The Newark journal. (Newark, Ark.) 1901-1959, 1917-08-30
FARMERS WIVES
WORK TOD HARD
Arkansas Farmers Should Give Their
Wives Modern Household Machinery
and Make Her Work a Pleasure.
BY Sallie Chamberlain, Home Demon
stration Agent, Extension Divis-
ion, University of Arkansas.

by SdIEle chamberlain, HUME ASAiNh
stration Agent, Extension Divis-
ion, University of Arkansas.
Farmers have improved farm ma
chinery and use the latest methods in
making their crops, but they forget
that it is possible to make the work
of the housewife much easier by pay
ing little attention to the arrange
ment of the kitchen and by furnish
ing labor-saving devices which can be
made without a great deal of trouble
or expense. Too many men fail to
recognize that it is economy to de-
crease the burdens of the housewife
by giving her modern equipment ana
laborsaving devices. They do not
seem to know how easily her work
could be made a pleasure and not
54udgery. and they do not do their
share to enable her to have some
leisure time to enjoy the things which
make more abundant Iife-bOoks, mu-
sic, etc. l would not place less en-
phasis on the practical things of life,
but somebody surely needs to stress
he Importance of doing housework
with the least amount of time and
energy.
The lack of convenience in the
home is the cause of a great deal of
lie Woman's work Are the kitchens,
pantries. dining. roorls and porches as
conveniently arranged as they might
be? Are the floors all on the same
level? One hardly realizes how tir-
me it is 10 step up and down from
the kitchen to the porch or from the
kitchen to the dining room. Are there
as many shelves. cupboards, hooks,
nails, and tables as housekeeper
needs2 Frequently the lack of these
convenienees is due merely to the
fact that no one has ever stopped to
think of the need Of them. They do
rot necessarily require money to get
them. but it docs take a little time
and thought, combined with energy.
A dry goods box containing shelves
and placed just above the working Ia
he viii save the housewife many
steps. It is hard 10 estimate the num-
Der Of tables necessary in a kitchen.
However, one should be covered with
galvanized iron or zinc to stand near
tie stove on which the pots and ket-
ties can be placed when removing
thom from the stove. Asbestos mats
at three cents each are good to set
the kettles on. but pieces of board
may be used to an advantage. Above
the working table hooks should be ar
ranged on which to hang the smaller
cqu 5pment such as egg heaters,
spoons, potato Washers, etc.
All tables and sinks must be tall
enough to permit the woman to work
comfortably at them without bending
over The ordinary sink should be
raised from eight to ten inches.
\ toy rub board costing ten cents
is useful to slip into the sink or pan
to rub out the cloths and towels after
using them.
A roller-tray table is very great
tinae-saver and convenience One
home-maker has said that it takes
fifteen trips from the kitchen to the
dining room to serve a meal, while
with roller-tray it may be done by
making two trips. There are several
inexpensive varieties of these tables
on the market, but good one can
easily be made at home. To do so
take small kitchen table, put a
shelf under the table, tack strips
around the edges to prevent the dishes
from sliding off and put rollers on it.
\ handy towel rack should be found
in every kitchen.
The burdens of each housekeeper
will be less if she will "haye a place
for everything and everything in its
place" and time for doing every
thing, and do it in its time"
Too often the kitchen is not well
equipped with the smaller and mex
pensive conveniences. The woman
who continues to beat eggs with q
fork instead of spending FIVE cents for
an egg heater is wasting much time
and energy.
A potato ricer saves time when
MASKING vegetables and fruits or
pressing curd for cottage cheese.
These may be purchased for twenty
FIVE cents
Wooden spoons, rolling pins, pota-
to Washers, paddles for butter, and a
long handled paddle for stirring jams,
marmalades. etc, can be made at
home from cedar
Small, round wire sieves with han
dies are useful for straining liquids,
sitting small quantities of flour and
removing rice, peas, etc, from the ket-
ties,
Each kitchen should have two meas
uring cups, either tin or glass, mark
ed IN thirds and fourths.
Sharp knives of various sizes and
kinds are necessary to the comfort of
the housewife The small pairing
knives which cost from 10 to % cents
may be used with more ease and skill
in pairing potatoes, apples, etc, than
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