6 ENGINEERING ON THE FARM 



should be placed at a uniform distance from the edge. The 

 surface of the paper and the gloss of the ink lines should not 

 be destroyed by too much erasing or by the use of hard 

 erasers. Ink erasers, of either steel or rubber, must be used 

 with care or holes will be worn in the paper. In the making 

 of a drawing, from the start thought should be given to its 

 final appearance and care should be taken to reduce to a 

 minimum the erasing necessary to clean it. To be pre- 

 sentable the final drawing should be free from dirt, pencil, 

 and score marks. After the work has been completed, it 

 should not be injured by being folded or rolled in such a way 

 that it will be crushed together and permanent creases made 

 in the individual sheets. The appearance of many a neat 

 drawing has been seriously impaired by crushing of the roll. 



Authors signature. Original work, either drawings or 

 reports, should be signed in the hand of the author. This 

 carries with it a certain individuality and indicates that the 

 author has given the matter his personal attention. A 

 name which is put on by the draftsman or assistant should 

 be printed rather than written. 



The method of signing the name is important. There is 

 a tendency for an inexperienced person to sign his name in 

 two or more ways. In governmental transactions and in 

 legal procedure only one signature is recognized. For 

 example, the United States government and the courts will 

 not assume that John T. Stewart and J. T. Stewart are the 

 same person. The signing of a man's name in two different 

 ways has often led to serious delay and costly errors. As 

 this matter of signature is one of habit, each person, early 

 in life, should select a distinguishing signature and always 

 write his name the same. 



The foregoing suggestions concern only little things which 

 may seem unimportant, but when neglected they may be the 

 cause of embarrassment or serious inconvenience. Proper 

 attention to them will be one of the first stepping stones to 

 advancement. 



