HANDY FARM APPLIANCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3599, 18 November 1905, Page 4

HANDY FARM APPLIANCE.

A Device That Serve* Every Purpose of the Stone Boat.

Several years ago the writer felt the need of something lighter and smaller than an ordinary stone boat for.conveying light articles around the farm. The result of some study' was> the device shown in the illustration, which the hired man says is “about the handiest thing on the farm.” It is, in fact, a sort of cross between a stone boat and a bob sled. The length over all is five feet, the width 2% feet. The runners are of hard maple, live feet long,, ten inches wide, and two inches thick, the forward end rising 3% inches. The hard piece is also of hard maple plank, SO inches long, two inches thick and one foot wide. An oval hole three inches from the front edge affords a

GOOD THING TO HAVE AROUND.

means of attaching a chain for hauling. This piece is firmly' fastened to the runners by six bolts—three at each etfTi —of which the heads are countersunk in the lower sides of the runners. The floor is made of white ash boards, inch thick and 30 inches long, nailed crosswise, flush with the outer edge of the runners. This is surmounted on either side by a hickory rail two inches thick and three inches wide, extending the entire length flush with the outside. These rails are secured in place by four inch lag screws. Made thus of selected materials, and firmly put together, it has been- in use, summer and winter, for five years, and is still nearly as good as new, save for the natural wear on the runners.

For conveying plows, cultivators, other implements, seeds, etc., hauling barrels of spraying mixture, removing bowlders, and other light short hauls around the farm, it has become almost

indispensable. On a small farm it serves about every purpose of the oldfashioned stone boat, and is of much lightcr draught. —George A. Martin, iu N. Y. Tribune. How to Fight Blade Rot. Black rot has been causing serious loss among the cabbage growers, and the department of agriculture has been investigating the disease, which, it is said,. may be spread by the seed, manure and insects, especially slugs. Late-planted cabbage are less liable to damage than those planted early. The germ’ develops best in very hot weather, whilcj cool weather seems to check it. Eotatjion is advised, as a means of prevention, The bulletin observes that the planting of other crops for a long series of years seems to be the only satisfactory jway of getting rid of the disease whenjit has once become serious. Fields that have shown even a little of the disease should not be planted to cabbages or other cruciferous plants for several yeans|—Agricultural Epitomist,

{Not a Good Thing: to Da. We, do not approve of tying treea to stakes, though this is often recom- ; mendjed and often done. The bark is ' apt tp be rubbed and injured in spite lof watchfulness. Much better is it to | reduce the size of the head so the tree , will stand without aid. Nor would we I hill up around a tree to brace it, be- | cause often, when thp ground is soft 1 in the winter, the swaying of the trees opens the earth about the stem,.which is filled with water, and this, later, i freezes and kills the bask and damages j the tree.—Bural World,