The development of the kitchen cabinet is due, to some extent, to the scarcity of house maids, and has done much to lessen the kitchen drudgery for the housewife. A good kitchen cabinet well equipped will lessen the purchase of kitchen supplies. It contains flour, sugar, and salt bins, a flour sifter and tray, glass spice cans, cooling cupboards, with bread and cake boxes, pan racks, bread board, large storage cupboard, cutlery drawer, grocery lists, calendars, etc., a pantry within itself. This, in connection with a cooking range, is about all that is really necessary in a kitchen.

A cabinet with a flour bin in the top is the most practical, for the reason that as fast as new flour is turned into the top of the bin, the old flour is being sifted out of the bottom. If the flour bin is in the base of the cabinet the bin has to be removed before the flour is poured in to insure perfect satitation.

An upper flour bin must be of the kind that tilts forward or drops down to be filled, or one that can be removed for cleaning, etc.

The flour sifter in the bottom of the flour bin must of necessity he easily removed as it will wear out and must be replaced.

A full sliding aluminum top, on the base, is desire-able, as it insures a larger working surface when it is pulled out or extended, and is the must sanitary. Avoid the partially sliding top, as the water will run down between the sliding top and the top of the cabinet base, and sometimes hind the top in such a manner that it can not be pulled out. Metal that bends over the edge of the work table is preferable to the metal that is fastened to the edge of the top with wooden strips.

There should be a partition either of wood or heavy pasteboard immediately under the top, to prevent water from dropping- into the lower compartments.

See that the lock- on the doors work from the outside. This insures a door from being locked on the inside and failing to work, and may save a lot of trouble.

Cabinets provided with sliding doors and those of the "open" top design with doors which open high above the working table seem to be growing in demand. If the doors are low and must be opened when the table-is in use, it will necessitate the removal of all articles on the working table - hence the advantage of the doors which are hung high above the table top.

Examine the hinges of the doors to see that they are sag proof, especially if the sugar bin is fastened to the door, as the weight may eventually sag the door.

Owing to a lack of wall space it is sometimes necessary to buy a cabinet base only, as it may have to be placed under a window. Such a base should contain a flour bin.

Cabinets of "sanitary leg" type with copper ferrules and easy running casters are the most practical.

There are also hanging wall cabinets which have no bases and which contain only such apartments as are found in a cabinet top. Very few of these are used.

A Practical Suggestion

Those who contemplate building a home should refrain from building a stationary cabinet in the kitchen. The main reason is that during certain times of the year the kitchens are sometimes visited by small ants. This does not reflect upon the housekeeper, as ants infest the best of homes and are almost impossible to guard against. They not only go to the kitchen, but to all parts of the house. If a cabinet is portable, one can keep them from entering by placing the legs of the cabinet in dishes filled with poison. There are special casters made with a small flat cup above the rollers, which can be put in the legs of a cabinet to replace the regular caster. These small cups filled with powdered borax or poison will keep the ants out of the cabinet.

A stationary cabinet may be modern today, but a few years hence be out of date and not easily changed.

The idea of using built-in cabinet that tome one has used in a rented apartment is not always satisfactory to the newcomer.

Metal cabinets are growing in demand and no doubt will contribute their share to the sanitary conditions of the day although they are harder to keep clean than at first thought.