The hands of the cook should be always thoroughly cleansed before touching or handling anything pertaining to the cooking.  Next there should never be anything wasted or thrown away that can be turned to account, either for your own family or some family in poor circumstances.  Bread that has become hard can be used for toasting, or for stuffing and pudding.  In warm weather any gravies or soups that are left from the preceding day should be boiled up and poured into clean pans.  This is particularly necessary where vegetables have been added to the preparation, as it then so soon turns sour.  In cooler weather, every other day will be often enough to warm up these things.  In cooking, clear as you go; that is to say, do not allow a host of basins, plates, spoons, and other utensils, to accumulate on the dressers and tables whilst you are engaged in preparing the dinner.  By a little management and forethought, much confusion may be saved in this way.  It is as easy to put a thing in its place when it is done with, as it is to keep continually moving it to find room for fresh requisites.  For instance, after making a pudding, the flour-tub, paste-board, and rolling-pin, should be put away, and any basins, spoons, etc., should be neatly packed up near the sink, to be washed when the proper time arrives.  Neatness, order and method should be always observed.

Never let your stock of spices, salt, seasoning, herbs, etc., dwindle down so low that some day, in the midst of preparing a large dinner, you find yourself minus a very important ingredient, thereby causing much confusion and annoyance.

After you have washed your saucepans, fish-kettle, etc., stand them before the fire for a few minutes to get thoroughly dry inside, before putting them away.  They should then be kept in a dry place, in order that they may escape the deteriorating influence of rust, and thereby be quickly destroyed.  Never leave saucepans dirty from one day’s use to be cleaned the next; it is slovenly and untidy.

Do not be afraid of hot water in washing up dishes and dirty cooking utensils.  As these are essentially greasy, luke-warm water cannot possibly have the effect of cleansing them effectually.  Do not be chary also of changing and renewing the water occasionally.  You will thus save yourself much time and labor in the long run.

Keep a cake of sapolio always on hand in the kitchen—­always convenient for rubbing off stains from earthenware, tin, glass, in fact, almost everything but silver; it is a cheap and valuable article, and can be purchased at nearly every grocery in the United States.

DYEING OR COLORING.

GENERAL REMARKS.

Everything should be clean.  The goods should be scoured in soap and the soap rinsed out.  They are often steeped in soap lye over night.  Dip them into water just before putting them into preparations, to prevent spotting.  Soft water should be used, sufficient to cover the goods well; this is always understood where quantity is not mentioned.  When goods are dyed, air them; then rinse well, and hang up to dry.  Do not wring silk or merino dresses when scouring or dyeing them.  If cotton goods are to be dyed a light color, they should first be bleached.