628 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



arms is prevented and the tiresome work of holding the clothes on a 

 stick to drain is unnecessary. After the boiling is completed the device is 

 lifted until the hooks catch on the sides of the boiler and allowed to re- 

 main until drained and then the carrier with clothes may be lifted out. 



After the washing, comes the ironing, such a bug bear in hpt weather. 

 There are now on the market two types of ironing machines or mangles. 

 (1) The cold roll machine in which the rollers between which the gar- 

 ments pass are made of wood and are unheated, depending on their weight 

 and pressure to remove wrinkles. 



(2) The hot roll machines in which one roll is cold and is covered 

 with a blanket and cloth just as for an ironing board, and the other roll 

 or concave plate is made of smooth iron and is heated. The cold roll re- 

 volves against the heated metal plate. This is really the more economical 

 and satisfactory machine although costing a little more. The plate may 

 be heated by gas or gasoline. If power is available the ironing machine 

 may be run by power. The use of one of these machines reduces greatly 

 the time required to iron the usual way. 



Garments with gathers and sleeves cannot be ironed to look perfectly 

 smooth and well shaped, but all bed and table linen, towels, handkerchiefs, 

 underwear and kitchen aprons may be done successfully. 



A number of other irons are now on the market — some of these are the 

 electric iron, gasoline and denatured alcohol irons, all of which you are 

 probably familiar with. 



Another great convenience of the modern farm home is the bath room, 

 which until recently was thought to be a luxury or rather an invention 

 for the city home only, but which in the future will be not a luxury, but 

 a necessity in every home. 



The rural resident who visits her city cousin is impressed with the 

 convenience of the bath, lavatory, toilet, hot and cold running water of 

 the city home and the contrast is so broad that she is frequently discon- 

 tented with country life. 



The expense is not so great but what most farmers can afford it, at 

 least it will cost nothing to consult an expert and get an estimate of the 

 expense and the cost is then known to be within or without his circum- 

 stances. 



Modernizing rural homes will prove a great factor in preventing the 

 migration of country boys and girls to cities. 



Another late invention is the vacuum cleaner, which is proving very 

 helpful especially at house cleaning time. 



More sanitary too as it draws the dirt out of the carpet or rug instead 

 of stirring it up and allowing to settle again on everything in the house. 



If you are fortunate enough to have electric power at hand, fasten it 

 to the cleaner and save some more hard work. I hope the time will come 

 and speedily too, when electricity will be within the reach of all, and let 

 me prophesy a little by saying that it is surely coming and besides light- 

 ing the farm buildings will be used for power by both the farmer and his 

 wife to perform by the use of modern inventions, much of the labor for- 

 merly done by hand. 



