The Colorado statesman., 1916-09-16
Uncle Sam Is Doing Much to
Make Life Brighter for Coun-
try DWeIlers.
INGENIOUS DEVICES PLANNED
Homemade Fireless Cooker and Ice
less Refrigerator Among Big Aids
to Home Comfort and
Sanitation.

uncle SuIn ueclQeu uOI lOnS ago
that the 100000 women and girls
who pass their lives upon American
farms did not have all that they
should have to make conditions as
liveable as they might be. AS soon
as this decision was reached, Uncle
Sam, through the department of agri-
culture, set about improving these
conditions as rapidly as possible and
the work has now reached big pro-
portions.
The department, realizing that any
change must come gradually and nat
Crally, began a few years ago with
the girls of the households. Through
the canning clubs 10000 girls in rural
communities have been trained to eff
ficiency in line of work which gives
them means of self-respect by
teaching them the proper use of the
resources at hand.
The department of agriculture in
augurated and now carries on it's work
for women through its division
of extension work in home econom-
les. The department is enthusiastic
over the manner in which the moth
ers' and daughters cooperation move
ment has taken hold upon the women
whom it has reached, and its benefits
are already enriching large section.
Work Carried On by Clubs.
The work is developed gradually
and is carried on by clubs which are
organized and directed by trained
agents of the deDartment
Begun with the industry most IA
miliar to the farm woman, egg and
poultry raising and selling associa-
tions were formed last year upon
strictly scientific and business bases.
These worked an immediate and large
increase in financial returns. There
were 6,7S1 women in 10 states who
were materially benefited last year by
this one feature of home extension
work
Buttermaking was next taken up,
with a correspondingly high average
in increased efficiency in preparing
the product for home consumption
and for sale, with financial increase
correspondingly improved. Every agri-
culturist knows that the highest quail
ity of butter, which naturally affects
the financial return, cannot be made
under unfavorable conditions and
without proper equipment.
The field agent of the department
was prepared for this emergency, and
improved churns, butter workers and
molds were shown. AS properly cooled
and kept cool milk is the first re-
quisite for q maximum of quantity
and quality of butter, she was also
prepared to set before the farmers
wife remote from ice and manufac-
tured cooling apparatus homemade
iceless refrigerator, which she demon
strated would keep milk products in
summer at a temperature for the
proper forming and ripening of cream
to produce high-grade butter.
Assist in Making Devices.
The result was that last year more
than 600 iceless refrigerators were
constructed at home, which proved eff
ficient aids to home comfort, santa
ton and profit. The homemade fire.
less cooker has proved a boon to
thousands of women in remote dis
tricts.
So successful has been this introduc-
ton that 2,1S1 effective fireless cook
ers were constructed by the women
themselves at their club meetings un-
der the direction of the departments
field agent. A simple homemade fly
trap suggested by the department at
tracted the attention of the women,
nd nrlxr do
stroyers of this insidiously working
little house pest, which has for CEN
turtles been one of the banes of sum-
mer life in the more remote rural
communities.
A simple device of wood and cloth
makes jelly straining an easy and a
sure operation. A strictly utilitarian
article with grandiose title is
scrub6ing chariot, while dustless
mop saves time and strength, and a
folding ironing board, which Is sus-
pended from the wall, is always con-
veniently at hand when wanted and
out Of the way when not in use.
A shower bath which may be con-
structed at home for less than sc
| cents has brought coolness and COM
| fort to many bathless households, and
quite frequently leads up to the In
stallation of the $40 home-manufac-
tured waterworks recommended by
the department of agriculture.
One of the most active field agents
in the PRONUNCIATION of the ideas OF
the department of agriculture and in
the making of labor-saving devices
notably the iceless refrigerator, is
Miss Rhea G. Scott, whose territory
is in Virginia. At the request of the
department, Miss Scott has compiled
a book which combines the concrete
results of years government club
work in homemade labor-saving de
vices for the use of the housekeeper