The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-08-02
USE SCHOOLHOUSES
FOR CANNING WORK
Housewives Of Washington, d. c., Have
Adopted Model Method-Every School
With Domestic Science Equipment
Has Been Ordered Opened.

. |
Washington, D. c., Aug 9Th,
housewives of this city have devised 4
model method of utilizing. schoolhouse'
in canning and preserving, for use dur
} ing the winter, the great quantities OF
perishable fruit and vegetables which
otherwise would go to waste.
Early in the season it became evident
that the numerous back yard and vacant
lot gardens in Washington would pro-
duce abundantly, and that the surround.
ing country would add to the supply of
perishable foodstuffs. Then arose the
question, What shall we do with the sur
pluss
The school authorities met the situa-
ton promptly-they threw open to the
public the various cooking schools
throughout the District of Columbia.
Every school having equipment for do
nestle science work was ordered to be
| open on certain days in the week and
regular classes in canning and drying
vegetables and fruit were organized.
To-day these classes are demonstrat-
produce. They may do the actual work
in their own kitchens, bringing to the
class any of their special difficulties for
attention; or an organization of women
may use the schools by forming groups
of helpers to collect surplus neighbor-
hood garden products and assist the
teacher in putting them up. In this case
the finished products are of course the
property of the women cooperating.
The problem of lack of equipment in
one school was met by an enterprising
and public spirited woman, who consid-
ers it patriotic duty to assist in home
canning work, thereby making more of
the commercially canned goods avail
able for our soldiers and sailors. This
woman obtained permission from the
school board to fit up basement room
in schoolhouse where there is no regu
lar kitchen and for the sum of $50 she
bought the following equipment; Five
blue and white enamel dishpans, about |
% inches in diameter, three ls-inch |
saucepans, blue and white enamel, two
l2-inch saucepans, blue and white enam-
ell, two quart measuring cups, IL pairing |
knives, two teakettles, IL yard square
pieces of cheesecloth, IL towels, six two
burner gas stoves, one vegetable slicer,
one steam Gamer.
At this schoolhouse an instructor,
whose salary is paid by the woman who
the work, shows sometimes as
many as go women a day how to pre-
serve their produce. One day last week
II pints of squash, SO pints of beets, Is
pints of beans, and II pints of raspberry
jam, total of 20 jars of produce, were
put up at this school.
The merchants sent the fruits yege-
tables, jars and other necessities directly
to the school. The only transportation
difficulties were in getting the goods
home. But by cooperating, different
groups of women who dubbed together
TO buy their produce in large quantities,
ater divided up the work of taking care
IF IT,
This particular emergency schoolhouse +,
kitchen makes the canning season
pleasure rather than hardship. Moth !
RS, aided by their small daughters, can,
PICKLE, preserve and jam to their hearts
content. Neighbors chat together over
heir pairing bowls and the instructor
,oes quietly about smoothing out any
difficulties which arise. The other day it
vas found that several jars of canned
aspberries were showing signs of spoil.
ge. Acting on the advice of the in
tructor, the housewife, who had used
'erries little two sour for canning, was
BILE to save her fruit by converting it at
nee into jam. !
Women who were too busy to do their
wn canning turned over this work to
he girl scouts, who took their pay in the ?
orm of the finished product-one quart I
or each six quarts put up.
Any number of changes may, of G
curse, be rung on the way Washington
as taken hold of this work. The do
lestic science departments of state col
,ges of agriculture stand ready to rem c
er any assistance in their power and CT
he u. S. department of agriculture has
repaired explicit directions for all kinds OF
canning and drying work. These di- cl
,ctions are obtainable from the division T
publications, Z. S. department of agri- ga
llture. The titles of the bulletins fol- in
w: W
Farmers bulletin $50, Home Canning d,
V the One Period Cold.Pack Method" n,
Designed for use in the North I'll
Farmers bulletin s53, "Home Canning g,
Fruits and Vegetables" designed nj
II use in the South w
Farmers bulletin s4l, "'Drying Fruits w,
I'd Vegetables in the Home" or
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