Part 14 (1/2)
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 182.--Speed Timers. Two styles. The point is held against the center of the shaft to be tested. The number of revolutions per minute is shown in figures on the face of the dial. The indicator is timed to the second hand of a watch.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 183.--Building Bracket. Made of 2 x 4 pieces put together at right angles with diagonal braces. The supporting leg fits between the four diagonal braces.]
SOIL TOOLS
Soil moisture often is the limiting factor in crop raising. Soil moisture may be measured by a.n.a.lysis. The first step is to obtain samples at different depths. This is done accurately and quickly with a good soil auger. Other paraphernalia is required to make a careful a.n.a.lysis of the sample, but a farmer of experience will make a mud ball and form a very good estimate of the amount of water in it.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 184.--Diagram showing how to cut a plank on a band-saw to form a curved rafter. The two pieces of the plank are spiked together as shown in the lower drawing. This makes a curved rafter without waste of material.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 185.--Breeding Crate for Hogs. The ill.u.s.tration shows the manner of construction.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 186.--Soil Auger. Scientific farming demands that soils shall be tested for moisture. A long handled auger is used to bring samples of soil to the surface. The samples are weighed, the water evaporated and the soil reweighed to determine the amount of moisture.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 187.--Post Hole Diggers. Two patterns of the same kind of digger are shown. The first has iron handles, the lower has wooden handles.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 188.--Hoes and Weeders. The hang of a hoe affects its working. The upper hoe shows about the easiest working angle between the blade and the handle. The difference between a hoe and a weeder is that the hoe is intended to strike into the ground to loosen the soil, while the blade of the weeder is intended to work parallel with the surface of the soil to cut young weeds.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 189.--Manure Hook and Potato Diggers.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 190.--Spud. Certain vegetables are grown for crop and for seed. The green plants are thinned with a spud for sale, leaving the best to ripen for seed. It is also used to dig tough weeds, especially those having tap roots.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 191.--(1) Corn Cutting Knife. (2) Asparagus Knife.]
FENCE-MAKING TOOLS
_Sliding Field Gate._--Each farm field should have a gate, not necessarily expensive, but it should be reasonably convenient. Farm field gates should be made sixteen feet long, which will allow for a clear opening about fourteen feet wide. The cheapest way to make a good farm gate is to use a 10-inch board for the bottom, 8-inch for the board next to the bottom and three 6-inch boards above that. The s.p.a.ce between the bottom board and next board is two inches. This narrow s.p.a.ce prevents hogs from lifting the gate with their noses. The s.p.a.ces widen toward the top, so that the gate when finished is five feet high. If colts run the fields then a bar is needed along the top of the gate. Six cross pieces 1 inch by 6 inches are used to hold the gate together.
These cross pieces are bolted through at each intersection. Also a slanting brace is used on the front half of the gate to keep it from racking and this brace is put on with bolts. Two posts are set at each end of the gate. The front posts hold the front end of the gate between them, and the rear posts the same. There is a cross piece which reaches from one of the rear posts to the other to slide the gate and hold it off the ground. A similar cross piece holds the front end of the gate up from the ground. Sometimes a swivel roller is attached to the rear cross piece to roll the gate if it is to be used a good deal. A plain, simple sliding gate is all that is necessary for fields some distance from the barn.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 192.--(1) Plumb-Bob and Plumb-Line. The line is paid out about 6 feet from the spool and given a half hitch. It may then be hung over the wire and the spool will balance the bob. (2) Bipod. The legs of a fence bipod are cut 6 feet long. The bolt is put through 6 inches from the top ends. By the aid of the plummet the upper wire is strung plumb over the barb-wire in the furrow and 4' 6” above grade. The lower parts of the posts are set against the barb-wire and the upper faces of the posts at the top are set even with the upper wire. This plan not only places the posts in line, both at the top and bottom, but it regulates the height.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 193.--Fence Tools. The upper tool is a round steel pin to twist heavy brace wires. The scoop is for working stones out of post-holes. The steel crowbar is for working around the stones to loosen them.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 194.--Fence Pliers. This is a heavy fence tool made to pull fence staples and to stretch, cut and splice wire.]
CORN SHOCK HORSE
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 195.--Corn Horse. When corn is cut by hand there is no better shocking device than the old-style corn horse. It is almost as handy when setting up the corn sheaves from the corn binder.]
A convenient corn shocking horse is made with a pole cut from a straight tree. The pole is about six inches through at the b.u.t.t and tapers to a small end. About twenty feet is a good length. There are two legs which hold the large end of the pole up about 40” from the ground. These legs are well spread apart at the bottom. Two feet back from the legs is a horizontal hole about one and one-quarter inches in diameter to hold the crossbar. This crossbar may be an old broom handle. The pole and the crossbar mark the four divisions of a corn shock. Corn is cut and stood up in each corner, usually nine hills in a corner, giving thirty-six hills to a shock. Corn planted in rows is counted up to make about the same amount of corn to the shock. Of course a heavy or light crop must determine the number of rows or hills. When enough corn is cut for a shock it is tied with two bands, the crossbar is pulled out and the corn horse is dragged along to the next stand.
HUSKING-PIN
Hand huskers for dividing the cornhusks at the tips of the ears are made of wood, bone or steel. Wooden husking-pins are made of ironwood, eucalyptus, second growth hickory, or some other tough hardwood. The pin is about four inches long, five-eighths of an inch thick and it is shaped like a lead-pencil with a rather long point. A recessed girdle is cut around the barrel of the pin and a leather finger ring fits into and around this girdle. Generally the leather ring fits the larger finger to hold the pin in the right position while permitting it to turn to wear the point all around alike. Bone husking-pins are generally flat with a hole through the center to hold the leather finger ring. Steel husking-pins are shaped differently and have teeth to catch and tear the husks apart.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 196.--Brick Trowel.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 197.--Plastering Trowel.]