"The box should be loosely filled with shavings, paper or hay, the last being probably most satis- factory. The hay should be renewed every two or three weeks. Nests are made for the pots and the hay packed tightly under and around them. Any kind of pots can be used, although, of course, earthen ones hold the heat best. The tighter the tops fit, the better, but if the food is to be used within six or eight hours, they need not be hermetically closed. AVhen the pots have been placed in the box carefully, without lifting the lids, they should be covered with a pillow and the lid at once securely closed. "When not in use, the box should always be left open and the hay loosened, the pillow being hung in the air to dry thoroughly. "The chief advantages of the hay-box may be summarized as follows: "The cost of fuel can be reduced four-fifths or even nine-tenths. FIRELESS COOKER 155 "The pots are not made difficult to wash; they are not blackened, and they will last for an almost indefinite period of time. "The food is better cooked, more tasty, more nutritious and more digestible. "Kitchen odors are obviated. "Time and labor are saved. "There is no need of stirring, no fear of scorching or burning. "The cares of the housewife are lessened, and her health and happiness are protected. "The kitchen need not be in disorder half of the day. "Warm water can always be had when there is illness in the house and during the summer when fires are not kept up. "Where workmen's families live crowded in one or two rooms, the additional suffering caused by kitchen heat is obviated by the hay -box, for the pre- liminary cooking can all be done in the cool of the morning. "At picnics the appetites of young people are only half satisfied by sandwiches and other cold food. The hay-box can furnish a hot meal anywhere at any time. "Similarly, men and women working in the fields, or having night employment, can take with them hot coffee, soup or an entire meal, thus avoiding the necessity of returning home at a fixed hour or having it brought to them by another member of the family. 156 PRINCIPLES OF COOKERY "When different employments make it necessary for the various members of a family to take their meals at different hours, this can be arranged with- out a multiplication of work with the assistance of the hay-box." This consular report covered the ground so fully that any intelligent woman can make it the basis of experiments adapted to her own surroundings. A small trunk measuring 18x22x24 inches, an agate-ware kettle with close tin cover, made to order to fit in, or merely rest on the kettle, were the appli- ances which served me satisfactorily this summer. It was not easy to secure hay, so we looked about for a similar non-conducting substance, and found some boxes of excelsior and sawdust — not quite enough of either, so they were combined and put in bags and sewed up closely enough to prevent clut- ter. The most of the bags were of denim, but some thin cotton bags, in which five and ten pounds of sugar had come, were filled, and did good service in lilling chinks.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

"The box should be loosely filled with shavings, paper or hay, the last being probably most satisfactory. The hay should be renewed every two or three weeks. Nests are made for the pots and the hay packed tightly under and around them. Any kind of pots can be used, although, of course, earthen ones hold the heat best. The tighter the tops fit, the better, but if the food is to be used within six or eight hours, they need not be hermetically closed. AVhen the pots have been placed in the box carefully, without lifting the lids, they should be covered with a pillow and the lid at once securely closed. "When not in use, the box should always be left open and the hay loosened, the pillow being hung in the air to dry thoroughly. "The chief advantages of the hay-box may be summarized as follows: "The cost of fuel can be reduced four-fifths or even nine-tenths. FIRELESS COOKER 155 "The pots are not made difficult to wash; they are not blackened, and they will last for an almost indefinite period of time. "The food is better cooked, more tasty, more nutritious and more digestible. "Kitchen odors are obviated. "Time and labor are saved. "There is no need of stirring, no fear of scorching or burning. "The cares of the housewife are lessened, and her health and happiness are protected. "The kitchen need not be in disorder half of the day. "Warm water can always be had when there is illness in the house and during the summer when fires are not kept up. "Where workmen's families live crowded in one or two rooms, the additional suffering caused by kitchen heat is obviated by the hay -box, for the preliminary cooking can all be done in the cool of the morning. "At picnics the appetites of young people are only half satisfied by sandwiches and other cold food. The hay-box can furnish a hot meal anywhere at any time. "Similarly, men and women working in the fields, or having night employment, can take with them hot coffee, soup or an entire meal, thus avoiding the necessity of returning home at a fixed hour or having it brought to them by another member of the family. "When different employments make it necessary for the various members of a family to take their meals at different hours, this can be arranged without a multiplication of work with the assistance of the hay-box." This consular report covered the ground so fully that any intelligent woman can make it the basis of experiments adapted to her own surroundings. A small trunk measuring 18x22x24 inches, an agate-ware kettle with close tin cover, made to order to fit in, or merely rest on the kettle, were the appliances which served me satisfactorily this summer. It was not easy to secure hay, so we looked about for a similar non-conducting substance, and found some boxes of excelsior and sawdust — not quite enough of either, so they were combined and put in bags and sewed up closely enough to prevent clutter. The most of the bags were of denim, but some thin cotton bags, in which five and ten pounds of sugar had come, were filled, and did good service in lilling chinks.

Principles of cookery