^t4 Reading-Course I"or Farmers' Wives. 



It is always better when possible to have a separate room for laundry 

 purposes. Much of the apparatus can then be made stationary and 

 many little labor saving conveniences devised. Some dairy farms have 

 running water, drains, power, steam, and cement floors. It would be 

 a simple matter on such a farm to equip a small room in the barn with 

 the necessary laundry apparatus. One western man has already done 

 this and the power and steam used in the dairy are also used in the 

 laundry. He may be quoted as follows: " A laundry provided with 

 stationary wash tubs, with washer and wringer for power use, is an 

 innovation. But why should not the woman of the farm be provided 

 with modern appliances? Why should she be compelled to toil as her 

 great grandmother did? The farmer no longer reaps with a sickle, or 

 even with a cradle. He rides his plow, and often his harrow. He rides 

 his grain drill and corn planter and com cultivator. He rides his grain 

 harvester and his corn harvester. He loads hay by machinery and pitches 

 it into the barn by horse power. The time is come when it is positive 

 cruelty to compel, or even allow the woman to toil on without running 

 water or machine power in the house. The same steam, water, and 

 sewerage system that must be present for the dairy will take care of 

 the laundry. The same power used for grinding feed and separating 

 milk and pumping water and sawing wood will turn the washer and the 

 wringer. Such a laundry is to be desired also, because it will practically 

 insure clean garments worn by the milkers. A power laundry like this 

 may be rented to the neighbors for, say 50 cents a day, they to come 

 over and do the work. Such an arrangement will in a measure lighten 

 the burden now resting so heavily on the woman of the farm." The 

 above is quoted from First Annual Report, State Dairy and Food Com- 

 missioner, Missouri, 1907. 



