New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-28
HOUSEHOLD ECONOMICS
Il Manual of Practical Hints on
Domestic Duties.

Awe and admiration for the intelligence OF the
woman who can write Understandings such
diverse topics as are presented in Household
Economy" by Emily Holt CIcClure. Phillips & Co.
New-York) are ones uppermost impressions after
dipping into the volume. Do you want to know
how TO feel a horses pulse or make a baby's
clothes, drain barn? Is il question OF chaIno-
mile for the complexion that bothers you? DO you
know how to pudding bags, or do you wish 10
cure insomnia9 Or do you stand in need OF points
how patch boys trousers, how TO plant
squashes. how TO wash paint and the sick. and now
to tell good SOW when you see her! Ihen MISS
Holt is your friend.
Miss Holt can tell the inquiring reader these and
much. much more besides. The book is really what
its name impHes-a manual of household economies
One hardly realizes perhaps, how many queer
apparently unrelated and seemingly Hlasculil7
functions the woman is called upon 10 per
form until one sees them categorical in volume
OF this sort. woman who IS the nother %
family and the head of a household Is bound 10 Dc
jack Of all trades She may not be expert IN the
practice OF any one of them, but she must De al
least on speaking terms with something from a
dozen to q score. if her family is to live in comfort
and health
This holds true of the city dweller in a modern
fat, but very much truer of the SUBURBAN or couh-
try resident the number and diversity of a
womans duties often increasing IN direct proper
ton the distance between herself ana cl'lllzd-
ton. Where the range of occupations followed Dy
the woman in the city fat might be limited to
cooking cleaning dressmaBng millinery, washing
ironing and child culture, the number OF crafts
with which the same woman would have some &C
Quantance If she lived. say, on farm out west
would be extended indefinitely TO include something
OF milking butter making the care OF poultry
horses COWS and the other farm animals the sci
ence Of the veterinarian, agriculture bread MAKING
the manufacture Of yeast, wall paperlng' palhIlns
and whftewashing preserving and canning, and so
on Even this list, formidable as 1t sounds wouId
not exhaust the number Of callings followed vica-
rlousy by the woman in an Isolated region VINO
is often called upon to nurse. physician and IN
dertaker.
WHEN CLEANING HOUSE.
This very INSTANTANEOUS and vagueness IN
which so MANY spend their lives is one reason IN
do,btadIv vvbv so few of the sex accomplish any
| thing monumental when they turn to Independent
or creative work. It also lies at the root OF much
of the rebellion against the life OF the nome ana II
accounts in part for the preferences OF the s4llS
who would rather sit at desk for eight hours a
| day keeping books for a strange man or teachlhs
other womens children than stay IN their own
homes in the deadly treadmiu OF nondescrlpt 90
nestle Offices.
oF the housekeeping Miss Holt says Better one
cleaned room "a day and comfort herewith. than
an epidemic Of brooms, buckets scrubolng brushes
and stepladders. Take plenty OF time, but never
begin before the beginning.
For housekeeping woman should wear clothes
that admit Of STOPPING. reaching, stretching and
lifting giving free play to all the muscles as a
gymnasium suit. \ thick union suit, no corset, a
short flannel skirt Sewed 10 loose, low uecAeu
waist sweater and overalls make up a costume
in which one can climb stepladders, scrub floors,
kneel to take up carpet tacks. lift, bend this way
and that wholly unhampered. Thus garmented 1t Is
| possible to do much more work than with skirts
always stopping about, yet not feel so tired
First class laundryng requires at least three set
tubs according to Miss Holt The new glass wash
boards are clean. durable and GOOD for the clothes
Their one drawback is that they are a trife heavy
Miss Holt is advocate of kerosene IN the WASH
kerosene in the boiler whitens clothes safely espe
| ciaIIy such as yellow from long lying Use
tablespoonful to gallon of water For things very
Gear lime waIer and turpentine in equal parts;
shake together until creamy, then ADD eup[ul 70
| hour The same emulsion is good for very dirty
| things as Jumpers overalls. working shirts and
chiIdren's trousers Use II in conjunction with very
strong suds as hot as the hand can bear ahd Euo
five minutes before washing out and be sure the
| the first suds-"
FLEAs ON DOMESTIC PETS.
| Apropos of feas on domestic pets. the author
| gives some wholesome advice. oddly enough"
| She saws .'cat heas are unlike dog feas; II the
two sorts Of insects meet upon poor animal.
| there IS a fight 20 the finish. ending commonly in
| ,ic+orv for the cat feas They bigger and more
voracious than the dog feas. If left to ravage
| unchecked, they soon reduce a sleek. healthy cat
70 a miserable skeleton suffering all over from
eczeroa To get rid OF the heas, wash the cat with
srrnh1,r SOAP comb out the aeas with fine tooth
comb while the hair is still wet then rinse In milk
] 49,, water drv It with soft towels. and give
II after the bath a saucer Of warm milk with a
| teaspoonfuI Of brandy or whiskey in It kitten
ebould have only q few drops Of spirits. and be
tart snug in a clean basket hour after the
hath When the hair is very dry, blow in all along
| the backbone some sort Of good, very fine insect
powder. either larkspur or pyrethrum Rub be-
hind the ears with sulphur ointment Next day
b-1sh out all the powder with fine, close brush
comb the coat lightly then part it along the back
bone and rub with the sulphur ointment"
Under the caption Greenhouses and Plants"
there is this about palms and rubber plants:
.eFertilize every fortnight palm in fair growth
needs a teaspoonful Of ammoniated bonemeal,
either dug in about the roots or stirred well
through tepid water and poured over the pot. In
between fertilizings water well but not too we'll
Beware the ordinary jardiniere. Many good
palm and true has died Of hideous red or yellow
next TO keeping palm clean comes the oiling.
ponpv or peanut oil in saucer the essential thing
is 10 have d vegetable oil. Make SoIt swao oy
tying bit OF absorbent cotton in silk rag dip the
fronds with H. first upon the under side cIose to
the stalk and then upon the upper side. DO not
dip the swab afresh to go over the upper s1de;
there must not be oil enough there 10 eaten otst.
Then 60 all over the frondS Win a cledn. Gry
sv-ab DO the work very gently With sage palms
To les test the plumbing in house Miss Holt recon-
uends the peppermint test Get d Tour ounce
n nor let the least Of it abroad inside the
house. Close bathroom doors closet lids and fl
pour the essence down the soil Pipe and follow it
insJan ny roof half an hour SO as not to take the
Ta0nerrrirt smell inside Let another person go
49, e. ali the plumbing fixtures II there is a
favor OF peppermint, II Is case Ior the plumber
r. no odor is perceptible, every trap Is doing its
One might 90 on quoting indefinitely. As may be
-a+rarad from the excerpts. a great deal of val
sabhIe advice and experience is found in the book.
Among the suuJec aTd rsetorations CLOSETS he
landry. cleaning Of china, glass and metal lawn