The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-03-03
Essey Read by Frances Baird Siggins at
Farmers Institute.
ECONOMY IN THE HOUSEHOLD.

and frugal housekeeping management
without loss or waste frugality in ex-
penditure prudence and disposition to
save. 1t is not in doing without, but in
doing the best we can with what we
have, that we find a right conception of
the word. We have but to look around
us, in nature to get our best lessons in
economy. The snow that comes sitting
through the air brings with it particles
to enrich the earth. We also find nu-
trative properties in rain water this we
can demonstrate by watching the foli-
age on plants, where rain water is used
on them. The leaves that clothe the
trees in summer return again to earth,
to assist in the wonderful mystery of
reproduction. Earth gets her price
for what earth gives u.s." The Creator
has arranged that nothing is wasted in
the plan of the universe. Allthings are
gathered up and made to serve Il pur-
pose. The Great Teacher who could
miraculously feed multitude, COM
manded that the fragments be gathered
up that nothing might be lost We find
that we must learn to do with frag.
ments, and in making proper use of
them lies, to great extent, our ability
to save. But when this question comes
up we have visions of bread pudding,
hash, and warmed over potatoes, etc.
When any of these IN the hands of
kitchen scientist can be made a delicacy.
The bread crumbs properly dried and
rolled are savory. Then by judicious
and careful preparation the Queen of
puddings is the result. We can all re>
member sodden bread puddings cur
iously resembling poultices that we
have eaten. Now if we use fragments to
save them, we must be careful in their
use, or what we tried to save had bet
ter been wasted. You may wonder at
my use of the word scientist, but sue
cessful cook must be chemist. If,
when we go into our kitchens, we
would look upon them as laboratories,
where we work out our experiments
If we would make study of our work,
and pry into the chemical action, and
relation, of the material we use-the
word drudgery would be found less APP
piled to kitchen work. 1t is not a mat
ter of walking around and using our
hands, but using our brain as well.
There is great deal to learn in regard
to foods. By analysis we know that
some contain more of the elements nec-
essary to sustain life than others, and
i'll proper use of this knowledge we
can serve food that with support work
ing man for a longer period OF time and
at smaller cost. Meat is considered
the staple article of food. We all prefer
the porter house, or sirloin, yet they do
not contain the most nourishment. The
vegetables that contain nearly the same
nutritive qualities as meat, are beans
| from cultured point of view the Bos-
ton baked beans are best-squash, car
rots, onions and peas are equally nu-
tricious. A great many of our vegetables
are not valuable food, las they arc almost
barren of essential properties. l have
confined myself this far to the kitchen
as it is here that we usually find the
most waste, and the greatest need of
economy. BY saving here the thrifty
| housewife can treat herself to many
comforts. Have "n object in view save
for some particular thing and see
how soon you can attain your object.
If your rooms look bare, don't give up,
and say you have nothing to make them
bright with. In this day of cheap and
artistic materials to work with, we can
do wonders, if we but try. y few plants.
some good pictures and IA careful ar
rangement of furniture where it will
look best, and above all let in the bright
sunshine and pure Air, both are free.
Always use what material you have to
the best advantage, True economy
consists not in wasting what we hare,
and not having anything we can not
pay for. 1t is much better to pay for
your groceries and meat than to have a
bill that is always larger than you
thought it would be. Where several
people do the marketing for a family
this is usually the case. II is a simple
matter to say to your grocer to send up
certain articles, but if you have to hand
the money to him in exchange, you will
stop and consider the matter. and find
that by some frugal arrangement you
can do without what you may not have
the money to pay for, or save what you
had intended TO spend. We should
economic our strength as well as our
substance, and by systemizing our
work, we can save time and labor. A
mechanic has his tools arranged where
he can conveniently reach them the
lawyer his files of papers at hand but
the average woman keeps her kitchen
utensils where, in the course Of a year
she will have to walk miles to get them.
Some one has said that the details of
domestic economy are next to infinite,
and the only way to render them toler-
able is to ignore them. We find that
an occasional word of praise to the toll
er in the home Will make the domestic
machinery run smoothly. "a word ftly