244 



THE FARM. 



weeds tnm the hoe flat on the ground and scrape away. Now, as the file or 

 hoe has two sharp edges, you can use either side; as it is long it will work 

 very rapidly; as it is narrow it will work easily, and not draw the dirt over 

 the weeds and re-plant them, but will tumble them on top for old Sol to deal 

 with. 



*' Another home-made tool now in season, and which has saved me much 

 labor between rows of mangel wurtzel, carrots, etc., is made by taking a 

 piece of old, thin, sharp tire, reversing the bend so as to bring the flat side 

 down, bending it to fit between the rows and with the two ends brought to- 

 gether so as to bolt to an old plow beam, as shown in Fig. 2. Make onev 



hitch old Tom before it, and go to 

 work, and if it don't work to a T, 

 tell." 



Care of Farm Implements. — 



Any implement that with good usage 

 and protection will last eight years, 

 will become weak and defective and 

 generally useless, if exposed during 

 four years to dews, rain and sun. It 

 cannot be otherwise. Dow is very 

 destructive to all wood, and sun 

 cracks admit rain and moist are to 

 the interior fibres, to work injury 

 there. To leave implements thus 

 exposed is a direct loss of fifty per 

 cent., a heavy tax. But to state it 

 mildly: An implement which, left 

 unprotected would last five years, 

 will undoubtedly last six years if 

 always kept dry and in the shade 

 when not in actual use. This will 

 save one-fifth of its efficiency, or 

 twenty per cent. A few boards or a 

 straw cover, and attention to having 

 implements always put under, is far 

 more profitable than to " work out " 

 tht; twenty per cent, to buy new ones. 

 Woodwork that must be left exposed, will be greatly benefitted by a fre- 

 quent application of paint, or simply a coat of painting oil and by filling up 

 all sun cracks, as soon as formed with such oU. The use of crude petroleum 

 tends to the preservation of wood, and may be applied to all iinpainted wood- 

 work of implements. 



Improved Tread Power. — In the tread-mill power we have here illus- 

 trated, the endless traveler consists of cast-iron chain links joined togetlier 

 and carrying lags which are connected to the links by a tenon on each end 

 fitting in a corresponding mortise in the link. Carrying rollers are fitted to 

 run in boxes attached to the frame, so that the chain links run along on them 

 from one to another, and in order that the rollers may be of larger than or- 

 dinary size and placed farther apart, the chain luiks have abutting shoulders 

 above the pivot joints, wliich hold the lags up level for the horse to walk on. 

 Each lag has a rib or cleat nailed on the upper surface just back of the front 



HOME-MADE TOOL 



