THE HOME. 653 



shelves to firkins, boxes, and paper bags, would in a year's time 

 count up to an alarming number of miles. Much of this waste 

 of time and strength can be saved by gathering every conceiv- 

 able thing, in the shape of ingredients and utensils, into one 

 spot, convenient to the cook's hands. A means of doing this 

 may be found in a combination of closets and kitchen table. 

 There may be small drawers above for such materials as rice, 

 tapioca, oatmeal, the small packages or boxes of spices, salt, 

 etc., the name of the contents being marked on the outside of 

 each. There may be a closet above for kitchen crockery, which 

 should be provided with shelves, which will also accommodate 

 some other articles if desired. There may also be smaller clos- 

 ets below for tin dishes, and another for those of iron. One large 

 drawer will accommodate a great many things that will suggest 

 themselves to the housekeeper, such as knives, forks, spoons, 

 egg-beaters, potato-mashers, cake-cutters, and a host of small 

 articles. This drawer should be partitioned off into a number 

 of compartments, to keep these articles from becoming indis- 

 criminately mixed. A large closet below may be used for such 

 bulky articles as molasses, sugar, and others. A barrel of flour 

 can be placed under one of the end shelves, which can be hinged 

 to turn up. It will be found a great convenience if a marble 

 slab is obtained for the other shelf, for use in kneading bread, 

 and such other operations as require a perfectly clean, hard, 

 polished surface. Hard wood can be made to answer very well. 

 If one of the patent flour holders and sifters combined is used, 

 it can be placed on the back part of the kneading-shelf. These 

 shelves ought to set out an inch from the main table, to avoid 

 a crack that is not readily kept clean. They should be sup- 

 ported by stout iron brackets. 



If parents wish their daughters to grow up with good domes- 

 tic habits, they should have, as one means of securing this 

 result, a neat and cheerful kitchen. A kitchen should always, 

 if possible, be entirely above ground and well lighted. It should 

 have a large sink, with a drain running underground, so that 

 all the premises may be kept sweet and clean. If flowers and 

 shrubs be cultivated around the doors and windows, and the yard 

 near them be kept well turfed, it will add very much to their 

 agreeable appearance. The walls should often be cleaned and 



