The Bulletin. 35 



cooker. A kitchen sink, where there is no water supply, simply a device for 

 carrying away waste water, will be found a wonderful saver of energy. These 

 sinks may be bought at small expense, and any man who is at all apt with tools 

 can adjust the waste-pipe. A hinged shelf with an adjustable support will be 

 found useful in the kitchen or dining-room. A kitchen cabinet, to hold supplies 

 necessary in the preparation of a meal, can be made at home by the "handy- 

 man," and will be well worth time spent in its construction. A window cup- 

 board is another simple device that might be used to advantage. It is simply a 

 small box, fitted with one or more shelves and nailed or screwed just outside 

 the window with the open side toward the window-sash, so placed as to not 

 interfere with raising or lowering the window. When the window is raised the 

 shelves are accessible from the room and when lowered the window forms a 

 door to the cupboard. A sash curtain drawn across the window will shut the 

 cupboard from view, and when placed in a well-shaded window forms a de- 

 lightful, cool, convenient place for food. These window cupboards are won- 

 derfully convenient in a dining-room. 



What to do with floors, whether kitchen, parlor or spare bedroom floors, is a 

 vexing question in the farm home. Into many of these homes carpets have not 

 yet found their way, for which we should be duly thankful ; but the care of a 

 bare floor, the weekly or semiweekly scouring is a serious matter. As a solution 

 of this problem I wish to suggest staining the floors, and will give a formula 

 for a stain which I have used successfully upon a number of floors. This 

 stain may be used in every room in the house. To one gallon of boiled linseed 

 oil and one pint of turpentine add burnt umber stain in sufficient quantity to 

 give the desired color. Apply with a cloth or brush to a clean, dry floor. 

 Allow several hours to dry before using. To clean a stained floor, wash with 

 warm water to which has been added several tablespoons of kerosene. Kero- 

 sene alone is excellent for cleansing stained floors. For a parlor or spare bed- 

 room floor that does not require frequent cleansing, floor wax will give a 

 beautiful polish when used with this stain. The formula for the floor wax is 

 as follows : Into a quart of turpentine shave beeswax in sufficient quantity 

 that when thoroughly dissolved it will be of a creamy consistency. The mix- 

 ture must stand several days before using, since the beeswax dissolves slowly. 

 If wanted promptly, the beeswax may be melted and added to the turpentine 

 while hot. When mixing, however, the ingredients should be kept away from 

 the fire. Apply the mixture with a cloth when the stain has become thoroughly 

 dried, after which polish with a cloth. Bags from discarded odds and ends 

 of clothing, made to draw over a broom, will be very useful in caring for 

 stained floors. Brooms are made from felt for this purpose costing eighty 

 cents, but the home-made bag is quite successful. 



There are many useful, inexpensive kitchen utensils, such as egg beaters, 

 potato mashers, separators, measuring cups, food choppers, many costing but a 

 few cents, which would do much to lighten the work; but these articles must 

 be seen to be appreciated. I should like to mention the necessity of a water 

 supply in the country home; but possibly the time is not yet here when we can 

 urge this convenience. However, I am familiar with many locations through- 

 out the State where the spring is in such a position with reference to the house 

 that the water could be easily piped to the house without a penny of cost other 

 than the iron pipe. 



As I said in the beginning, as housewives we need just to simplify, then 

 classify our duties. I would not advise carrying this simplifying process to 

 the extent as did one woman of whom I heard who gave her husband a bunch 

 of grapes for dinner and while he ate them read a poem to him. There are, 

 however, many processes going on daily in all of our homes that could be 

 safely and wisely eliminated. 



