Three factors are essential in caring for refrigerators. They must be kept cool;, dry and clean. Coolness is obtained in most cases by the use of ice. When ice is placed in its compartment, the air about it becomes cold. Since cold air is heavier than warm air, the cold air falls down around the shelves containing the food, absorbing the heat. The warm air rises and passes into the ice chamber where it becomes cold and heavy. Then it falls to the bottom of the refrigerator. It is this continual circulation of cold and warm air that keeps the food in a refrigerator cold. The old belief that it is economical to wrap paper or a blanket about the ice in the refrigerator to make it last longer is incor- rect. It takes the warm air much longer to reach the ice to be cooled, which interferes with the circulation of the warm and cold air. Butter, cream, milk and water should be kept on the lower shelf, as should other foods requiring a low temperature. The bottom shelf is the coldest part of the refrigerator. Meats, vegetables and fruits may be placed on the next shelf above and the top shelf should be reserved for cheese and other foods with a strong odor. The warm air takes up these odors as it rises and carries them to the ice chamber from which they should escape through the drain pipe. It is unwise to keep food directly on the ice unless tightly covered for it will absorb these odors. Moreover, it is cooler in other parts of the refrigerator. Dryness is essential in refrigeration because the micro- organisms which grow in foods causing them to spoil develop best in warm, moist and unclean places. Poor circulation of air or washing the refrigerator w^ith warm water so steam forms on the walls makes the refrigerator moist. The best way to keep the refrigerator clean is to wipe up every spot with a damp cloth as soon as anything is spilled. Once a week a thorough washing may be given with a little cool water to which a teaspoonful of baking soda has been added. The washed surface is dried with a clean towel. The drain pipe LABOE-SAVING DEVICES 255 can be taken out and washed with hot soapy water and a long- handled brush. It is cooled before being placed back in the refrigerator. Making an Iceless Refrigerator Have a box made 3I/2 feet high, 2 feet wide and 18 inches deep. The top and bottom should be solid and the sides of screen wire. It is best to use copper or galvanized wire since it does not rust. The front should be hinged to make a door. Put in two adjustable shelves from 12 to 15 inches apart, and have these made of slats or of the wire screening fastened on a wooden frame. On top of this set a bread pan about 16 or 18 inches square or use a shallow dish pan. Stand the whole box in another shallow pan. Paint the pans and box white and, when dry, apply a coat of white enamel.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Three factors are essential in caring for refrigerators. They must be kept cool, dry and clean. Coolness is obtained in most cases by the use of ice. When ice is placed in its compartment, the air about it becomes cold. Since cold air is heavier than warm air, the cold air falls down around the shelves containing the food, absorbing the heat. The warm air rises and passes into the ice chamber where it becomes cold and heavy. Then it falls to the bottom of the refrigerator. It is this continual circulation of cold and warm air that keeps the food in a refrigerator cold. The old belief that it is economical to wrap paper or a blanket about the ice in the refrigerator to make it last longer is incorrect. It takes the warm air much longer to reach the ice to be cooled, which interferes with the circulation of the warm and cold air. Butter, cream, milk and water should be kept on the lower shelf, as should other foods requiring a low temperature. The bottom shelf is the coldest part of the refrigerator. Meats, vegetables and fruits may be placed on the next shelf above and the top shelf should be reserved for cheese and other foods with a strong odor. The warm air takes up these odors as it rises and carries them to the ice chamber from which they should escape through the drain pipe. It is unwise to keep food directly on the ice unless tightly covered for it will absorb these odors. Moreover, it is cooler in other parts of the refrigerator. Dryness is essential in refrigeration because the microorganisms which grow in foods causing them to spoil develop best in warm, moist and unclean places. Poor circulation of air or washing the refrigerator w^ith warm water so steam forms on the walls makes the refrigerator moist. The best way to keep the refrigerator clean is to wipe up every spot with a damp cloth as soon as anything is spilled. Once a week a thorough washing may be given with a little cool water to which a teaspoonful of baking soda has been added. The washed surface is dried with a clean towel. The drain pipe can be taken out and washed with hot soapy water and a longhandled brush. It is cooled before being placed back in the refrigerator. Making an Iceless Refrigerator Have a box made 3I/2 feet high, 2 feet wide and 18 inches deep. The top and bottom should be solid and the sides of screen wire. It is best to use copper or galvanized wire since it does not rust. The front should be hinged to make a door. Put in two adjustable shelves from 12 to 15 inches apart, and have these made of slats or of the wire screening fastened on a wooden frame. On top of this set a bread pan about 16 or 18 inches square or use a shallow dish pan. Stand the whole box in another shallow pan. Paint the pans and box white and, when dry, apply a coat of white enamel.

The farm cook & rule book