74 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
ing by hand, and lastly, instructions how to make a 
“ mangle.” or other contrivance to supersede ironing, 
Hoosier. Indiana , Dec. 1851, 
The preceding remarks of our correspondent do not 
give an overdrawn picture of the difficulties endured by 
thousands. The fact is, one great drawback in the 
pleasures of rural life, is the wearing drudgery to which 
women are frequently subjected through the absence 
of good domestics. We therefore think it eminently 
worthy the attention of every friend of rural comfort, 
and consequently of rural improvement, to unite in a 
vigorous attempt to remove the heavy burdens, which 
are now loading down those for whom if should be our 
great pleasure to live and labor. Why then should not 
every paper devoted to the interests of country life, be 
willing to occupy a large share of its columns with this 
very subject? We hope our correspondents will favor 
us with anything valuable they may possess for reducing 
the amount of this domestic drudgery; and in the mean 
time we shall endeavor to answer such of the preceding 
inquiries as we may be able to do. 
After trying different kinds of washing machines, the 
one represented and described og page 819‘ of the Cul¬ 
tivator for 1848, has been found decidedly the best, the 
writer of these remarks having used one in his family 
for eight years with much satisfaction- For the benefit 
Washing Machine. 
of our new subscribers we repeat the figure. A boy ten 
or twelve years of age will work it with great facility, 
and it requires not a third of the labor of rubbing on 
the best wash-board. It is worked by an alternating 
motion of the lever A, turning on the hinge or pivot B, 
and communicating a thrusting motion to the bar C, 
which moves the perforated board like the swinging of a 
pendulum in the trough. The leverage is precisely like 
the elbow-joint of the old-fashioned printing press, and 
hence the box should be strong, for the pressure exerted 
against its side is enormous. The notched end of the 
bar C enables the operator to regulate the space occu¬ 
pied by the clothes. The levers are all made of cast- 
iron. The whole cost of one of these machines is five 
or six dollars. We know of no good washing machine 
worked by horse power. 
A wringing machine for bed-clothes, is made by pro¬ 
viding a shallow trough about 7 feet long, set on legs like 
Feb. 
those of a bench, at one end of which is fixed, directly 
over the trough, a simple wooden screw-vice. At the 
other end is a winch (or one-hand windlass) which is 
also furnished with a small screw-vice-. The article to 
be wrung is secured at Its extremities in these two vices, 
when by turning the winch, any degree of twisting may 
be given, the water pouring out into the*lrough beneath. 
Where but few bed clothes are washed, a shorter trough 
may be made, wringing half at a time, and serving for 
ordinary wearing garments. The trough should be 
lower at one end, under which a pail is to be set for re¬ 
ceiving the water. Most of the water in washed clothes 
may be pressed from them by means of the washing ma¬ 
chine just described, first draining the trough by draw- 
the plug with which it is furnished. 
We hope in our next number to give a description of 
a mangle. 
Will not some of our correspondents describe the ma¬ 
chine for drying clothes? 
We make a suggestion to our correspondent how to 
lessen the number of ‘‘ hands” boarded in the family. 
Build neat cottages on a convenient part of the farm, 
and employ men 'who have families, and who will board 
themselves quite as cheaply as the farmer himself ean do 
it, and pay them for this board in farm produce. The 
cottages must be neat, or the best hands will not occupy 
them; they need not be expensive. We have tried this 
method of getting labor with entire success. 
Since writing the above, we have been favored by a 
kind neighbor and skilful housewife with the following 
directions, founded on full experience, for the use of 
Crane r s Soap, which we believe is pretty widely dissemi¬ 
nated through the country, and which may be had at a 
moderate price. Our own experience confirms its value, 
more especially on those occasions when domestics are 
missing, and the mistress or her daughters are compelled 
to do their own washing; 
After having tried various methods of washing, and 
numerous varieties of soap, to cleanse clothes with little 
labor, I have become quite a convert to the efficacy 
of “ Crane’s Patent Soap” for this purpose. I have used 
it weekly for three months, and find it all that the in¬ 
ventor represents it to he. The ordinary clothing for a 
family of six persons, is generally washed, rinsed, and 
hung up in the course of three hours. 
The process is very simple. I take a half pound of 
the soap, and slice it into two quarts of hot water, and 
keep it hot until the soap is dissolved; then pour it into 
a tub containing ten gallons of water, heated to about 
100°. Let them soak half an hour—then rub them 
slightly with the hands, and if any articles are unusually 
soiled, I rub them on the board. It is astonishing with 
what ease every spot is removed. As you rub them out, 
throw them into a tub or boiler of scalding water, which 
may be kept hot by adding a dipper of hot water occa¬ 
sionally. Ten minutes in the scalding water is sufficient 
—then rinse and blue them as usual. The water in which 
the clothes were soaked may have a quarter of a pound, 
(or less according to the number of colored articles,) of 
soap added to it, and a little hot water. Then soak your 
colored clothes just as the white ones were; scald, rinse, 
starch, &c., as is usually done. My experience tells .me 
that they do not fade nearly so much as with the ordina¬ 
ry hard soap.” 
