126 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



expense and that the help will not use them. This is oftener 

 true of the help than the housewife. Not having any practical 

 knowledge of that, I couldn't say, but it would seem to me that 

 it might be a saving of steps and time — you let the cupboard 

 do the traveling instead of the woman. 



Pres. Stimson. My question, which I arise to ask, is right 

 in line with the previous question. We see advertised on the 

 market kitchen cabinets. I wondered if they had been brought 

 into use very extensively. My question was prompted by the 

 feeling that most men feel that if we adapt our houses so as to 

 save steps, our wives will be stronger in most cases. I know 

 that in my grandfather's house the china closet was at the far 

 end of the house, in the parlor, and over the fireplace in the par- 

 lor was another cupboard devoted to some pewter ware brought 

 out on state occasions. The big oven was near the center of the 

 house, a room at least away from the kitchen. Now, very for- 

 tunately, that house burned down, but there are still houses 

 which have not burned down, and I have wondered whether 

 kitchen cabinets would serve a beneficial purpose in this matter. 



Miss Van Rensselaer. My experience with kitchen cabi- 

 nets is this : I would not want to keep house without one. 

 The shelf is a good place for mixing things. You pull out a 

 drawer here at the right, and you have cooking utensils ; in 

 another drawer you have spices, and possibly another place here 

 for the flour, which is a great deal better than traveling off 

 somewhere for it. It is better than going to the cupboard to 

 get the necessary knives and spoons. Then it keeps things 

 away from the dust, that is one thing. 



We have made quite a study of home sanitation in our 

 Farmers' Wives' Reading Course — trying to get things under 

 cover, trying to do away with the danger of disease, in connec- 

 tion with the utensils and the food. I just take this occasion 

 to say that I brought along a few of our Farmers' Wives' leaf- 

 lets, which perhaps you will be interested ih. There is one on 

 " The Saving of Steps,'/ " Decoration in the Farm Home," 



