HANDY FARM APPLIANCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3601, 23 November 1905, Page 4

HANDY FARM APPLIANCE.

1 Dsvlts That Serves Every Purpose of the Sterne Boat.

Several years ago the writer felt the need of something lighter and smaller than an ordinary stone boat for conveying Kgfct articles around the farm. The rf'diit 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, five feet long, ten inches wide, and two inches thick, the forward end rising 3% inches. The hardpiece is also of hard maple plank, 30 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.

Keans of attaching a chain forhauling. This piece is firmly fastened to the runners by six bolts—three at each efl<s —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 aide 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 and firmly put together, it has beeii in use, summer and winter, for fire years, and is still nearly as good as new, sate for the natural wear on the runners.

For conveying plows, eultivators, 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 lighter draught.—George A. Martin, in V. Y. Tribune.

Hew to Fight Block Ret.

I Black rot has been causing serious lost among the cabbage growers, and the department ef 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, while cool weather seems to check it. flotation is advised as a means of prevention. The bulletin observes that the planting of other crops for a long seriee of years seems to be the only satisfactory way of getting rid of the disease when it 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 years.—Agricultural Epitomisi.

Hot a Good Thing to Do. ■Wo do not approve of tying trees to ■takes, though this is often recommended and often done. The bark is apt to be rubbed and injured in spite jf ol watchfulness. Much better is'it to reduce the size of the heed so the tree will stand without aid. Nor would we hill up around a tree to brace it, becausa often, when the ground is soft in the winter, the swaying of the trees opens the earth about the stem, which la filled with water, and this, later, fraoMfl and Mils.the baofc and damages ttw tree.—Bunt World.

JJiig+lUMiXfm AW *■>", pant wHMn #»o hoorf ri߀ te# ~m• enna on the Austro-Hungarian frontier.

The production of tea has been so great that 19 out of 45 companies In London could not pay a dividend this year.

Large shipbuilding companies in Germany which had ordered the construction of a number of large freight vessels for ocean trade have countermanded the orders on account of business depression.

India was In possession of a steel secret, once, which is lost now. This was the inlaying with gold of steel blades in such a manner that the strength of the blade was not impaired nqr its temper spoiled. The souvenir postcard boom has reached its height in Germany. The imperial poet office instituted a check for a week and discovered that the daily average of these pictorial mementos of travel reached the enormous total of 1,446,938. The postage paid on these cards average $17,230 per day. The latest English channel scheme is to run submarine boats on cables strung 50 feet below the surface of the channel between England and France. The speed would be 20 knots, there would be no vibration and perfect safety would be secured by an iron weight which on being dropped would allow the boat to rise to the surface, There would be salon compartments with electric lights and all conveniencea