It seems hardly desirable to use cloth to cover so large a space in a room where such a variety of work is being done ; as it becomes soiled from the dust, and absorbs the kitchen and laundry odors. This would necessitate replacing the cloth at intervals. The ordinary folding clothes horse could be made into a screen by tacking on common floor matting. Either the white or figured could be used, and it is both durable and clean, as it can be washed. This would cost 25 or 30 cts. a yard. It would hardly pay to use a cheaper quality for such a large screen. TO TURN A SCHOOLROOM INTO A WORKSHOP 395 Tea cloth, obtained at large tea houses, is very pretty and artistic ; as is also burlap, or what is commonly known as gunny cloth, and used for packing purposes. • It is cheap, and, if tightly stretched, can be painted or gilded. Another pretty way to make a screen is to cover the frame with something that is thin as cheese cloth, and put paper over it. If a plain paper is used, it can be decorated by stencil- ling and the corners mitred. A very cheap wall-paper put on the wall with the wrong or white side out often gives a pretty and artistic effect. If screens are used, they should be fastened to the floor, and to each other, with brass or iron brackets known in trade as angles or knee irons. The Floor. — The floor should be finished so that it can easily be kept clean. Finish for an Old Floor. — A good finish for an old floor can be obtained by either of the following methods. First wash the floor thoroughly with either strong soap or lye ; wash again with slightly acid water, using either vinegar or weak muriatic acid. This will neutralize the soda and give a better finish to the floor. If it is a rough floor, use the following recipe after washing as described: dissolve 10 cents' worth of glue in 1 quart of warm water ; after it has soaked 12 hours add 1 quart of warm water, and 2 lbs. or enough yellow ochre to make it the consistency of cream ; apply to the floor while warm. When dried, hard oil the floor. Another very good recipe for an ordinary good floor is, after washing as described, to oil with crude oil, turpen- tine, and stain. The proportion is 1 cup or i pint of tur- pentine to 2 quarts of oil, and enough burnt umber or other stain to give the desired color. After this has dried rub over with common furniture varnish reduced to about the consistency of thin cream. This is neither difiicult to do nor expensive, and if a class of girls could be interested in fitting up such a room ; it would be both a practical and valuable lesson for them. 396 HANDBOOK OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE Parlor Furniture. — To impress upon the minds of the pupils what is meant by hygienic cleanliness, and the feel- ing of restfulness that comes from living in an absolutely clean and sweet home, there should be as few stuffed pieces of furniture, curtains, and doilies as possible. The writer has in mind, among other things, covered wooden boxes redolent with the odor of dust. These things do not keep really clean more than a few weeks. And unless the covers can be easily slipped off and washed, they give the room an untidy appearance. Most of the furniture could be made of boxes by the students. Of course it would be necessary to buy the larger pieces.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

It seems hardly desirable to use cloth to cover so large a space in a room where such a variety of work is being done ; as it becomes soiled from the dust, and absorbs the kitchen and laundry odors. This would necessitate replacing the cloth at intervals. The ordinary folding clothes horse could be made into a screen by tacking on common floor matting. Either the white or figured could be used, and it is both durable and clean, as it can be washed. This would cost 25 or 30 cts. a yard. It would hardly pay to use a cheaper quality for such a large screen. Tea cloth, obtained at large tea houses, is very pretty and artistic; as is also burlap, or what is commonly known as gunny cloth, and used for packing purposes. It is cheap, and, if tightly stretched, can be painted or gilded. Another pretty way to make a screen is to cover the frame with something that is thin as cheese cloth, and put paper over it. If a plain paper is used, it can be decorated by stencilling and the corners mitred. A very cheap wall-paper put on the wall with the wrong or white side out often gives a pretty and artistic effect. If screens are used, they should be fastened to the floor, and to each other, with brass or iron brackets known in trade as angles or knee irons. The Floor. — The floor should be finished so that it can easily be kept clean. Finish for an Old Floor. — A good finish for an old floor can be obtained by either of the following methods. First wash the floor thoroughly with either strong soap or lye ; wash again with slightly acid water, using either vinegar or weak muriatic acid. This will neutralize the soda and give a better finish to the floor. If it is a rough floor, use the following recipe after washing as described: dissolve 10 cents' worth of glue in 1 quart of warm water ; after it has soaked 12 hours add 1 quart of warm water, and 2 lbs. or enough yellow ochre to make it the consistency of cream ; apply to the floor while warm. When dried, hard oil the floor. Another very good recipe for an ordinary good floor is, after washing as described, to oil with crude oil, turpentine, and stain. The proportion is 1 cup or i pint of turpentine to 2 quarts of oil, and enough burnt umber or other stain to give the desired color. After this has dried rub over with common furniture varnish reduced to about the consistency of thin cream. This is neither difiicult to do nor expensive, and if a class of girls could be interested in fitting up such a room ; it would be both a practical and valuable lesson for them. Parlor Furniture. — To impress upon the minds of the pupils what is meant by hygienic cleanliness, and the feeling of restfulness that comes from living in an absolutely clean and sweet home, there should be as few stuffed pieces of furniture, curtains, and doilies as possible. The writer has in mind, among other things, covered wooden boxes redolent with the odor of dust. These things do not keep really clean more than a few weeks. And unless the covers can be easily slipped off and washed, they give the room an untidy appearance. Most of the furniture could be made of boxes by the students. Of course it would be necessary to buy the larger pieces.

Handbook of domestic science and household arts for use in elementary schools