162 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



schools. You may question tlie possibility of cooking being taught 

 in the ordinary district school; but one teacher at least has made it 

 a decided success and I cannot do better than give you a short sketch 

 of her methods. 



The school committee and the teacher discussed the possibility of 

 preparing warm lunches, the children doing the actual work, the 

 teacher serving as buyer and instructor. The teacher estimated that 

 a bill of fare for one warm dish each noon could be provided at a 

 cost of two cents per day per child, each child bringing, in addition, 

 bread and butter. Arrangements were made that children who had 

 not the pennies could pay for their dinners by doing some work for 

 the teacher — the other pupils knowing nothing of this arrangement. 



Eeady money is scarce with some farmers; but milk and vegetables 

 are plenty and the fathers often sent offerings that decreased the 

 expense of the experiment. Each child brought two napkins, a 

 knife, fork, spoon, plate, cup and saucer. Two napkins were needed, 

 because each child had to use his desk as a table and tables must 

 have table-cloths. 



The equipment was partly provided by the school committee and 

 partly donated. It took some planning to arrange the work so that 

 lessons should not suffer nor be interfered with by the necessity for 

 the cook's presence at the stove. Unless a girl had her lessons she 

 could not serve as cook, and there were always others glad to serve 

 in her stead. The cooking force consisted of one big girl, who ought 

 to know^ something, and three helpers. This force was changed each 

 week. The week's bill of fare was given to the big girl whose duty 

 it was to see that everything was prepared before ten minutes of 

 nine, that the room was neat, that the food was put on the stove at 

 the proper hour, served properly, the dishes washed and all tidied 

 again. The cooks reached the school by eight. The small girls 

 learned by helping the larger ones. They learned to prepare deli- 

 cious soups, or rather stew^s. various kinds of croquettes, griddle- 

 cakes, dishes served in cream like creamed codfish and creamed 

 potatoes. They made various kinds of biscuit and learned to cook 

 rice so that each grain was distinct and the rice not a soggy mass. 

 The mothers become strong supporters of the scheme, as they said 

 the children did not come home so tired from school w^hen they had 

 something warm at noon. 



The children were encouraged to ask questions and the question 

 box was opened on Fridays. The range of the questions show^ed that 

 the pupils were thinking, and the girl who thinks is the best cook. 



A small expenditure of money will fit any school for the cooking 

 lessons. Interest and zeal on the part of teacher and pupils will 

 make the work successful under difficulties. Economy in the use of 

 time and materials, neatness and attention to one's work are good 

 lessons to learn, and they will all come to the country school, where 



