THE IDEAL STOREROOM.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14360, 4 February 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE IDEAL STOREROOM.

This department is of the greatest importance in a house, helping, as it does, the honsewife in her efforts to be neat, orderly and economical. Large houses usually possess a storeroom, but in small houses and flats the housekeper considers herself lucky if she has a large cupboard. This undoubtedly is essential, and if there :s not one built into the house, lose no time in procuring one, however roughly made. The storeroom should he convenieni linear the kitchen, and should brj well ventilator? «.nd nerfectlv dry.

It should contain fivmlv fixed wide shelve:,, piu;,_(l at varying dL-tmces apart, with small brass hooks fixed two o-- mole niches apari at the edge. A .small chest of drawers, or n table containing some good drawer.*, is invaluable ill which tii keep kitchen paper, paper doyloys, blown paper and str.ng. So also aYo'it chair, set of weights and ! scales, a pair of steps, and a weighing \ machine, if large quantities of stores ; such a.-, flour, sugar, bacon are bought ' at a time.

A goe;d supply of earthenware jars and bottles will be required, ui.-o some airtight tins, scoops, measures, a ■tinc.iei'or, corkscrew, two knives, a pair of scissors, an invoice file, some gum labels, and last, hut not least, a notehunk or s'ato and pencil. The shelves, needless to sav. must bo kepi: spntls-.sly clean. This is mo-e easily done if they arc covered with while nil-'i'iixe or Anvricnn cloth. -If these nnii.- rials are too expensive sheets or' white kitchen p-'.p°r will serve the pu-pise, but tliny. of course, will have to ue often changed. .'\ golden rule is: "Have n. place for everything, and ko?p everything in it" .place." If this rule were hung up in r-vcrv stnieroem and adhered to ill practice there would be far lejs mrddle and waste. K".ch botle or tin should have the name if its contents clearly written on a label, which should bo sccurelv fastened on.

All materials for cleaning purposes should be kept apart from food, and should have a cunlioiird, or at least a shelf, to themselves. Jam; pickles, and sauces should be stored in the coolest, d-icst comer possible, otherwise they will ferment. Reserve a drawer or box for p:ipt\r from parcels and string; if this is neatly folded and nut away it will ease the work of doing up parcels, and probably save shillings in the year. ft is a good plan to have' regular times for ordering in a fresh supply of stores, either quarterly, monthly," or weekly, as is most convenient. Only a bad manager sends out doily for small quantities of sugar, coffee, soap, etc. It is most inconvenient and very hael economy, for most stores are cheaper when bought in larger quantities. Stores should be given out to the servants at stated times, either at a fixed hour each day or each week. This will save much time and many interduptrons for the mistress. Beetles and mice should never be found in an ideal storeroom, so be careful that no crumbs, sugar or other stores are left abouti For th ; s reason a small dustpan and brush .should be kept in a convenient place, far unless they ran find.a meal waiting for them mice and vermin will never come. A word about the stores—Tea must bo kept in an airtight tin in a cool place.

Sugar of all kinds should be kept in closely covered tins or jars. Flour must be tent in an airtight place, as it snon -absorbs moisture, and this turns it musfrv.

Oatmeal soon becomes stale and sour, so should he purchased in small quantities, and kept in a tin.

_ Soap should be bought in large quantities, cut in nieces, arranged on a shelf, so that the air can get to it. It will tlicn dry and harden and waste mu-li le=s in the water

Dried fruit shon'd not be bought in large quantities unlew in the new fruit season, and it should be stored in jars. _ Spices are best bought in small quantities, as they soon ?:-«> flavour, they "must bo stored in airtight tins.- ' HOWTO TERSERVE. The sheets of music that lie on the top of tho piano and overflow on to the chairs and tables in the drawing-room present a problem to the musician who possesses a hump of law aud. order. Music has a fatal knack of getting torn and shabby, aud one is tempted to exclaim, "Oh, why must music be printed in such flimsy ephemeral form" Dog-cared, brokcn-b.icked pieces of music look bad, and are inconvenient to handle; they will not stand up in tho mnic rest, and if turned over hurriedly, generally collapse in the hands of tho executant.

iMusic torn across the pnge can be mended with transparent gummed paper. This is sold in small reels for the purpose, and when pasted over, docs not blot out the notes as would ordinary stamp paper. A worse trouble, however, is a broken back, because music must open flat. Several device-; are sold for the purpose of effecting this ronair. One. is Mark ea-mined iap3 about an inch wide. This is verv strong and reliable, and is particularly suitable for allimes cf limbic, bur dors not 10.-:>!: well. A better device foe ordinary sheets is white gumm-d linen ready for n;?. s-i that there is no trouble in pressing down the back crease. This is rr:l in and Tour n.'ooes are io'nco! tr.g.--ih.-.r in each length, so that if voi! v.-;:ih vou rauv keep four soirees together in a little book in wlrch each sheet has a separate b'ndir.g. One strip however, m.-.v bo detached and used alone.

Tope or ribbon sewn through with nc-odte and cotton is not to he rcromr.tee.ded. "inee it is difficult to indue? tire music to onen flat afterwards Some musicians and singers adopt the wellknown plan of a "stitch in time," and put on the gummed backing as scon as they buy n new piece. An "old and simple teethed of preserving music is to eevor the piece with stout paoer i-i ihe same w-!y as one would protect a dolh-ate book cover. From a utilitarian point of view, -brown paper answers the purpose w-ell enough", but if some stout paper in a pale ; „t slie.de is obtained, the effect is daintier. A good plan to keep the various sheets oi' music in an ordorlv manner, and thus obtain favour with "those who demand that the drawing-room shall be kept tidy, is to have half a dozen heavy covers made, somewhat larger than the size of an ordinarv sheet of music. This should bo as strong as the cover of a six-sktbir.g' novel. One nv.tv lie labelled 'brings," another '-Dame Music." another "Operatic Selections" ami so on. Kach cover should have a, good wide hack and U; capable of holding; comfortably from twenty to fifty pieces.

If there are several members of a family who use the same receptacle for T.ais.c. this will lie found to avoid much confusion and annoyance. The cover, moreover, protects the music, and paves much wear and tear' in turning over to find ih-e piece required. Some people send abnnfe twenty pie'es of music to a professional binder, and have them bound prop?rlv in a leather or cloth case. This rests only a few shillings, and givrs one a handsome portfolio. There is only one drawback: if some music has to bo taken to a friend's lions,, or to a concert, it is inconvenient to carry a heavy boo!: for the s.ike of nne nieco. Never fold music: have a flat musiccase. If you find it nervs-arv to rem-nui-ic info n small compass, r-fl it in r.r.-''Vr.'iice to- folding. Turning over h'::T:-:-.(lly a. pilr rf music t,. find ■■-, parfVa-iar pi 're much damage. be snvo hv y-aao syriani of c-overs or labelled eonu.'aum'.'nts in the music