Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-12-04
WINTER PROBLEMS IN THE
HOME OLA HOUSEWIFE
Timely Suggestions as to HoW>tO Best
Dispose of Some of the Diff
cultieS of Winter.

dress delivered before the community
club of Guilford college by Mrs. Mary
E. M. Davis as to the best methods OF
d~isposing of the troubles of a house
wife during the winter;
$50 nearly all of housekeeping is a
problem to me that l hesitate to speak
of so large a subject. l can only men,
ton a few of the problems as l see
them and hope that some of the eff
Gent h~ousekeepers present will solve
them. $50
Again, the work of one season is so
closely related to the text that it is
hard for me to distinguish the prob
lens of one from those of the follow
ing season.
| think, however, that the most diff
fcult problem that l nave to, deal with
is supplying the table with good
wholesome food-food that will fur
nish sufficient heat and supply the
waste of muscular action during the
cold days. and at the same time.
when a variety is. hard to keep on
hand, eggs scarce or none at all, and
| no bank account on which to draw TO
pay grocery bills-how to make a sat
| isfactory variety out of bacon, beans,
bread, potatoes, and turnips, with an
occasional chicken thrown in-I say
it is a problem to me. My conviction
is that the production of a we'll bal
anced ration for the winter requires
the whole twelve months and the CO.
time.
"Mr. Man, is the name of the house
holder in the book, "The> Fat of the
La nd" and | like it. For instance. .
| just now is the time the housekeeper
wants her asparagus bed and thu
barb plants fortified and protected
the berry patch pruned, the dead canes
| taken out and the tall cut back:
tie cold frame should be prepared for
lettuce and radishes; onions, mustard
and satisfy should be planted now, to
supply the table in the spring. as well
as this winter. -
In order that we may have apples
anG peaches for the table next winter
the orchard should receive attention
this winter, such as pruning, spray
ing. fcrtilizing and cultivating. This
is Mr.. Mans business of course, bit
without his work. in this line the prob.
lem Of the table next winter will he
unsolvcd. If the table is to be sun
piled with eggs this winter. the chick
ems should be properly housed AMI
feed stored for them. Somewhere
there should be some green stuff for
them to pick instead of intruding on
Mr.. Mans regular crop, which nearly
always rifles his temper and makes i;
uncomfortable for the chickens.
l wonder where and how most of us
geT. our washing done? Some people,
I know, have to endure the opera
ton in the kitchen or stand outdoors
! d. muddy frozen ground as the CASE
may be, and endure the extremes of
hot suds and cold air on the hands
and arms.
Then there is the closely related
problem of water-how to obtain it
and how to dispose of it. l tell you,
I friends, | believe in Mr.. Man haying
every machine or appliance that will
relieve the hard work and produce
better crops on the farm. But I also
believe his wife should be an equal
partner in the business n have like
cCnveniences for her work-a wash
inr machine, water in the house as
we'll as at the barn, and some way to
convey the waste water away. The
house should be comfortable and at
tract;ve as we'll as the barn-heated
ard lighted without the housewife
having the burden of carrying wood
and working in dark rooms with small
and inconvenient winuUws.
Then there is the constant struggle
with dust and dirt. l hope some one
will give us some good method OF
D getting rid of them with h least eff
fort; for they are a ena to the
whole household.
There is also the problem of how to
expedite the work go as to get time &c
cultivate the mind-to read and studT
something outside the every day worl
even a shoe will last longer if il
can have a. change with another.
But above all and beyond all thi:
is the problem of how to do the nee
essary amount of work without be
coming mere tools with no outloOf
: but to go on in the same groove unit
the end. No woman is at her best OF
afle to do her best for her family un,
der such circumstances. How shall