HANDY THINGS ABOUT THE FARM. 



403 



XVI I. 



HANDY THINOS ABOUT THE FARM. 



LIFE is made up of little things, and our comfort often de- 

 pends largely on the little conveniences found around our 

 homes. Some farms abound in them, while on others they 

 are conspicuous by their absence. It is proposed in this chap- 

 ter to illustrate and briefly describe quite a number of cheap 

 and convenient articles, most of which can be made by the 

 farmer himself with saw and hatchet, and any of which can be 

 made by the blacksmith or carpenter. While no one farmer 

 will be likely to use all of these, it is believed that all will find 

 in this chapter many things so valuable and cheap that they will 

 adopt them. 



On perhaps a majority of farms no lifting-jack of any kind 

 is to be found, but the farmer when he wishes to grease his 

 wagon axles, hunts for a rail and board, and often after spending 

 more time in hunting than should be required to do the job, only 

 succeeds in getting 

 a crooked or rotten 

 rail and a board 

 either too long or 

 too short. 



Fig. 1 shows 

 the cheapest sub- 

 stitute for a jack. 

 It has the merit of being always ready for use, and the up- 

 right swings into place of itself, leaving both hands free to lift 

 with. Pins or cleats on the lever prevent the axle from 

 slipping. 



The illustration (Fig. 2) shows a jack that has given good 



IWAGOW-JACK. 



