i35° The Cornell Reading-Courses 



Soapstone 



Soapstone, a variety of talc, grayish green or brown in color, is used 

 for kitchen sinks and for cake griddles; but unless it is of the best quality 

 and its pores are kept well filled with oil, it is too absorbent to be sanitary 

 and is better replaced by iron. 



Marble 



Marble, a compact limestone, is very absorbent in its natural state, 

 but by powerful friction its pores are filled with the fine particles rubbed 

 off, and a glassy surface is produced which is nonabsorbent. This surface 

 is, however, easily destroyed by scratching or by the action of acids. 

 This must be taken into consideration if marble is chosen for a table top 

 or for pastry work. If lemon or orange juice has been spilled on marble, 

 the stain may be removed in one of the following ways : Scour with pow- 

 dered emery and water first, then substitute powdered pumice stone and 

 water, then the still finer tripoli, and finally whiting; or apply gum arabic, 

 and remove it and the stain together by mechanical action; or make a 

 paste of fuller's earth, pipe clay, or french chalk, and soap. Cover the 

 stained place and let it dry out. Wash off with water, or pull the dry 

 part off. 



Wood 



Wood, if unprotected by paint, varnish, filler, or covering, is little used 

 in an up-to-date kitchen. Tables are covered with zinc or oilcloth and the 

 food chopper replaces the old-time chopping bowl. In the case of an extra 

 table which for some reason is to be left uncovered, or of a bread board, 

 the best wood to choose is maple. In caring for it we have three problems 

 to consider: it may become dented, rough, or darkened. To remove 

 dents, put a wet pad of several thicknesses of cheesecloth or muslin on 

 the dent and cover it with a hot iron; the steam will raise the fibers of 

 the wood much as it raises the pile of velvet. To smooth away a rough 

 place, rub, with the grain of the wood, with steel wool — a substance 

 resembling excelsior in appearance but grayish in color and made of fine 

 particles of steel. This may be obtained at any hardware store. To restore 

 the color of the wood if darkened, use steel wool and weak hydrochloric 

 acid. Fine sand is better than soap for scrubbing wood, because the 

 alkali in soap combines with wood to form a dark stain which is really a 

 kind of ink. Scrubbing should be done with a circular motion of the 

 arm, for better cleaning of the wood and less exertion to the worker, but 

 rinsing and drying should always be with tha grain, in order that the 

 fibers may be left flat. 



