knowledge of what to eat and how
to cook it is the first consideration, and (_c_) those who are already
little housekeepers in their homes, as their mothers are incapacitated
or dead.

After several months of experience it was felt that the six weeks of
constant practice was well worth while. More elaborate courses of
cookery would demand a more thorough kitchen equipment, entailing much
expense, and would require students to remain a longer time in school.
With the present arrangement they learn the most important cooking
processes in a very practical way, and discuss the relation of food to
themselves and to their families.

Trade Orders

The handwork in the various departments falls into three grades: 1.
Practice work, which not being up to the standard is ripped up and used
again. 2. Seconds; fair work, not quite up to the school standard for
trade work. This is sold at cost to the students or to needy
institutions. 3. Trade work; up to the standard. This is sold to the
trade or to private customers at regular market prices. This feature of
the school work, entailing, as it does, the taking of many varieties of
orders from the outside factories and workrooms, has proved itself to be
an important educational factor. After six years of experience in
utilizing orders from the outside workrooms, it can be said that this
part of the instruction serves the following purposes: (1) It provides
the students with adequate experience on classes of material used in the
best workrooms; these girls could not purchase such materials and the
school could not afford to buy them for practice. (2) The ordinary
conditions in both the wholesale and the custom trade are thus made a
fundamental part of the instruction. Reality of this kind helps the
supervisors to judge the product from its trade value (amateur work will
thus be rejected), and the teaching from the kind of workers turned out.
Through the business relation the students quickly feel the necessity
of good finish, rapid work, and responsibility to deliver on time. (3)
The orders bring in a money return and thus aid the school in the
expense for material. (4) The businesslike appearance of the shops at
work on the orders and the experience trade has had with the product
have increased the confidence of employers of labor in the ability of
the school to train practical workers for the trades. The school is
constantly urged by trade to increase its order work, but its
unf