The Washington herald., 1918-08-08
FUEL SAYING
And FURNACE
CARE TAUGHT
Mrs. Dabney Of Agricultural
Department Gives
Instruction.

With the temperature at 106, fuel
saving seems easy. Yet it Is in this
very warm subject that instruction
has begun by Mrs. Ellen P. Dabney.
Director of Home Demonstration in
the District of Columbia for the De-
partment Of Agriculture.
Hot discussions are taking place in
the classes as to the proper method Of
firing furnaces, while a breeze that
seems to have had its origin in the
very heart Of furnace blows in the
window.
I'VE expect to save many tons of
COAL" says Mrs Dabney, "by instruct
ing women in methods of saving fuel.
by properly regulating hampers, feed
ing the fuel to the furnace and shak-
ing out the ashes and taking care of
the equipment generally.
"Of course women as a rule do not
attend to furnaces. but even though
their husbands do 1t, they should
know enough about the regulating Of
a furnace to keep a knowing eye on
his work.
"Colored men who are hired to do
this work should be especially
watched. as they are apt to clog up
furnace with a lot Of coal at a
time to avoid feeding it evenly and
often.
To Study stoves.
A pilgrimage Is being planned
that is not calculated to have a
psychological cooling effect. The
class expects to visit some Of the
stores that deal in all sorts Of heat
ing apparatuses and study them.
Every housekeeper knows" says
Mrs. Dabney. that some stoves and
furnaces need q lot more fuel than
others to give the same amount of
heat We mean to study the rela-
tive values of the different kinds of
heating apparatus, steam, hot wa
ter and hot air and cooking and
heating stoves, by actually seeing
and examining the different speci-
mems. The class will be instructed
in the amount of coal needed to give
certain amount of heat.
This subject is important now,
because everybody is preparing for
the winter in the matter of fuel
More fuel than is needed should not
be ordered.
Gas stoves will also be studied.
Some people have not yet learned
that water can not reach a higher
temperature than boiling point. And
as result they continue to use
more gas than is necessary and risk
burning their dinners.
Electricity will be conserved in
much the same manner. The subject
Of fuel conservation is the logical sue
cessor Of food conservation.
5000 Have Attended.
Food conservation classes have been
held three times a week since last
March. over 5000 women have listen
ed to Mrs. Dabney and her assistants
in six weeks. At present she is work.
ing with her fourth thousand. The
work includes the teaching of proper
methods of canning.
High prices have held back a lot of
canning work that would otherwise
have been DONE" says M,v. Dabney,
but we have surmounted that TO a
great extent by cooperative buying.
Every often a class in an auto will
speed into the country and return with
crates of foodstuffs direct from the
farm. Expeditions are continually
going to the market. where crates of
things are bought at wholesale by the
classes and effect for each member q
considerable saving"
The classes are scheduled for the
coming week as follows:
The Glasses.
Today: Trinity NJ. E. Church-at
1870 m. subject, canning of to-
matoes and corn; Mrs. Lucy Hollo-
way, demonstrator
E. V. Brown School-at 10 a. m,
subject. tomatoes; Mrs. Aubyn Chinn,
demonstrator.
Lovejoy School, (colored)-at p. m,
subject canning of tomatoes and soup
mixture. Mrs. c. B. Seabrook, dem
onstrator.
Tomorrow: Fifth Baptist Church-at
1:30 p. m, subject, canning of toma-
toes and corn; Mrs. Lucy Holloway.
demonstrator.
E. V. Brown School, Chevy Chase
at 10 a. m, subject. tomatoes and
beans; Miss Aubyn Chinn, demonstra-
tor.
st. Augustine's Church, (colored)-|
subject, canning tomatoes and making
Of soup mixture; Mrs. c. B. Sea-
brook, demonstrator.