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ri-IE RURAI> NKVV-VQRKER 
A Home-made Fly Trap. 
IIE Department of Agriculture at 
Washington has issued a circular 
telling how to make a fly-trap for 20 
cents or less. This trap was originally 
made in South Carolina, and was sent to 
the Department by one of its farm demon¬ 
strators. The picture shows what the 
trap looks like when complete, and the 
following statement is made of its manu¬ 
facture. We should judge that this trap 
will give as good results as many of those 
for which 50 cents or a dollar may be 
charged. In connection with the use of 
chemicals in the horse manure, a number 
of these traps about the house will be 
quite sure to help. It is said that the 
Department’s agents go about carrying 
several of these traps. They are set up 
in a farmhouse and the housewife sees 
at once what they will do and has the 
men folks make one or more. Here is 
a chance for some bright boy to make 
these traps and sell them : 
These traps can be made any size to 
suit, but the most popular size in my 
work is 16 inches long, 12 inches high and 
A 
3 
C 
Section of The Fly-Trap. 
eight inches wide. Some are made as 
large as 24 inches long. IS inches high, 
and 12 inches wide. The material for 
these traps costs from 10 to 20 cents, and 
can be put together by anyone handy with 
tools in a short while. The trap may be 
baited with sour milk, a piece of ban¬ 
ana, a fruit skin, or similar substance. 
This should be removed at night or it 
will attract ants. At the same time 
the flies which have been caught should 
be killed by pouring hot water over the 
trap or leaving it immersed in water tin- 
til the flies are dead. The flytrap is 
made in three distinct parts (A, B, and 
The Complete Fly-Trap. 
C) that may be detached from one an¬ 
other by unfastening the hooks (d) that 
hold them together at either end. The 
trap is unhooked in order to place the 
bait on the bottom section (c). The 
bait is placed on two pieces of tin (e) 
tached to this bottom section. In the 
sample trap that was forwarded to the 
department these pieces of tin were cir¬ 
cular tops of paint or milk cans, which 
can be removed by prying up with a knife. 
The middle section (B) of the trap con¬ 
sists of a screen-covered frame that re¬ 
sembles a small gable roof through which 
there are six holes (f) to let the flies 
into the uppermost section (A), which 
is merely the screened-in cage that is set 
down over the other two parts (B and 
C). The handle (h), of course, is un¬ 
necessary, but will be found convenient 
when the trap is immersed in water to 
kill the flies. 
Toy Making at Home. 
ERMANY has been supplying this 
country with a large share of the 
toys used by our children. Some of the 
German toy-makers have been bred to 
the business for many generations. The 
war will stop most of this toy trade, for 
though toys (even figures <>f soldiers) 
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could hardly be called “contraband of 
war,” most imports from the war coun¬ 
tries will be held up. While millions of 
toys are made in this country there will 
be a shortage if the German supply is 
kept out. This will give opportunity for 
some skillful women to develop a little 
business. Children will demand play¬ 
things and dolls. Animal figures and 
many others can be made at home by 
women with quick fingers and good eyes. 
Twenty years ago we knew a family of 
women who made a good living and more 
at making such toys. Business developed 
in such a way that European toy-makers 
took up this business and made it un¬ 
profitable for the women. This destruc¬ 
tive war may bring back part of this 
home trade. 
The Business Gas Engine. 
X a recent issue you said you would 
like to locate some little gasoline en¬ 
gines that are doing work in the house. 
There are at least eight in this vicinity. 
I will tell of ours, as I believe it is doing 
more than any of the others. It is a 
two horse-power, costing about $45 with 
freight. AA’e installed it 2% years ago to 
run the cream separator and churn, also 
the washing machine, then we put a pulley 
on the ice cream freezer so as to run 
that by power, and next we rigged the 
sausage grinder to be run by it. AA e 
make about 140 pounds in the AViuter 
and grind it through twice, which was 
hard work; now it is fun. The last 
thing we gave it to do was to run a 
generator connected with storage batter¬ 
ies, by which means we have a perfect 
electric light plant. The generator is al¬ 
ways run when the separator and other 
work are being done, so have had to run 
the engine very little extra for the elec¬ 
tricity. AA r e haven’t thought of any more 
work we can give it yet, but when we do 
we know it will do it. AA r e think our 
little gasoline engine the best by far of 
any piece of machinery on the farm. 
(MRS.) C. IT. ELLIN WOOD. 
Different Grades of Goods. 
NOTE the letter by C., page 087. title, 
“The Local Storekeeper.” There are 
so many grades and prices including gen¬ 
uine imitation, first, second, and third 
grades in goods under the same name that 
the local retail dealer cannot keep them 
all. Therefore he usually confines his 
purchases to firsts and mediums, hence a 
house which depends on a printer’s ink 
description instead of sight and use can 
quote lower prices, lie can claim that 
an article is steel, yet steel has values in 
different grades from four cents to 32 
cents per pound or outing flannel, which 
has a value commencing at five cents, 
rising one cent to 18 cents, making 17 
grades, or ladies’ hats which have a retail 
value commencing at five cents, costing 
at wholesale 45 cents per dozen, made 
from peanut straw, and advancing ac¬ 
cording to grade to $125 per dozen for 
one grade of fine panama which retails for 
$15 each. Or eggs, which are quoted in 
a New York paper today at 2S, 26, 25*4, 
24 14 . 22. 20, 32, 33 and 31 cents, making 
altogether nine grades. Butter is quoted 
at 20, 2S, 27)4 25%, 24, 23, 22% and 
22 cents. It cannot be expected that a 
man who does a business of perhaps 
$5,000 per year can carry as many grades 
as the firm which does $100,000 a year, 
yet when you do buy from your local 
dealer you get full value for money or 
barter without paying in advance. 
STOREKEEPER. 
Co-operative Household Work. 
FRIEND of mine, who is a busy 
farmer’s wife in AViseonsin, was un¬ 
able to find anyone to help her with the 
housework. She had six hired men board¬ 
ing in the family, which consisted of three 
children besides herself and her husband. 
She explained the situation to all the 
men, and proposed that while she was 
alone each one could do some part of the 
housework every day. They were all 
anxious to cooperate, especially as her 
plan in no way interfered with their reg¬ 
ular work, but merely required a little 
thoughtfulness and care each day. She 
allotted certain tasks, so there was no 
confusion or delay. As each man passed 
through the kitchen on his way to a meal, 
he carried something to its place on the 
table. John took the butter and milk 
from the refrigerator, Max carried in the 
vegetables, Henry filled the water pitch¬ 
er at the well, and Sam saw that the 
children were presentable and had their 
bibs adjusted, and helped them at the ta¬ 
ble. Filling the woodbox, and all the 
little chores that are quickly done by 
themselves but entail so many extra steps 
when one is all alone, were put on sched¬ 
ule the same way. The men knew that 
the housekeeper never failed to lend a 
hand when matters crowded outside and 
she could help in any way. Of course 
these men were not tramps or green im¬ 
migrants, but young fellows with a sense 
of fair play. But my friend believes that 
she could get the same good will from 
any man who would be satisfactory on 
the farm, even though some might be 
more awkward than her present crew. 
EFFIE M. 1IOWLETT. 
The Boon of Parcel Post. 
AATXG to a long-continued drought in 
this vicinity, the berries were cut off, 
but a small quantity of cherries, (none 
fit for shipping) the damson crop is not 
promising, neither is the quince and ap¬ 
ple crop. I have been greatly disappoint¬ 
ed in not being able to supply the appli¬ 
cations T have had for farm products by 
parcel post, but of course I would not 
sell or offer products of inferior quality. 
Though not the abundance of rose bloom, 
as in seasonable years, I have gathered 
rose leaves for several rose jars, and rose 
bags, and have the rose jars in prepara¬ 
tion. Hope soon to offer the jars for sale, 
at ten dollars per jar, regular price for 
the jars, prepared as I prepare them, 
using attar of rose and other sweet per¬ 
fumes. I shall not want to ask exorbit¬ 
ant prices for farm products; will give a 
just weight and try to do unto others 
as I would have them to do unto me. I 
believe the parcel post to be one of the 
greatest boons of the age. helping farm¬ 
ers and farmers’ wives, and also city peo¬ 
ple. Through my S5 years I have not 
seen the opportunity that it offers, and I 
hope it will long continue. I have been 
a widow many years, with no sons at 
home and it has been hard to make two 
ends meet, much less overlap, but a 
fairer prospect opens with the advantage 
of parcel post. I will let you hear further 
when I become more established in the 
business of shipping. I hope to have 
products later in the season. Chestnuts 
are coming and I have had application for 
that commodity. 
MRS. X. A. MC MANAWAY. 
ATrginia. 
Flowing Water For the House. 
T is evident that all farmer’s wives 
cannot have a “tireless hired girl” in 
the shape of a small gas engine. An 
Illinois farmer struck a happy middle 
ground in this matter, and it has worked 
out fine. In his backyard he was lucky 
enough to strike an artesian well that 
proved to be soft water. Close to this 
flowing well and also close to his kitchen 
he built an auto shelter of an attractive 
style of architecture, the foundation walls 
four feet above the ground being of con¬ 
crete blocks, stained shingles the rest of 
the way up, with a pretty little hip-roof 
and dormer window. One half of the 
shelter house, the side nearest the kitchen 
he rigged up with a gasoline engine, and 
then hooked its power to a washing ma¬ 
chine and wringer, and he turned the 
whole over to his wife. There is room 
enough in the little laundry to do other 
kinds of work, including ironing. Few 
gasoline engines are noiseless, the smell 
of gas sticks to them, and when one is 
able to locate the power outside but so 
close to the house it is found to be far 
more desirable than to have any kind of 
such contrivance indoors. J. l. graff. 
R. N.-Y.—Should we be asked why we 
put these items under “Business” our 
answer is that there is no better develop¬ 
ment of the farm business possible than 
making tin* women folks comfortable. 
August 2!), 
A Small Plant Business. 
{4TTOAA r many dollars did you receive 
J-JL from the sale of plants?” was the 
question asked a blacksmith who sup¬ 
plemented his shop income with a hotbed, 
garden and apiary. As he counted out 
a hundred plants for a customer, he said: 
“I have sold $10 or $12 from this bed. 
I sold plants very cheap and supplied my 
own garden, all from a little bed three 
or four feet wide and about 25 feet long. 
I just put in my spare time on it and 
placed horse droppings from the shop in 
the bottom of the bed. I use no window 
sash as you see, but just covered it with 
chicken netting. There is sufficient de¬ 
mand at every cross roads to pay some 
one to raise a few plants. This is par¬ 
ticularly true in communities where gen 
oral farming is done.” 
The writer is acquainted with a young 
man who yearly supplements his income 
from school teaching by selling plants to 
farmers in two or three townships. It 
pays him from a net income of $4 to $6 
the day after paying for his plants. It 
requires no salesmanship, and he uses an 
old wagon and very ordinary farm horse. 
Think this plan over for next year, but 
don’t sacrifice your farm work to peddle 
plants. w. j. 
Boarding and Caring For Invalids. 
W HEN new lines of farm business or 
new farm problems are suggested 
we try them out with our readers. Here 
is a new proposition which may appeal 
to some one. who can make use of it. 
Our object in printing such things is to 
suggest possible new lines of business for 
farm women, and perhaps find some one 
who may fit the particular case. 
My husband and I are living at pres¬ 
ent on a village homestead caring for the 
aged and somewhat invalid owner. This 
is a Summer resort and the house being 
large I am able to rent the rooms to the 
Summer people. AA'lion they are gone we 
shall be very quietly situated until another 
season opens, and I would like to learn of 
some persons (aged or a little past mid¬ 
dle age) who would appreciate a pleas¬ 
ant home in the country. AA r e are but 
five minutes walk from center, trolley 
passes door connecting towns along 
shore. I have known of young persons 
who had the responsibility of caring for 
aged persons who would be glad to pay 
a nominal sum for their care for the 
sake of being at liberty to enjoy social 
life in their own set. To persons who 
would not require special care and were 
able to eat at the table I could offer a 
good home for $5 per week. This in¬ 
cludes board and room but not laundry. 
To such, if satisfaction was mutual, the 
home would not be for Winter season, 
but for year round. Maybe I am foolish 
to think that you might reach such 
through The R. N.-Y., but I thought no 
harm in asking. MRS. A. L. M. 
Connecticut. 
A Business of Meat Canning. 
1 SHOULD like to know if any of The 
R. N.-Y. family ever cau fresh pork, 
and if so, how? AVould it be better 
roasted than boiled? AVhat do they pour 
over it, stock or lard? Do they use glass 
cans, and would it keep in warm weather, 
in a cool cellar? I have tried frying and 
packing in jars with lard over it, but that 
in the bottom of the jar will get an old 
taste before it is gone in warm weather. 
IT. A. E. 
I cannot give satisfactory answers to 
these questions. C. Canfield, the neighbor 
I wrote of, puts up hundreds of cans, and 
it is fine. He puts up in tin cans and 
cooks, after packing in cans, four hours, 
but does not like to give specific directions 
as they would have to answer so many 
questions. They do custom work at from 
65 to 75 cents a dozen cans and many in 
this community practice killing hogs in the 
Spring for Summer use, taking hams nad 
shoulders to Canfields for canning. Some¬ 
times we smoke part, of our hams and 
then get them canned, and they are good, 
and always ready for any emergency 
when quick meals are needed. Perhaps 
it would not be safe to try canning pork 
without knowing the whole formula and 
I believe there are books on canning giv¬ 
ing directions. Canfield puts up thou¬ 
sands of cans of beef during a year and 
also poultry, rabbits, etc. E. A. B. 
Boiling Corn. — I must disagree with 
your correspondent, .T. M. B., about how 
to boil sweet corn. As I have 10 chil¬ 
dren. who all love it, and use from 20 
to 30 ears a day, we have tried every 
method, and find the best result from 
dropping the corn into boiling water, over 
a hot fire, and when the water comes to 
a boil again, the corn is ready to serve. 
Try it. a. r. w. 
