Cookery for every household

Nothing but dry refuse should be put into a dustbin unless it can be emptied very frequently, as damp favours decomposition, and very soon causes an unpleasant and very unhealthy smell. Animal and vegetable refuse in this case is better burnt, and if there is a kitchen range in use it is a comparatively easy matter to dispose of all vegetable parings, tea-leaves, and such like. There are two ways of burning food remains. They may either be dried slowly at the back of the fire or underneath the grate, after which they will burn quite readily, or they may be put into the stove in small quantities when the fire is very bright and hot enough to consume them quickly. If refuse is put on to a low fire in a damp condition it will cause a most unpleasant smell. Nothing must be thrown out or burnt except that which is absolutely of no value. In some houses the dustbin is one of the most fruitful sources of waste. HOW TO GET RID OF FLIES, BEETLES, AND OTHER PESTS At various times of the year unwelcome guests force their way into our kitchens and larders, not to speak of the other rooms in the house. Some are more unwelcome than others because they bring dirt and often disease in their train. Chief among these are the house-fly and the blue-bottle fly, the beetle, the red ant, to say nothing of rats and mice. Absolute cleanliness is one of the best preventives against vermin of all kinds ; then all food must be kept covered, there must be nothing left for them to feed upon. These precautions, however, are not always sufficient to keep intruders away, and other remedies have to be resorted to. Flies. — When flies are numerous it is most important to keep all food, and especially milk, carefully covered. Flies are not only carriers of dust and dirt, but often of disease germs as well, and when they crawl over our food these are left behind to taint and sometimes even to poison it. Flies are very fond of laying their eggs along window ledges and in the crevices of the woodwork of the windows and shutters, therefore it is very important to keep these parts thoroughly clean and well dusted, as the eggs should never have a chance of hatching. If flies abound it is a good plan to wash the windows and window ledges with a strong solution of carbolic, or if the smell is an objection, sprinkle with Persian powder at night, and then sweep up in the morning. Fly papers will also catch a number, but they are rather disgusting things to use. They should if possible be put in out-of-the-way places, such as the tops of cupboards. A very simple fly-paper can be made by spreading treacle or honey on brown paper, and sprinkling it with Persian powder or other insect poison. Flypapers prepared with some sticky substance to which the flies adhere and endure a slow torturing death should be avoided. The blow-fly, which is larger than the common house-fly, is the kind most to be dreaded, as it is a great enemy in the larder. It frequently lays its larvae in meat, which causes it to decompose very quickly. In hot weather all meat should be examined when it is received, and if anything of this kind is suspected it should be carefully washed with a solution of Condy’s fluid and water (see p. 12).