Ontario Teachers Manuals: Household Science in Rural Schools | Page 8

privy should be so arranged that it
may be cleaned often and all excreta disposed of in a safe way. The
building should be so well constructed that there will be no cracks for
the admission of flies. In a poorly constructed building, old paper can
be pasted over the cracks, to make the structure fly-proof. Dry earth,
street dust, or lime should be frequently sprinkled over the excreta, and
the seat should be closed, to prevent the entrance of flies or mosquitoes.
The seat should be washed frequently, and both the seat and the floor
scrubbed at least once a week.
PRELIMINARY PLAN
It will be well to teach this lesson at a time when improvements are
necessary in the care of the school-house. The discussions in regard to
out-of-door closets will, of course, be taken when the girls are alone
with the teacher.
METHOD OF WORK
Discuss the disposal of waste, the care of garbage, etc., in the home and
the school. Talk over the care of waste from the school lunch and
discuss methods of keeping the school in a sanitary condition. Follow

this by a general cleaning of the school-house.

LESSON V: MAKING SOAP
SUBJECT-MATTER
Home-Made Hard Soap
6 lb. fat 1 can lye 1 pt. cold water 1 tbsp. borax
Melt the fat slowly. Mix the lye and water in a bowl or kettle (do not
use a tin pan), stirring with a stick until the potash dissolves. Add the
borax and allow the mixture to cool. Cool the fat and, when it is
lukewarm, add the lye, pouring it in a thin stream and stirring
constantly. Stir with a smooth stick until about as thick as honey, and
continue stirring for ten minutes. Pour the mixture into a box and allow
it to harden. Cut into pieces the desired size and leave in a cool, dry
place for ten days, to ripen before using.
When making the soap, be careful not to spill potash or lye on the
hands, as it makes a bad burn. If the hands are burned, rub them with
grease at once. Do not wet them.
PRELIMINARY PLAN
Some time before this lesson is given ask the pupils to bring scraps of
fat from home. See that these are in good condition, and weigh them, to
determine the portion of the recipe that can be made. Ask one of the
pupils to bring sufficient borax for the recipe.
METHOD OF WORK
Let the pupils look the fat over and put it on to melt, watching it
carefully. While it is heating and cooling, discuss the process of
soap-making, the cost of materials, the care necessary in the making of
soap, and the importance of its use. Get ready the other materials, and a
box for moulding the soap, and let the pupils work together. After the

soap has hardened and been cut, have it put away on a shelf to dry.

LESSON VI: SETTING AND CLEARING THE TABLE
SUBJECT-MATTER
The following points must be remembered when a meal is to be served:
The dining-room must be clean, well aired, sufficiently lighted, and in
good order.
The table must be perfectly clean and covered with a clean white cover
(table-cloth, doilies, paper napkins, or oil-cloth).
A vase of flowers or leaves or a small potted plant, in the centre of the
table, will help to make it attractive.
The table should be prepared with everything necessary for serving the
meal, but only those foods should be placed on it that will not be
spoiled by standing. If there is danger of the food attracting flies, cover
it carefully.
Plates for everyone who is to partake of the meal should be arranged at
equal distances from one another, and half an inch from the edge of the
table.
The knife should be placed at the right of the plate with the cutting
edge toward the plate, and one inch from the edge of the table.
The fork should be placed at the left of the plate with the tines turned
up, and one inch from the edge of the table.
The spoon should be placed, bowl upward, at the right of the plate, to
the right of the knife. It should be placed one inch from the edge of the
table. Spoons and forks for serving should be placed at the right and
left of the dish to be served, or in another convenient position. No one
should have to use the personal fork or spoon for serving.

The napkins should be folded simply and placed at the left of the fork.
The tumbler should be placed at the upper end of the knife.
The cups and saucers should be placed at the right of the plate with the
handle of the cup