Before we had furnaces, our cellars were cooler and we could iave some vegetables almost the year round. Now, our cellars are varmer and vegetables do not keep so well, but we can overcome his obstacle by the use of our freezers. How about meat? The custom in the early days was to mtcher a pig, pickle, then dry it, and there was an abundance of >acon, ham, etc. The same was true with beef, and one could kill beef about Christmas, pack it in snow, and this would keep the >eef in good condition for months. In the years before we had electric power, some will recall enting a box in the cold storage in Kensington and it could be illed with meats, poultry, strawberries, etc. Canning was common in the first half of the 20th century and Prince Edward Island was the first province to can chicken. >eef, pork, fish, fruits and vegetables were also canned. Some anning is still done but not as much since we obtained freezers. Remember when there were back kitchens, where one could I ave an old stove to cook the meals in the summertime, and keep ihe inside kitchen for eating and living in? Remember when we had no lawn mowers and the grass grew vp tall around our houses, unless we let some cattle in to eat it off, or tethered a horse there? One of the greatest changes for the busy house wife is in t le method of laundering. In the early days, water had to be drawn from a well and the clothes washed on a washboard in a t ib. For a large family, such as was usual at that time, this would t ike a busy forenoon to finish, and probably had to be done more t mn one day in the week. Later, we had washing machines which were invented, but even with those, it was hard work. Now, every home is equipped with an electric washer, and Reddy Kilowatt never seems to get tired. In the early school days, the north side of the playground had raany tall spruce trees which provided shelter and an ideal place for children to play. Along the roadside, opposite the school, was a row of tall spruce trees also, a spooky place to travel after dark. Until recent years, every home had an orchard, with apple, crabapple, plum, damson and pear trees, and the fruit of these trees was of a good quality. Now, unless trees are sprayed for harmful insects, they are not really worth growing, and fruit¬ growing is left to the few who take special care of their trees. Remember when Mother made a sponge, the first step in bread-making ? The sponge was a mixture made in not too large a bowl or pan and contained the home-made yeast or starter along —91—