HOME ECONOMICS AND EDUCATION 623 



solution. Many housekeepers have good success in packing them 

 in bran, in oats, or in dry salt, but according to experiments the 

 very best way to preserve them is to use a solution of 1 part water- 

 glass, sodium silicate, to 9 parts of boiled and cooled water. Clean 

 nesting places are necessary to prevent infection in the nest. The 

 eggs should be gathered daily and kept in a dry, cool room or cellar 

 where the sun's rays do not fall directly upon them. Only clean eggs 

 should be used for preservation and these should be placed in the 

 preservative within twenty-four* hours after they are laid. They 

 must not be washed as this removes the natural protective covering of 

 the shell. 



Eggs laid during April, May, and early June were found to 

 keep better than those laid at any other season. It is recommended, 

 therefore, that only eggs laid at this season be preserved. It was 

 found that water glass when properly made seals the eggs to pre- 

 vent further infection and when kept at a comparatively low tem- 

 perature prevents the multiplication! of bacteria (decay) within 

 the egg. Water glass can usually be obtained through druggists at 

 from $1 to $1.25 per gallon, a gallon of the water glass being made 

 into 10 gallons of preservative by simply dissolving it in 9 gallons of 

 water which has been boiled and cooled before use. The preserved 

 eggs should be kept in a cellar or room of even temperature which 

 does not go over 60 F. 



If care is taken to select clean, sound eggs, and proper precau- 

 tions are observed in carrying put the details of the method of 

 preservation as above indicated, it is believed that water glass fur- 

 nishes a cheap, reliable, and easily employed preservative for do- 

 mestic use, and by its use everyone having a supply of fresh eggs 

 in the spring can make a considerable saving, and at the same time 

 have a larger number of fresh eggs to use in the winter. Eggs 

 should always be washed before breaking. 



Storage of Groceries, Cooked Foods and Canned Goods. Aside 

 from accidental contamination the chief destructive agencies in 

 stored flour and similar materials are fungi and bacteria. Storage 

 in well-lighted, warm and dry rooms is a preventive of the develop- 

 ment. The various prepared or self-raising flours are more ex- 

 pensive than the mixture that the housewife can easily make by 

 adding the requisite amount of baking powder to flour and sifting 

 it several times. It is a convenience and a saving of time to keep 

 this mixture on hand, as one sifting provides enough for a month's 

 use in cakes and muffins. 



The fact that many of the breakfast cereals can be bought in 

 packages is a great advantage from a sanitary point of view. If 

 bought fresh and well cared for, they will remain in good condition 

 for months. If bought in bulk they should be kept in tight re- 

 ceptacles in a cool, dry place. Crackers may be kept like break- 

 fast cereals, either in the packages, in tin boxes or in jars. Corn 

 meal spoils more readily than flour, and for most families it is best 

 to buy in small quantities. Rice, tapioca, macaroni, and similar 

 dry materials may be kept in covered cans or small crocks in a 



