4 



FARMERS' MONTHLY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



HOME MAKING 



SKETCHES FROM THE 

 AMERICAN HOME 

 ECONOMICS CONVENTION, 



Attended by the Agent at San Francisco j 



Dr. W. D. Sansum, the noted blood spe- 

 cialist, gave the following facts in his 

 talk before the food and nutrition section. 



During the past fifty years the average 

 life has been increased nineteen years by 

 the study of bacteriology. At the present 

 time one person out of twelve dies from 

 respiratory diseases such as influenza and 

 pneumonia; one out of twelve dies from 

 tuberculosis and one out of fourteen dies 

 from cancer; but one out of every five 

 persons dies from some blood vessel dis- 

 ease. The latter is the most serious, and 

 dangerous of diseases because it develops 

 over a period of years and people do not 

 realize they have it until the disease has 

 its grip on them. 



The cause of high blood pressure is due 

 to the irritation and swelling of the very 

 thin and delicate lining of the blood ves- 

 sels. When the swelling gets to a cer- 

 tain stage there is not room for the 

 blood to go through and pressure results. 



Acid urine usually accompanies high 

 blood pressure. It is a thousand times 

 the acidity of the normal blood. There- 

 fore the diet for this disease consists of 

 foods which have alkali ash and will 

 counteract the acidity condition. Red 

 meat is considered to be very acid by 

 most people but it is really not as dan- 

 gerous as oysters, chicken or fish as far 

 as the acid ash is concerned. Fruit*, 

 vegetables and nuts are our best foods 

 to give us the alkali qualities. 



Results of Experiments on Rabbits 



Thirty-six rabbits were used for this 

 experiment. Twelve were fed a diet of 

 hay and grain. Eleven lived and one 

 died and not one of them had blood pres- 

 sure. 



The next twelve were fed only grain. 

 Five of these lived and seven died and 

 all of them had some blood pressure. 



The last twelve rabbits were fed grain 

 and nreat only. One of them lived and 

 after three months of this diet they all 

 had Bright's disease. 



This all goes to prove that we must be 

 very careful about our diet if we are to 

 keep our bodies in normal condition. 

 Small amounts of fruits and vegetables 

 are not sufficient. We must eat large 

 amounts. 



of our homes and ourselves. If we have 

 our garden and the outside of our homes 

 beautiful and if we make ourselves beau- 

 tiful we should be happy. Everything 

 else is superfluous. 



To be beautiful the modern costume 

 should have beauty of design, suitability, 

 becomingness and expressiveness. A gar- 

 ment that is once beautiful is always 

 beautiful. The changing of styles is 

 only a technical limitation and we should 

 be big enough to appreciate the beauty in 

 a gown whether the skirts are long or 

 short if the proportion is good. 



A dress must be suitable in design, 

 color and material for the occasion for 

 which it is to be worn. 



Becomingness is something we all 

 strive for. A great many things can be 

 done to make a dress becoming. The use 

 of stripes vertically or horizontally is an 

 old method and not a very good one. The 

 stripes themselves are enough to shout to 

 the world one is stout or thin. A more 

 subtle way of obtaining similar results is 

 better. Generally a stout person can 

 wear the same things as a tall per.son. 



Expressiveness is very important. You 

 should ask yourself the question, "Are 

 your clothes just a little more yours than 

 anyone else's? This is what makes your 

 clothes interesting. 



ART IN DRESS 



Louise P. Sooy, one of the noted west- 

 ern artists, gave us her idea of art in 

 dress. 



There are only three vital forms of art 

 in the world. The exterior and interior 



THE MODERN CHILD 



By Dr. Caroline Medger of the Elizabeth 

 McCormick Memorial Fund, Chicago 



This modern child is not interested in 

 food. The stories for children show that 

 the one about the gingerbread house with 

 the jelly windows that could be eaten 

 after the story was told was once a great 

 favorite. Our alphabet used to read "A" 

 is for apple so rosy and large, "B" is for 

 baker, "C" is for cake. Now what does 

 this modern child like? The other day 

 while I was riding on the loop in a Chica- 

 go elevated train, a pretty young mother 

 was reading to her little blond, curly 

 headed girl. When I became intere-^ited 

 and started listening in, they had come 

 to "C" is for Cable that brings us the 

 news." Surely the sphere of a child's in- 

 terests is greater, — much, much greater, 

 than in the old days. 



Our problem is not getting the food on 

 the table, but getting the food off the 

 table. When I was a little girl and my 

 mother was kneading bread, I had my 

 own little bit of dough which I kneaded 

 until it was gray, watched it rise in a 

 little pan beside the other rising loaves 

 of bread; baked it; got that delicious 

 smell all the while it was becoming gold- 

 en brown, and finally ate it with the 

 greatest joy. Now, what happens in the 

 modern child's house. The mother calls 



upon the telephone, orders a loaf of 

 bread. It's brought by the delivery boy 

 all wrapped up in heavy paraffin paper 

 so that none of the microbes will get on 

 it, and stored away. The child first sees 

 it cut on the table. The mother wonders 

 why Betty's not hungry. Let your girl 

 or boy cook. What if he does muss up 

 the kitchen. It's worth it. Then you 

 will get the food off the table into the 

 child. 



Another point about this modern child. 

 They have great acumen. Don't lie to 

 them. The other day a little youngster 

 of seven years came home from Sunday 

 School, and asked his mother, "Was there 

 ever such a man as Jesus?" His mother 

 showed great surprise, so he went on, 

 "Well, that story about Santa Claus was 

 a fake." 



This modern child is over stimulated. 

 Give them a chance to grow, and lay a 

 firm foundation. Let them alone. These 

 radios, and taxi cabs and cables are turn- 

 ing them into bundles of skin and bones. 

 It is the social responsibility of every 

 parent to bring his child to school in fit 

 condition to be taught. They should have 

 meat on their bones, a passage large 

 enough to breathe through their nose and 

 eyes they can see with. 



After the child has been brought to- 

 school the family should co-operate with 

 the school. No child should be examined 

 by a school doctor without at least one 

 of the parents present. A child can not 

 give a correct history. How does he 

 know that his mal-nourished condition is 

 due to an excessively long period of 

 breast feeding? How can he understand 

 what the doctor says? He is more apt to 

 bring home fake information than cor- 

 rect. And the doctor should not write on 

 the child's health blank, — "Endocarditis." 

 What does that mean? Nothing. And it 

 should be written, "This child has a weak 

 heart muscle. Therefore must be treated 

 carefully." 



Lastly, leave the child alone. The 

 school teacher, the dancing teacher, the 

 music teacher, the riding master. How 

 can they grow and be well and mentally 

 controlled? Parents should restrain 

 themselves. Give the child a chance to 

 vegetate. 



FURNISH HOME FOR FAMILY, 

 NOT NEIGHBORS 



specialist Says Give Folks Room to 



Move in House or They Will 



Move Elsewhere 



Furnish your home for your family, not 

 for the neighbors, Miss Marion L. Tucker, 

 state clothing specialist of the Massa- 

 chusetts Agricultural College, advised 

 women in the women's section of the 

 Seventh Annual Farm and Home Week of 



