span class="pagenum" id="Page397">[397]</span> -needs is oiling, but not too often; an occasional dusting -off; and the emptying of the dust over something -that doesn’t give it back.</p> - -<p>Stoves of themselves don’t get very dirty. It is the -foods that are the transgressors. It is wisest to clean -all stoves when cold. Use kerosene or stove black. -In the case of the gas stove, when the gas vents become -clogged by drippings of food it is well at least once a -week to take them out and emerse in soda and water. -Wipe off grease and grit before cleaning surface of stove -and always remove dirt at once. If grease is removed -after every using of the stove, it will be very easily -maintained in cleanliness and it will never run away -with you.</p> - -<p>The trays under the burners in gas stoves should be -cleaned often and well. Burners of oil stoves, too, can -be immersed in soda and water. About one quart of -water and one-quarter pound of soda make a good -cleaning solution.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">Some Miscellanies</span></h3> - -<p>Don’t let any solid foods get into the sink. Always -have a good sink strainer. Soda and water is a good -cleaner. Flush sink with hot water and clean it at least -three times a day. Grease is a forbidden quantity in a -sink and should any get in, the hot water flushing will -disintegrate it. Warm water and soap, fine powders -such as whiting, etc., will keep porcelain sinks in good -order.</p> - -<p>Nickel can be cleaned with soap and water and polished -with ungritty, well devised polishes. Never use -anything that will scratch it.</p> - -<p>Boil iron in soda and water, rub with some good -powder with a bit of scratch in it. Use hot soap suds. -Dry while it is hot.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page398">[398]</span></p> - -<p>Do not use soap on aluminum; there are regular -aluminum cleaners on the market. Occasionally only -use a little acid, such as lemon or tomato diluted. -Never use soda.</p> - -<p>Boil agate in soda water. Wash in hot soap suds and -dry.</p> - -<p>Use dilute oxalic acid for cleaning brass, fine powder, -plenty of water. Polish with metal polish which -abounds on the present market.</p> - -<p>Tin can be cleaned with soda and water, but do not -leave it in this solution long, as the alkali will eat the -tin. Wash and dry at once or you will have rust on -your tin ware.</p> - -<p>The silver story is long but well known. The only -thing not to do is to use gritty powders that will scratch. -Wash your silver after cleaning, as the cleaning mixtures -do not make good appetizers.</p> - -<p>In caring for electric ironers and washing machines, -first of all read the directions that come with them. Oil -as they tell you or don’t oil; too much oil is bad and -too little is bad. Do not overload (with clothes) your -cylinder or your drum; some motors rebel and there is -trouble. When buying your washer be sure to tell the -electrician what kind of electricity you consume, whether -it is A C or D C; also the voltage of your circuit. This -applies to all electric machinery.</p> - -<p>Don’t leave your electricity on when you are not -using a device. If you do in the case of the iron, you -will have fires and all kinds of trouble. Don’t blame -the machine for faults of your own. Remember in the -case of the electrical ironer that heat is hot and that if -you leave a piece of goods on the roll and the motor -going you will burn your article.</p> - -<p>These things are cleaned with warm water and polished -and dusted in accordance with the ordinary metal<span class="pagenum" id="Page399">[399]</span> -needs. There is little to say about their upkeep except -what has been said about other devices. Follow the -directions of the makers; they know the exigencies of -their offspring.</p> - -<p>Soft cloths and warm water are best for cleaning -white wood enamel. Soaps yellow the enamel, so a few -drops of ammonia added to a pail of water will help -banish grease.</p> - -<p>Warm water and soap or soda and warm water will -clean off marble tops.</p> - -<p>In the long life-assurance of metals generally, it must -be born in mind that in order to keep them clean and -bright things must be used that will not scratch, corrode -or roughen—or at least do as little of these things as -possible. In the case of silver cleaning the aluminum -pan method is best because there is less corrosion and -less roughening.</p> - -<p>Rubbing with soft chamois and cloths after cleaning -will give the metal the polish it often needs. Buffing -and the use of pumice powders and pastes help along the -better finishes. But these things all must be done in -moderation to preserve the life of these metals. The -more precious gold or silver must be treated of course -with great care. Chemicals are dangerous and the best -acids are lemon and those things which cannot poison. -Many combinations are poisonous and must be used with -discretion and the article well washed before using.</p> - -<p>Were the space allotted for this story greater we could -take up many more things, but space being the rarest of -commodities we shall have to end with one last admonition:</p> - -<p>When your devices do not work, as guaranteed, -first look to yourself or assistant and see what is wrong. -Then if you find you can absolve yourself from the -great transgression—carelessness or ignorance—it will -be time enough to attack the dealer and get redress.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page400">[400]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XLIV<br /> -<span class="chapname">A FEW SUGGESTIVE BOOKS</span></h2> - -</div><!--chapter--> - -<p>The following list is to give the reader a handle to -the subjects lightly touched in this volume.</p> - -<p class="hind02 blankbefore75"><i>The Home.</i> Charlotte Perkins Gilman, C. P. Gilman.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Housewifery.</i> I. R. Balderston, Lippincott.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>The Business of the Household.</i> C. W. Taber, Lippincott.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>The Principles and Practice of Plumbing.</i> C. C. Cosgrove, -Standard Plumbing Manufacturing Co., Pittsburg.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Sanitation Practically Applied.</i> H. G. Wood, John -Wylie & Sons.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Kitchen Fire and How to Run It.</i> S. S. Wright, S.S. -Wright.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Formulas for Soaps and Cleaning Compounds.</i> Automatic -Electric Washer Co., Newton, Iowa.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Electric Cooking, Heating and Cleaning.</i> Out of print -but in Libraries, Maud Lancaster, D. Van Nostrand -Co.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Harpers’ Every Day Electricity.</i> Don Cameron Shafer, -Harper.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Home Canning.</i> Creswell and Powell, U. S. Farmers’ -Bulletin 853 (Bureau of Agriculture).</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Fuels for the Household.</i> Marion White, Whitcomb and -Barrows.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><span class="pagenum" id="Page401">[401]</span></p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Successful Drying Community Plant.</i> U. S. Dep’t. -Agriculture Farmers’ Bulletin 916.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Materials for the Household.</i> Circular 70, U. S. Dep’t. -Bureau of Standards.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Safety for the Household.</i> Circular 75, U. S. Dep’t. -Bureau of Standards.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>The New Housekeeping.</i> Christine Fredericks, Doubleday -Page.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Laundering at Home.</i> Six Bulletins, Stains, Supplies, -Cottons, Linens, Washing Machines and Ironing -Equipment. Am. Washing Machine Mfg. Assc., -Chicago.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Little Houses.</i> Flagg.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>House and Garden Homes.</i> Condé Nast Co.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Successful Homes and How to Build Them.</i> Francis -White, Macmillan.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Hand Book of Cleaning.</i> Sarah McLeod, Harper -Brothers.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Home and Community Hygiene.</i> Jean Broadhurst, J. -B. Lippincott.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Preserving, Dehydration, etc.</i> Government Bulletins.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Modern Plumbing.</i> Starbuck, M. P. & F. Pub. Co. -200 5th Ave.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Home Laundering.</i> L. Ray Balderston, L. R. Balderston.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Domestic Engineering.</i> Plumbing, Heating Weekly Dec. -13-20—19.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Good Housekeeping Institute Engineering.</i> Good Housekeeping.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Vacuum Cleaning Systems.</i> M. S. Cooly, Heating and -Ventilation Magazine.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Chemistry.</i> Herman Vulté.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Chemistry and Physics.</i> May B. Arsdale, Dr. Woodhull.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Bureau of Building Bulletin</i> 1922, N. Y. C. Municipal<span class="pagenum" id="Page402">[402]</span> -Building. U. S. Government Bulletins on all home -problems, see the list of the U. S. bulletins on all home -processes.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Building, Plumbing, Fire, etc.</i> Bulletin Bureau of -Board of Standards and Appeals, City of N. Y., Dec. -23, 1919.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Bulletin Bureau of Board of Standards and Appeals -City of N. Y.</i> Building, Plumbing, Fire etc., Dec. 23, -1919.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>More Leisure Hours.</i> Louise Read—Society for Electric -Development Pamphlet, 522 Fifth Ave.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>U. S. Government Pamphlets.</i> Bureau of Printing, -Washington D. C. (Sup. of Documents).</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Electrical Record.</i> (<i>Magazine</i>) McGraw Hill Co. Inc.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Electrical Merchandising.</i> (<i>Magazine</i>) Gage Pub. Co., -Inc.</p> - -<p class="hind02"><i>Laundry Pamphlets.</i> Wallace B. Harts.</p> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<div class="tnbot" id="TN"> - -<h2>Transcriber’s Notes</h2> - -<p>The language used in the source document, including unusual, archaic, inconsistent and erroneous spelling, hyphenation -and capitalisation, has been retained, except as mentioned below. The same applies to grammatical errors, -missing words and punctuation, confusing or contradictory texts, the inappropriate use of units, etc.</p> - -<p>For no apparent reason the titles for chapters XXXVII-XL and XLII are given in <span class="smcap">Small Capitals</span> as -distinct from the other chapter titles.</p> - -<p>Neither spacing inconsistencies (for example between numbers and their units) nor textual inconsistencies (for example -in prices or in the use of principal vs. principle) have been standardised.</p> - -<p>Page xxii, ... safe and sure insect ostracizer: the caption under the illustration is ... safe and sane insect -ostracizer.</p> - -<p>Page 6, cost calculation: as printed in the source document, despite obvious errors and inconsistencies. -Paragraph starting “It is necessary when ordering a range ...: the closing quote mark is lacking.</p> - -<p>Pages 100 and 104, see Plan 1: this was not present in the source document.</p> - -<p>Page 131, ... mixture of 21 parts nitrogen, 79 parts of oxygen ...: the proportions should be reversed, and should be -read as parts per 100 for nitrogen and oxygen, not per 10,000.</p> - -<p>Page 221, flavoring cream with or without condensed milk.: there may be a comma missing between flavoring and cream.</p> - -<p>Page 221, ... (granites frozen by oscillation and frappés ...: the closing bracket is lacking from the source document.</p> - -<p>Page 262, paragraph starting You are particularly interested ...: one or more words may be missing.</p> - -<p class="highline2">Changes made:</p> - -<p>Illustrations have been moved out of text paragraphs. For the sake of clarity and legibility some texts have been -transcribed from illustrations; these are surrounded by a <span class="illotext">dashed box</span>.</p> - -<p>The (single) footnote has been moved to directly underneath the paragraph to which it refers.</p> - -<p>Some obvious minor typographical and punctuation errors have been corrected silently.</p> - -<p>Several tables have been split or re-arranged slightly for better readability; in some tables ditto marks have -been replaced with the dittoed text.</p> - -<p>Page 8: ... a filament or tungsten ... changed to ... a filament of tungsten ....</p> - -<p>Page 35: ... release on ringer ... changed to ... release on wringer ....</p> - -<p>Page 36: ... six drying rods 66′ long ... changed to ... six drying rods 66″ long ....</p> - -<p>Page 37: ... new avid air ... changed to ... new arid air ....</p> - -<p>Page 57: closing quote mark inserted after ... running and installation costs?</p> - -<p>Page 65: ... upon which to place the utensil ... changed to ... upon which to place the utensils ....</p> - -<p>Page 68-69: ... a figure out of the unit ... changed to ... a figure but of the unit ....</p> - -<p>Page 74: ... oven arrangement and unit system is so arranged ... changed to ... oven arrangement and unit system are -so arranged ....</p> - -<p>Illustration after page 74: <i>Courtesy of Brainhall Leane Co.</i> changed to <i>Courtesy of Bramhall Deane Co.</i></p> - -<p>Page 141, table: Branch wastes for slop sinks changed to Branch waste for slop sinks.</p> - -<p>Page 245: ... is varnish and finish steamproof ... changed to ... is varnished and finished steamproof ....</p> - -<p>Page 260: comma inserted after ... for they hold enough water</p> - -<p>Page 335: Heading Principles changed to <span class="smcap">Principles</span>.</p> - -<p>Page 359: Temperature effect densities ... changed to Temperature affects densities ....</p> - -</div><!--TN--> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHEATING THE JUNK-PILE ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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