A manual of home-making

Lye (sodium kydroridef orcatisUc soda) is an alkali of far pieater strength than washing-soda; one pound of lye being equal to about twelve pounds of washing-soda, it should be used with jast so much the greater caution. It should never be used save in solution and, as the solution deteriorates very rapidly on exposure to air, if any quantity is made it should be kept in bottles or jars tightly stoppered with rubber stoppers. The compound formed by exposing lye to the action of air and water, is washing-soda, so there is no advantage in using it. Lye is much more difficult to handle^ and its action is so much more corrosive than is that of other alkalis that it is not ad* visable to use it in the home laundry. Borax (sodium biboraJte) is one of the mildest alkalis to use in the laundiy. This alkali is more expensive than either lye or washing-soda and is not so vigorous in its action; but in 263 nd boiled for twenty vvRfc, the more soiJed irt folded in. Each •arately and pai*ked l^^olding and rolling om spreading. The . water, to which may iix or ammonia, and •Tosene, or benzine, given on page 256. the clothing allowed • ernight. If colored " covered with warm No alkaii should be t for washing clothes, ids should be washed tiewhat for each case, houskeeper in solving id the threads of 'ving dirt caught be- i during the washing t is again entangled; Mccn warmed^ one of ' maintain an even or uU laundry, an even amount of steam mdn'', boiling water :^ an even tempera- 1-1 ling process. Aa nng with dirt, more -p or soap solution. -peeks are often left tJiouId be immacu- ^ f 248 A MANUAL OF HOME-MAKING between the^humb on the body side and the forefinger away from the body. Food is scooped up by this shovel aod trans^ ferred by rotary motion of the wrist to the mouth. The knife was first used to cut food and to transfer it to the mouth. When the fork was intioduced, the knife lost caste as an implement for traQsporting food* Its only acceptable use at present is to cut and spread. The knife is held in tlie right hand in the same way as the fork in the left one. Knife and fork. — When the plate is passed back to the csarver for a second serving, the knife and fork should be placed to- gether and sent along with the plate* This is because no other place is so safe for them. At the close of a meal the knife and fork should be placed close together on the plate, the knife at the right, the fork at the leftj and the handles facing the sanic direction in which they were originally placed on the table. The spoon is useful for mixing liquids and for transferrin;: soft foods from the plate to the mouth. The spoon shQuU never be left in a cup or high glass dish after its use as a stirrc r or feeding implement has ceased, since it gives a loose handli^ which endangers the safety of the dish. With beverage* ihf function of the spoon is as a stirrer and taster, and not a^ a vehicle. This is because it is easier to sip a beverage quictl}' from the cup than from the spoon. Soup should be sipped from the side of the spoon. Whcrii. however, a soup is full of solid substances, and if the spoon i- a soupspoon and not a tablespoon, it may be necessary to v^- the solid part of the soup from the tip of the spoon instead ui sipping it from the side.