FARMERS' MONTHLY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



HOME MAKING 



JANUARY SALES 



After Christmas the merchants begin 

 to advertise "white Sales!" January and 

 February are the months for careful 

 housewives to take account of stock and 

 to replenish the supply of sheets, pillow 

 cases, table linen and other household 

 fabrics. 



A "bargain" so called does not always 

 prove to be an economical purchase, but 

 the wise housewife patronizes the Jan- 

 uary sales. If she buys standard makes 

 of white goods from reliable firms she 

 can be sure she is making a real saving 

 for the family pocket book. At "this time 

 there are offered at reduced prices slight- 

 ly soiled goods, broken lines, and odd lots 

 of merchandise which the dealer wishes 

 to move quickly or has been able to se- 

 cure at a low price from the wholesaler. 



If your supply of table linen needs re- 

 plenishing perhaps you are looking for 

 runners, doilies or table sets. They have 

 quite replaced the regular table cloth for 

 breakfast, luncheon and supper as they 

 are attractive, less expensive, and much 

 easier to launder. Plain linen in white, 

 natural or color, crash, unbleached cotton, 

 and ginghams are commonly used. When 

 buying these pieces look carefully to see 

 if they are cut by a thread of the goods. 

 If not, it will be difficult to launder them 

 nicely. Remember that white or natural 

 color linen will launder more easily than 

 the colored materials and there will be 

 less difficulty in removing stains. 



The best rule to follow in selecting a 

 table cloth is to buy from a reliable store. 

 It is not easy to tell at the counter the 

 quality of table linen. This is learned 

 from use. If you buy of a store which 

 sells reliable goods and stands back of 

 its sales you have fewer disappointments. 

 Good quality table linen should be leath- 

 ery, thick and heavy as you work it be- 

 tween your fingers. Double damask is 

 generally more satisfactory than single 

 for there are more threads in the make 

 up of the cloth. A small patterned cloth 

 shows off the table furnishings better 

 than a large pattern and wears better be- 

 cause the overshot threads on the surface 

 are shorter. 



Most people consider buck, or hucka- 

 back, towels the most satisfactory hand 

 towels. If bought by the dozen or half 

 dozen there is a saving. Coarse huck ab- 

 sorbs moisture better than fine. "Union" 

 huck means that it is made of cotton and 

 linen. A cotton towel, after continued 

 washing, will not be as white as a linen 

 one, will be linty, and will wear out more 

 quickly. Good quality Turkish towels 

 have loops which are securely fastened 

 so that they do not pull out or slip back 

 and forth. 



If you are buying sheets this winter be 

 sure you buy them long enough and wide 



enough. This will insure protection for 

 the mattress and greater comfort. A 

 sheet should have at least twelve inches 

 to turn over on all edges; that is, it 

 should be twenty four inches longer and 

 wider than the mattress. There is very 

 little difference in the cost and quality of 

 ready made sheets and pillow cases and 

 sheeting bought by the yard and made at 

 home. Most people nowadays buy the 

 ready made unless they want to get some 

 special size. "Torn Sheeting" means 

 that the sheeting was torn, not cut, be- 

 fore hemming. Such a sheet launders 

 much better than the cut sheet. 



Marion L. Thicker 

 Stale Clothing Specialist. 



WHY BE SICK? 



THE ETERNAL DISHPAN 



The dishpan is a shining example of 

 the truth of that famous adage that "A 

 certain amount of fleas are good for a 

 dog. They keep him from forgetting 

 that he is a dog." In all of our modest 

 homes, the dishpan appears three times 

 a day to remind us that life was never 

 intended to be one glad gay song. 



We have yet to find the person who 

 really enjoys the process of washing 

 dishes. It is the inevitable end of every 

 party, every family dinner and every 

 good time. What entertainments we 

 would give, how joyously we would 

 gather our friends around us — if it were 

 not for the dishes. We would try every 

 delectable recipe and make our own 

 health breads. We would always serve 

 the perfectly balanced meal. Indeed, we 

 housewives would "go hitch our wagon 

 to a star," the star of the efficiently 

 managed home — if it were not for the 

 dishes. That glittering emblem of drud- 

 gery keeps us right here on the earth. 



To the young husband who wrote, "Is 

 it absolutely my duty to wash dishes in 

 the evening, after a full day's work in the 

 office?" we can only reply: 



You cannot be considered entirely lack- 

 ing in your husbandly duties if you refuse 

 to do so. The gentle art is catalogued as 

 belonging to your wife's share in home- 

 making. But, young man, if you do don 

 a big apron and immerse your hands in 

 the vi'arm soapy suds after dinner, you 

 are creating a halo about your head 

 which time or circumstances can never 

 dim. 



It is not merely a matter of dishes. It 

 is a question of partnership, sympathy 

 and understanding. Just lend a hand 

 when you see her look wearily at the 

 cluttered kitchen sink. Send her out for 

 a quiet walk when her nerves are on 

 edge. When pleasures come your way, 

 insist that she share them with you. 



Many a broken home would have sur- 

 vived those first hard years, if it were not 

 for the dishes. 



— The Boston Herald. 



Many Troubles can be Traced Directly 

 to Improper Food 



Once upon a time there was a doctor 

 who had a very sick patient whom he left 

 in the care of a nurse. He was obliged 

 to prescribe some medicine in the form 

 of powder, and which had to be measured 

 exactly. He said to the nurse, "Give this, 

 powder twice a day, and each time give 

 as much as you can get on a dime." The- 

 next day the doctor received a hurry call 

 because the patient was dying. The 

 nurse was questioned if she had given the 

 medicine as directed, and she replied, 

 "Yes, doctor. I gave everything as you 

 told me, but I didn't have a dime to 

 measure the powder so I thought it 

 would be all right to use two nickels." 



How many homemakers have used two 

 nickels instead of a dime in measuring 

 treatment for themselves and family and 

 have been unsuccessful? Since the home- 

 maker must apply the remedies for the 

 ailments of her family, it is very im- 

 portant that she appreciate not only what 

 the trouble is but also what the treatment 

 is, and why it is expected to be effective. 



The cause of the disease is very im- 

 portant. The great majority of diseases, 

 such as colds, headaches, underweight, 

 overweight, constipation, brights disease, 

 diabetes and even irritability, can be 

 traced back to improper diet. 



To understand what and how much to 

 eat, it is necessary to know a little of the 

 human machine. In the steam engine 

 fuel is burned to produce steam which in 

 turn furni.shes power. Our food is our 

 fuel and when digested and absorbed 

 gives the energy necessary to live and 

 move. If more food is taken than is 

 necessary fat is stored in the body. When 

 less is taken natures used the already 

 stored to make up the deficit. This is 

 the principle behind all plans of weight 

 reduction. Less food is eaten than tl'.e 

 required number of calories and the sur- 

 plus body fat is removed. 



It is impossible to outline a diet for 

 all these different diseases, which will be 

 suitable for each individual. But the Ex- 

 tension Service will be very glad to send 

 anyone who is interested suggested menus 

 for overcoming constipation, overweight, 

 and underweight. Some of the women 

 taking food selection have tried these- 

 suggestions and report obtaining very- 

 satisfactory results in a short time. 



BELCHERTOWN LADY PLAYS 

 TRUE EXTENSION GAME 



Mrs. Arthur E. Warner of Belchertown 

 is playing the extension game as it 

 should be played. She realizes when she 

 learns something new and valuable that 



