Homemade Contrivances and How to Make Them: 1001 Labor-Saving Devices for Farm, Garden, Dairy, and Workshop

Table of Contents

Farm Conveniences
Bin for Oats 3
Fastenings for Cows 4
Movable Nests for Hens 5
How to Get Rid of Straw 7
The Management of Young Bulls 9
A Convenient Ice-Hook 11
Hints for the Workshop 11
A Non-Patented Barrel Header 13
Building Ribless Boats 15
To Mend a Broken Tug 18
Business Habits 19
Hay Racks 21
How to Extricate a Mired Animal 23
How to Save and Keep Manure 24
Grinding Tools 27
A Method of Hanging Hogs 28
Relief for Bog Spavin and Thorough-Pin 29
Tool Boxes for Wagons, Etc. 30
Making a Hinge 32
Shelter for the Head 34
How to Level with Square and Plumb Line 35
How to Keep Cattle under Cover 36
Watering Places for Stock on Level Land 37
A Shaving-Horse 38
A Milking-Stool 39
How to Treat Thrush 40
A Western Locust Trap 41
Manure Spreading 43
Putting Away Tools 45
Self-Closing Doors 46
Ventilators for Fodder Stacks 47
Corn Marker for Uneven Ground 49
A Home-Made Harrow 50
Clearing Land by Blasting 51
Preventable Losses on the Farm 56
A Cradle for Drawing a Boat 58
Feed-Rack for Sheep 59
How to Manage Night-Soil 60
The Use of Lime in Blasting 62
A Water and Feed Trough 63
The Construction of Stalls 64
Hog-Killing Implements-Ringing 66
How to Mix Cement 68
Ringing and Handling Bulls 72
Sled for Removing Corn Shocks 75
A Tagging Trough 76
Lime and Lime Kilns 76
Fall Fallowing 80
Unloading Corn 81
Stone Boats 82
A Dump Cart 83
To Prevent Washing of Hill-Sides 84
A Log Mink-Trap 86
Plowing From the Inside of the Field 87
A Wire-Fence Tightener 89
Planting Corn-A Marker 90
Feed Trough and Halter 93
The Horse-Show and Its Application 93
How to Make a Fishing Scow 95
Crows and Scarecrows 98
Flood Fence 101
Clearing Slough Land 101
How to Dress a Beef 103
A Farm Cart 105
Braces for a Gate Post 107
Whipple-Trees for Plowing Corn Safely 108
What Trees to Plant for Fuel and Timber 109
To Steady Portable Mills 110
Splitting Rails and Posts 110
A Mixture of Grasses 112
Hitching a Crib-Biter 113
How to Increase Vegetable Matter in the Soil 114
Open Links 115
Care of the Root Crops 116
Trap for Sheep-Killing Dogs 117
How to Use a File Properly 120
A Mitre-Box 123
The Manure Harvest 124
Fastening Cattle with Bows 125
The Preservation of Wood 128
A Nest for Egg-Eating Hens 129
Plowing Gear for a Kicking Mule 130
A Leaf Fork 130
Preservation of the Wheat Ground 131
How to Drive a Horse-Shoe Nail 133
Screw-Drivers 134
To Prevent Cows Sucking Themselves 136
Abuse of Barn Cellars 136
Hay-Rack and Manger 139
A Barn Basket 139
The Treatment of Kicking Cows 140
How to Build a Boat-House 141
Waste Lands-Make Them Useful 143
A Rat-Guard 145
A Crupper-Pad for Horses 145
A Dam for a Fish Pond 146
A Wagon Jack 148
Will You Feed Hay or Wood? 149
A Brace for a Kicking Horse 150
How to Save Liquid Manure 151
An Open Shed for Feeding 153
Shade for Horses' Eyes 154
Test All Seeds-Important 155
A Field Roller 157
A Portable Slop Barrel 157
Where and How to Apply Fertilizers 158
A Mill for Crushing Bones 159
Lime and Limestone 160
A Farm Wheelbarrow 162
To Prevent the Balling of Horses 163
To Prevent Cattle Throwing Fences 164
Feed Boxes 165
A Cattle Tie 167
A Beef Raiser 168
A Cedar Stem Soil-Stirrer 169
A Hint for Pig-Killing 170
Mending Broken Tools 170
A Large Feed-Rack 172
Barn Door Fastening 173
A Fork Stable Scraper 174
A Method of Curing Hay 175
Granary Conveniences 176
A Non-Slipping Chain for Boulders 178
A Pitchfork Holder 179
A Convenient Hog Loader 180
A Home-Made Roller 181
A Land Scraper 181
A Home-Made Rag Holder 183
A Safety Egg-Carrier 184
A Bush-Roller 186
Brood Sow Pens 187
A Rabbit Trap 188
Wooden Stable Floor 189
A Rail Holder or "Grip" 191
A Cheap and Durable Grindstone-Box and Hangers 192
A "Ladder" for Loading Corn 194
Protecting Outlet of Drains 195
A Log Boat 196
Cheap and Durable Wagon Seats 197
A Bag-Holder on Platform Scales 198
Making Board Drains 200
Put Things in Their Places 201
Water-Spout and Stock-Trough 203
A Desirable Milking Shed 204
Wear Plate for Harness Tugs and Collars 205
Potable Water Fence 206
Ditch Cleaner and Deepener 206
How to Build a Dam 208
Driving Hop and Other Poles 209
A Convenient Grain Box 210
A Road-Scraper 211
Aids in Digging Root Crops 212
The Wood-Lot in Winter 213
Swinging-Stall Fronts 215
Save All Corn Fodder Everywhere 216
Improved Brush Rake 217
Digging Muck and Peat 219
Cleaner for Horses' Hoofs 220
Cold Weather Shelter for Stock Profitable 220
Good Stone Troughs or Tanks 221
Artificial Feeding of Lambs 223
A Convenient Bailed Box 224
Sawdust for Bedding 225
A Cheap Ensilage Cart 226
Milking and Milking Time 227
A Revolving Sheep Hurdle 228
Lights in the Barn 230
A Nest for Sitting Hens 230
Barn-Yard Economy 231
A Cheap Manure Shed 232
A Sheep Rack 233
A Good Picket Pointer 235
Sterilizing Oven and Bottle Truck 236
Inexpensive Building Construction 239
Cover for Sap Buckets 240
A Handy Trough 240
Substitute for Flood Gate 241
Hooks for Shop or Store House 242
Improving a Pasture Spring 242
A General Farm Barn 243
Handy Clod Crusher and Leveler 244
Giving Seeds an Early Start in the Garden 245
A Post Anchor 245
Stoneboat from Two Boards 246
A Handy Garden Barrow 247
Homemade Trucks and Wheels 248
A Roller from Mowing Machine Wheels 248
Making a Picket Fence Hen-Tight 249
Barrel Strawberry Culture 250
Farm Appliances
Racks, Mangers, Stanchions and Troughs
Racks and Feed Boxes for Horses 253
Covered Horse Manger 254
Feeding Trough and Hay Shute 255
Device for Box Stall 256
Various Cattle Stanchions 258
Feeding Crib for Pork-Producing Sections 263
Sheep Rack and Feed Box 264
A Barrel Rack 265
Improvements in Pig Troughs 266
A Plank Trough 269
A Protected Trough 270
Troughs for the Pasture 271
Improved Grain Bin 273
Straw Baler 273
Watering Troughs for Stock 274
A Guarded Horse Trough 278
Box for Watering Pails 279
Home-Made Heating Vat 279
Vehicles, Rollers, Harrows and Markers
A Cart for Breaking Colts 281
A Home-Made Cart 283
Apparatus for Lifting a Wagon-Body 284
Jack for Wagon Box 285
Serviceable Wagon-Jacks 286
Adjustable Wagon Seat 287
Lubricating Axles 287
A Light Sleigh or "Jumper" 288
A Substantial Sled 289
A Dump Sled 291
A Triple Land Roller 291
A Cheaper Triple Roller 293
A Double Land Roller 293
Stalk Leveler 294
Useful Clod Crusher 295
A Brush Harrow 296
An Improved Harrow Frame 297
Land-Markers 298
Combined Marker and Clod-Crusher 301
A Land Leveler 302
Small Tools and Appliances
Bag Holders 303
Handling Potatoes 306
Grindstones and Frames 308
Tool Holder 310
How to Repair a Grindstone 310
A Wooden Manger Fork 311
Home-Made and Useful Chaff Forks 312
Stable Scraper and Broom 313
A Straw or Hay Hook 314
Fork for Handling Stones 314
Salt Box for Stock 315
Safety Single-Tree 315
Root Pulpers and Cutters 316
Root Washers 318
Clamps and Stools for Repairing Harness 320
A Box Saw-Horse 322
Long Saw-Bucks 323
How to Tie a Bag 324
A Home-Made Rake Head 325
Working Building Stone 325
Block for Sand-Paper 327
Appliances for the Barn, Pasture and Dairy
Convenient Stable Ventilator 328
Light Needed in Barns 329
Lanterns in the Barn 330
Safety Stick for Mare's Halter 330
To Keep a Horse from Jumping 331
Coupling Horses in the Pasture 332
A Simple Tether 333
Chain Cattle Tie 334
An Unpatented Calf Feeder 335
Two Kinds of Milking Stools 336
Vat for Deep Setting Milk 337
Home-Made Butter-Worker 338
Reins for Driving Oxen 339
Vat for Dipping Sheep 340
Sheep-Shearing Bench 341
Ear Tag Punch for Marking Animals 341
Sewing Up Wounds in Animals 342
Wells, Pumps, Cisterns and Filters
Windlass and Tilting Bucket 343
Well-Curb of Staves 344
Hemlock for Well-Curbs 345
Securing the Well-Bucket 346
Curb with a Bucket Shelf 346
Covered Well-Curbs 347
Impure Water in Wells 349
Hook for Cleaning Wells 350
A Non-Freezing Pump 351
Agitation of Air in Wells 351
Deepening Wells 353
Digging a Well 355
How to Build a Cistern 355
Water in the Barn Yard 357
Wooden Water Pipes 358
Filters for Family Use 359
Connecting Cisterns 362
Build and Dimension of Cisterns 363
Cisterns with Filters 364
Appliances for Handling Hay and Corn Fodder
Revolving Horse Rake 367
Care of Mowing Machines 370
Sweep for Gathering Hay 371
Hauling Hay or Stalks 372
Derrick for Stacking 373
Hay Carrier for Horse Fork 374
Hay Barracks 375
Supports for Stacks 378
Home-Made Hay Press 379
Twisting Hay and Straw 381
Standard for Corn Shocks 385
Ventilator for Stacks 386
Bench for Husking 387
Corn-Stalk Band 388
Convenient Fodder Carrier 389
Stump-Pullers, Derricks and Slings
Stump-Pullers 390
Derricks for Farm Use 393
Slings for Hoisting Heavy Objects 394
Derrick for a Cellar 396
Lever Apparatus for Lifting 397
A Home-Made Horse-Power 398
Preparing and Handling Fertilizers
Hauling Barnyard Manure 400
Implement for Fining Manure 402
Muck and Peat 403
How to Burn Lime 404
Value of Gas Lime 406
Burning Clay and Sods 407
Converting Straw into Manure 408
Manure from Marl and Shells 409
Making Fertilizer from Bones 409
Appliances for the Garden and Orchard
Paper Plant Protector 411
Muslin-Covered Plant Screen 412
Protected Plant Label 413
Poles for Beans and Other Climbers 414
Potting Strawberry Plants 414
Stand for Berry Baskets 415
Tube for Watering Plants 416
Movable Trellis for Grapes 417
Tool for Cutting Edgings 417
Substitute for Pea Brush 418
Trellis for Tomatoes 418
Tools for Killing Weeds 420
Various Fruit Pickers 421
Fruit Ladders 424
Japanese Pruning Saw 426
Rabbits and Mice in the Orchard 426
Implements Used in Cranberry Culture 428
Appliances for Slaughtering Hogs and Curing the Meat
Sticking Hogs 430
A Better Way 430
Heating the Water for Scalding 431
Scalding Tubs and Vats 432
Hanging and Cleaning the Hogs 436
Packing Pork 438
Fences, Gates and Bridges
Rail and Other Primitive Wood Fences
Virginia Rail Fence 441
Laying a Rail Fence 443
Staking and Wiring 444
A Fence of "Stakes and Riders" 445
A Pole Fence 446
Fences for Soil Liable to Heave 447
Other Primitive Fences 449
Stone and Sod Fences
How a Stone Wall Should Be Built 452
Building a Stone Fence 452
Truck for Moving Stones 454
Reinforcing a Stone Wall 454
A Composite Fence 455
A Prairie Sod Fence 456
Board Fences
Building Board Fences 458
Fences for Land Subject to Overflow 460
A Fence Board Holder 463
Reinforcing a Board Fence 464
Picket Fences
A Good Garden Fence 465
A Southern Picket Fence 465
Fences of Split Pickets 467
Ornamental Picket Fences 468
Rustic Picket Fences 470
Light Picket Fences 471
Hand-Made Wire and Picket Fences 473
Fence of Wire and Pickets 475
Barb-Wire Fence
Barb-Wire Fence 477
Steel Fence Staples 483
How to Get Barb Wire Fence 484
Unreeling and Stretching Barb Wire 485
Wire Stretchers 489
Splicing Barb Wires 492
Building Wire Fences on Uneven Ground 494
Fences of Barb Wire and Boards
Combined Wire and Board Fence 495
A Bracketed Fence 497
Dog-Proof Fences 500
Hedges
The Best Hedge Plants 501
Planting and Care of Osage Hedges 502
Hedges for the South 507
Ornamental Hedges and Screens 508
Portable Fences and Hedges
Portable Board Fences 509
Portable Fences of Poles or Wire 511
Portable Fences for Windbreaks 513
Portable Poultry Fences 514
Portable Folding Fence 517
Temporary Wire and Iron Fences 518
Fences for Streams and Gullies
Flood Fences 519
Portable Tide Fence 527
Watering Place in a Creek 528
Making and Setting Posts
Making Fence Posts 529
A Post Holder 530
Driving Fence Posts By Hand 531
To Drive Fence Posts Without Splitting 532
A Powerful Post Driver 534
Setting a Gate Post 537
Live Posts 539
Mending a Split Post 541
Hook for Wiring Posts 542
Drawing Fence Posts 543
Lifting Posts By Hand 544
Splicing Fence Posts 545
Application of Wood Preservatives 546
Iron Fence Posts 548
Gates and Fastenings
Wooden Gates 551
A Very Substantial Farm Gate 555
A Strong and Neat Gate 556
Light Iron Gates 557
Self-Closing Gates 559
Gate for Village Lot 562
A Chinese Door or Gate Spring 562
Lifting Gates 563
Rustic Gates 569
Balance Gates 571
Gate for Snowy Weather 572
West India Farm Gates 573
Double Gates 577
Double-Latched Gates 580
Improved Slide Gate 581
A Combined Hinge and Sliding Gate 582
Gates of Wood and Wire 584
A Good and Cheap Farm Gate 585
An Improved Wire Gate 586
Taking up the Sag in Gates 588
Good Gate Latches 591
Top Hinge of Farm Gate 595
Gateways in Wire Fence 596
Wickets and Stiles
Iron Wickets 598
Wooden Wickets 599
Stiles for Wire-Fences 602
Fence Law
Fencing Out or Fencing In 604
Division Fences 605
Highway Fences 607
What is a Legal Fence? 608
Railroad Fences 609
Country Bridges and Culverts
Strength of Bridges 610
Braces and Trusses 611
Abutments, Piers and Railings 614
Bridges for Gullies 616
Ornamental Bridges 618
Road Culverts 619