laths are 4 feet long, these lath trays are most economical of
material when made 4 feet in length.

A cheap and very satisfactory drier for use over the kitchen stove
can be made by any handy man of small-mesh galvanized-wire netting
and laths or strips of wood about 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches wide. By
using two laths nailed together the framework can be stiffened and
larger trays made if desirable. This form can be suspended from the
ceiling over the kitchen range or over a clear burning oil,
gasoline, or gas stove, and it will utilize the hot air which rises
during the cooking hour. It can be raised out of the way or swung to
one side by a pulley or by a crane made of lath. When the stove is
required for cooking, the frame is lowered or swung back to utilize
the heat which otherwise would be wasted. Still another home drier
is the cookstove oven. Bits of food, left overs, especially sweet
corn, can be dried on plates in a very slow oven or on the back of
the cookstove and saved for winter use.

Where the electric "juice" is not monopolized, an electric fan in
drying is economical, especially for those who already have a fan.

Many sliced fruits placed in long trays 3 by 1 foot and stacked in
two tiers, end to end, before an electric fan can be dried within
twenty-four hours. Some require much less time. For instance, sliced
string beans and shredded sweet potatoes will dry before a fan
running at a moderate speed within a few hours.

The dried fruit or vegetables must be protected from insects and
rodents, also from the outside moisture, and will keep best in a
cool, dry, well-ventilated place. In the more humid regions,
moisture-tight containers should be used. If a small amount of dried
product is put in each receptacle, just enough for one or two meals,
it will not be necessary to open a large container.

Your American ingenuity and the American practice of reading will
show you a lot of ways of saving waste: for example, frozen potatoes
are not necessarily spoiled, we are told by Mr. de Ronsic, a writer
in the _Reveil Agricole_. They may be dried and then cooked as
usual. The _Revue Scientifique_ (Paris), abstracting the article in
question, says:

"The potatoes must be dried to prevent decomposition, which takes
place very rapidly after they have thawed out. . . ." The oven
should be heated as for baking bread. Then, when it has reached the
necessary temperature, which is easily recognized, the potatoes