266 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



Conditions for liome making differ so widely that no two house- 

 keepers have exactly the same problems, although the same principles 

 may apply to all. 



First, we study and understand our own problems. We must have 

 a standard of life. By standard of life, I do not refer merely to an 

 economic standard, but moral, social and intellectual standards that con- 

 trol our motives and ultimately result in successful living. It has been 

 said, the great difference between a successful person who accomplishes 

 much and the one who is inefficient, is the difference in which their 

 standard of life has been made conscious. In other words, the women 

 who succeed have studied their problems and have a clear conception 

 of them. 



The methods that made our mothers successful or those that are 

 making our neighbors succeed may not always apply to our needs. The 

 education and tastes of people differ so widely that it would be difficult 

 to establish a universal standard of life. 



Many of us have failed when we have been put to the test, because 

 we have not had the courage to carry out our own standard of life. "We 

 are often more influenced by the opinion of others, than by our own good 

 resolutions. The development of modern manufacturing enterprises, 

 has taken out of the home many industries which characterized the homes 

 of our mothers. The manufacturing of clothing, carpets, furniture and 

 many other articles of household use, are no longer made in the home. 

 To a certain extent, also, the preparation of food has been transferred 

 from the kitchen to the canning factories, commercial bakeries and other 

 food manufacturing establishments. While this is true much of this work 

 is left in the home. 



The preparation of food in the home is important, not only because 

 it is one of the chief activities carried on by the housewife, but because 

 a very large proportion of the income is expended in the purchase of the 

 food and its preparation. It has been estimated one-fifth of the money 

 expended for food is wasted in one of the five following avenues : 



1. Needlessly expensive materials providing little nourishment. 



2. Much thrown away that might have been utilized. 



3. Bad preparation. 



4. Failure to select rightly according to season. 



5. Badly constructed ovens. 



Many have realized the importance of one or more of these ways, 

 but few women have been able to prevent waste in each of the direc- 

 tions mentioned. Very often a woman may be an expert in the selection 

 of food material, but not a good economist in the prevention of waste. 



