Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1915-07-09
FARM COLUMN
MEAT IN nor WEATHER
A Few simple Precautions For The
Housewife Who Does Not Want
Her supplies to Spoil.-Conn-
dition of Refrigerator
l. OF Importance.

few simple precautions will en-
able the housewife in keeping meat
untainted in hot weather. II is. OF
course. common knowledge that the
higher the temperature the quicker
the meat will spoil. but the famlly's
supplies are not absolutely at the
mercy OF the thermometer Ice and
cleanliness are the two great weap-
ons Of defense.
For many families refrigerator
is absolutely out OF the question. but
il is perhaps better to have no refrig-
orator at all than a neglected one.
Merely to wash it out occasionally
does little good; it should be thor
oughly scalded az frequent intervals.
in particular the drain This. If ov-
erlooked. is apt to harbor fungus
growths. which may spread to the
food on one occasion mar ap-
piled TO the department because he
had found that a joint Of beef plac-
ed in his refrigerator had turned a
peculiar bright red. Upon eNamina-
tion II was ascertained that the meat
was covered with peculiar fungus
growth due entirely to the condi-
tion OF the refrigerator, Growths o.
this kind do not always advertise
themselves so prominently and
there may be much evil in an ice
box that ;he eye can0ct detect
if tile reidrera O, Grain Is not
thoroughly cleaned. no,eosei, it is
likely - become cl0ked. the water
is not carried off quickly enough.
and little pools are left standing in
the interior. Dampness is one of the
conditions most favorable to bacte-
rial growth An ice box in this
state will not protect food long II
Is. in fact. wise precaution to wipe
the interior of refrigerator every
day with dry cloth.
The temperature Of the average
refrigerator is higher than most per-
sons suppose. and in those house
holds where a regular supply of ice
is not obtainable. a cool cellar. a
spring house. or the depths OF a
we'll may serve somewhat the same
purpose. On farms where there is
an ice house the meat may be placed
in some form of closed retainer and
buried in the ice. In any event the
meat must be carefully screened
from flies. The danger from infec-
tion from these pests has been point
ed out many times. but familiarity
breeds contempt. and they still per
sist. The fly not only does the meat
itself no good. but IL may readily de-
posit on il some infection, which is
carried in turn by tho meat into
the humeG sgs;eai. Some lies will
deposit their eggs on the meat and
these in a short time will become
imaggots. and the meat is fly
blown"
Much sickness that is popularity as
cribed to ptomaine poisoning or to
bad food in general is really caused
in some such way as this. the food
in itself perfectly wholesome. acting
merely as a mechanical carrier for
the germs which cause the trouble,
Some of these sorts come from the
human intestine. and their presence
is sure indication that filth is pres
ent. even ii the amount is too small
TO be seen. Filth of this kind may
be carried by dust. but it more Of
ten comes from soiled hands. One
might wish that every kitchen could
have the sign found in some we'll
managed food factories--"when you
J leave the room for any purpose. wash
your hands before you return to
work"
Germs" which grow in food and
cause illness grow very rapidly, par.
ticularly II the food is a little warm
and are not destroyed unless the
food IS we'll cooked before serving
e Simply "worming up" is not enough
as was found in a case of Illness re
Gently reported after eating some
warmed-up creamed vegetables. Ger.
tain kinds of food-creamed chicken
or custard, or warm vegetables, foi
example-are excellent culture med