TEE iOUMVZ S AN NOWr

The pig was in important good item and soon every farm in the wilderness acquired
several for their own consmilption to supplement venison and other wild meats. With
the help of the wife 'ar a neighbor, a pig was butchered as needed. Head-cheese was
among the home made items most relished. Moat of the pork was put into a strong salt
brine and often smoked later for taste and better keeping. Salt was purchased by the
barrel. Meat grinders were not yet in use in the early days.
Later the butchering Obees" became ¢csion.  Each farmer who had several fattened
hop, in turn, would call in several neighbors to help kill, scald, and out up the
animals.  The wives would come also to prepare a sumptious meal, clean the casings
for sausage, and out up meat for sausage. There were pork, liver, and blood esuss.
And head-cheese made as can not be bought in a butcher shop to this day.
If ens neighbor became ill and not able to work, the neighbors readiy came to-
gather, planted, cultivated, and harsted his crops, and the womaen saw to it that
the sick mam lacked nothing. This is a custom retained to this age.
Cleaing the barn and feeding the cattle in winter usually were the chores of the
housewife as was the milking. of the cows by hand.    Many are still doing this in
spite of the widespread introduction of the milking machine in the late 1930te.
Butter was Made with a hand operated churn, and cottage cheese, and at tius re-
gular cheeses, were made at home.  As late as the 1940's some village familles" had
their own cows to supply them end a few neighbors of their dairy needs.  But as the
lots were built up and taxes and feed became higher, they were all discontinued in
the village.
The housewife's work was not improved by modern machinery and gadgets for many
year. The rubber wash wringeramd the washing machine, both operated by hand, ware
not popular before 1900, and the electric washer was not available in this area un-
til after World War 1.  There were some charcoal and gasoline heated flat irons in
use before the electric became available.
Electricity, when it came, was the housewife's greatest helper. No more cleand
of soothy la chimneys and filling of lamps with kerosene; the electric water sy-
ten brought water into  the barn  and housel the washing machine   eased the dothes
cleaning Job, the electric iron saved numerous trips to the hot stove and the re-
frigarator, toaster, freeser, electric stove, automatic water heater, and lately the
automatic washer and dryer have made the modern women forget the tedious housework
our pioneer women had.
Bottled gas for cooking nd hot water is also now available for convenience and at-
a saving even over wood and coal cooking.
Canning and preserving of foods, which took much time in winter and suamer for
over a half century, has now been replaced to a great extend by frozen food lockers
and home freezers. Factory canned goods are also used extensively and no home is
without a can ophetr.