HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARMERS' MONTHLY 



The 36-inch sink, which is so much ad- 

 vertised as being the ideal height, is not 

 absolutely coii'ect. The sink should be 

 high enough to allow an erect standing 

 position while working at it. The same 

 is true for the table. The ironing board 

 should be several inches lower to allow 

 pressure on the iron. The wash tub 

 should be high enough for a comfortable 

 position when scrubbing on the wash- 

 board — the knees straight, the body bend- 

 ing at the hips. Many an hour is spent 

 over the kitchen stove. The surface of 

 this is frequently too low. It may be 

 raised by using blocks of wood under each 

 leg to lift it the desired amount. The 

 same method is available for tables. If 

 a table or stool, should, by chance, be too 

 high, it is possible to shorten each leg. 

 This must be done accurately, however, 

 or a wobbly table or stool will result. 



The ironing board may be fastened to 

 the wall in a shallov,- case of its own. 

 With a brace which hinges back against 

 the wall or drops vertically to the floor, 

 the board is always ready for use and 

 just at the right height. 



If two women are doing the housework, 

 the stationary equipment should be ad- 

 justed to the height of the taller woman. 

 The shorter woman may then use a small 

 platform where the equipment is too high 

 for her. 



The actual height of the working sur- 

 face is usually estimated from a standard 

 height of 29 inches for a woman 5 feet 2 

 inches tall. One-half inch is added for 

 each additional inch of the worker's 

 height. A high stool should be kept 

 available for sitting when possible. 



Look around your kitchen and see if a 

 half-hour of carpentering will not save 

 you many hours of backache. 



The arrangement of small equipment 

 is very essential. Often we find the 

 bread board, bread knife and biead are 

 ten steps apai-t from each other, yet the 

 three have to be used together. The 

 housewife seeks frantically in a di-awer 

 for the right spoon or knife and when it 

 does appear it is so dulled from hitting 

 other utensils it does not work efficiently. 

 A piece of tape put up with push buttons 

 makes a very satisfactory place to keep 

 knives, forks and spoons so you can find 

 them when you want them and have them 

 in good woi'king order. 



The kitchen floor is a real problem for 

 most homemakers, therefor a discussion 

 was held on paint, oil, varnish, linoleum, 

 composition flooring and other floor treat- 

 ments. 



Next to the kitchen floor the walls and 

 ceiling draw the attention of the home- 

 maker. "What is a good color for my 

 kitchen?" "What fini.sh will be sanitary 

 and easily cleaned?" "What finish is 

 most durable?" These questions are typ- 

 ical of those asked by the group and the 

 discussion brought forth valuable in- 



formation from the various group mem- 

 bers. One cannot think of the kitchen, 

 the floors and walls, the equipment and 

 the various processes that are carried on 

 there without thinking of the cleaning- 

 problems. It is one thing to get a satis- 

 factory wall or floor covering- and quite 

 another problem to know how to care for 

 it the best and easiest wav. 



y\y ixitrheii 



('dill iiiui'd I'l-om |p.-igc 4. c-uluma 2 



the compactness of a ship's "galley". A 

 high stool and the flour barrel are kept 

 under the broad shelf in the pantry. 

 Shallow shelves spaced at just the right 

 distances apart hold the spices. Egg 

 beaters, measuring- cups and small uten- 

 sils are hung on hooks on every available 

 blank space. Bowls and saucepans and 

 serving dishes are nested. The top shelf 

 can be I'eached without climbing up and 

 the bottom shelf is built up solidly from 

 the floor so it never has to be cleaned 

 under. 



After much hesitation and trying out 

 of shelf coverings of various papers and 

 oil-cloth, the shelves were painted with 

 white enamel paint and are a joy to take 

 care of. Old plates and saucers are kept 

 to slip under kettle and saucepans, 

 though paper is used in one or two places. 

 That dread of the housewife — cleaning 

 the pantry — never takes place. Instead 

 an attempt is made to keep it clean all 

 the time, food being wiped up when it is 

 spilled and a shelf being washed now and 

 then as the need occurs and the spirit 

 moves. 



A stool, the right height for the sink 

 and the high table is in the kitchen, as 

 well as a chair for the morning caller. 

 The wood-box is on legs on the woodshed 

 side of the door. No space was available 

 where the ironing board could be fast- 

 ened to the wall or enclosed in a wall cup- 

 board, but a little recess under a beam at 

 the end of the oil stove allows it to be put 

 out of the way and as it is raised from the 

 floor on a two-inch block and covered with 

 a bright strip of cretonne it is kept clean 

 and is not unsightly. 



The lighting at night is well taken care 

 of by a ceiling bulb in the pantry, a ceil- 

 ing light with reflecting shade at the 

 north end of the kitchen, so placed as to 

 light sink, table and stove, and a wall 

 bulb at the south side of the kitchen for 

 the oil stove and extra table. Here also 

 is the outlet for the electric iron and 

 other attachments. 



In remodelling the kitchen we have 

 tried to help the housewife not only by 

 saving steps but by utilizing de-vices that 

 would take care of themselves as much 

 as possible. Drudgery flies out of the 

 vdndow when efficiency and pleasant sur- 

 roundings come in to take its place. 



Nmlhamptiiti 3natttutiou 

 fur ^auiiuiit 



Incorporaled 18-12 



.jst jt ^ 



A MUTUAL SAVINGS BANK 



Deposits begin to draw interest 

 on the first business day of each 

 month. $1 will open an account. 



Your income from your deposits 

 in Massachusetts Mutual Savings 

 Banks is not taxable under the 

 State Income Tax. 



Open 9 A. M. to 3 P. M. 



Saturdays, 9 A. M. to noon 



Monday evenings, 6.30 to 8 



I 



W. H. RILEY 8C CO. 



•LUMBING and HEATING 



KITCHEN FURNISHINGS 



AGENTS FOR 

 Gleen«'ood Range.s 



and Ijowe Itros. I'alnts f) 



Opp. Post Office Northampton. Mass. jS 



PTRCT NRTIONRL Bf\NK | 

 ir\Ol NORTHAMPTON I 



^ The BanU on the CorneT» ""^"^ w 



i 



Assets over 

 Three and a half million 



Savings Department 

 Interest payable quarterly 



EDW.AKI) L. SHAW, Prcsiilcnl 

 F. N. KNEEL.4N1), \ ia-l'rcsi(k-nt 

 I ELBERT L. .AKNOI.I), Cashier 



