48o 



Jounial of Agriculture, Victoria. \\o July, jqii. 



also, wood-work is more frequently required than iron. Further, it is 

 possible to do it within a limited space or within the confines of the dwell- 

 ing, whilst for iron-work a workshop and equipment are required. 



On the farm, a knowledge of blacksmithing is invaluable. There are 

 ploughs, harrows, harvesters, cultivators, picks, forks, &c., to be repaired; 

 and hinges for gates and out-houses, latches, tug-chains, hooks, iron-work 

 for buildings, carts, &c., to be made and repaired. All of this work 

 may be profitably and successfully done, if one is possessed of d-e 

 knowledge of a few elementary principles concerning forging, filing, 

 drilling, and sawing iron. 



I know of at least one farmer residing in the irrigated areas who sent 

 two of his sons to a metropolitan blacksmithing class — one for two years 

 and the other for one year. After their return to the farm, during the 

 winter evenings, particularly, they had the forge almost constantly at work, 



I. AGRICULTURAL LEVER FORGE. 



2. PORTABLE BELLOWS FORGE. 



effecting repairs, renewing worn out parts, and making new tools, sharpen- 

 ing and relaying ploughshares, picks, swingle-tree mountings, trace-chains, 

 split links, &c. Every farmer cannot act similarly to the one mentioned, 

 consequently, it would be a decided advantage to build a shop and stock 

 it with the plant requisite to enable him to do blacksmithing work for 

 himself. 



The object of these articles is to assist those who may become impressed 

 with the value of the suggestion, and instruct them how to lay out a shop, 

 and how to make simple, but. at the same time, useful articles connected 

 with farm work. 



It is not the intention to deal with horse-shoeing, as I consider it 

 impracticable to learn that branch of the trade from written description 

 alone. In fact, it would be unwise for any amateur to practise. Horse- 

 shoeing must be learnt by doing the work under the directions of an 

 expert ; one reason is that horses' feet are not all alike, and consequently 

 need to be seen and treated according to requirements. 



