The courier-index., 1917-11-16
FARMERS WIVES
WORK TOO HARD
Arkansas Farmers Should Give Their
Wives Modern Household Machinery
and Make Her Work a Pleasure.
stration Agent, Extension Divis-
ion, University of Arkansas.


Hhinery and use the latest methods in
making their crops, but they forget
that il 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
eng 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 and
Jabor-ssving devices. They do not
seem to know how easily her work
could be made pleasure and not a
drudgery, and they do not do their
share to enable her to have some
leisure time to enjoy the things which
snake more abundant life-books, mu-
sic, etc. l would not place less en-
phasis on the practical things of life,
but somebody surely needs to stress
fhe importance of doing housework
with the least amount of time and.
energy.
The lack of convenience in the
nome is the cause of great deal OF
the woman's work. Are the kitchens,
pantTies, dining rooms and porches as
conveniently arranged as they might
be? Are the floors all on the same
level? One hardly realizes how tir-
ing It is to step up and down from
the kitchen to the porch or from the
~ 30 I;rfn Aro fhoro
rs many shelves. cupboards. hooks,
nails, and tables as housekeeper
needs? Frequently the lack of these
conveniences is due merely to the
fact that no one has ever stopped to
think of the need of them. They do
not necessarily require money to get
them, but it does take little time
and thought, combined with energy.
A dry goods box containing shelves
and placed just above the working ta-
bic win save the housewife many
steps 1t is hard to estimate the num-
Der of tables necessary in kitchen.
However, one should be covered with
galvanized iron or zinc to stand near
the stove on which the pots and ket-
Ties can be placed when removing
them 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
equipment, 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.
A toy rub board" costing ten cents
" useful to slip into the sink or pan
20 rub out the cloths and towels after
using them.
A roller-tray table is very great
time-saver and convenience. One
home maker has said that II takes
Mfteen trips from the kitchen to the
Mining room to serve a meal. while
with q roller-tray Il may be done by
making two trips. There are several
inexpensive varieties Of these tables
on the market. but a good one can
easily be made at home. To do so
take small kitchen table, put
jshslf under the table. tack strips
Ageund the edges to prevent the dishes
from sliding OF. and put rollers on It.
Aahandy towel rack should be found
In every Kitchen.
The burdens OF each housekeeper
viii be less IL she will have place
for everything and everything in its
place" and time for doing every
thing. and do 1t in its time"
Too often the Kitchen il not well
equipped with the smaller and mex
pensite conveniences. The woman
who continues to beat eggs with
Hork instead OF spending Ave cents for
an egg beaten 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
Ave cents.
Wooden spoons, rolling pins, pota-
to Washers. paddles for butter, and
long handled paddle for stirring jams,
marmalades. etc. can be made at
home from cedar.
Small. round wire sleeves with ham
dies are useful for straining liquids.
sitting small quantities OF -four 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
the ordinary kitchen knife.
A clock, pair of scissors, high