LESSON FOR THE FARM 



Published semi-monthly throughout the year by the New York State College of 

 Agriculture at Cornell University. Entered as second-class matter October 13, 191 1, 

 at the post office at Ithaca, N. Y., under the Act of Congress of July 16, 1894 



L. H. Bailey, Director 

 Course for the Farm, Charles H. Tuck, Supervisor 



VOL. X. No. 8 



ITHACA, N. Y. 

 JANUARY 15, 1912 



RURAL ENGINEERING 

 SERIES No. I 



KNOTS, HITCHES, AND SPLICES 



Howard W. Riley 



VERY fanner uses rope in some way many times in a year, 

 and therefore practical knowledge of correct methods of 

 tying, hitching, and mending ropes has for him a real money 

 value. Besides being a convenience, such knowledge may 

 be the means of saving time on occasions when time is 

 of very great importance; or it may prevent a serious 

 accident due to the failure of a hitch that is incorrectly made 

 or is of a kind not adapted to the work in hand. Thus, for 

 instance, if the hay rope breaks during haying time just as a 

 storm is coming up, ignorance of a good way of splicing it 

 may cause delay, resulting in much loss in damage to the 

 crop ; or a horse tied about the neck with a knot that will slip 

 may strangle himself if he begins pulling; or, again, in hoisting a timber 

 an insecure hitch may let the timber fall, possibly at the cost of human 

 Hfe. 



With these considerations in mind, this lesson has been prepared to 

 show as clearly as possible each step in the quickest and easiest methods 

 of making such knots, hitches, and splices as will be found most generally 

 useful. 



The list of applications of knots and hitches (p. 46) is given with the 

 view of suggesting the kinds of knots and hitches best suited to particular 

 lines of work. It is realized that this list is far from complete, and readers 

 will confer a favor by mentioning other important cases to which some 

 knots are especially adapted. Information as to wholly new knots or 

 easier ways of making those here shown will also be appreciated. 



HOW THIS LESSON MAY BE USED 



General arrangement of the lesson. — The reader will note that the lesson 

 as a whole is divided into sections, each section covering one particular 



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