Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 87, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1912 — FARM WORKSHOP IS INVALUABLE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM WORKSHOP IS INVALUABLE

Place Where Many Hours are Spent That Otherwise Miaht Be Thrown Away— Good for Boys. It is hard to estimate the value of the shop on the farm. It is the place where many hours are Spent that otherwise might be thrown away, or even worse than thrown away. The room should be well lighted and of such size as to accommodate a portable forge, two sets of trestles and a long workbench with two sides to it. On the joists overhead may be stored lumber for repairing the different parts of wagons, sleds, plows and harrows. Some may say they have no one to do that sort of work so what is the use of having a shop. If there are boys in the family teach or have one of them taught to do repair work such as wood work and blacksmithing. The shop should be at such a disfrom the other buildings of the farm so as not to endanger them from Sparks of the shop fire. ' In our shop on rainy days during the fall we assort and clean onion sets, get out seed beans and peas and make our sauer-kraut. On winter days that are not fit for working outside a few new single trees are made and ironed off, tie broken clips mended on the old ones. A few gates are made each winter and set up and braced against one side of the shop so as not to warp or settle crooked. „ If the gate stuff is thorough seasoned they are given a good coat of paint; if the material is sappy or green the gates are not painted until the next summer. All shavings and chips made in the shop are carefully put in boxes and used as kindling for the fires in the dwelling house. Just build one and stock it with some good tools and material and you will wonder how you ever got along without it. The support for the work ben?h which may be easily made of ordinary dry goods boxes makes a nice place to keep the tools, nails and bolts. Set shallow boxes on top of each other until the required height is obtained,

are borhe on wood two or more years old, while peaches grow only on oneyear wood. i , The apple tree should be kept low and open so the spray may reach all sible; to change the tree from an undesirable to a desirable shape; to rid it of disease spote and dead wood, and to open it to admit light and air. Fungous growths develop best in dense shade. Pruning makes conditions unfavorable for them because light is admitted. But care must be taken that direct sunlight does not

reach the larger limbs for too long a. period every day. That may’ cause “sun-scald.” It- Is important, before . trying to prune, to know where and how the fruit is borne. Then enough bearing wood to produce a good crop the following year should be left. This may be done.—and the tree made the desired form at the same time. Apples

To Plant Straight.

Pruned and Protected.