Farmstead Magazine : Fall 1977

Maine Staw Library

FALL 1977

$1.25

CDC/No. 14 /00200

FARMSTEAD

MAGAZINE

Home Gardening & Small Farming

Hom e Grown Tractors & Hand-Built Log Cabins The Fall G arden— Planting Green Manures Gathering Wild Fruit & Cooking Game From Stump To Stove— A Look at W ood Heat st?

All About Hens & Chickens oee^o aw Bayberry, Juniper & Herbs A d V d G n 31VJLS 3NTVW 6 6 * 1 00W#**## S I X ',VW $'0 00 s Cooking in a W ok & Krautii

1Q 7?

Let Blue Seal help you w ith your feeding and management... your Blue Seal Dealer has your free copies, look for him in the Yellow Pages under Feed Dealers or write to

Lawrence, Mass. 01842 FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

1

THE SECRETS ARE OUT! No Need to Buy Pre-mixed Spices Any More!

You Know What Goes Into Every Recipe!

Use Your Own Table Spices for Every Recipe in This Book!

SAUSAGE C OOKED & SMOKED Wieners Mettwurst Farmer Liver Sausage Portugese Linguisa Polish Sausage - Smoked Kosher Style Salami Swedish Potato Sausage Kiszka - (Blood Sausaqe) Knockwurst Liverwurst Hungarian Rice Liver Sausage Chinese Sausage Blood & Tongue Sausage Bockwurst Bratwurst

LARGE SAUSAGE A N D LOAVES Bologna Capicola Braunschweiger Souse Headcheese Old Fashioned Loaf Krakowska Cooked Salami Leberkase

What Do You Know About Casings?

D R Y MEATS AN D SAUSAGE Pepperoni Sticks Hard Salami Dried Farmers Sausage.

Genoa Salami Proscutti Hams Capicolo

• The only available book that offers a complete and IL L U S T R A T E D chapter on natural casings.

• When a formula qalls for a certain casing, you'll know what to look for.

• Tells average approximate diameters.

• Average approximate capacity per piece hank or set.

• Storing casings in common table salt.

• Ready to use preflushed natural casings • Collagen casings — what they really are and how they're made.

Why Cure Meat?

Find Out for Sure!

• Artery Pumping of Hams • For Safe, Easy Curing • IL LU S TR A TIO N S and Details on Finding and Saving the Artery

FOR THE H U N TE R S Venison Polish Sausage Venison Thuringer Venison Breakfast Sausage Venison Salami Venison Summer Sausage

OREAT SAUSAGE RECIPES

SEMI D R Y SAUSAGE Goetborg Cervelat Summer Sausage Thuringer Mortadella

A N D M E A T C U R IN G

• Artery pumping helps to eliminate sour hams • Read about the Latest Regulations Covering the Curing of Meat • Read Back to 900 B.C. when Meat Curing First Started • Complete Formulas for Curing Meats • Types of Meat to Use • Proper Curing Periods and Temperatures Required FOR EXPER IENC ED PROS A N D PEOPLE JUST S TA R TIN G O U T There's never been anything like this fully-detailed, authorative account of every phase of meat curing, smoking and sausage making.

FRESH SAUSAGE Hot Whole Hog Sausage Breakfast Sausage Polish Kielbasa Italian Sausage - Hot or Sweet Mexican Chorizo Kosher Style Beef Sausage

Choosing types of meats, casings, curing, smoking and cooking schedules — it's all here together with many illustrations.

• Goes beyond generalities • Easy to read • W ill n o t only interest those w ho know h ow to m ake sausage or cure m eat, b u t w ill c erta in ly serve those w ho are m erely "learners” .

• 10 POU N D sausage formulas for home use

This book contains the following Hard to find formulas:

• 100 POUND Commercial formulas • Formulas to cure small or large amounts of meat • Building smokers, using old freezers, barrels or refrigerators • Using smokers on the farm, home or homestead • Blooming sausage?

• Liquid smoke, how it's made and its use today

Canadian Bacon Bacon, Dry Box Cure Bacon, Spray Injected Cure Beef Bacon, Brine Cured Beef Bacon, Dry Cure Kosher Style Corned Beef Briskets

• Photographs of sausage making equipment, smokers, etc.

Spray Pumped Hams Curing Pork Shoulders Curing Picnics Country Hams Pastrami Smoked Hams - Dry Cure Method

OVER 25 YEARS OF RESEARCH A ND ' EXPERIENCE IN THE A R T OF MAKING SAUSAGE, CURING AND SMOKING OF MEATS. CONSIDER A QUARTER OF A C EN TUR Y FOR O N LY $12.95, NOT JUST A BOOK, BUT A L IF E TIM E !

• D E S T R O Y IN G T R IC H IN A E in pork by cooking, freezing or dry curing following government regulations • "T H E WHOLESOME M E A T A C T " - you have to know about it if you go into the meat business today • Proper size casings to use with each formula • Detailed instructions for cooking and smoking • Using non-fat dry milk or soy protein concentrate • IL L U S T R A T IO N S showing J’ow to stuff and link sausage

> DRY CURING ME VITHOUT COOKING OR SMOKING:GE SALAMI, CAPICOLA, HARD SALAMI, PI £RONI, PROSCUITTI OR PLANTATION IHA VIS.

M a k e c h e c k o r m o n e y o r d e r p a y a b le t o : R I C H A R D S K U T A S Dept. 2 179 M I L I T A R Y R O A D B U F F A L O . NEW Y O R K 14207

G R EA T SAUSAGE RECIPES - $12.95

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FARMSTEAD Table of Gontente Volume 4, Number 4

4 7 12 16 20 25 28 34 39 41 47 51 57 60 66 70 72 77 89 92

Fall 1977

Letters Ask FARMSTEAD The Wise & Useful Farm - Garden Guide From The Cabin Steps ....................................................... Dennis King Home-Grown Tractors ....................................................... Charles Page Green Manure For The Fall Gardener ........................... Dennis King Wild Harvest: A Guide to Edible Wild Fruits of the Northeast — Part II ...............................................Norman S. Bailey Building a Log Cabin by Hand .........................................David VanderZwaag Making a Sheepskin R u g ................................................... Amy Alpine Gourmet Game Cooking ...............................................Diane King Happy in Hendom .............................................................. Joan Wells Taking Antique ChickensOff The Shelf............................Jack C. Barnes Juniper - Bayberry............................................................. Darrell A. Rolerson From Stump To Stove ....................................................... Jack Bulger Woodburning Basics ...........................................................Albert Barden, III Sauerkraut............................................................................Clarice Moon Herbs in the Fall G arden........................ ........................... Madeleine H. Siegler A Wok Full of Bok Choy: Cook Your Harvest Chinese S ty le .......................................................................... Lynda Diane Gutowski The FARMSTEAD Reviewer The Feedbag

S ta ff PUBLISHER - EDITOR George Frangoulis ART EDITOR Robert Shetterly ASSOCIATE EDITORS Dennis King Eleanor Thurston Olga Willmann

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE is published bi-monthly by The Farmstead Press.

Advertising, Editorial and Subscription offices are at P.O. Box 111, Freedom, Maine 04941; telephone (207) 382-6200. ©Copyright 1977 by The Farmstead Press. All rights reserved. Second class postage paid at Belfast, Maine 04915 and at additional mailing offices.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Mary Weaver

Subscription rate is $6.00 for one year (six bimonthly issues plus an Annual), $10.00 for two years and $14.00 for three years, in the United States, its possessions and Canada. Subscriptions surface mailed abroad $8.00 per year; airmailed abroad $10.00 per year.

ADVERTISING - CIRCULATION Jane Ingraham Leanne Lubeski

POSTMASTER: PLEASE SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORM 3579 TO FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE, BOX 111, FREEDOM, MAINE 04941

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

3

L etters Dear FARMSTEAD: I am one of your new subscribers on Cape Cod. And while I hope to have a small farm sorrieday, it is those practical articles on foraging, fishing, and good cooking I enjoy the most. I can only hope more people will realize you are not just a Maine magazine, but an excellent magazine that anyone desiring a better life with more self-dependency should read.

Thanks, Dan Cambra South Yarmouth, MA

Dear FARMSTEAD: I am writing you concerning the article “ Nutri­ tion and the Vegetarian Diet” in the early summer issue of this year. I am glad to see some effort on the part of nutritionists to consider the vegetarian diet. I have learned something from becoming a vegetarian over the last 2 years and I wish to share this with you. I am what Katherine Musgrave would call a lacto-ovo-vegetarian. I noticed on the vegetarian vitamin chart there was no mention of seaweed or miso. Dulse is said to be an “ especially good source of iodine” in The Dictionary of Health Foods (Jeffrey Blish, P. 43). Seaweeds and miso, a fermented soybean paste, contain vitamin B-12*, an especially important vitamin to the vegetarian, since it is not present in other plant foods. Local seaweeds in Maine include dulse, kelp, and alarra.

These contain vitamin B-12, magnesium, and iron.

Shephard and Linnette Erhart who live in Franklin, Maine collect and sell those seaweeds and they could send you more exact information on the nutritional analysis of these 3 seaweeds.

Love your magazine.

Carol Dixon Sargentville, Maine *(East West Journal,” Getting the most from Soy­ beans" by William Shurtlef— Akiko Agegi, P. 21.)

The WHITEPINECONE AND TASSEL, MAINE'S STATE FLOWER, ISA BEAUTIFUL AND IMPORTANT PARTOF NATURE'S ROLEIN THE MAINE DIFFERENCE.

The Maine difference.

Pride, ingenuity, love of the outdoors, independence. All part of the Maine difference.

We know the Maine difference because we know the needs, the problems, the unique way of living that makes Downeasters very special people. And the ingenuity, resourcefulness and pride we take in our banking services make us the Maine difference in banking.

MERRILL BANKS IN: Bangor (4)/Beifast (2)/Brewer/ Bucksport/ Calais (2)/Castine/ Dexter/Dover-Foxcroft/ Eastport/Hampden/Jonesport/Lincoln/Machias/Millinocket/ Milo/Newport/Old Town/Orono/Sears port/Woodland.

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FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

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Dear FARMSTEAD: Your magazine is a iov. Despite the fact that I live one hour from New York City, I can at least have a farmstead of the mind. Actually, we do live in the country, but down here when people start messing around in the dirt it’s usually because they’ve decided to put in a swimming pool. On the other hand I have friends who live within the city limits of Asbury Park, pick all the dandilions off the lawn of the Pepsi Cola bottling plant (and use them to make a much nicer drink), and have been gardening BioDynamically there for five years. So your magazine keeps me in touch with souls who don’t have to go underground to admire earthly ways. (Enough!)

Your Early Summer 1977 issue was absolutely crammed with good information. I can think of no other magazine with the variety and relevance of articles that yours has had. The line drawings not only are more informative than grey photographs, they lend character to your publication, as well as being art in their own right.

A question: when do plants stop being compa­ nions and just happen to be in the same garden? Is companionship a matter of feet, inches, yards?

Keep it up.

Stewart Beach Jackson, N.J.

Dear FARMSTEAD: Being a new subscriber let me first say I enjoy reading your magazine. I find your information on organic pest control both interesting and useful.

In your article, “ The Wise and Useful Farm and Garden Guide” — Summer 1977, you talk of insects and control. Therein you suggest the use of whale oil soap as a spray (p. 15 — p. 17).

This seems both unnecessary and inhumane to eliminate one life form to destroy another. Save the whales — boycott all whale derived products.

R. Boudreau Jr. Stetson, ME We agree with you about the whale oil sway. “The Wise & Useful Farm & Garden Guide" is a continu­ ing feature which is composed of excerpts from the old American Agriculturist, circa 1859. Although many of the old techniques are every bit as good to­ day, some, like the whale oil spray, are no longer ap­ propriate or available.

Dear FARMSTEAD: I just wanted to let you know I’ve really ap­ preciated your magazine - learned a lot from it.

I’ve especially enjoyed the articles on herbs and wild plants — they are a big interest of mine. I also thought the articles on home childbirth were very good.

Nancy Marstaller Auburn, ME.

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Dear FARMSTEAD: Here is as good a place as any to tell you that we enjoyed the articles on Home Childbirth. My wife and I delivered our two children at home and con­ sider ourselves fortunate to have been able to have done so. The first time we couldn’t get a doctor to come out. The second time he arrived about 25 minutes after birth. Both times mother and child were fine. We credit pre-natal care and an attitude of being ready for what could happen.

Dennis Harrington Brooks, Maine Dear FARMSTEAD: I see by your summer issue that some of your re­ aders objected to the articles on home-births . . . mainly because they didn’t believe this subject should be dealt with in a periodical devoted to homesteading. I say you would be amiss if you didn’t.

Home births were certainly a part of family life on the homestead and farm about 40 years ago and why not now? With our modern day technology (we’ve been on the moon four times) home births should be all that much safer. Both my parents come from very large families and ALL the children were born at home with no attending pro­ blems that I know of.

I’m the father of three children who were born in hospitals and I can honestly say that none of the three occasions was a satisfying one. I was separat­ ed from my wife in traditional style and had to guess what was going on from my location “ down the hall” in the father’s waiting room. Once born, my children were whisked away to the nursery to never be seen again for hours. And in two of the three births the doctor didn’t make it on time.

From all this I can say that if and when there’s a fourth time, I’d give very serious consideration to a home birth. In fact, my mind is already made up . . now if I could just convince my wife!

That is not to say that experienced and knowledgeable people shouldn’t be in attendance.

Of course they should, and with the apparent re­ vival of midwifery and home births, there seems to be no good reason whatsoever not to consider hav­ ing your children at home and no reason that FARMSTEAD shouldn’t publish information on that subject. Keep it up!

Sincerely, R.E. Nickel Saskatoon, Sask., Canada

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We wish to offer overdue apologies to Liz Buell, author of “Babies Born at Home”, which appeared in the Early Summer 1977 issue, fo r the extremely un­ fortunate scrambling of the text cyf this fine article.

We particularly regret that this error occurred in an article of such deep and personal meaning to the author.

The Editors

A sk F a rm ste a d We encourage questions from readers. Also if you have a better or another response to a question already answer­ ed send it in! Many of the questions will be answered by experts from the University of Maine Extension Service.

What is the difference between canning with a water bath canner and a pressure canner?

Alice Wright, UVM Extension Foods and Nutri­ tion Specialist, advises: Canning can be a tricky business. Sometimes, even though you followed all the rules, something goes wrong.

Be sure to use the appropriate canning method for the type of food you wish to preserve. Acid foods such as fruits, tomatoes, and pickles should be canned in a boiling water bath canner. Meat, poultry, fish, and all vegetables except tomatoes re­ quire processing in a steam-pressure canner.

Any large vessel will do for a boiling water-bath canner as long as it has a snug-fitting cover and a wooden or wire rack to keep jars from touching the bottom. It should be at least two inches deeper and one inch wider than the jars to allow extra space for brisk boiling.

To use, place filled glass jars in the canner, mak­ ing sure they don’t touch each other or the sides of the container. For raw pack in glass jars, the water in the canner should be hot but not boiling.

As soon as the water begins to boil, cover tightly.

Start counting the time from when the water re­ turns to a rolling boil and process as long as re­ quired. When processing time is up, remove con­ tainers from the canner immediately and complete the seals if necessary.

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If you’re preserving non-acid foods, you’ll have to use a steam-pressure canner instead. Make sure you read and understand the manufacturer’s in­ structions first.

You should also check your equipment carefully.

If your pressure gauge is off by four pounds or less, you can make the necessary adjustments when you process your food. For example, if the food is to be processed at 10 pounds of pressure and the gauge reads one pound high, set it at 11 pounds.

The rubber gasket should be flexible but never brittle or cracked. If it is, replacements may be purchased at most hardware and appliance stores or ordered from the manufacturer.

When you’re ready to begin, put two or three in­ ches of water in the bottom of the canner. Set the filled glass jars on the rack so steam can flow around them.

Then fasten the canner cover securely to prevent steam from escaping through openings other than the vent (petcock or weighted gauge opening). The steam should be allowed to pour out the vent for about 7 to 10 minutes, however, to remove all air from the container.

Next, close the vent and let the pressure rise to 10 pounds (240 degrees F). When this level is reached, start counting the time, keeping the pressure constant by regulating the heat.

Remove the canner from the heat when the time is up. Leave it until the pressure registers zero, then slowly open the petcock or weighted gauge.

Unfasten the cover and tilt the container away from you to let the steam escape.

Before storing your jars of canned foods, let them stand upright for at least 12 hours, then test the seal. Check band-type jars by removing the metal band. If the cap is tight and somewhat indented, the jar is sealed.

To test bail-type jars, loosen the bail completely, and gently pull on the glass cover. It should remain tight. If your jars aren’t sealed properly, reprocess or use the food immediately.

Can Bermuda onions be grown in Maine? Why would a Maine gardener be unable to grow garlic?

Wilfred H. Erhardt, Vegetable Crop Specialist for the Cooperative Extension Service at UMO, answers: The length of day (photoperiod) influences the growth habit of several vegetable plants.

Spinach and onions are notorious examples of vegetables grown in Maine that are influenced by photoperiod.

The climatic factors most important in determin­ ing the suitability of onion varieties are length of day and temperature. The time an onion plant will

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FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

start to bulb is determined by the photoperiod and temperature and not by the age of the plant. Since bulbing is controlled by the photoperiod and temeratures, the plants begin to form bulbs at about the same time regardless of time of planting. Leaf initiation ceases when bulbing starts and the growth of the bulb depends on the leaves already present when bulbing commences. In general, bulb­ ing will commence when the daylength reaches 12-15 hours depending on variety and when the average temperature exceeds 60 °F. Onion varieties are classed as long-day and short-day varieties. The short-day varieties (12 hours) are adapted to the South while the long-day varieties (14-16 hours) are mainly grown in the northern part of the United States. Yellow Bermuda is an example of a short-day variety. Because of its early bulbing, it makes a small bulb in the Northern part of the United States.

With this in mind, select a long-day variety for our Maine climate.

In our area, it is almost impossible to obtain good yields by sowing seed directly in the garden because seeding is usually done at a date when the photoperiod has already passed the minimum for bulbing. Above all, onion sets or transplants must be placed in the soil in Maine as early as is feasible. In order to have full-sized dry onions plant before May 15 in Maine. Sets and transplants planted after June 1 will not attain full size in Maine due to our photoperiod limitations.

The best chance for successful garlic production in Maine is to plant early in September, mulch heavily, and harvest the following year. Spring planting of garlic is not desirable because bulb size and yield is generally below normal because garlic has a photoperiod response similar to onions.

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B READ LOAF F E E D E R Outfit this feeder with a loaf of bread and watch the birds flock to it! Or fill with other scraps — cake, celery, apple peelings . . . 8" x 5" x 4".

No. 202 ........................................................ $5.95

Enjoy Feeding W ild B ird s. . .

201

203

H U M M IN G B IR D F E E D E R Unique! Three red feeding ports attract hum­ mingbirds to this sturdy feeder. Made of sunresistant Plexiglas with aluminum hardware trim and hanging hook. 6” diameter.

Stock No. L F ........................................................$7.95

SANDW ICH SIZE FE E D E R Just perfect for small birds! Flip top. Fill with scraps. 3" x 4" x 2".

Stock No. 201....................................................... $2 95

TH E Y A N K E E AND TH E S U PE R FE E D ER Especially for attracting small birds to your yard!

The Yankee is 16" long. It's made of the finest diecast alum inum and strong, weather-resistant plastic tubing. The Superfeeder, 21" long, has three times the seed capacity. Both can be hung or post-mounted. Optional seed spill trays (pictured) are recommended for seed savings. Great for gift­ giving!

Stock No. A6 Yankee Feeder........................... $13.95 Stock No. A6-T Yankee T r a y ........................... $ 3.50 Stock No. B7 Superfeeder ...............................$24.95 Stock No. B7-T T r a y ..........................................$ 4.50

T R IA N G L E FE E D E R Open the flip top and fill this feeder with bread, suet or scraps. 10" x 9" x 6".

Stock No. 203 $6.95

S E E D SAVER A futuristic feeder made of unbreakabe GE Lexan. The adjustable dome roof allows you to feed the size birds you want, lowering to an opening that lets in only chickadees, finches and other small birds. Can be hung or post-mounted. Dome, 10" diam eter, dish below, 7" Stock No. X I .....................................................$11-95

S A T E L L IT E Colorful space stations for small birds only. One bird at a tim e they land, pick out a sunflower seed and then dash away, making the Satellite spin! . Made of polished Plexiglas with choice of color on top hemisphere. Squirrelproof! 6" diameter.

Stock No. 650 Silver Satellite ............................$8.95 Stock No. 650-R Red .......................................... $7.95 Stock No. 650-Y Y e llo w .......................................$7.95 Stock No. 650-0 O range.......................................$7.95

S Q U IR R ELSP O O K E R POLE N o n -C lim a b a b le ! Keep pesky squirrels away from your post feeder! When a squirrel grapsthe movable sleeve on the pole, his weight causes the sleeve to slide down. He loses his footing and jumps off unharmed! Sleeve re­ tu r n s to o r ig in a l p o s itio n autom atically by means of an in­ terior weight. 72" black steel, comes in 1 section. All flat bottom wooden feeders can be mounted.

T h re a d s fo r m ounting D roll Yankee feeders (A6, B7 and TF) come with pole.

Stock No. 455 ........................$13.95

W IN G -D IN G For small clinging birds like this perky chickadee, who needs no perch. Interior funnel keeps seed at p ro p er le v e l. S ee-thru q u a lity p la s tic . 6" diameter. Holds 2 lbs. seed.

Stock No. 350 ...................................................... $5.95 FL IG H T DOME Watch birds feed only inches away! Durable all­ plastic feeder clips easily to your windowsill.

Clear roof slides forward so you can refill feeder from indoors.

Stock No. 711 ....................................................$12.95 W IR E W O NDER Ingenious w ire "fen cin g " allows only small songbirds to enter and feed. Successfully keeps large birds out. Hopper holds I'/j qts. seed. Plastic roof and tray are 12" diam. Can be hung or postmounted.

Stock No. 204 $17.95

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Heavy duty specially contoured hand-blown glass ja r. Quality gear type crank action. Made in England.

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The Wise and Useful Farm and G arden Guide S e p te m b e r

eptember is, in many respects, one of the most important months in the farming year.

The great staples, wheat, rye, oats and grass are secured, and corn is often sufficiently advanced to enable us to fairly estimate the yield. It can, in most instances, be pretty accurately decided whether the year has been a profitable'one for the community and for individuals. Taking the country together, we hear but one opinion expressed — it is a year of plenty. But all have not shared the full measure of the bountiful yield. No favoring sun­ shine nor timely showers can atone for neglect or

S

mismanagement. They have profited who have planned judiciously and followed up their plans with energy — lost by drought and tornado ex­ cepted.

A farmer to succeed must fix his eye upon results years ahead. Every crop should be put in with re­ ference to improving the soil as well as with a view to present profit. Now is the time for laying plans for the succeeding year. If there has been failure because too much space was given to some one crop, arrange the plan with a view to a variety; some one of the staples almost invariably succeeds.

It is unwise to venture the whole year’s labor upon a single crop. Thorough preparation of the soil will go far toward securing the winter grain to be sown this month, against the contingencies of the season. A wet basement is as unwholesome for crops as for men. Let draining and subsoiling oc­ cupy a prominent place in the program of work for the month.

Agricultural exhibitions are very generally held at the North during this month; every cultivator has an interest in them. A day spent in carefully examining improved implements, and superior samples of grain, vegetables, etc., will often be worth many dollars in suggestions of practical value. Each should also be willing to contribute XK

H r ....“XK.. ... ■■ Hi

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Aladdin Lamps, heaters and parts Buck Knives — Swiss Army Knives Select Cookware, enamel, d a y , stoneware,

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iron, stainless steel, Sabatier cu tle ry

Raleigh & Motobecane — Bicycles !

& Repair

Snow & Neal ley Axes and Wood Tools

SHEPARD HARDWARE , '

Main Street Ellsworth Maine 6 6 7 -8 6 7 5

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FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

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whatever would add to the interest of the exhibi­ tion.

Buildings of all kinds should be put in thorough repair before the driving storms of Autumn find an entrance. Provide sufficient shelter for all stock.

Erect sheds for sheep, and for storing manure.

Beans — Pull and dry. The straw properly cured, and also the beans themseves are much relished by sheep, for which they are excellent food.

Cabbage — Market early varieties now matured; and continue to hoe later plantings.

Cellars — Thoroughly cleanse and put in order for the reception of Fall crops of roots, apples, etc.

Arrange for ventilation; destroy rats and mice.

Eggs — Pack in salt in a sufficient supply for Winter use.

F e n ce s — E xam ine and keep in repair, particularly about the corn fields. Build new lines when wanted, but have as few as may be — they are necessary evils at best.

Grain — Early threshing, especially of that stacked in the field, will save much from the depredations of vermin. Have grain bins secured against rats and mice. Market as soon as prices are fair. Plow for Winter grain if not already finished.

Deepen the soil an inch at each successive plowing.

Try subsoiling part of a field, and note the results.

Poultry — Give them free range, and feed re­ gularly, if they have not access to grain stubbles.

Root Crops — Keep the ground well stirred and free from weeds. The horse hoe greatly reduces the cost of growing these crops.

Turnips — Thin late sowings, feed early ones, and keep all well hoed. Sow more of the quick growing varieties on vacant ground.

Weeds — all left to scatter seed will multiply many fold another season. All that have been left to mature should be cut and burned.

The principle work of the month in the orchard will be securing and marketing or otherwise dispos­ ing of the fruits as they ripen. Most tree fruits are of better flavor if gathered while yet firm, and al­ lowed to mellow in a cool dry room. They also bear transportation much better than when fully ripened. Care and judgment must be exercised to take them from the tree at just the right period­ picking a few days too early or too late will make considerable difference in the value.

Drying Apples — Common sorts which are of lit­ tle worth in market, will meet a ready sale next Winter if properly dried. Remove all the skin and core, slice them thin, dry quickly but not at too high a temperature, and keep from being wet. A screen of netting over them to keep out flies and other insects, will add much to the appearance.

Scatter a few bits of sassafras bark among the fruit when putting it away, to keep out worms.

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FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

13

(^ctofcer

Most of the accounts with the fields are to be closed this month. There is yet a balance due the farmer of sundry potatoes, beets, turnips, etc., to be drawn from the ground, and if he has not been in season with his work, the unhusked corn will soon be suffering from rain and from vermin. Prepara­ tions are to be made for the approaching inclement season, and no time is to be lost. There is comfort as well as economy in having everything snug for the winter.

Buildings need thorough examination and repair before the driving storms have damaged the gathered crop. Every crack in the horse and cattle stalls, where the old wind can enter, will cost many pounds of hay come Spring. See that roofs are tight, and doors, shutters, hinges, fastening, etc., are all in good order. Provide sufficient shelter for all animals. If paint is needed, now is a good time to apply it.

Cisterns — A convenient supply of water for the stock may be obtained by constructing a cistern to the drip from the barns and sheds. This will also save much manure now wasted by washing away.

Forest leaves are excellent for bedding, and manure. Provide a large supply undercover, for use as wanted.

Hogs — Commence feeding for fattening, giving cooked food. Supply with leaves or straw for bed­ ding, and keep the yard well covered with muck for manufacture of manure.

Pumpkins — Store them before injured by frost.

Handle with care to prevent bruising. Feed plen­ tifully to milk cows and other stock.

Sheep — Keep them in thriving condition by an occasional allowance of hay, roots, and grain, as the grass fails. A gradual change of food is best.

Salt them at least once a week. The males should not be turned with the ewes until later in the season.

O R G A N IC B E E F — frozen in fa m ily packages in 42 lbs. cartons U .S .D .A . F a rm pickup or a ir ship­ ments monthly from our S altw ater F a rm and its herd established fo r years.

Bayside campsites are available also on our Recompence Shore.

Please request our price list and brochures.

WOLFE'S NECK FARM, INC. R .R .1 Freep ort, M a in e 04032 865-4469

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SEE US SOON FOR A DEM O NSTRATIO N

14

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

^KUBOin 8 5 y ears of c u s to m e r satisfaction

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Tools — Collect and put all implements in their proper places under cover. Put all in good repair during rainy weather, repaint wood-work, clean all iron and steel surfaces, and coat them with a mix­ ture of oil and resin to keep from rusting.

The remaining garden crops are mostly to be secured this month, before they are injured by frost. Winter Squashes, Cabbages, Potatoes, Beets, and other vegetables are to be marketed or housed, and a general clearing up of the grounds is to be made. Next Spring’s work can be greatly forwarded now, by plowing, trenching, spading, and preparing manures. Land trenched now, will be ready for ear­ ly working next season, and the beneficial action of the elements through the Winter, will be much more effectual by turning it up loosely.

Beets — Pull before hard frosts, twist off the tops, and if the weather be fair, leave them to dry a day or two before storing. Feed the tops to milch cows.

Celery — Earth up while dry. Keep the earth from falling between the stalks, by tying with soft strings which will not bruise the stalks. Harvest.

Spinach — Cover, that sown last month, and sow seeds in cold frames. Weed and thin former sow­ ings, cooking the surpfus plants.

Turnips — Gather and market or store early varieties. Rutabagas and other late sorts may grow awhile.

p0o

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Exclusive Agents for “Katrina” Hearths and Protective Wall Panels — Dealer Inquiries Invited.

Pro Jet Insulated Chimneys.

Velux Roof-Windows offer passive solar heat.

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FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

15

From the Cabin Steps

Jim M cH ale - Champion of the Small Farmer

By Dennis King im McHale is a man you should know. He’s been fighting battles for farmers and rural people for the better part of twenty years.

During the late 40’s and 50’s, he was a typical ‘'bigger is better” dairy farmer in Pennsylvania, until he realized that the bigger and better and more efficient his farm became, the deeper he got into debt and the less real freedom he had.

Jim became active as an organizer for the Farmers Union in the early 60’s and sold his dairy farm because he found he had little time for it any more. He gained national prominence in 1971 when Governor Milton Shapp appointed him Secretary of A g r i c u l t u r e fo r th e C o m m o n w e a lth o f Pennsylvania. In that job he devoted much of his time supporting small family farmers and the revitalization of rural areas. He asked a lot of em barrassing questions of the agribusiness establishment, oftentimes related to why the middlemen take so much of the food dollar. There was the time in 1974 when he bought a 1450 lb. cow for 15 <r per pound and had the meat evaluation center of Penn State University dress the cow, take out the top cuts (good steaks and roasts), grind the rest as hamburger, then calculate the cost of the hamburger. The calculated cost of the hamburger, including butchering cost, was 29.5 cents per pound. That same week hamburger in grocery stores in Pennsylvania was selling for $1.09 per pound. When the Governor publicly announced that the state should set up cooperatives and buy the butcher cows and make the meat available to senior citizens at cost, the grocery store price immediately dropped to 89 c It is easy to see why this kind of question didn’t sit too well with the agribiz community, especially that part of the community that was getting the difference between $1.09 and 29.5 <r per pound. Jim was forced from his job as Secretary of Agriculture in 1976, but G overnor Shapp im m ediately appointed him Special Coordinator for Rural Planning and Programs, the job he holds today.

I met Jim at the recen t S pring Growth Conference in Maine, at which he was a keynote speaker. He agreed to send me copies of several of his recent speeches, testimony he has made to various U.S. Senate and House of Representatives committees, and policy statements on agriculture he prepared for the State of Pennsylvania. The following brief summary of some of Jim’s thoughts and accom plishm ents were taken from that material. ne of Jim’s assertions is that “ today’s urban problems are yesterday’s rural problems.” If we had solved the ru ral problems of tw en ty-five years ago, our urban problems

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16

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

wouldn’t be so severe now. Between 1945 and 1970, twenty-five million people left rural America.

Government and private policy which emphasized the concepts of “ bigger is better” and attempted to maximize agricultural efficiency per farmer, purposely depopulated rural America. If the USDA was to be able to continue reporting increasing food production per person in agriculture, it could be accomplished either by increasing food production or decreasing the number of farmers. The second course was chosen. “ Some of the ill effects of migration to the cities by farm families are: Rural com m unities lose the human abilities and purchasing power of whole families and lose tax incom e which su pports sch ools. The rural communities lose tax income, small businesses go b a n k ru p t b eca u se c o r p o r a tio n farm s buy p rod u ction supplies in la rg e volum e from out-of-state wholesalers and manufacturers located in trade and metropolitan centers.” As people moved from rural areas, the rural communities disintegrated, in many instances, leaving only the elderly and the poor.

Jim found that of the 400,000 people who left Pennsylvania in the 60’s, 357,000 were from rural areas. They left because of lack of opportunity and lack of public services. It is for these identical reasons that people are leaving urban areas today.

We are seeing our urban centers decay today just as we saw our rural areas decay twenty-five years ago. The difference is that rural decay was a matter of planned public policy while our urban decay today is not. If we hadn’t planned its demise, we probably could have prevented rural decay, but we have been caught unsuspecting by urban decay and don’t seem to know what to do about it. Our national policy has been toward industrialization and urbanization and we can’ t seem to get untracked. Urban ghettoes, urban unemployment, urban disillusionment were merely transferred from rural areas of yesterday. Jim rejects the myth that most of America’s rural and small town residents are superfluous and obsolete and that their ultimate destiny is to be drawn or driven into cities. He states in his policy for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture: “ It is our conviction th a t a ru r a l r e n a is s a n c e is p o s s ib le in Pennsylvania. We will do everything we can to help families who wish to do so move back to the land.”

As most of us know, people have been moving back to rural areas for the last several years, with or without the help of government policies or plans.

Jim is obviously way ahead of other politicians on this subject, and to his credit, only a few years behind the people.

ne of the primary difficulties which small farmers have is in their operating margin.

Government policy has maintained low prices for farm-produced raw materials (wheat, corn, etc.). Farm operating costs have, however, escalated at or above the general rate of inflation.

As a result, profit margins for farmers have been squeezed lower and lower. The USDA edict to farmers has been “ Get bigger and get more effi­ cient or get out.” Most small farmers, farming small acreages, with small production have had to get out.

At the other end, prices of food to consumers have continued to escalate. This has happened because the spread between the price of farm com­ modities to the farmer, and the price paid by the

O

pare with urban income? What has been the impact of vertically integrated corporations in agriculture or family farmers? Where does the food dollar go?

Why should farmers be asked to produce at world market prices when no other segment of the economy does? And many more. “ This is badly needed to give us a compass sighting as to where our Ship America is in relation to its own people.”

In a more direct solution to the middleman pro­ blem, Pennsylvania was a leader in encouraging direct marketing from producer to consumer. One of Jim’s objectives was to educate both farmers and consumers to the benefits of direct marketing.

Farmers can receive a better price for their pro­ ducts and thus a larger share of the food dollar.

Consumers can receive higher quality, fresh food,

consumer has increased drastically. Did you know that a $3.00 bushel of wheat made into dry wheat flake cereal costs the consumer more than $50.00?

The transporters, traders, speculators, processors, wholesalers, retailers, (middlemen, by whatever name), keep taking a bigger and bigger chunk. Jim has been in the middle of this one for a long time and has proposed several approaches to determine where the food dollar goes and how small farmers might get a larger share of it.

Several times he has proposed a complete ex­ amination of the American economy and how it re­ lates to rural problems. He would ask questions like: Who owns the land of rural America? What are the facts about rural income and how does it com­

at a lower price. Pennsylvania hired consumer coordinators to put farmers directly in touch with consumers. Producer and consumer cooperatives were encouraged and a communication link was set up between them. Jim thinks that networks of pro­ ducer-consumer cooperatives should be able to com­ pete successfully with vertically integrated cor­ porations.

There is a lot more to Jim McHale than I’ve sum­ m arized here. He’ s a cou rageou s, creative, whirlwind of a character and he believes we can solve our problems if we put our minds to it and are able and courageous enough to reorganize our priorities. Most of all, I wanted to say he’s in there fighting and he’s on our side.

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

17

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Garden Way’s “cnw em us Country Wisdom Bulletins i

Country Wisdom at its B e st. ..

Brief, accurate and ever-so-helpful!

Here, in precise, a c c u ra te “ how -to” term s are the natural m ethods for getting back-to-basics. And you d on ’t need a huge volum e to find w hat you want. Each C ountry W isdom Bulletin treats a single s u b je c t—thoroughly, but w ithout the frills, like serious “ how -to” books should!

A. Home Strawberry Growing. Packed with easy-to-understand explanations of selecting and planting strawberries, caring for them, keeping old beds and starting new ones.

B. Easy-To-Grow Herbs and How To Use Them. Tells you how to grow 30 herbs for flavor, vitamins and beauty in your garden.

C. Perennial Spring Vegetables. Here’s how to grow five oldtime favorites that merit a place in every garden: Asparagus, rhubarb, horseradish, Jerusalem artichokes and comfrey.

D. Sharpening and Using Axes and Chain Saws. If you’re cut­ ting wood to burn in your home, this will save you cash and time. The explanation of chain saw sharpening alone is worth the bulletin’s price.

E. How to Raise a Pig Without Buying Feed. Top quality pork at a bargain price. John Vivian has stuffed this bulletin with meaty advice on buying, feeding and housing pigs.

F. The Homestead Way to Grow Grapes. Answers all of the be­ ginner’s questions on selecting varieties, planting, pruning.

G. Raising Ducks on the Small Place. You’ll love this project, and you don’t need a pond for it either. This easy method promises roast duck, a delicacy, at far less than the cost of stew beef.

H. Growing Raspberries and Blackberries. Read these secrets of how to raise all you can eat, and enough to crowd the freezer, on a small plot of land.

I. How to Build and Use a Root Cellar. If you can swing a ham­ mer, you can build the root cellar shown here, and it will pay for itself the first year. All the tricks of storing produce too.

J. Small Scale Maple Sugaring. How to get the sweetness from your own maples without spending more money than it is worth.

Plus other trees you can tap for syrup.

K. Homegrown Lettuce 10 Months a Year. Explains an easy way to raise delicious lettuce at little expense, almost the yearround.

L. Eggs and Chickens with Minimum Feed. Have fresh, jumbo eggs, fat hens and a little "egg money” of your own. How to beat the high feed costs by raising some yourself.

M. Plowless Gardening for the Homesteaders. Edward H. Faulk­ ner wrote this in the 40s, and its message is as timely, helpful and thought-provoking today as it was then. Brim full of ideas for the progressive gardener.

N. Making Apple Cider. Tells how to blend and press your own tangy, crisp drink. It’s fun. And if you like cider with a little muscle, the secrets of making hard cider are told here too.

O. Growing Corn for Many Uses. Want the earliest corn in your neighborhood. The best? Make corn meal? Raise your own pop corn? Get rid of the coons? Parch corn? All these ques­ tions are answered in this fact-jammed bulletin.

P. Preparing Your House for Winter. Your money back if you can’t save 10 times the cost of this bulletin from only one or two of the hundreds of ideas for getting ready for winter.

Q. Tomatoes — Home Grown the Year ’Round. Say good-by forever to those square, dry supermarket specials. New vari­ eties and new methods, fully explained here, make it possible to have home-grown tomatoes, fat and juicy, all year.

R. Beans . . . And Peas Tbo. Offers thoughtful advice on vari­ eties, tells how to get the most from your rows and is full of hints on planting and storing you’ll find helpful.

S. Apples, the Old Varieties. How to find and grow those fine old varieties of apples that just can’t be bought anymore. Here’s all you need to guarantee bountiful harvests.

T. Gourmet Gardening. Looking for something different in your garden? New taste experiences? Instructions here for raising and cooking nine delightful treats that will be the envy of your neighbors.

U. Pumpkins, The Biggest and the Best. Author Hugh Wiberg grotos those 100-plus pounders. Here he tells you each step, from where to get seeds, prepare the bed, make sure the big pumpkins have elbow room and lots to eat.

V. Veal Raising, A Family Project. Clear, concise explanation of how to buy a calf, feed, house and care for it, on a small homestead, to get oh-so-expensive veal at a bargain price.

W. The Grafting Manual. Simple explanations and clear illus­ trations take the mystery out of grafting, make it easy and fun.

You can improve the quality and expand the varieties of fruit on your homestead. A real how-to bulletin.

X. Planning Your Orchard: Dwarf Fruit Trees. Here Larry Southwick answers all of your questions on laying out an orchard on your land (no matter how small it is) and selecting varieties.

Y. Keep It Clean: Making Housework Easier. Specific ways to save time, money and energy in work around the home.

Z. Woodlots: Measure Your Profits. A foolproof system for measur­ ing wood in woodlot, and planning for more profitable growth.

Bulletins are 24 pages long. 75C each, any 3 for $2.00, any 7 for $4.25, any 12 for $6.50, any 16 for $8.25, all 26 for $13.00.

If less than $5.00, please add 50<t postage and handling.

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> • Charlotte, Vermont 05445

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by Charles Page ehind rural homes in Maine they sit, fender­ less and seemingly abandoned, the modified trucks and cars, the homemade tractors, and the Deer Isle pickups. Whether they evoke grins or testimonials, one thing is certain: people pass them by not recognizing their worth or giving them credit where credit is due. The average tourist can’t appreciate their usefulness for hauling every­ thing from pulpwood and farm machinery to pull­ ing floats in Fourth of July parades. The story of their conception from recycled road vehicles by trial and error backyard mechanics, and their his­ tory from the first automobiles to present day high speed vehicles aroused my curiosity and launched me in search of the homemade tractor.

I traveled along the winding roads stretching from Castine to Deer Isle that weave together the towns of Penobscot, Blue Hill, Sedgewick, Brooklin and Brooksville. B raving barking dogs and maneuvering through a winter’s accumulation of rural junk, I approached houses sporting interest­ ing specimens to ask, “ Pardon me, could I take a look at that tractor by your barn?” and to receive, with a smile of disbelief, a consenting, “ Yes, I guess

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Charles Page works fo r Cornerstones, a school for owner/builders, in Brunswick, Maine. Photos are by the author.

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We see only those that survived. The rest, though rusting, broken down, or mired in the backwoods mud, can be found in the stories of the men who built and used them. Over cups of coffee I talked with a few of the many Maine people skilled in the art of building and using homemade tractors. I’m convinced that they are the most slapped together, well built, bastardized pieces of working junk I have ever seen, or will ever see.

Three categories emerge: the shortened trucks and cars, the trucks left stocksize yet modified in some other way, and the Deer Isle pickups, or “ DIP’ s.” The DIP’s are sedans and station wagons with the body behind the driver’s seat removed and replaced with a wooden flatbed. Used to carry clamhods by clam diggers and to carry hay for farmers, DIP’s are a familiar sight in rural areas.

Though I appreciate what DIP’ s have done for Maine and New England, I was more interested in the other two categories which require a bit of special genius to make and use.

The essence of tractors can’t be appreciated in a first glance. Anyone can see that they are dif­ ferent. They have shortened wheel bases, spring­ less rear axles, dual wheels or extra-large 20 inch rear wheels encased in tire chains. The quality of the cab varies from undamaged rust to early automotive dent. The uninitiated tend to miss the

mechanical subtleties involved in their creation and evolution. Let me explain. here was no textbook for the early experi­ ments in rural New England in the 1910’s and 1920’s. Homemade tractors were not born at a Kitty Hawk or a Menlo Park, but rather where the right conditions existed: a barn to work in, a cheap (under $25) car or truck, and a man with the desire to build one. As the American love affair with the automobile progressed, so did the number of junk vehicles, dump picker specials, backyard mechanics, and homemade tractors. Most of the early makes and models of cars and trucks were converted into off-the-road working vehicles. The list includes Fords, Buicks, Willys-Overlands, Studebakers, Maxwells, Hupmobiles, Hudsons, Packards, and many others. The idea behind the modifications was to make a machine that could do the work of horses in fields or in woods but with less effort. A machine like a farm tractor, but without the high cost of farm tractors was the ob­ jective. The extent of the modifications depended for the most part on what the machine was to be used for. Farmers wanted short vehicles with small turning radiuses to pull harrows and plows around narrow fields. For woods work, a longer body was desirable to accomodate pulpwood. The extra trac­ tion that the pulpwood load gave to the rear wheels was helpful in pulling pulpwood trailers or for skid­ ding out logs.

There was no orderly sequence of events leading to the ultimate homemade farm or woods vehicle.

Communication between coastal towns was slow.

People didn’ t travel much either. A trip from Castine to Brooklin was a long way to go, even to see relatives. In the winter people walked. A man down the road talked of draining the oil out of his family car each winter night and bringing it inside.

After pouring the oil back into the car in the morn­ ing, there was only a 50-50 chance that the engine would start. This lack of communication perpetuat­ ed trial-and-error building techniques well into the 1940’s.

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MAKE A

No better example illustrates how trial-and-error experimentation shaped homemade tractor de­ velopment than the case of a Brooklin, Maine man who welded the rear axle onto a shortened truck frame which he had reinforced. Loaded with pulpwood and traveling over rough ground, the back left wheel would rise up in the air if the front right wheel went into a hole, and vice versa. The rigid frame cracked after a while, and he was forced to follow in the footsteps of a lazy neighbor who lashed his tractor together with baling wire, making his machine so flexible that the wheels would remain on the ground no matter how rough the terrain. Although what these farmers did was the talk of the town,, the news never reached the next town of Blue Hill. There the same situation oc­ curred. Once again, a slapped together, backyard wiring job proved more successful than a carefully planned and professionally-welded machine. nsuring flexibility by bolting the rear axle onto the shortened frame instead of welding it had its drawbacks. While pulling heavy loads, the rear axle would have the tendency to roll forward, pulling the universal joint off the spline shaft of the transm ission, thus causing the driveshaft to drop to the ground. The problem was solved in different ways by different people, but the most common method was to bolt the differential to a crossmember on the vehicle’s frame. Care had to be taken in shortening the vehicle’ s original driveshaft. Some people simply removed the short front driveshaft, called the jackshaft, and attached the rear driveshaft directly to the transmission.

Others, desiring even shorter tractors, cut the rear driveshaft, removed a section, and welded the two p ieces to g e th e r. Bent or p o o rly balan ced driveshafts wobbled, shook, rattled, and eventually ruined the universal joints and all the seals in the differential. Lining up the rear axle with the front axle wasn’t easy. Unsuccessful attempts led to vehicles with minds of their own, determined to cir­ cle, bounce, and jog rather than head in any one direction.

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PURPOSE

TRACTOR

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Lugging power, the power to carry or drag heavy loads slowly over rough terrain, was desirable. V8 engines, which have to turn at a high RPM in order to get the same power that a six-cylinder would have at a much lower speed, proved inadequate for most vehicles. In general, tractors with V8’s would spin in place, drive off helter skelter over stumps and rocks, or stall under heavy loads. Engine weight was also a factor. The weight of a V8 tended to drive the front end of the tractor into soft ground. Six cylinders worked nicely, but four cylinder engines worked even better. The simplicity of the light-weight, easily maintained, four cylinder Ford engine made it popular in this region of Maine.

There was always someone who had a four or six cylinder tractor with a three speed transmission who wanted extra lugging power from the engine, or someone who had a tractor with a V8 engine and needed a low er g ea r re d u c tio n . A second transmission added to the first transmission would lower the gear ratio enough to allow the engine to carry heavy loads at an idle without stalling. The joint between the two transmissions was made bywelding a universal joint that fit one transmission onto the second tramission’s clutch plate. By this method, Ford transmissions and rear ends would be used on Chevys and vice versa. Unsuccessful at­ tempts to weld the second transmission securely to the frame led to the more flexible arrangment of bolting it to a crossmember of wood or steel. It was learned the hard way that the tremendous torque generated by the first transmission would twist apart a second transmission of equal size. Two ton truck transmissions were used behind 1 1/2 ton transmissions. Truck four speeds were used behind car three speeds. The lowest gear was obtained by putting both transmissions in reverse and driving forward! This gear was so low in some cases that loggers could leave their tractors unattended, in gear and running, while they piled pulpwood on the back as the tractor crept along. ore often than not, rear springs did more harm than good. A load of pulpwood on spr­ ings would sway and bounce over rocks and stumps, causing the load to loosen and pulpwood to be thrown all over the place. In addition, without rear springs, the body was lower, making it easier to throw on a load of pulpwood or hook on farm machinery. Bolting the springs down to the frame was another technique used to prevent the load from swaying.

Front springs were also considered a handicap in some ways. Unlike Chevrolets, Fords until 1974 had transverse front springs. This was a desirable feature because the hinge in the center allowed the front wheels to move up and down easily over rocks and stumps. To reduce the force necessary for the front wheels to move up and down, the springs on both the Fords and Chevrolets could be removed and replaced by a central yoke. With free floating front wheels, the engine could use less power to maneuver over rough ground.

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There is a long standing disagreement concern­ ing the advantage of dual wheels over single rear wheels. There are those who claim that single 750-20 inch wheels trample less ground when har­ rowing and are narrower and higher than dual wheels, making the tractors more maneuverable in the woods. Dual wheels, on the other hand, have more traction on bare and icy ground and in deep mud. This extra traction proved valuable when hauling farm machinery and pulp trailers. Chains were essential for traction in the woods regardless of wheel style. For dual wheel tractors, chains pro­ ved valuable in another respect. When mired in the mud, a cable securely wrapped around a tree would be attached to the tire chain between the two wheels, and the machine winched out as it was driven forward. I have the feeling that likes and dislikes of wheel style were shaped more by what was available at construction time than by any scientific principle.

In the 20’s and 30’s Fords and Chevrolets were the most plentiful and therefore underwent the most modifications. One vehicle, the Model A 1 1/2 ton Ford truck, emerged as the classic homemade tractor in New England. Not only was it easy to maintain and to get parts for, but its simple yet rugged construction made it last longer as a woods or farm vehicle. y 1932 Sears Roebuck was selling kits to con­ vert Ford Model T and A cars and trucks in­ to tractors. These kits consisted of two large metal wheels which attached to an axle bolted onto the frame in front of the existing rear axle. A gear on the rear axle fitted into a larger gear mounted on the spokes of the metal wheels, and thus re­ duced the gear ratio to the engine to 51 to 1. This Thrifty Farmer Tractor unit was a great improve­ ment over the other brands which required flipping the back axle and differential over in order to avoid having three speeds backwards and one speed forward.

By the early 1950’s the art of making homemade tractors was perfected, and by this time also, the legends of outstanding machines were well known.

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By 1950 Herb Bowdens’ 1929 Model A 1 1/2 ton trac­ tor had hauled out hundreds of cords of pulpwood and thousands of logs. His secret was in the set up of his trailer and in his skill in using it. He at­ tached the back bobs from a horse-drawn woods sled to the rear of his shortened truck with two long beams. Chains from the sled’s runners were crossed and attached to the tractor’ s frame, enabl­ ing the sled to track the wheels as the machine maneuvered around trees and rocks in the woods.

This sled-tractor combination would carry two cor­ ds of wood or 1000 board feet of logs each trip. To­ day that is comparable to a small modern-day woods skidder costing about $30,000. To pack down his winter road, Herb would back into the woods, drive forward, then back in again, packing the snow as he went. Herb was not alone in his skillful use of the homemade tractor. Though working techniques and machines varied from one person to the next, it is obvious that many millions of board feet of logs and pulp have been hauled by these tractors since their conception.

All the people with whom I talked had favorite vehicles or engines or transmissions that were out­ standing to them. These included the Chevrolet 235 engine, the Ford low speed differential, and the fish plated Chevrolets. The trouble is that all these were from older vehicles long since gone. Modern cars have high speed short stroke engines with high gear ratio transmissions and differentials.

What was so simple for the Model A to do would be quite difficult for the vehicles of today. Some of the larger trucks, two tons and more, have six cylinder engines and low speed drive trains, but they are so big they would swallow a garden in one bite. assive amounts of road salt used today, coupled with the increased demand for scrap metal, has made the availability of junk parts limited. Cost is a factor, too. Where a Model A

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tractor would have a cost a few dollars to make in 1940, it would cost about $600 to make a tractor to­ day, provided you could find the right parts. Of the 25 working homemade tractors I took a close look at, only two were made after 1950. I did not see the owners’ sons out in back with wrenches in hand, working under some junk. Nor did I hear of anyone planning to build one. There was one neighbor, a mechanic who had a homemade tractor, who said one evening with a sparkle in his eyes as I stood up to leave, “ You know, if you took a four cylinder Ford Pinto engine and put it into a 1 1/2 ton truck body and had an automatic transmission in front and then had a four speed behind, you would really have something.”

My neighbor’s enthusiasm for homemade trac­ tors, seeded by countless dealings with them over the years, now begins and ends in a daydream. As parts break down with age and become harder to find, and the men who built and used them no longer like to tinker to hold them together, their numbers dwindle. The next time you see one, stop to look closer, kick a tire or two, bend to look beneath the rusted frame, climb carefully over outreached seat springs and sit where you can think awhile. Daydream about the machines you knew or maybe ones you’d like to build or use, and above all else, give credit where credit is due.

Special thanks to Kendell Ellis, Bob Leach, Sonny Famham, Berwyn Hutchens, and Herb Bowden of Penobscot, Bunk Black and Vernam Ryan of Brooksville, Arthur Smith and Stanley Gray of Brooklin fo r information, enthusiasm, and love for the homemade tractors they have made or used.

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Green Manures for the

Fall Garden

by Dennis King reen manuring is the practice of growing crops for the sole purpose of working them into soil as a means of soil improvement. It was a widely used agricultural practice in the 19th and first part of the 20th century. Cheap chemical fertilizers and the farmer’s economic imperative to produce saleable crops on every acre has resulted in the decline of this practice. As the era of cheap resources passes us by, green manuring will again become a necessary agricultural practice. In fact, the soil receives many necessary benefits from green manure which cannot be provided by chemical fertilizers and continuous monoculture cropping.

Green manures have always been a viable alternative for the sensible gardener. It provides a method of maintaining healthy soil without having to import large amounts of organic matter. Even though the use of waste organic matter (sewage

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sludge, waste manures, waste hay, etc.) is commen­ dable, permanent agriculture, or permanent gardening cannot continually depend on moving or­ ganic matter over long distances. Every time we use organic matter produced in another area on our garden, we may be improving our garden soil, but in the long term we are impoverishing the area from which the organic matter was removed. The previous statement is obviously an oversimplifica­ tion and all of us could think of exceptions to this rule, but in general it is true and sets the tone for the justification of green manuring. We can provide organic matter fo r our gardens and fields from our ga rden s a nd fields.

Green manuring is no magic cure-all, as it is pro­ posed to be by some advocates. If a soil contains mineral deficiencies or imbalances, these must be corrected. If soils are extremely low in organic mat­ ter content, it may be a long and costly process to FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

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improve them with only green manures. Given a halfway decent soil to begin with, with mineral nutrients in balance, green manures are an ex­ cellent method to keep them that way. In the garden it is often not necessary to take any space out of production to use green manures. There are many green manures that can be interplanted with vegeta ble crops or planted before or after vegetables occupy the spare. A good green manur­ ing system simply means that every part of your g a rd en (or farm ) is p r o d u c in g som eth in g throughout the entire growing season. On the other hand, it sometimes may be advantageous to develop a system where vegetable crops are rotated with green manures.

The Advantages of Growing Green Manures hat are some of the advantages of growing green manures? What can it do for your soil?

One of the most important, and least em­ phasized benefits, is to hold nutrients in the plantsoil system. The release of nutrients in organic systems is auite slow. After nutrients become soluble, and available to plants, we cannot allow them to leach out. Maintaining continuous plant cover is the best way to utilize all available nutrients. Nutrients are absorbed by the plants and then released again as the plants decompose.

Dr. Hardy Vogtmann of the Institute for Biological Husbandry in Switzerland emphasizes that the ob­ jective on their farm is to have something planted within 24 hours after each crop is harvested.

Weeds also serve this function of nutrient sponges in nature. Most of our agricultural weeds are pioneering annual plants that rapidly invade disturbed sites. We could allow weeds to serve this function in our gardens (most of us do no matter how hard we try not to) but if allowed to go to seed, weeds often interfere with succeeding crops. This is a good point to remember. Some manure crops can become troublesome weeds if allowed to go to seed also. Seeding all harvested areas to a green manure crop immediately after harvest can be a means of controlling and suppressing weeds. An added advantage is that we can grow more organic matter at a faster rate than most species of weeds.

Another function of green manures is to provide available nutrients to succeeding crops. Most plants, still in a succulent stage of rapid growth, contain enough nitrogen so that decomposition is rapid. If plants are worked into the soil at this stage, their nutrients are rapidly available to the next crop. On the other hand, however, if green manures are allowed to mature, their nitrogen con­ tent diminishes and decomposition is slow. It usual­ ly even takes extra nitrogen to assist decomposi­ tion which must come from the soil and is robbed

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from the next crop, if mature plant material is worked in just before planting. That is where the term green manure comes from. The plants are green, growing and succulent, when they are worked into the soil. ucculent organic matter is also an excellent food for soil life, including everything from earthworms to bacteria. Soil biology is one of the most important, but least studied, parts of soil science. A healthy soil requires healthy and abun­ dant soil life. A lot of the success achieved with green manure programs is related to the increase in soil life.

The most widely touted advantage of green manure is that it can be used to maintain and in­ crease the organic content of the soil. As I said earlier, green manure is most valuable as a nutrient source if it is worked into the soil at a suc­ culent stage. At this stage decomposition is most rapid. Since decomposition is rapid, we cannot ex­ pect much of an increase in organic matter as humus. Humus is made mostly of the slow-decom­ posing portions of organic matter and releases nutrients quite slowly. The humus content of soils is increased most rapidly by using mature and dry organic matter or compost. As an example, humus content would be increased more rapidly if a green manure crop such as rye were allowed to mature before being worked into the soil. As stated above, this is usually not the objective of green manure programs.

There are two ways, however, that organic matter content is increased by a green manure program.

Soil life is a part of the total organic matter of the soil. Up to 50 tons per acre of soil life have been measured in healthy soil. Increasing the amount of soil life increases the total organic matter content of the soil. Also, with an active green manure program, we can grow much more total organic matter than if soil is left bare part of the time. Even if the green or­ ganic matter is rapidly broken down, the content in the soil is increased.

Green manure crops can also provide extra nutrients to the soil! Alfalfa is noted for having roots that penetrate to a depth of 20 feet, excellent at bringing up subsoil nutrients. Buckwheat, with its ability to grow in very poor soils, increases the organic matter content of these soils. Organic acids dissolve and release mineral nutrients, thus mak­ ing them available to succeeding crops. Legumes (clover, alfalfa, peas, etc.) have the ability to at­ tract nitrogen-fixing bacteria to their roots. At­ mospheric nitrogen thus feeds the legumes and is released to other plants when the legume or the nitrogen-fixing bacteria decompose.

Erosion control can be another important func­ tion of green manures and cover crops. Plant cover on slopes is essential to hold the soil during heavy rains and spring runoff and reduces wind erosion.

Plant cover also reduces surface compaction caused

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by heavy rain hitting bare soil. Soils that are crust­ ed by heavy rain are much less permeable than loose soils to succeeding rain.

Green Manures to Plant in the Fall ou can see there are many benefits from green manure. Green manuring is not the only way to obtain all these benefits, but it is certainly one of the easiest ways. I’ll go on with a few specific examples that can be tried by fall gardeners. The old standard green manure and cover crop to plant in the fall is winter rye. Actual­ ly, winter wheat or barley could be used also, but rye is used because it grows more in cool weather, can be established later than wheat can and begins to grow earlier in the spring. Rye can be planted anytime from August up to mid-October in the North and even later further South. It will survive winter as long as it has a chance to germinate before the ground freezes, but it will produce more green manure if planted a little earlier.

Rye can be planted after any of your vegetables are harvested and the residues either composted or worked into the soil. Another good idea is to plant it between rows, after the last cultivation and weeding in your late crops. This can be done in corn, cold crops and many others. Planting rye in late sweet corn is an especially good idea. After frost kills the corn, the rye still has at least a month or six weeks when it can grow and cover the ground. Rye begins to grow very early in the spring and can be allowed to grow until it’s about a foot high. Then it should be worked into the soil.

Kale is another good fall green manure crop. It can be sown in old spots in late summer or early fall and, except in the far North, will overwinter and grow again the next spring. Annual or Italian rye grass can also be planted in the fall. It is winterkilled in the North, but in the Southeast it overwin­ ters well. At any rate, it makes rapid growth in cool fall weather.

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everal legumes can also be planted in the fall. Fall plantings of legumes are especially good if you plan to leave an area in green manure for the next growing season. Plant them with a grain in the fall. Mow off the grain before it goes to seed and then allow the legume to grow the rest of the summer. Sweet clover, white clover, red clover, vetch, and others are especially good for this. In the North it is possible to get good growth out of most of these legumes in early summer, then till them in and plant late sweet corn.

Crimson clover is used as a winter annual in the South and is the old-time southern soil builder, just as sweet clover and buckwheat were used ex­ tensively as soil builders in the North. Crimson clover will overwinter south of New Jersey and blooms the next spring in April or May. If planted early enough, about early August, it has time to make good growth before the ground freezes in the North. Northern gardeners who use annual rye grass in late summer might try mixing in some crimson clover.

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Wild

Harvest A Guide to Edible Wild Fruits of the Northeast Part II

By Norman S. Bailey ur earlier discussion included wild strawber­ ries, raspberries, cherries, and sugarplums .. . a few representatives of the Rose Family which in eastern North America is unrivalled by any other group of plants in the production of a diversity of delectable fruits. Almost every New Englander with rural experiences carries nostalgic m em ories of wild straw berries, raspberries, blackberries, and an early truant from cultivation, wild apples. Whittier, in “ The Barefoot Boy,” men­ tions “ strawberries on the hill” and Thoreau wrote a fine essay about wild apples, to note only two familiar local references. In addition to these esp ecia lly notew orthy fru its, several other rosaceous plants provide tasty nibbles for campers and hikers, or gourmet treats when properly pre­ pared. Descriptions of the more important kinds of fruits produced by rosaceous plants not previously considered follow. Also included are several other types of plants whose fruits ripen in late summer and fall.

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Dr. Bailey, a biologist and entomologist, lives on Swan’s Island in Maine. Part I of this guide ap­ peared in the Summer 1977 issue o f Farmstead. Il­ lustrations are by Pamela and Walter Carroll.

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Rose

Rosa rugosa Thunberg Family Rosaceae

ears ago, this coarse, vigorous, showy rose was introduced from Eastern Asia and has naturalized so well as to appear to be a native plant. Frequently it may be found on the shores of small islands off the Maine coast that have never been inhabited. It thrives on rocky shores, beachheads, sand dunes, and along roadsides, and may be found throughout eastern North America from Quebec to Minnesota and south into New Jersey.

This shrub grows in dense clumps that gradually spread in all directions by strong stolons. The canes may be two to five feet or more tall and may or may not branch freely. They are densely covered with sharp prickles of varying lengths. The foliage is coarse, heavily veined, and a rich, dark green. The single flowers are large and typically rose-red, but the color is somewhat variable. A pure white form is not uncommon, though it is less vigorous than the reds and has foliage of the much lighter green.

Several hybrid forms, some with double, richly scented flowers, are also in cultivation.

In exposed situations, the clumps are often great mounds of green splashed with clusters of red flowers, from June until fall. Marginal stems are

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usually only a foot or two tall, but the canes in the center of the mass may be five or six feet high. By early August, the fruits of .June flowers are ripen­ ing. No other rose known to me produces such large haws. Since they are a brilliant orange-red, they are as colorful and attractive as the flowers. Late in summer, both flowers and fruits occur together.

These large haws, or hips, have a very high vitamin C content. Conserves and jellies may be made from them. This is generally true of rose hips, but those of other species are much smaller and have far less pulp around the seeds.

which apple trees serve as host, it is best to pick on­ ly what you can use promptly. Seldom will the ap­ ples keep. If such trees are nearby, gather just what you will use in a day or two, and then pick more as needed. Generally they will keep hen<u\ and even improve, if left on the tree.

ative deer, domestic cattle, birds, and man himself have all unwittingly (except for Johnny Appleseed) assisted in the dis­ semination of apples. Most everywhere in New England, apples have naturalized in pastures and around old homesites. Some were originally planted and have even managed to survive where old houses have long since completely disintegrated, leaving only the cellar hole maintained by walls of massive boulders or rough-cut granite. The old cellar hole with a long-neglected apple tree or two, and possibly a clump of lilacs nearby, are surpris­ ingly persistent memorials to our pioneering an­ cestors.

The typical old apple may have a spreading crown with dense, irregular branches. For a few days in spring, their lovely pink and white flowers will lend beauty to an old pasture or homestead otherwise completely overrun by alders and other native trees and shrubs. If examined closely, you will usually find the bark of the older apple trunk and main limbs closely dotted with the shallow circular punctures of sapsucker drill holes, where they annually make a systematic search for bark­ dwelling insects.

From late summer until heavy frost, some of these trees will yield their fruits. Some are small, nubbly, and sour, but an occasional wild tree will produce fruits that make excellent, tasty sauce, jel­ ly, and pies. Since the trees are unkempt and sub­ ject to infestation by numerous fungi and insects to

Chokeberries

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Pyrus arbnt//»>//«(L.JL.f.

Pyrus flo rilunula Li nd 1.

Pyrus melanocarpa (Michx.) lIV//r/,* Family Rosneeae

hese tend to be colonial shrubs (rarely small trees), quite variable in growth, leaf form, a n d o t h e r c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s . P y run melanocarpa is the commonest representative in New England and grows in low, dense, spreading thickets. It has black, juicy fruits 7-10 mm. in diameter. P. arbutifolia is commoner to the south and bears red fruits only 5-7 mm. in size. It is most likely of the three species to be arborescent. Finally, P. floribunda has dark purple, juicy fruits 8-10 mm. in diameter and is more northerly in its range. All grow on peaty soils among low trees, in thickets with various shrubs, and in clearings where soils may be wet or dry and even thin, as on ledges and bluffs.

Clusters of white flowers, often with a pinkish tinge, resemble mayflowers. The deep forest gicen foliage is somewhat glossy above. These plants are frequent and seem to hybridize freely among themselves and with native Mountain Ash oc­ casionally.

Their fruits, now seldom used, resemble small hawthorn pomes, are rich in pectin, and ripen from late July into October depending on the locality.

They occur in little clusters and make a heavy, sweet, dark carmine jelly.

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21)

Hawthorn (Haw, Thorn, Thorn-Apple)

Crataegux species Family Rosaceae

h r o u g h o u t e a s t e r n N o r t h A me r i c a , numerous species are scattered and may be locally common. Although easily recognized as a group, identification of particular species is difficult and essentially academic. Most are small trees with low and spreading tops. Their branches are dense, slender, very crooked, and twiggy. The stout thorns quickly become apparent. Several types grow in dense, spreading copses or thickets.

They seem to prefer woodland borders and open slopes.

New England species have small leaves with margins variously lobed and serrate. They are a smooth, glossy, forest green above and set off the corymbs of white flowers that appear in May. Generally, the fruits ripen in October and often persist to be eaten by several different birds in winter. They may be yellow but are most commonly some shade of red and are much like tiny apples.

The flesh surrounding the seeds may be thin and dry, firm and thick, or juicy and thick. Some are very tart and others sweet. The fleshier, juicier var i et i es make fi ne j el l i es. Consequentl y, wherever you may be in October, the hawthorns will be worth investigating.

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Blackberry

Rubus species Family Rosaceae

losely related to the Raspberries is the Blackberry complex. Although even the botanical specialists disagree in their classification, most rural New Englanders know wild blackberries and where to find them in season.

Blackberry canes are light green, strongly ridged, and generously armed with needle-sharp, curved,

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stout spines. Since the arching canes may be six to eight feet long, picking the wild blackberries can be slightly hazardous and often painfully remem­ bered. Fortunately, rope blackberries are large and firm. Therefore, a quart or two can often be picked in just a few minutes.

Blackberries frequently grow on fairly wet soils, in alder swamp openings, and in thickets with such shrubs as meadowsweet, spiraea, black alder, and wild roses. They flower (white axillary clusters) in July and the fruits ripen from late August into ear­ ly September.

Numerous types of wild blackberries occur in North America, and as Europeans settled and cleared the land for homes and farms, the native ecosystems were so disturbed that the different wild blackberries were brought into contact and hybridized rather freely. This resulted in a rapid proliferation of new forms. Many of these have established and become locally abundant. This pro­ cess has obviously greatly complicated attempts to clearly identify wild blackberries.

Blackberries also have a unique and delectable flavor. Fresh berries are mouth-watering with cream and sugar. They also make tasty pies and fine jams and jellies.

Beach Plum

Prun us maritima Marsh.

Family Rosaceae

ear the sea shore the beach plum often forms dense, low shrub thickets. The tops are gnarled, twisted, and thickly branched. In more sheltered situations, it becomes a small tree.

In early spring the dark, almost black, branches set off clusters of small white flowers. By early fall, blue-purple plums, rarely yellowish, mature. These are just over an inch long and make excellent jams and jellies.

N

c lu s t e r e d s c a r le t b e r r ie s in a u t u m n , m a k in g th e s h r u b h a n d s o m e t h r o u g h o u t m u c h o f th e g r o w i n g s e a s o n . H o w e v e r , fe w n u r s e r ie s s e e m to h a n d le it n o w , p o s s ib ly in t h e N o r t h e a s t b e c a u s e it is s o c o m 足 m o n , a n d fu r t h e r w e s t b e c a u s e it is th e a lt e r n a t e h o s t o f th e fu n g u s t h a t c a u s e s t h e d r e a d s te m r u s t o f w h e a t a n d s h o u ld , t h e r e f o r e , n e v e r b e in t r o d u c e d to a n y a r e a w h e r e t h is im p o r t a n t fo o d p la n t is grow n .

T h e o v o id b e r r ie s h a v e a n e l o n g a t e d s e e d , c o v e r e d t h in ly w ith a s o u r p u lp . In c o lo n i a l d a y s , a n d o c 足 c a s io n a l ly s till, t h e s e b e r r ie s a r e c o o k e d a n d th e p u lp is s t r a in e d o f f fo r j e l l i e s , j a m s , a n d e v e n p ie s .

Wild Grape E o x Grape T h o u g h t h e s e p lu m s a r e t y p ic a l o f c o a s ta l a r e a s fr o m s o u t h e r n M a in e t o D e l a w a r e , t h e y m a y g r o w on s a n d y s o ils a lo n g s t r e a m s a n d la k e s t w e n t y m ile s o r s o in la n d . In m a n y o t h e r p a r t s o f e a s t e r n N o r t h A m e r ic a , r e la t e d w ild p lu m s o c c u r th a t m a y y ie ld s im ila r ly u s e fu l fr u it s . T h e s e w ild p lu m s a r e a ls o p r e s e r v e d b y d r y in g .

European or Common Barbarry

B e r b e r i s v u lg a ris

L.

V itis la b ru sca

L.

F a m ily V it a c e a e

r o w in g in t h ic k e t s a lo n g w o o d la n d b o r d e r s , s t r e a m b a n k s , a n d la k e s h o r e s , s e v e r a l w ild g r a p e s m a y b e fo u n d t h r o u g h o u t e a s t e r n N o r t h A m e r ic a . M a n y a r e v i g o r o u s c lim b e r s a n d d e v e lo p a n a lm o s t s m o t h e r i n g e n t a n g le m e n t in re d m a p le s a n d o t h e r n a t iv e h a r d w o o d tr e e s . F r o m V itis la b r u sca L. th e w e ll-k n o w n C o n c o r d a n d o t h e r h a r d y c u l t i v a t e d v a r i e t i e s w e r e d e r iv e d . T h is

G

F a m il y B e r b e r id a c e a e

h is a t t r a c t iv e s h r u b w a s e a r ly in t r o d u c e d fr o m E u r o p e a n d h a s n a tu r a liz e d and b e c o m e c o m p le t e ly w ild in e a s t e r n p a r t s o f c e n t r a l a n d s o u t h e r n N e w E n g l a n d . It is a p p a r e n t 足 ly h a r d y fr o m N o v a S c o t ia s o u t h t o D e la w a r e a n d

T

w e s t w a r d . T h e s h r u b is f r e q u e n t l y fo u n d g r o w in g in N e w E n g la n d h e d g e r o w s , d r y t h ic k e t s , r o c k y p a s t u r e s , w o o d la n d b o r d e r s , a n d a lo n g r u r a l r o a d s id e s . C o m m o n ly , it is f o u r t o s ix fe e t ta ll, w ith m a n y r e la t iv e ly s le n d e r g r a y - b r o w n s te m s w h o s e to p s t e n d t o a r c h r a t h e r g r a c e f u l l y . S te m s a n d th e s m a lle r b r a n c h e s a r e c o p io u s ly a r m e d w ith c lu s t e r s o f n e e d le -lik e s p in e s w h ic h o c c u r in t r ip le t s o r b r a n c h e v e n m o r e fr e e ly . T h e in n e r b a rk a n d w o o d a r e n o t ic e a b ly y e llo w .

T h e flo w e r s , c le a r y e llo w , a p p e a r in M a y o r J u n e in c o m p a c t d r o o p in g c lu s t e r s , t o b e fo llo w e d b y th e s p e c ie s r a n g e s fr o m s o u t h e r n M a in e t o s o u t h e r n M ic h ig a n a n d s o u th t o G e o r g ia a n d T e n n e s s e e a n d is v a r ia b le in m a n y f e a t u r e s . T h e fr u it s m a y be w h it e , a m b e r , p in k is h , r u s s e t , p u r p le , o r p u r p le b la c k . T h e y a r e 1-1/2 t o 2 -1 /2 c m . in d ia m e te r , g r o w on c lu s t e r s o f u p t o t w e n t y a n d , w h e n fu lly r ip e , o ft e n a f t e r a n e a r ly fr o s t in S e p t e m b e r o r O c t o b e r , th ey a re sw eet and ta sty . T h e som ew h a t rou nded, lo b e d le a v e s a r e la r g e , t h ic k , a n d s t r o n g ly v e in e d .

B e n e a t h t h e y a r e t h ic k ly fe lt e d (t o m e n t o s e ). W h e r e a v a ila b le , t h e g r a p e s a r e e x c e l l e n t fo r je llie s , fo r w in e , a n d fo r e a t i n g fr e s h w h e n f u lly rip e.

Checkerberry ( W i n t e r g r e e n )

T

G a u lth e r ia p r o c u m b e n s

(L .) F a m ily E r ic a c e a e h e c h e c k e r b e r r y r a n g e s th r o u g h o u t th e w o o d s o f t h e N o r t h e a s t a n d is a c o m m o n

e v e r g r e e n g r o u n d c o v e r . I t g r o w s in c le a r 足 in g s a n d a lo n g r o a d s id e s w h e r e it o ft e n m e r g e s w ith m a t s o f t h e h a ir c a p m o s s ( P o l y t r i c h u m ) a n d

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- f, /':

r r

a

t r e e lin e in th e m o u n t a in s . T h e b r il li a n t re d b e r r ie s r ip e n in A u g u s t o r la t e r . W h e r e p le n t ifu l t h e y m a y be g a t h e r e d a n d u s e d fo r m a k in g e x c e lle n t je l li e s a n d c r a n b e r r y s a u c e . T h e y a r e o ft e n p r e fe r r e d to

o t h e r lo w -g r o w in g p la n t s . J u s t b e n e a t h th e s u r fa c e lit t e r , m a t -fo r m in g s te m s o f th e c h e c k e r b e r r y s p r e a d a n d p r o d u c e t h e u p r ig h t f l o w e r i n g b r a n c h e s t h a t a r e o n ly f o u r o r fiv e in c h e s t a ll. E a c h b r a n c h m a y b e a r a g r o u p o f t h ic k , a lt e r n a t e le a v e s c r o w d e d n e a r th e s u m m it . T h e y a r e v e r y d e e p g r e e n a n d irlo ssv a b o v e , s u c c u le n t a t fir s t, b u t b e c o m i n g le a t h e r y la te in t h e s e a s o n . A lt h o u g h e s ­ s e n t ia lly e v e r g r e e n , t h e y u s u a lly t u r n a d e e p , d u ll m a r o o n a n d p e r s is t t h r o u g h t h e w in t e r . T h e e n t ir e p la n t is q u it e a r o m a t ic w ith c h e c k e r b e r r y (o r w in t e r g r e e n ) fla v o r . S m a ll, w h it e , b e ll-s h a p e d flo w e r s w ith p in k tip s h a n g in a g r o u p o f o n ly tw o o r t h r e e o n a s h o r t p e d ic e l fr o m a n a x il a m o n g th e c r o w d e d le a v e s in e a r ly s u m m e r . B y e a r ly fa ll, th e p lu m p , b r ig h t - r e d , d r y p u lp y fr u it s m a t u r e . T h e y h a v e d is ­ t in c t iv e w in t e r g r e e n f l a v o r a n d a r e p le a s a n t t o n ib ­ b le , e v e n a f t e r o v e r - w i n t e r i n g . S e v e r a l b ir d s ( p a r t r i d g e , p h e a s a n t s , e t c . ) a r e fo n d o f t h e m .

M a t u r e le a v e s a r e s a id t o m a k e a n a g r e e a b le te a w h en steep ed .

Cranberries M o u n t a in C r a n b e r r y H ig h la n d C r a n b e r r y

V a c c i n i u m v itis-id a e a L.

L in g e n b e r r y A m e r ic a n o r S w a m p C r a n b e r r y V a c c in iu m m a cr o c a r p o n A it.

Highland Cranberry: h is h a n d s o m e lit t le p la n t is p r o s t r a t e a n d v in e -lik e . It p r e fe r s d r y , p e a t y s o ils a n d m a y b e f o u n d a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e lo w - b u s h b lu e b e r r ie s . F r e q u e n t l y it f o r m s r ic h , e v e r g r e e n m a t s o n t h e t h in t u r f o v e r l e d g e s j u s t a b o v e s e a le v e l a lo n g t h e M a in e c o a s t . In th e s o u t h e r n p a r t o f its r a n g e , it g r o w s w it h a lp in e p la n ts a b o v e

T

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t h e s w a m p c r a n b e r r ie s b y t h o s e w h o k n o w b o th . In la t e J u n e a n d J u ly t h e w h it e flo w e r s r e s e m b le b lu e b e r r y b lo s s o m s . A t e a c h s e a s o n , t h e g lo s s y le a v e s b e a u t ifu lly s e t o f f fir s t t h e flo w e r s a n d th e n th e g le a m in g re d fr u it s .

T h e a n c ie n t N o r s e m e n u s e d t h e s e b e r r ie s fo r m a k in g w in e , s in c e th e p la n t a ls o g r o w s in t h e ir h o m e la n d . In t h e ir e a r ly v o y a g e s t o N o r th A m e r ic a (r e f e r r e d t o as “ V in la n d ” in t h e V ik in g s a g a s ) t h e y r e c o g n iz e d it a n d m e n t io n e d it a s t h e “ w in e b e r r y .”

T r a n s la t o r s o f th e s a g a s o ft e n m a d e th e e r r o r o f t r a n s la t in g w in e b e r r y a s “ g r a p e .” B u t g r a p e s w e r e n o t g r o w n in S c a n d in a v ia . P r o f e s s o r F e rn a ld ^ u sed th is a n d o t h e r b o t a n ic a l e v id e n c e fr o m th e s a g a s to a r g u e t h a t V ik in g la n d in g s in N o r t h A m e r ic a w e r e n o r t h o f c e n t r a l M a in e , s in c e f u r t h e r s o u th th e H ig h la n d C r a n b e r r y g r o w s o n ly a b o v e tr e e lin e , as on M t. W a s h in g t o n .

Swamp Cranberry: h e c o m m o n S w a m p C r a n b e r r y is fr e q u e n t in n o rth e rn sp h a g h u m b o g s an d o th e r sw a m p y a r e a s a c r o s s N o r t h A m e r ic a . O n C a p e C od a n d e ls e w h e r e , it h a s b e e n b r o u g h t u n d e r in t e n s iv e

T

c u lt i v a t io n a n d is a n im p o r t a n t c o m m e r c ia l c r o p .

C r a n b e r r i e s in o u r m a r k e t s a n d m o s t o f th e je l li e s a n d s a u c e s a r e p r o d u c t s o f th is a n n u a l h a r v e s t.

T h e p la n t is a s le n d e r p e r e n n i a l v in e w h o s e s t e m s a n d b r a n c h e s fo r k fr e e l y , o ft e n c a r p e t in g p a t c h e s o f s w a m p la n d s . T h e le a v e s a r e n a r r o w e r , lo n g e r , m o r e w id e ly s p a c e d , a n d m u c h p a le r g r e e n t h a t t h o s e o f t h e M t. C r a n b e r r y . T h e p in k ish w h it e flo w e r s r is e on w ir y p e d ic e ls fr o m t h e u p p e r le a f a x ­ ils. T h e d a in t y p in k is h -w h it e f l o w e r s h a v e s t r o n g ly r e fle x e d p e ta ls . F r u it s r ip e n in e a r ly fa ll, b u t m a y be

p ic k e d

la r v a e . <D r.

e a r ly

to

a v o id

in fe s t a t io n

U n d e r c u lt i v a t io n , t i m e ly M .L .

U n i v e r s i ty .

F er n a ld ,

fo r m e r ly

by

in s e c t

flo o d in g o f th e of

H a rva rd

b o g s is a t e c h n iq u e fo r c o n t r o l l i n g m a n y o f th e c r a n b e r r y i n s e c t p e s t s . B u t w i ld b e r r i e s a r e g a t h e r e d w h e n still q u it e g r e e n , s in c e in s e c t c o n ­ tr o l is im p r a c t ic a l.

T h e r e a r e o t h e r s p e c ie s o f c r a n b e r r ie s , u s u a lly le s s c o m m o n a n d le s s a b u n d a n t . C e r t a in ly w h e r e t h e y g r o w in s u ffi c ie n t q u a n t it i e s , h a r v e s t in g ca n b e w o r t h th e e ffo r t .

Viburnum High-bush Cranberry

V ib u r n u m tr ilo b u m M a rs h .

F a m il y C a p r ifo lia c e a e

American High-bush Cranberry: h is l a r g e d e c i d u o u s s h r u b h a s o p p o s it e , t h r e e -lo b e d lig h t g r e e n le a v e s s o m e w h a t r e ­ s e m b lin g c e r t a in m a p le le a v e s . T h e b r ig h t re d b e r r ie s a r e b o r n e in fla t t e r m in a l c lu s t e r s in la t e s u m m e r a n d p e r s is t on t h e p la n t s all w in te r , o r

T

u n t il e a t e n b y b ir d s . T h e y b e c o m e s o m e w h a t s h r iv e le d a n d t r a n s lu c e n t a f t e r fr o s t . E a c h fr u it h a s a fla t s e e d t h a t is r e la t iv e ly la r g e a n d th e p u lp is v e r y a c id b u t o f p le a s a n t f l a v o r . T h e s a u c e is s t r a in e d t o r e m o v e t h e s t o n y s e e d s a n d a d e lic io u s j e l l y o f b e a u t ifu l c o lo r c a n b e m a d e .

T h e n a t iv e H ig h -b u s h C r a n b e r r y r a n g e s fr o m N e w f o u n d l a n d t o B r it i s h C o l u m b i a a n d s o u t h r a t h e r g e n e r a lly t h r o u g h n o r t h e r n N e w E n g la n d .

M o r e lo c a lly , it m a y b e fo u n d in N e w J e r s e y , P e n ­ n s y lv a n ia a n d w e s t w a r d .

T h e s e s h r u b s g r o w in r ic h t h ic k e t s , e s p e c ia lly a lo n g s t r e a m s o r w o o d la n d m a r g in s , a n d m a y b e as m u c h a s t w e lv e fe e t ta ll.

O u r s p e c ie s s h o u ld n o t b e c o n fu s e d w ith th e

Viburnum S h eepberry, N a n n yb erry V ib u r n u m len t ago L. B la c k H a w V i b u r n u m p r u n ifo l iu m h .

W it h e R od V ib u r n u m c a ssin o id e s L. F a m il y C a p r ifo lia c e a e lt h o u g h s e v e r a l n a t iv e s p e c ie s o f V ib u r n u m o c c u r in N o r t h A m e r ic a a n d s e v e r a l o t h e r s h a v e b e e n in t r o d u c e d fo r o u r g a r d e n s fr o m E u r o p e a n d fr o m A s ia , t h e f r u it s o f m o s t h a v e little o r n o v a lu e fo r m a n . B ir d s a n d s m a ll m a m m a ls m a y r e ly o n t h e fr u it s o r s e e d s t o s o m e e x t e n t in c e r t a in lo c a lit ie s .

A

T h e t h r e e s p e c ie s n o t e d b la c k is h fr u it s w h e n r ip e , p u lp . A lt h o u g h t h e s t o n e s th e p u lp y c o v e r in g , t h e y

h e r e a ll h a v e b lu is h o r w it h a th in , d r y , s w e e t a r e la r g e in r e la t io n to m a y b e g a t h e r e d w h ile

w a lk in g in th e a u t u m n w o o d s , o f f e r i n g a d iv e r s io n as w e ll a s it e m s p le a s a n t t o c h e w on . P r o b a b ly b e c a u s e o f th e th in fle s h , t h e y h a v e n o t b e e n u se d in c o o k in g .

N o t o n ly a r e t h e fr u it s o f t h e s e t h r e e s p e c ie s s im ila r , t h e y a r e a ll v ig o r o u s s h r u b s w ith c r e a m y o r p u r e w h ite flo w e r s in t e r m in a l fla t c lu s t e r s o r c y m e s in e a r l y s u m m e r . T h e y g r o w in s h r u b t h ic k e t s , a lo n g h e d g e r o w s , s t r e a m b a n k s, an d w o o d la n d b o r d e r s . T h e i r le a v e s a r e m o r e o r le s s o v a t e a n d o f m o d e r a t e s iz e . N e v e r t h e l e s s , e a c h h a s d is t in c t iv e fe a t u r e s a n d c a n b e id e n t ifie d w ith m o d e s t e ffo r t .

E u r o p e a n C r a n b e r r y -B u s h ( V i b u r n u m o p u lu s L .), c o m m o n ly s o ld b y A m e r ic a n n u r s e r y m e n a n d fr e ­ q u e n t ly p la n t e d , b e c a u s e t h e fr u it s o f th is r e la t e d s h r u b a r e v e r y b it t e r a n d d is t a s t e fu l to a n y o n e fa m ilia r w ith o u r n a t iv e p la n t.

V. le n ta g o r a n g e s t h r o u g h o u t e a s t e r n N o r t h A m e r ic a fr o m H u d s o n B a y t o G e o r g ia a n d M is ­ s is s ip p i. V. p r u n ifo liu m o c c u r s fr o m C o n n e c t ic u t to

F lo r id a a n d w e s t t o T e x a s . F in a ll y V. c a s s in o id e s m a y b e fo u n d fr o m N e w fo u n d l a n d s o u t h in t o N o r t h C a r o lin a a n d w e s t t o M in n e s o t a . T h e r e f o r e , o n e o r m o r e o f t h e s e c o m m o n V ib u r n u m s c a n p r o v id e t a s ­ t y n ib b le s in th e fa ll w o o d s .

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B u ild in g a b o g G a b in B y H a n d

by D a v id V a n d e r Z w a a g

I

f w ild g r e e n s a n d E u e ll G ib b o n s tu r n y o u on ,

w h y n o t h a r v e s t t h e u lt im a t e w ild b o u n t y — y o u r v e r y o w n lo g c a b in . I f y o u h a v e 100 s o f t w o o d tr e e s , a fe w h u n d r e d d o lla r s , an d lo v e in ­ v ig o r a t in g w ork , y o u ’ re re a d y to g o !

H e r e ’ s h o w m y w ife a n d I b u ilt o u r c o z y lo d g e ,

A s th e g ia n t c r a s h e d , I s u d d e n ly r e a liz e d t h a t n o t e v e n fo u r h a r n e s s e d w h a le s c o u ld to t e s u c h a G a r g a n t u a n o u t o f th e w o o d s . T h e n in s ig h t s tru ck .

W e w o u ld h a v e t o b u ild w ith s m a lle r tr e e s w h ic h w e c o u ld c a r r y , a b o u t s ix in c h e s in d ia m e te r , a n d t h u s , r e d u c e th e c a b in s iz e t o a s n u g 16’ x 12’ .

w i t h o u t p r e v io u s e x p e r ie n c e , o n o u r w ild e r n e s s is l a n d o f f th e A t la n t i c c o a s t o f N o v a S c o tia .

T h e r e f o r e , w e c u t t b e t r e e s in t o 14’ a n d 18’ le n g t h s t o a llo w fo r a o n e fo o t o v e r h a n g a t e a c h c a b in c o r ­ n er.

Tools:

T o b e a t a fa s t a p p r o a c h in g w in t e r , w e b u ilt w ith g r e e n w o o d , a lt h o u g h s e a s o n e d t r e e s w o u ld h a v e b e e n m u c h lig h t e r .

A

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H o w e v e r , w e d e c id e d in f a v o r o f a b o w s a w ; firs t, to s a v e o v e r $100 o n a s a w p u r c h a s e , s e c o n d , so as n o t t o d is t u r b w ild life , e s p e c ia lly a r o o k e r y o f b lu e h e r o n s n e a r b y , a n d th ir d , w e w e r e s o d is t a n t fr o m a d o c t o r o r h o s p ita l in c a s e o f s e r io u s a c c id e n t w h ic h s e e m e d m o r e lik e ly w ith a p o w e r s a w .

O u r o t h e r e q u ip m e n t in c lu d e d a n a x , h a m m e r , c h is e l , le v e l, r u le r , a n d s c r e w d r iv e r .

S t r ip p in g t h e b a r k o f f t h e t r e e s w a s n e c e s s a r y to p r e v e n t in s e c t a t t a c k a n d w a s e a s ily d o n e w ith n o t h in g b u t a n a x , a s b a r k a lm o s t fa lls o f f d u r in g s p r i n g a n d s u m m e r w h e n t h e s a p r u n s fr e e ly .

O u r w o r k p la n w a s t o c u t a n d s t r ip fo u r tr e e s a d a y a n d to n o tc h fo u r in t o p la c e . F ig u r in g on a b o u t o n e h u n d r e d t r e e s a r o o m , it t o o k u s a p p r o x im a t e ly t h i r t y d a y s t o c o m p le t e .

Trees: S t r a ig h t tr e e s w it h o u t m u c h t a p e r fr o m tr u n k to c r o w n m a k e th e b e s t b u ild in g b lo c k s .

T h in k in g b ig , w e c h o p p e d lik e in d u s tr io u s b e a v e r s a t o u r fir s t t h r e e f o o t d ia m e t e r s p r u c e tr e e .

D a v i d V a n d e r Z w a a g liv e s o n M c L e o d 's Isla n d in N o v a S co tia . I llu s tr a tio n s a re b y th e author.

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Foundation: N e it h e r tim e n o r m u s c le a llo w e d u s t o b u ild a c o n v e n t io n a l fo u n d a t io n . C e m e n t w a s o u t o f th e q u e s t io n a s o n e h u n d r e d p o u n d b a g s w o u ld s u r e ly s in k o u r k a y a k . Y e t w e w a n t e d a fo u n d a t io n w h ich w o u ld n o t h e a v e w ith w in t e r fr o s t — in o u r a r e a a b o u t t h r e e fe e t b e lo w g r o u n d .

O u r s o lu tio n w a s t o d ig a t h r e e f o o t h o le a t e a c h c a b i n c o r n e r . W e th e n p ile d fla t b e a c h r o c k s in e a c h h o le to m a k e fo u r s u p p o r t p ie r s . E a c h p ie r p r o je c t ­ e d e ig h t e e n in c h e s a b o v e g r o u n d le v e l t o p r o v id e a m o is t u r e p r o o f b a s e . A lt h o u g h s o m e w h a t w o b b ly a t fi r s t , th e p ie r s s t a b iliz e d w ith th e a d d e d p r e s s u r e o f lo g s .

d o t s fo r m in g a r o u g h a r c n e a r e a c h lo g e n d , b o th in ­ s id e a n d o u t (d ia g r a m 2).

P o s it io n in g th e c r o s s lo g s o n t h e g r o u n d , m a rk e d s id e up, w e th e n h o llo w e d o u t ^11 t h e w o o d in s id e o u r lin e s w ith an a x a n d c h is e l (d ia g r a m 3).

A f t e r th e c a b in w a s c o m p le t e d , w e fille d in th e s p a c e b e tw e e n p ie r s w ith a d d it io n a l r o c k s fo r look s, e x t r a s u p p o r t, a n d a d d it io n a l in s u la t io n .

Sill Logs: O u r b ig g e s t tr e e s n a t u r a lly b e c a m e th e b o tto m lo g s , n o t o n ly fo r a lo o k o f s o li d a r it y b u t to s a v e o u r b a c k s a s w e ll.

T o p r e v e n t th e sill lo g s fr o m r o ll in g o f f th e fo u n ­ d a t io n , w e g r o o v e d th e lo g e n d s w h e r e th e y w o u ld la y on th e p ie r s (d ia g r a m 1). W e t h e n b r u s h e d on c r e o s o t e p r e s e r v a t iv e o v e r s ills , a s t h e y a r e m o s t p r o n e to r o t a n d in s e c t a t t a c k . T o c o u n t e r a c t th e t a p e r i n g e ffe c t o f t r e e s , th e f r o n t sill ra n th ic k en d

T h e s a m e p r o c e d u r e w a s r e p e a t e d fo r all s u b s e ­ q u e n t la y e r s o f lo g s . I f g a p s b e t w e e n lo g s w a s g r e a t e r th a n o n e in c h , w e w o u ld h o llo w n o t c h e s d e e p e r th a n o r ig in a l lin e s . I f s o m e lo g s r u b b e d t o g e t h e r d u e t o c r o o k s , w e w o u ld h e w d o w n th e p r o ­ b le m s p o ts w ith a n a x .

The Floor:

t o th in e n d w h ile th e r e a r sill r a n th in en d to th ic k e n d (d ia g r a m 1).

A c a r d in a l r u le w e fo llo w e d in p la c in g on s u b s e ­ q u e n t lo g s w a s a s le n d e r e n d o f a t r e e g o e s on to p o f a t h ic k e n d a n d v ic e v e r s a . T h is fo r m u la a s s u r e d t h a t a ll w a lls w o u ld e n d u p c lo s e t o e q u a l in h e ig h t.

T o a s s u r e s t a b le a n d l o n g la s t in g flo o r jo is t s , w e n o t c h e d o u r s a w m ill 2 x 4 ’ s d ir e c t ly in t o t h e s ills in ­ s t e a d o f u s in g s p ik e s . T h e p r o c e s s in v o lv e d tw o m a in s te p s ; fir s t w e c h is e le d t w e lv e e q u id is t a n t 2 x 3 x 3 in c h g r o o v e s a lo n g in n e r e d g e o f e a c h sill lo g (d ia g r a m 4). N e x t w e n o t c h e d t w e lv e 2 x4’ s p e r d ia -

First Cross Logs: W e c h o s e t o u s e t h e p o p u la r n otch .

a n d e a s y s a d d le

T o n o tc h in t h e fir s t c r o s s lo g s , w e fir s t p la c e d t h e m on to p o f th e sill lo g s . W ith a p e n c il w e m a r k e d t h r e e d o ts n e a r e a c h c r o s s lo g e n d , b o th in ­ s id e a n d o u t (d ia g r a m 2). T h e lo w e r d o ts w e r e s p a c e d to m a tc h th e w id th o f t h e sill lo g b e lo w w h i le th e u p p e r d o t w a s p la c e d a p p r o x im a t e ly a t t h e c r o s s lo g ’ s m id s e c t io n . N e x t , w e c o n n e c t e d th e grooves.

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s c r a p 2 x 4 ’ s b e t w e e n a ll j o i s t s (d ia g r a m 6). F o r u n ­ d e r fl o o r in g , w e t a c k e d 4 x 8 f o o t p a n e ls o n 1 /4 -in ch e x ­ t e r i o r p ly w o o d t o t h e u n d e r s id e o f fl o o r jo is t s . F o r f l o o r in s u la t io n , w e s t u ffe d a r m lo a d s o f d r y e e lg r a s s , a r ib b o n lik e s e a w e e d t o s s e d u p b y to n s in s h a ll o w is la n d c o v e s , b e t w e e n a ll jo i s t s .

S p h a g n u m m o s s , h o w e v e r , w o u ld h a v e s u p p lie d a n e x c e ll e n t a lt e r n a t iv e . F o r o v e r la y , 1x5 in c h s p r u c e p la n k in g , p la n e d o n t h e t o p sid e , fu r n is h e d t h e fin a l r u s tic look .

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

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D o o r and W in d o w s: U n lik e m a n y c a b in b u ild e r s w h o c u t o u t w in d o w a n d d o o r o p e n in g s w h e n all w a lls a r e c o m p le te , w e c h o s e t o n o tc h a n d s p ik e t h e fr a m e s in to p la ce w h i le r a is in g th e w a lls . T h is n o t o n ly p e r m itte d c o n v e n i e n t a c c e s s t o th e c a b in in t e r io r , b u t a ls o a l­ lo w e d th e u s e o f s h o r t e r t r e e s w h e r e fr a m e s w e r e in s e t .

A ll fr a m e s w e r e c o n s t r u c t e d o f 2 x 6 in ch lu m b e r w h i c h p r o v id e n t ia lly w a s h e d u p a ft e r a v io le n t g a l e . O u r d o o r a n d w in d o w s , m e a n w h ile , w e r e s a lv a g e d fr o m a q u a in t f i s h i n g c o t t a g e on th e m a in la n d .

T h e d o o r f r a m e w a s n o t c h e d in t o t h e fi r s t c r o s s l o g as fo llo w s ; fir s t, w e m a r k e d th e fr a m e w i d t h o n to th e c r o s s lo g . T h e n w e m a d e o n e in ch

c u t s w ith t h e b o w s a w a t s ix in c h in te r v a ls (d ia ­ g r a m 7) w h ic h p e r m it t e d u s t o e a s il y c h ip o u t a u n ­ ifo r m g r o o v e w ith t h e a x . W e t h e n set a n d sp ik ed t h e d o o r fr a m e in t o t h e g r o o v e (d ia g r a m 8). S u b s e ­ q u e n t lo g s a r o u n d t h e d o o r w e r e c u t in to 2 fo o t an d b '/: f o o t le n g t h s . O u t e r l o g e n d s w e r e s a d d le n o t c h e d a s u su a l w h ile in n e r lo g e n c s w e re sp ik ed t o t h e d o o r fr a m e (d ia g r a m 9). T h e lo g a b o v e th e d o o n r a m c h a d t o be g r o o v e d o n t h e u n d e r s id e to c o m p l e t e th e fr a m in g in p r o c e s s .

W in d o w fr a m e s w e r e g r o o v e d p l a c e w ith t h e s a m e p r o c e d u r e .

and

s p ik e c

in to

w a y th e flo o r j o i s t s w e r e n o t c h e d in t o th e sill log s, e x c e p t b e a m s w e r e s p a c e d a b o u t 1 xk feet a p a r t a n d e x t e n d e d o v e r ju s t h a lf th e c a b in a r e a .

R o u g h b a r n b o a r d s m a d e a n im p r e s s iv e flo o r in g w h i le fo u r m o r e t ie r s o f c a b in lo g s (t h e la s t b e in g le n g t h w is e ) c o m p le t e d th e lo f t y w a lls .

The Roof: L ik e m a n y a n a m a t e u r , w e q u a k e d a t th e p r o ­ s p e c t o f p e r fo r m in g a c r o b a t ic s a w t r ic k s fifte e n fe e t a b o v e r o c k s a n d s h a le in a n a t t e m p t to r o o f th e c a b in . E v e n m o r e , w e t r e m b le d a t t h e id e a o f h a v ­ i n g to r e p e a t e d ly h o is t 200 p o u n d tim b e r s h ig h a b o v e o u r h e a d s . A g a in in s ig h t s t r u c k . By s t a t io n ­ in g th e fin a l lo g t ie r a s a t e m p o r a r y fo u n d a tio n on t h e g r o u n d , w e c o u ld e a s ily “ p r e f a b ” o u r r o o f on fir m e a r th p e r d ia g r a m 10.

A ll r o o f n o tc h e s w e r e c u t in t o p s o f lo g s (r a t h e r t h a n on u n d e r s id e s ). T h e r e f o r e , w e n o tc h e d to p s id e s o f A i and A 2 to h o ld lo g # 1 ; w e n o tc h e d to p s id e o f #1 to h o ld B 1 a n d B 2 , an d s o fo r t h . N u m b e r s 1, 2, 3, e tc ., w e r e o u r g a b le lo g s a n d h a d to be t a p e r e d a t e a c h e n d t o a p p r o x im a t e th e r o o f slop e.

L e t t e r s A 1, A 2, B 1, B 2 , e tc., w e r e p o le s r u n n in g th e le n g t h o f th e c a b in .

W h e n all r o o f p ie c e s w e r e in p la c e a n d n u m b e r e d , w e d is a s s e m b le d t h e s t r u c t u r e , a n d in a m a t te r o f a fe w h o u r s , w e h o is te d a n d s n a p p e d a ll th e p r e fit t e d lo g s a to p th e c a b in . R o u g h 1x5 in c h p la n k s, n a ile d t o t h e r o o f p o le s, c o m p le t e d t h e w o o d s y r o o fto p .

S in c e w o o d e n s h in g le s w o u ld h a v e p o s e d a p o s s i­ b le fir e risk , w e c h o s e t o w a t e r p r o o f th e r o o f w ith a s p h a lt s h in g le s .

The

P orch : B y c u t t in g o u r r o o f p o le s a n e x t r a fo u r fe e t in le n g t h (22 fe e t ), w e e a s ily e x t e n d e d t h e r o o f b e y o n d t h e g a b le s t o fo r m a p r o t e c t e d v e r a n d a . U p r ig h t p o le s w e r e s p ik e d t o th e r id g e p o le a n d b o tto m r o o f l o g s to s u p p o r t th e o v e r h a n g .

Chinking: B e c a u s e s p h a g n u m m o s s c h in k in g w o u ld h a r b o r in s e c t s a m i b e c a u s e m o r t a r c h i n k i n g w o u ld c r u m b le a s o u r u n s e a s o n e d l o g s g r a d u a l l y s h r u n k in d ia m e t e r , w e s e t t le d o n o a k u m , a r o p e lik e c a u lk in g (a v a i la b le a t m o s t h a r d w a r e s t o r e s ) u sed b y p lu m ­ b e r s a n d s e a m e n t o p lu g le a k y s e a m s .

W ith a s c r e w d r iv e r w e t i g h t ly p a c k e d th e o a k u m s t r a n d s b e tw e e n all lo g g a p s , b e in g c a r e fu l n o t to a ll o w o a k u m to b u lg e b e y o n d t h e lo g e x t e r io r s (d ia ­ g r a m 11). P r o t r u d in g o a k u m w o u ld a b s o r b ra in w h ic h in tu r n w o u ld lik e ly f a c i lit a t e th e r o t t in g o f lo g s .

The Extra Room: B e s id e s g i v i n g e x t r a s t o r a g e s p a c e , o u ” lo ft p e r m it s u s t o s le e p in t h e w a r m e s t a r e a o f th e

A lt h o u g h c o n s t r u c t in g a s e c o n d r o o m c o n c u r r e n t ­ ly w ith th e fir s t r o o m w o u ld h a v e b e e n m o re s t r u c ­

c a b in , a fa c t o r g r e a t ly a p p r e c ia te d w h en J a n u a r y w in d s b lo w t h r o u g h c a b in c h in k in g .

ic y

t u r a l l y s o u n d , w e w a ite d u n t il a y e a r la te r to add o u r c o m fo r t a b le 10x14’ w o r k r o o m , fo r h u n d r e d s o f

W h e n th e c a b in w a lls s t o o d a b o u t s e v e n fe e t h ig h , w e n o tc h e d in s ix o ld b a r n b e e n in th e s a m e

c h o r e s lik e c le a r in g a g a r d e n a n d d ig g in g a w ell p le a d e d to be d o n e fir s t.

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Diagram 10

pmo| cross lo£j r & u n

E r e c t io n o f th e s p a r e r o o m fo llo w e d o u r p r e v io u s p r o c e d u r e s , e x c e p t a fe w in n o v a t io n s b e ca m e n e c e s s a r y t o c o u p le o n t o t h e o r ig in a l c a b in : 1. W e s p ik e d tw o u p r ig h t p o le s a b o u t s e v e n fe e t in h e ig h t o n t o t h e c a b in e x t e r i o r (A , B / d ia g r a m 12) w it h e a c h u p r ig h t s u p p o r t e d b y a p ie r o f ro ck s.

2. W a ll lo g s o f th e e x t r a r o o m w e r e t h e n g r o o v e d on o n e e n d p e r d ia g r a m 13 a n d s p ik e d t o th e u p ­ r ig h t s . O u te r lo g e n d s w e r e s a d d le n o tc h e d as

u s u a l.

3. T h r e e p o le s w e r e n a ile d in t r i a n g u la r fa s h io n (w it h v e r t ie le b r a c e s ) a b o v e t h e u p r ig h t s t o s u p ­ p o r t th e r o o f p o le s (d ia g r a m 12, C).

4. R o o f p o le s w e r e s u p p o r t e d b y g a b l e lo g s o n o u t e r w a ll ( j u ^ ^ k e d ia g r a m 10) b u t s p ik e d o n t o th e r o o f s u p p o r t (C , d ia g r a m 12) o n t h e in n e r w a ll.

5. T h e w in d o w o p e n in g w a s e n la r g e d in to a d o o r w a y fo r t h e n e w r o o m .

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Diagram 13 P r ic e s a r e b o u n d t o v a r y fr o m a r e a to a re a , b u t s h o p p in g a r o u n d d e fin it e ly p a y s ! B y s e a r c h in g o u t a

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Lumber & Building Materials Blue Hill, Maine 0 4 6 1 4

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Making a Sheepskin Rug b y A m y A lp in e f y o u ’ v e b e e n t h in k in g o f t r y i n g y o u r h a n d a t w o r k in g w ith a n im a l h id e s , m a k in g a s h e e p s k in r u g is a g o o d p la c e to s ta r t . S in c e y o u w ill p r o b a b ly b e w a n t i n g a s o f t r u g , y o u w ill n a t u r a lly b e k e e p in g t h e f l e e c e o n a n d c a n sk ip all

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t h e m e s s y a n d m o r e d if f ic u lt s t e p s lik e s c r a p in g , d eh a ir in g , a n d t a n n in g w h ic h w o u ld b e r e q u ir e d fo r m a k in g le a t h e r . S in c e th e r u g w ill b e u se d o n th e flo o r , t h e r e ’ s q u it e a b it o f le e w a y a s t o h o w s o ft th e fle s h s id e c a n b e — fr o m n e a r ly a s s o ft as c h a m o is t o a l m o s t a s t o u g h a s r a w h i d e . In f a c t , f o r d u r a b ili t y ’ s s a k e , y o u m a y w a n t it o n th e t o u g h e r s id e . In o t h e r w o r d s , t h e r e is n o w a y y o u c a n g o w r o n g . I f y o u s t a r t w it h a s h e e p h id e a n d a r e w ill­ in g t o d o a lit t le w o r k , y o u ’ r e b o u n d t o e n d u p w ith a n ic e s o ft s h e e p s k in r u g fo r y o u r e ff o r t s .

F ir s t , o f c o u r s e , y o u n e e d a h id e fr o m a fr e s h ly k ille d s h e e p . I f y o u d o n ’ t k n o w s o m e o n e w h o w ill be b u t c h e r in g a s h e e p (m o s t p e o p le j u s t t h r o w th e

h id e a w a y a n d y o u c a n u s u a lly h a v e it fo r th e t a k ­ in g ), o r i f y o u d o n ’ t r a is e w o o lie s y o u r s e lf, t h e r e a r e o t h e r w a y s o f g e t t i n g a s h e e p . D u r i n g th e la m b in g s e a s o n (la t e w in t e r t h r o u g h s p r in g ) y o u c a n a sk s h e e p fa r m e r s fo r a “ b u m m e r ” la m b (la m b w h o s e m o t h e r h a s d ie d o r r e fu s e d t o a c c e p t th e m ). M o s t w ill g la d l y g iv e y o u o n e fr e e , a n d th e n y o u c a n r a is e it u p y o u r s e lf. T h is w ill r e q u ir e q u it e a b it o f a t t e n t io n o n y o u r p a r t a s t h e la m b w ill n e e d t o b e b o t t le fe d t h r e e tim e s a d a y fo r s e v e r a l w e e k s , s o b e s u r e y o u w ill b e a b le t o t a k e o n t h e r e s p o n s ib ilit y .

T h e n , w h e n t h e la m b is a b o u t f i v e m o n t h s o ld , be s u r e t h a t y o u a r e e m o t io n a lly a b le to h a n d le th e b u t c h e r in g — a n d y o u ’ v e g o t d e lic io u s m e a t fo r y o u r t a b le a s w e ll a s y o u r s h e e p s k in p e lt. A n o t h e r w a y t o g e t a s h e e p is t o b u y a n a g e d e w e o r r a m .

A r o u n d h e r e , e s p e c ia lly in t h e fa ll, t h e y o ft e n g o fo r as lit t le a s $5.00 p e r h e a d a n d t h e r e a g a in , a ft e r b u t c h e r in g y o u ’ v e g o t s o m e g o o d c h e a p fo o d fo r y o u r t a b l e (m u t t o n t h is t im e ) a n d y o u r p e lt.

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O k a y , le t ’ s a s s u m e y o u ’ v e g o t y o u r p e lt. N o w w h a t ? T h e fir s t s te p is t o c le a n b o t h s id e s . Y o u ’ ll w a n t t o g e t a ll t h e b lo o d a n d d ir t o ff. I w a s r e a l lu c k y w h e n I d id m y fi r s t s h e e p s k in — w e w e r e h a v in g o u r w e ll d u g a t t h e t im e , a n d o u r fr ie n d ly w e ll d r ille r le t m e o p e n t h e o u t l e t p ip e on h is w a t e r t r u c k fo r c le a n i n g m y p e lt . O t h e r w is e , I w o u ld h a v e h a d t o la y t h e h id e o u t b y o u r h a n d p u m p a n d k e p t p u m p in g ! I f y o u h a v e a h o s e , t u r n t h a t on fu ll b la s t a n d r e a ll y g o o v e r t h e h id e w e ll. S t r e a m s o r a n y o t h e r r u n n in g w a t e r w o r k w e ll t o o . A ls o , s o m e fr ie n d s o f o u r s u s e d a w a s h i n g m a c h in e s e t t o c o ld w a t e r a n d g e n t le a c t io n . T h e i r s t u r n e d o u t r e a lly n ic e w it h h a r d ly a n y e ff o r t .

N o w c o m e s t h e o n ly r e a l w o r k — s c r a p in g a ll t h e m e a t , fa t , a n d m e m b r a n e s fr o m t h e fle s h s id e . I t ’ s e a s ie s t t o d o th is i f y o u s t r e t c h t h e h id e o u t o n a fla t s u r fa c e a t a b o u t w a is t le v e l. T h e n d o w h a t e v e r y o u h a v e t o d o a n d u s e w h a t e v e r y o u fin d e a s ie s t

t o s c r a p e t h e h id e c le a n . I u s e a n a s s o r t m e n t o f o ld d u ll k n iv e s a n d file s a n d k e e p s o m e liq u id s o a p a n d a n a il b r u s h h a n d y t o r e a ll y e m u l s i f y a n d s c r u b a t th e fa t . A fr ie n d o f o u r s s w e a r s b y a s p o o n t h a t h a s b e e n s h a r p e n e d o n o n e s id e . A c t u a lly , a lm o s t a n y to o l w it h a fl a t e d g e w ill b e o f h e lp t o y o u s in c e w h a te v e r y ou u se, it ’ s r e a lly a m a tte r of p e r s is t e n c e a n d h o w fin e a j o b y o u w a n t t o d o. O n e o f t h e n e x t s te p s , s a lt in g t h e h id e , w ill h e lp r e m o v e m o s t o f t h e m e m b r a n e s t h a t a r e m is s e d th is fir s t tim e a r o u n d , s o p r o v id e d y o u g e t o f f th e p ie c e s o f fa t a n d m e a t , it r e a lly d o e s n ’ t m a t t e r if y o u a r e n ’ t a b le t o g e t t h e fle s h s id e p e r f e c t l y c le a n . H o w e v e r , if y o u p la n t o p r o g r e s s b e y o n d m a k in g r u g s (t o m a k in g b u c k s k in , fo r e x a m p le ) it ,i s s o m e t h in g th a t y o u h a v e t o le a r n t o d o w e ll a n d m a y b e e v e n e n jo y . f t e r g e t t i n g t h e h id e s c r a p e d a s c le a n as y o u ’ r e w illin g a n d a b le t o d o , it is tim e to t a c k it u p fo r s a lt in g . I d e a ll y , th e fle e c e sid e s h o u ld b e c lo s e t o d r y a n d t h e fle s h s id e d a m p e n o u g h fo r s a lt t o a d h e r e t o it . H o w e v e r , if y o u h a v e a c o r n c r ib o r s o m e o t h e r s p o t w h ic h w ill a llo w t h e f l e e c e s id e t o g e t s o m e s o r t o f v e n t ila t io n , y o u

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c a n h a n g t h e h id e u p w h ile b o t h s id e s a r e q u it e w e t . I f y o u c a n ’ t m a n a g e t h is s o r t o f th in g , le t th e fle e c e s id e d r y a n d t h e n w e t d o w n th e fle s h sid e b e fo r e t a c k in g it u p.

A lt h o u g h m o s t b o o k s on w o r k i n g w ith h id e s s a y t o t a c k p e lt s u p in a p la c e a w a y fr o m d ir e c t su n an d h e a t , I ’ v e h a d j u s t a s m u c h s u c c e s s t a c k in g m in e u p in d ir e c t s u n lig h t o r e v e n b e h in d th e w o o d co o k s t o v e . S o d o w h a t y o u t h in k b e s t , a s lo n g a s th e sk in w ill b e o u t o f th e r a in .

W h e n t a c k in g t h e p e lt u p , y o u w ill w a n t to d o it in s u c h a w a y t h a t t h e fin is h e d r u g w ill lie fla t a n d b e a s b ig a s p o s s ib le . T h e b e s t w a y t o d o th is is to b e g in a t t h e n e c k , a n d u s in g a s s m a ll a n a il a s y o u c a n g e t , h a m m e r a r o w o f n a ils d o w n th e c e n t e r o f w h a t w a s t h e c r i t t e r ’ s b a c k t o it s t a il. P u ll th e sk in b a c k a s y o u g o a lo n g t o p r e v e n t w r in k le s . T h e n p u ll th e le g s o u t a n d t a c k t h e m , g e t t i n g b o th s id e s to m a t c h , a n d fin is h it a ll o f f b y t a c k i n g d o w n t h e r e s t o f t h e h id e . I f y o u k e e p t h e n a ils c lo s e to th e e d g e , th e n a il h o le s w ill b e le s s n o t ic e a b l e . I f y o u p la n to tr im y o u r r u g , t h e y ’ ll p r o b a b ly b e t r im m e d o ff.

N o w c o m e s t h e e a s y p a r t . G e t a b a g o f s a lt (n o t io d iz e d ) a n d c o v e r e v e r y p a r t o f t h e fle s h sid e w ith it. B e e s p e c ia lly g e n e r o u s a r o u n d t h e e d g e s o r a n y o t h e r p a r t w h e r e y o u w e r e u n a b l e t o s c r a p e th e h id e c o m p l e t e ly fr e e o f m e m b r a n e s . ( I f t h e r e ’ s a n y g r a s s o r o t h e r g r o w i n g t h in g s u n d e r th e s p o t w h e r e y o u ’ v e t a c k e d u p y o u r h id e , b e s u r e to c o v e r th e m b e fo r e d o in g t h e s a lt in g .) W a it a c o u p le o f d a y s u n ­ til t h e s a lt h a s t h o r o u g h l y .d r ie d . T h e n g e t a w ir e b r u s h a n d s o m e s a n d p a p e r (a m ix t u r e fr o m v e r y c o a r s e t o fin e is b e s t ), a n d y o u ’ r e r e a d y fo r th e fu n p a r t . A t le a s t I t h in k i t ’ s fu n . I r e a lly lik e th e t r a n s fo r m a t io n fr o m s a lt e d h id e t o w h it e le a t h e r .

F i r s t g o o v e r t h e h id e w it h t h e w ir e b r u s h to r e ­ m o v e t h e s a lt, r u b b in g h a r d e s t o n t h e s p o ts w h e r e m e m b r a n e s w e r e le f t a d h e r in g . O n r e a lly s tu b b o r n s p o ts , u s e y o u r c o a r s e s t g r a d e o f s a n d p a p e r . W h e n y o u ’ v e fin is h e d , t h e h id e s h o u ld h a v e a r o u g h s u e d e -lik e a p p e a r a n c e . T o g e t a m o r e c h a m o is -lik e t e x t u r e , u s e t h e fi n e r g r a d e s o f s a n d p a p e r to r e ­

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h e n y o u ’ v e g o t it t o y o u r lik in g , ta k e th e h id e d o w n a n d la y it o n t h e g r o u n d , fle s h sid e d o w n , t o d e c id e w h e t h e r a n y o f th e e d g e s n e e d t r im m in g . I f a n y o f t h e m a r e p a r t ic u la r ly r a g g e d (if w h o e v e r s k in n e d it w a s n e w a t it, th e y

p r o b a b ly a r e ) o r if y o u w a n t a m o r e fin is h e d a p ­ p e a r a n c e , n o w ’ s th e t im e t o t r im it d o w n . U s e a k n ife fo r t h e b e s t r e s u lt s , s in c e s c is s o r s w ill c u t th e fle e c e a n d m a k e y o u r r u g lo o k h a c k e d at.

I f y o u lik e t h e r o u g h a p p e a r a n c e o f th e fle e c e s id e , y o u ’ re fin is h e d . H o w e v e r , i f y o u w a n t t o m a k e y o u r r u g a s s o ft a s it c a n b e , c o m b it o u t. Y o u ca n u s e a c o m b , b u t th is is p r e t t y t e d i o u s . A r a k e b r u s h (t h e k in d d o g o w n e r s u s e on t h e i r lo n g h a ir e d d o g s ) w o r k s b e s t. D o n ’ t w o r r y if s o m e o f t h e fle e c e c o m e s o f f in y o u r c o m b o r r a k e a s y o u b r u s h y o u r r u g . I t ’ s t o b e e x p e c t e d . S a v e t h o s e b it s o f fle e c e , t h o u g h .

B ir d s lo v e t o u s e t h e m d u r i n g s p r in g n e s t in g s e a s o n . I f y o u r a is e r a b b it s , t h e fle e c e is j u s t th e t h in g fo r p r o v id in g e x t r a c o v e r i n g fo r b a b y b u n n ie s on c o ld n ig h ts .

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w e ll d o n e , a n d d id e v e r y t h i n g t o r e m o v e o r h id e th e ‘ g a m e y ’ fla v o r . E v e n t h o u g h m y m o t h e r w a s a n d is a n e x c e ll e n t c o o k , I fo u n d o u t in la t e r y e a r s t h a t s h e d id n ’ t lik e to e a t o r c o o k w ild g a m e . S h e d id it a s a w ife ly d u t y fo r a h u n t e r h u s b a n d .” T h is il­ lu s t r a t e s o u r fir s t p o in t : t o g e t t h e m o s t o u t o f w ild g a m e m e a t , it m u s t b e c o o k e d b y a p e r s o n w h o e n ­ j o y s p r e p a r in g it, fo r p e o p le w h o e n j o y e a t in g it. It m u s t be e n jo y e d fo r w h a t it is, a t a s t y w ild h a r v e s t fr o m w o o d s o r fie ld , a n d n o t d is g u is e d a n d m a d e to t a s t e lik e o u r n o n d e s c r i p t d o m e s t i c m e a t. W h e n s o m e o n e s a y s , “ T h a t v e n is o n is p r e t t y g o o d ; it t a s t e s lik e b e e f ’ , it ’ s a b la t a n t in s u lt t o t h e d e e r t h a t p r o ­ v id e d t h e v e n is o n . T o f a v o r a b l y c o m p a r e p h e a s a n t w ith a g r ib u s in e s s c h ic k e n is lik e c o m p a r in g t a s t y d a n d e lio n o r la m b ’ s q u a r t e r s g r e e n s w ith s u p e r m a r k e t ic e b e r g le t t u c e .

A s e c o n d im p o r t a n t f a c t o r is t h e w a y g a m e is h a n d le d fr o m th e t im e it is s h o t t o th e tim e it is D ia n e K in g h o m e s te a d s in P e n o b s c o t, M a in e. I l ­ lu s tr a tio n s a re b y L iz B u ell.

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d e s c r ip t io n s o f h o w t o c le a n v a r i o u s a n im a ls , b u t w e in c lu d e m u c h m o r e u n d e r t h e h e a d in g “ h a n d ­ li n g ” . C le a n in g s im p ly in v o l v e s s e p a r a t i n g th e e d i­ b le p a r t s o f t h e a n im a l fr o m t h e in e d ib le p a r ts .

T h e r e a r e m a n y w a y s t o d o t h is a n d w e d o n ’ t th in k t h e t e c h n iq u e o f h o w a n a n im a l is c le a n e d is t o o im ­ p o r t a n t . W e w o n ’ t b e la b o r t h e p o in t h e r e .

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S o m e a n im a ls s h o u ld be c le a n e d im ­ m e d ia t e ly u p o n t h e ir d e a t h a n d , b e lie v e it o r n o t, t h e e a t i n g q u a lit ie s o f o t h e r s a r e im p r o v e d if y o u w a it a w h ile t o c le a n t h e m . M o r e o n t h a t la te r .

W e b e lie v e in p r o p e r a g in g o f a ll m e a t. H o w d o y o u e x p e c t t h e m e a t o f a f o u r - y e a r - o ld , w e ll-m u s c l­ ed, m a tu r e d e e r to be as te n d e r as th a t o f a on ey e a r -o ld c o w if t h e b e e f h a s b e e n a g e d (a ll g r o c e r y s t o r e b e e f is a g e d ) a n d t h e v e n is o n h a s n o t? im p o r ta n t.

A g i n g u n d e r t h e p r o p e r c o n d i t i o n s a llo w s th e n a t u r a l b a c t e r ia in t h e m e a t t o b e g in to b r e a k d o w n t h e m u s c le fib e r s a n d m a k e th e m e a t m o r e t e n d e r . A g i n g a ls o b r in g s o u t t h e m e a t ’ s fu ll, n a t u r a l fla v o r . D i ffe r e n t s p e c ie s s h o u ld be a g e d d if ­ f e r e n t l y , a n d it is m o r e im p o r t a n t fo r s o m e th a n fo r oth ers.

T o p r o p e r ly p r e p a r e g a m e , o n e s h o u ld k n o w th e ' a n i m a l ’ s a p p r o x i m a t e a g e . Y o u n g a n im a ls a r e n a t u r a ll y m o r e t e n d e r t h a n o ld o n e s , a n d it is o ft e n

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a d v a n t a g e o u s t o p r e p a r e t h e m d if fe r e n t ly , ta k in g m o r e c a r e t o t e n d e r i z e t h e m e a t o f th e o ld e r a n im a ls .

A g e n e r a l r u le is d o n o t o v e r c o o k . T h is is j u s t a g o o d g e n e r a l c o o k in g r u le , b u t e s p e c ia l ly t r u e w ith g a m e . I f y o u w a n t t o e n jo y t h e t r u e , n a tu r a l q u a li­ t y o f t h e m e a t , d o n ’ t c o o k it in t o a p ile o f s h o e le a t h e r . I f y o u h a v e t o d o t h a t t o m a k e it p a la t a b le t o y o u , y o u r e a lly d o n ’ t lik e t h e m e a t a n y w a y a n d s h o u ld g i v e it t o s o m e o n e w h o d o e s .

H a n d lin g G a m e B ir d s a m e b ir d s a r e d e li c io u s a n d v a r y fr o m th e d e li c a t e w h it e m e a t o f a r u f f e d g r o u s e b r e a s t t o th e r a t h e r s t r o n g - f l a v o r e d d a r k m e a t fr o m t h e b r e a s t o f a W ils o n ’ s S n ip e . M a n y s p e c ie s o f b ir d s c a n , a n d w e c o u ld e v e n s a y s h o u ld , be a g e d u n c le a n e d w ith t h e ir v is c e r a le f t in .

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A m e r ic a . It is a g a in s t o u r P u r i t a n e t h ic s to th in k t h a t w e s h o u ld n o t r e m o v e t h o s e d ir t y o ld g u t s fr o m a n a n im a l a s s o o n a s w e c a n . T h e r e is p le n t y o f c o n t r o v e r s y a b o u t t h is in N o r t h A m e r ic a a n d w e h o p e t h e F D A d o e s n ’ t c o m e d o w n o n u s fo r w h a t w e a r e -a b o u t t o s a y .

W a t e r f o w l — w ild d u c k s a n d g e e s e — s h o u ld d e ­ fi n i t e ly b e a g e d u n d r a w n (w it h t h e ir v is c e r a in ).

L ik e t y p ic a l A m e r ic a n s , w e w e r e r e p u ls e d a t th e t h o u g h t o f t h is , b u t a f t e r r e a d in g s e v e r a l E u r o p e a n c o o k b o o k s , I t a lk e d D e n n is i n t o t r y i n g a n e x p e r i­ m e n t. H e r e ’ s h o w D e n n is t e lls t h e s t o r y : “ S e v e r a l y e a r s a g o , I h a d b a g g e d t h r e e id e n t i c a l a d u lt m a le m a lla r d s . I p lu c k e d a n d c o m p l e t e l y c le a n e d o n e im ­ m e d i a t e ly w h e n I g o t h o m e a n d t h e n fr o z e it. I r e ­ m o v e d t h e v i s c e r a f r o m a n o t h e r , b u t le f t t h e f e a t h e r s o n . I le ft t h e t h ir d d u c k e n t ir e l y in t a c t an d a g e d t h e la t t e r t w o d u c k s f o r f o u r d a y s in an e n c lo s e d b a c k r o o m . T h e a v e r a g e t e m p e r a t u r e w a s a b o u t 4 5 ° - 50 °F. D ia n e t h e n p r e p a r e d th e t h r e e d u c k s f o r a m e a l fo r f o u r o f u s . T h e d u c k t h a t w a s a g e d u n d r a w n w o n a u n a n i m o u s f i r s t p la c e v o te .

T h e d u c k t h a t w a s i m m e d ia t e l y c le a n e d a n d fr o z e n w a s a d is t a n t s e c o n d , a n d t h e d u c k t h a t w a s a g e d

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a ft e r b e in g g u t t e d w a s a c lo s e t h ir d . T h e w in n in g d u c k w a s v e r y t e n d e r a n d h a d q u it e a p le a s a n t d u c k fla v o r . T h e s e c o n d d u c k w a s t o u g h a n d h a d a lit t le s t r o n g e r fla v o r . T h e t h ir d d u c k w a s t e n d e r b u t h a d q u it e a s t r o n g fla v o r . A i r g e t t i n g in to th e b o d y c a v it y h a d c a u s e d s o m e s p o il a g e .” S in c e t h a t d a y , e v e r y w ild d u c k o r g o o s e w e ’ v e h a d h a s b e e n a g ed , u n d ra w n . W e p r e fe r to a g e d u ck s and g e e se fo r t h r e e o r fo u r d a y s a t a b o u t 40 °F, b u t w e ’ v e le ft d u c k s fo r t h a t p e r io d a t w a r m e r t e m p e r a t u r e s a n d t h e y w e r e s till e x c e ll e n t . O ld e r b ir d s , e s p e c ia lly g e e s e , s h o u ld b e a g e d lo n g e r , a n d b ir d s le s s th a n a y e a r o ld w ill p r o b a b ly b e t e n d e r i f n o t a g e d a t all.

O n e p r e c a u t io n — d o n ’ t le t flie s g e t a t th e m . T h a t ’ s u s u a lly n o t a p r o b le m a f t e r h a r d fr o s t s in th e N o r t h , a n d w h e n w e liv e d in t h e S o u t h w e p u t th e b ir d s in a n o ld r e f r i g e r a t o r fo r t h r e e o r fo u r d a y s to a g e th e m .

D e n n is o ff e r s t h is e n c o u r a g e m e n t fo r th e s q u e a m is h : “ O n e w o u ld t h in k t h a t it w o u ld be a s m e lly m e s s t o c le a n a d u c k t h a t h a d b e e n d e a d t h r e e o r fo u r d a y s . I t ’ s n o t ! I t h in k d u c k a n d g o o s e g u t s s m e ll t o H ig h H e a v e n w h e n t h e y a r e fr e s h a n d b e lie v e it o r n o t, t h e y s m e ll b e t t e r a ft e r th e b ir d s h a v e b e e n p r o p e r ly a g e d . I w o u l d n ’ t h a v e b e lie v e d it u n t il I tr ie d it e it h e r , a n d I h a v e to ld th is s t o r y h u n d r e d s o f t im e s in p e r s o n a n d d o n ’ t b e lie v e a n y o n e h a s e v e r b e lie v e d m e . M a y b e I a m r u in in g m y c r e d ib i lit y b y t e l lin g it a g a in , b u t lik e J im m y C a r t e r , I ’ ll n e v e r lie t o y o u .”

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c o a t i n g w ith p a r a ffin , t h e n p e e li n g o f f th e p a r a ffin t o fin is h th e j o b . W e u s u a lly s a v e t h e d o w n a n d b r e a s t fe a t h e r s fo r p illo w s . n a d d it io n a l n o t e a b o u t w a t e r f o w l : m a lla r d s , b la c k d u c k s , t e a l a n d m a n y o t h e r p u d d le d u c k s a r e n o t e d fo r t h e ir c u li n a r y q u a lit ie s .

S o m e s p e c ie s , h o w e v e r , a r e c o n s id e r e d in e d ib le b y

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m a n y p e o p le . T h e s e in c lu d e m e r g a n s e r s , s c o te r s , g o ld e n e y e s a n d s e v e r a l d iv i n g d u c k s o r s e a d u c k s . “ I c a n te ll y o u fr o m e x p e r i e n c e ,” s a y s D e n n is , “ t h a t it is h a r d t o b e a t a g r a i n - f e d m a l la r d fr o m S a s k a t c h e w a n , b u t I h a v e e a t e n a fe w d iv in g d u ck s .

I k n o w t w o c o lle g e s t u d e n t s fr o m n o r t h e r n O n ta rio , w h o liv e d on d u c k m e a t all fa ll. T h e o n ly a b u n d a n t d u c k s in t h a t c o u n t r y w e r e g o l d e n e y e s a n d m e r g a n s e r s a n d t h e s e w e r e m o s t ly w h a t t h e y a te .

T h e y s im p ly fille t e d o u t t h e b r e a s t m e a t, s o a k e d it o v e r n i g h t in s a lt w a t e r , a n d s a id it ta s t e d lik e a n y o t h e r d u c k . In fa c t , t h e y d id it t o a ll t h e ir d u ck s , e v e n t h e r a r e b la c k d u c k t h e y g o t . E v e n t h o u g h I a m b a s ic a lly a g a in s t t h is t r e a t m e n t o f m e a t (I k n o w it m a k e s it t o u g h , a n d b e l i e v e t h a t it d im in is h e s its n u t r it io n a l q u a lit y ) , I s u p p o s e it is o k a y i f it p a la t a b le .

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e q u a liz e r . It w o u ld p r o b a b ly m a k e t h e loin fr o m a y o u n g c a lf t a s t e t h e s a m e a s t h e b r e a s t o f a 30y e a r -o ld h e r r in g g u l l .”

Roast Duck T h is is a lo o s e r e c ip e a n d c a n b e v a r ie d w h e r e y o u w is h . W e p r e fe r o u r d u c k s s p lit in h a lf le n g t h w is e lik e b r o il e r c h ic k s , b u t y o u c o u ld u s e w h o le d u c k s a n d m a k e a s t u ff in g . A s t u f f i n g o f a p p le s lic e s , c h o p p e d c e le r y , a fe w c r a n b e r r ie s , c h u n k s o f o r a n g e , d ic e d o n io n s , a n d s a lt a n d p e p p e r is g o o d .

F o r w h o le d u c k s , in c r e a s e c o o k in g t im e b y a b o u t 10 m in u t e s . Y o u m a y o r m a y n o t s e r v e th e s t u ffin g .

W e lik e it — o t h e r s s a y it is f o r fl a v o r i n g o n ly .

S p lit le n g t h w is e , fo r 4, 2 o r 3 w e l l- a g e d d u ck s , (s iz e o f d u c k w ill d e t e r m in e h o w m a n y y o u n e e d ). S e a s o n d u c k s w ith d r ie d t h y m e , s a lt , a n d p e p p e r , a n d p u t a d a b o f b u t t e r on s k in s id e . P la c e o n a b r o ile r p a n o r o t h e r s h a llo w p a n a n d p u t s k in s id e u p in a v e r y h o t o v e n — 450 °F .

A f t e r a b o u t fiv e m in u t e s , b r u s h d u c k s w ith th e s a u c e b e lo w . T u r n d u c k s a f t e r 10 m in u te s o f c o o k ­ in g a n d b r u s h u n d e r s id e w it h s a u c e an d p a n d r ip ­ p in g s . T u r n a g a in a n d fin is h u n d e r th e b r o ile r , if y o u h a v e o n e , fo r a c o u p le o f m in u t e s . I f y o u d o n ’ t h a v e a b r o ile r d o n o t d e s p a ir — it is o n ly a fin is h in g t o u c h . C o o k in g tim e s h o u ld b e o n ly 15-20 m in u te s

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w ith o r a n g e s lic e s a n d s e r v e w it h a n y e x t r a s a u c e .

Batter Sauce J u ic e a n d g r a t e d r in d o f 1 o r 2 o r a n g e s 2-3 t a b l e s p o o n s b u t t e r 1/3 c u p d r y r e d w in e 1/3 c u p c u r r a n t j e l l y o r a n y t a r t f r u i t ja m , je l l y , e tc .

C o m b in e in a s a u c e p a n a n d h e a t t o a lm o s t b o il­ in g . K e e p t h e s a u c e h o t w h ile y o u a r e u s in g it. W e u s u a lly s e r v e d u c k w it h a r ic e p il a f fla v o r e d w ith o r a n g e j u i c e a n d g r a t e d r in d , p e p p e r , s a lt, t h y m e , o n io n s , a n d c e le r y . A g r e e n v e g e t a b l e , s a la d , o r p ic k le s o f s o m e t y p e a r e a ls o g o o d , a n d o f c o u r s e , d r y , r e d w in e .

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w a t e r fo w l . T h e t r ic k w it h w o o d c o c k is in t h e c o o k ­ in g ( n e v e r o v e r c o o k ) a n d w e a g e t h e m o r n o t d e ­ p e n d i n g o n w h e n t h e r e is t im e t o c le a n th e m .

H o w t o c o o k w o o d c o c k is a v e r y c o n t r o v e r s ia l s u b ­ j e c t . M o s t E u r o p e a n s d e m a n d t h a t th e b ir d b e c o o k e d u n d r a w n , u s u a lly c o m b i n i n g th e v a r io u s e n ­ t r a ils in a s a u c e , w h ile o t h e r s e a t o n ly t h e t r a d i­ t io n a l p a r t s . T h e S a lm is o f W o o d c o c k r e c ip e is p r e ­ p a r e d w it h t h e w h o le b ir d . T h e w a y w e m o s t o ft e n h a v e w o o d c o c k is s a u t e d . I t ’ s q u ic k , s o w e d o n o t h a v e t o w a it s o lo n g fo r t h e d e li c a c y .

Sauted Woodcock A llo w a t le a s t t w o w o o d c o c k p e r p e r s o n a n d s p lit t h e m d o w n t h e b a c k (t h e y c o o k f a s t e r th is w a y ).

S a u t e a m in c e d c lo v e o f g a r l i c in b u t t e r . A d d th e w o o d c o c k , s e a s o n e d w it h s a lt , p e p p e r , a n d e it h e r t h y m e , m a r jo r a m o r r o s e m a r y — w e p r e fe r m a r ­ jo r a m . T u r n o ft e n a n d w a t c h c a r e f u l l y . T h e c e n t e r s o f t h e b r e a s t s s h o u ld s till b e r e d a n d j u i c y w h e n d o n e . C o o k n o t m o r e t h a n 10 m i n u t e s . W e u s u a lly s e r v e t h e m a c c o m p a n ie d w it h r ic e , s q u a s h , a n d a w ild b e r r y ja m , w h ic h r e a lly s e t s it o ff.

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S a lm is o f W o o d c o c k 1 w oodcock 1/4 c u p d r y w h it e w in e 1/4 c u p r ic h b e e f s to c k 2 le m o n s S a lt, p e p p e r , a n d n u t m e g 1-2 t a b le s p o o n s d r y m u s t a r d ('• s lic e d m u s h r o o m s 1 t a b le s p o o n b u t t e r 1 t a b le s p o o n flo u r 3 t a b le s p o o n s fin e ly c h o p p e d p a r s le y I to a s t w o o d c o c k s lig h t ly (u n t il h a lf-c o o k e d ) a n d cu t th e m in to s e r v in g p ie c e s . B e s u r e to c u t w o o d ­ c o c k on a s e r v in g d is h t o c a t c h b lo o d a n d ju ic e s . A r ­ r a n g e p ie c e s in th e b la z e r p a n o f a ch a fin g : d ish .

C r u s h liv e r s a n d g ib l e t s in t o s e r v i n g d ish w ith j u i c e s ; a d d d r y w h it e w in e , b e e f s t o c k a n d j u i c e o f 2 le m o n s ; s t ir in th e fin e ly g r a t e d p e e l o f 1 le m o n , a n d s e a s o n t o t a s t e w ith s a lt , p e p p e r , n u t m e g , a n d m u s t a r d . A d d s lic e d m u s h r o o m s , a n d p o u r th is m ix ­ t u r e o v e r w o o d c o o k in b la z e r p a n ; p la c e o v e r h e a t e r a n d c o o k , s t ir r in g s o t h a t e a c h p ie c e o f m e a t is t h o r o u g h l y m o is t e n e d a n d d o e s n o t s tic k to th e d is h . D o n o t le t th e S a lm is c o m e t o a b oil. J u s t b e fo r e s e r v in g , s t ir in a b e u r r e m a n i e m a d e o f b u t ­ t e r a n d flo u r . S p r in k le w ith f i n e l y c h o p p e d p a r s le y .

S e r v e s fo u r .

m a r jo r a m le a v e s . D o n o t o v e r c o o k . T h e r e s h o u ld be a h in t o f p in k n e s s to t h e d e e p e s t p a r t o f th e b r e a s t.

T o t a l c o o k i n g t im e is a b o u t 20 m in u t e s . .O u r f a v o r i t e w a y o f fix in g q u a il (w h ic h w e s e ld o m s e e m to h a v e a n y m o r e ) is a s fo llo w s : Q u a il W ith W h ite G r a p e s 4 q u a il 3 t a b le s p o o n s flo u r 1/3 c u p b u t t e r 2/3 c u p d r y w h it e w in e 2 t a b le s p o o n s le m o n j u i c e 1/4 c u p s e e d le s s g r a p e s 2 t a b le s p o o n s b la n c h e d a lm o n d s , s lic e d C le a n q u a il; r u b w ith a m ix t u r e o f sa lt, p e p p e r , a n d flo u r . M e lt b u t t e r in t h ic k - b o t t o m e d c a s s e r o le a n d s a u t e th e b ir d s in it u n t il g o ld e n on all sid e s.

A d d w in e a n d le m o n j u i c e ; c o v e r a n d c o o k o v e r lo w h e a t 15-20 m in u te s . A d d s e e d le s s g r a p e s a n d s lic e d b la n c h e d a lm o n d s , a n d c o o k fo r 5 -1 0 m in u te s m o re , o r u n t il t h e b ir d s a r e t e n d e r . S e r v e s 4.

O n e o f th e fe w w a y s w e a r e t r a d it io n a lis t s is in th e w a y w e p r e fe r p h e a s a n t — r o a s t e d . M o s t r e ­ c ip e s c a ll fo r s t r ip s o f b a c o n p la c e d o v e r th e b r e a s t, b u t w e p r e fe r to b a s t e t h e b r e a s t w it h b u t t e r e v e r y s o o ft e n . S t u ff it w ith a p p le s a n d c e le r y .

G a la n a c e o u s B ir d s G a la n a c e o u s b ir d s (b ir d s in t h e c h ic k e n fa m ily ) a r e s o m e w h a t d if fe r e n t . F r e n c h c o o k b o o k s c a ll fo r a g in g in s e c t i v e r o u s b ir d s u n d r a w n , b u t a g in g s e e d ­ e a t i n g b ir d s a ft e r e v ic e r a t in g . W e h a v e tr ie d it b o th w a y s a n d c a n ’ t s e e t o o m u c h d if fe r e n c e . W e w o u ld c e r t a i n l y a g e o ld b ir d s , e v e n if it w a s o n ly b y le a v ­ in g t h e c le a n e d m e a t in t h e r e f r i g e r a t o r fo r t h r e e d a y s t o a w e e k b e fo r e p r e p a r in g it.

T h e w h it e m e a t o f a r u ffe d g r o u s e b r e a s t is t e n d e r a n d d e lic a t e a n d w e n e v e r le t th e m a g e a ft e r g u t t i n g , b e c a u s e le a v i n g t h e g u t c a v it y e x ­ p o s e d t o o lo n g t o a ir im p a r t s a n u n p le a s a n t fla v o r t o t h e m e a t.

W e h a v e a g e d b o b w h it e q u a il a n d p h e a s a n t s a n d n o t n o t ic e d m u c h d i f fe r e n c e e x c e p t w ith o ld b ird s, w h ic h m u s t b e a g e d t o b e t e n d e r . W e h e a r d t h a t s h a r p t a il g r o u s e s h o u ld b e g u t t e d in th e fie ld im ­ m e d ia t e ly w h e n s h o t, a n d t r ie d t h is w ith s o m e a n d g u t t e d o t h e r s a b o u t h a lf a d a y a f t e r b e in g s h o t.

S h a r p t a ils h a v e r a t h e r d a r k , s t r o n g m e a t a n y w a y , b u t t h e o n e s w h ic h w e r e im m e d ia t e l y g u t t e d w e r e m u c h s u p e r io r t h a n th e o t h e r s .

S a u te d G r o u s e G r o u s e is a n o t h e r g a m e b ir d w h ic h w e p r e fe r s a u t e d , a n d w e a ls o lik e it in a S a lm is , u s in g th e r e ­ c ip e fo r S a lm is o f W o o d c o c k . A g a i n , it s h o u ld n e v e r be o v e r c o o k e d , b e c a u s e th e m e a t b e c o m e s d r y a n d s t r in g y .

R oast Pheasant 2 y o u n g p h e a s a n t s (a b o u t 2-1/2 p o u n d s e a c h ) s t u f f w it h : 1 t a r t a p p le , c o a r s e l y g r a t e d 2 s t a lk s c e le r y , c h o p p e d c o m b in e w ith 6 t a b l e s p o o n s s o ft e n e d b u t t e r j u i c e o f 1/2 le m o n 1/3 c u p fin e ly c h o p p e d o n io n 2 t a b le s p o o n s o liv e oil s a lt a n d p e p p e r S e a s o n p h e a s a n t s w ith s a lt a n d p e p p e r . R o a s t in 350 °F o v e n fo r a b o u t 1 h o u r , o r u n t il te n d e r , b a s t ­ in g fr o m tim e to tim e w ith b u t t e r , c h ic k e n sto c k , a n d r e d w in e . M a k e a g r a v y fr o m sk im m e d pan j u i c e s (a b o u t 1/2 c u p ; a d d t o it w ith w a t e r a n d red w in e ), 2/3 c u p c h ic k e n s to c k , 3 t a b le s p o o n s red c u r ­ r a n t j e l l y , a n d 3 t a b le s p o o n s fr e s h l y g r a te d b r e a d c r u m b s . S im m e r g e n t ly u n t il t h ic k e n e d . S e r v e w ith p h e a s a n t s . W e lik e b a k e d s q u a s h s e r v e d w ith p h ea sa n ts.

M a m m a ls h e r u le w ith m a m m a ls is e n t ir e l y d iffe r e n t t h a n w ith b ir d s . T h e y s h o u ld be b led a n d g u t t e d a s s o o n a ft e r d e a t h a s p o s s ib le . O fte n th e s h o t w o u n d is s u ffi c ie n t t o b le e d th e a n im a l, b u t fie ld d r e s s in g th e a n im a ls im m e d ia t e ly , by o p e n in g th e g u t c a v it y w ith a k n ife a n d r e m o v in g

T

A l l o w 1 g r o u s e p e r p e r s o n . S p lit le n g t h w is e (s o m e t im e s w e s e p a r a t e t h e le g s a ls o , s in c e th e y t a k e le s s c o o k in g tim e ).

t h e v is c e r a , is a g o o d id e a . T h e r e m a in in g b lo o d s h o u ld be w ip e d o u t o f t h e c a v i t y w ith a p a p e r t o w e l o r s n o w . T h e m e a t s h o u ld t h e n be c o o le d (n o t f r o z e n ) a s s o o n a s p o s s ib le .

S a u t e a m in c e d c lo v e o f g a r l i c in p le n t y o f b u tte r .

A d d g r o u s e h a lv e s s e a s o n e d w it h s a lt , p e p p e r a n d

A ll t h e s e r u le s a p p ly to d e e r a n d o t h e r la r g e m a m m a ls . W e h a v e e a t e n v e n is o n w h ic h w a s v e r y

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d a r k a n d c lo t t e d w ith b lo o d , a n d it w a s a w fu l. N o w o n d e r v e n is o n is n o t e n jo y e d b y a ll w h o e a t it!

F ie ld d r e s s th e a n im a ls w h e r e t h e y fa ll, a n d th e n c o o l t h e m as s o o n a s p o s s ib le . T h a t is u s u a lly n o p r o b le m d u r in g d e e r s e a s o n in t h e N o r t h , b u t in o t h e r r e g io n s it is.

A s w ith m o s t b ir d s , v e n is o n s h o u ld be a g e d .

E s p e c ia lly if th e a n im a l is an a d u lt . W e a g e v e n is o n w ith t h e sk in o n , b u t I h a v e k n o w n p e o p le w h o a g e it a f t e r s k in n in g a n d q u a r t e r in g . I d o n ’ t k n o w if it m a k e s a n y d iffe r e n c e . I f t h e w e a t h e r s ta y s b e lo w 50 °F, w e lik e to a g e d e e r ( e s p e c i a lly old o n e s ) fo r tw o w e e k s . W e t h e n c u t , w r a p , a n d fr e e z e th e m e a t.

A n e x t r e m i s t fr ie n d o f o u r s w o u ld n e v e r f r e e z e h is v e n is o n . H e s im p ly h u n g it in h is c o o l g a r a g e a n d c u t o f f a p ie c e a s h e w a n t e d it. H e s a id if it to o k h im fr o m N o v e m b e r 20 t o J a n u a r y 20 t o c o n s u m e h is d e ­ e r, it g o t b e t t e r a n d m o r e t e n d e r w it h e a c h m e a l.

W e t r u ly lo v e t h e f l a v o r o f v e n is o n a n d th u s n e v e r t r y to d is g u is e t h e f l a v o r b y m a r in a t in g it.

S in c e o u r v e n is o n is a lw a y s a g e d , w e c o o k it in th e s a m e m a n n e r a s w e d o g o o d b e e f, b u t u se m a r jo r a m o r r o s e m a r y fo r th e m a in h e r b ; w h e r e a s , w e u s u a lly u s e s w e e t b a s il w ith b e e f. W e p r e f e r g o o d c u t s o f b o th m e a t s c o o k e d r a r e , e s p e c ia l ly s in c e v e n is o n b e c o m e s v e r y d r y w h e n o v e r c o o k e d . A b it m o r e b u t ­ te r , o liv e o il, la r d , o r o t h e r fa t m u s t be u se d s in c e v e n is o n is u s u a lly n o t v e r y fa t . T o u s, g a r lic is a m u s t w it h v e n is o n .

W

e u s u a lly “ p a n b r o i l ” t h e b e t t e r c u t s o f s te a k . T h is is a m e t h o d w h e r e th e fr y in g

p a n is h e a t e d v e r y h o t , w i t h o u t fa t, a n d th e v e n i s o n , > s e a s o n e d w it h p e p p e r , r o s e m a r y , a n d g a r lic , is p u t in . C o o k fo r a c o u p le o f m in u te s on o n e s id e , t h e n flip a n d c o o k a c o u p le o f m in u te s o n th e o t h e r s id e . A n y liq u id t h a t a c c u m u la t e s is p o u r e d o ff, o r t h e p a n is s w ir le d u n t il it e v a p o r a t e s . U s in g th is m e t h o d , o n e m u s t k e e p a c lo s e w a t c h o v e r th e m e a t, fo r it c o o k s r a p id ly . N e v e r s a lt s te a k s u n til a ft e r t h e y a r e c o o k e d b e c a u s e t h e s a lt d r a w s th e j u i c e s o u t, th u s m a k in g t h e m e a t le s s m o ist.

L a r g e , t e n d e r r o a s t s a r e p r e p a r e d b y s im p ly s e a s o n in g w ith s a lt, p e p p e r , a n d r o s e m a r y . I n s e r t s l i v e r s o f g a r l i c o n t h e s u r f a c e . R o a s t fo r 15 m in u t e s in a v e r y h o t o v e n (t o s e a l in ju ic e s ), th e n tu r n o v e n t o 325 °-350 ° until a m e a t t h e r m o m e t e r r e g is t e r s b e e f-r a r e .

A ll o t h e r v e n is o n c u t s w e i n t e r c h a n g e fo r b e e f in r e c ip e s , in c lu d in g s u c h t h in g s a s s p a g h e t t i s a u c e s , s t e w s , a n d v e n is o n s t r o g a n o f f (w h ic h c a n n o t b e b e a t ) . V e n i s o n a ls o m a k e s s u p e r i o r s t e w s , p o t r o a s t s , a n d s o u p s , w h ic h a r e c o o k e d lo n g a n d s lo w ly .

R a b b it s , h a r e s , a n d s q u ir r e ls a r e h a n d le d a lm o s t th e s a m e a s v e n is o n . T h e y a r e g u t t e d a n d w ip e d o u t in t h e fie ld , a n d s k in n e d l a t e r a t h o m e . A ft e r s k in n in g , t h e y a r e h u n g a n d a g e d f o r t h r e e to fo u r d a y s in t h e b a c k r o o m . H o p e fu lly , t h e t e m p e r a t u r e w ill s t a y b e t w e e n 30 °J>0 ° F a n d t h e flie s w o n ’ t c o m e o u t. W e o n c e c o m p a r e d a g e d r a b b it m e a t w ith fr e s h r a b b it m e a t a n d t h e d if f e r e n c e in t e n d e r n e s s an d fla v o r w a s s t r ik in g . O n e o f t h e p r im a r y a d v a n t a g e s o f a g in g m e a t is t h a t y o u d o n ’ t h a v e t o o v e r c o o k it fo r it t o b e te n d e r . T h e m e a t c a n m a in t a in its fu ll, r ic h , n a t u r a l fla v o r .

F r ie d B a k e d R a b b it o r S q u ir r e l T ake: 1- 2 r a b b it s o r s q u ir r e ls ( a c c o r d i n g t o s iz e ), c u t up.

D ip in m ilk a n d s h a k e p ie c e s in p a p e r b a g c o n t a in ­ in g f l o u r . S e a s o n w it h s a lt , p e p p e r , r o s e m a r y , t h y m e , a n d g a r li c i f y o u w is h . F r y q u ic k ly in a m ix ­ t u r e o f oil a n d b u t t e r — t h e r e m u s t b e e n o u g h to k e e p m e a t fr o m s t ic k in g . T r a n s f e r t o b a k in g d ish w ith a b it o f th e fa t , a n d r o a s t in 325 °F o v e n fo r a b o u t a n h o u r , o r u n t il t e n d e r .

A n o t h e r fa v o r i t e o f o u r s is g a m e p ie , w h ic h c a n b e m a d e fr o m a n y o n e g a m e m e a t , o r b e t t e r y e t, a c o m b in a t io n o f s e v e r a l. M a k e e n o u g h p a s t r y fo r t w o c r u s t s fr o m y o u r fa v o r i t e r e c ip e . W e u s e th e p r o p o r t io n o f: 1 c u p flo u r , 1/2 t e a s p o o n s a lt, 1/3 c u p p lu s 1 t a b le s p o o n la r d , a n d 3-4 t a b le s p o o n s w a t e r , fo r e a c h c r u s t . F o r a 10” d e e p d is h p ie — lin e d ish w ith u n c o o k e d d o u g h .

M ix t o g e t h e r : 2 cu ps cu bed g a m e m eat 2 - 3 c a r r o t s , s lic e d 2 s t a lk s c e le r y , d ic e d 1 d ic e d p o t a t o 1 m e d iu m c h o p p e d o n io n 1 m in c e d c lo v e g a r lic s a lt , p e p p e r , a n d a h a n d fu l o f c h o p p e d p a r s le y

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W e c a n s a y lit t le a b o u t o t h e r m a m m a ls ; i.e., w o o d c h u c k , p o r c u p in e , r a c c o o n , o p o s s u m a n d th e lik e, b e c a u s e w e h a v e e a t e n v e r y fe w o f th e s e . W e v e n g e f u lly a t e a 2 0 -p o u n d ’ c o o n w e t r a p p e d a ft e r it h a d c o n s u m e d 12 o f o u r la y in g h e n s , a n d h e w a s d e ­ lic io u s . F r o m w h a t w e h a v e e a t e n , a ll o f t h e s e o t h e r m a m m a ls a r e e x c e ll e n t if p r e p a r e d p r o p e r ly .

O u r m o u th s w a t e r a n t ic i p a t in g t h e w ild g a m e o f fa ll, j u s t a s t h e y w a t e r w a i t in g fo r t h o s e fir s t la m b ’ s q u a r t e r s a n d d a n d e lio n g r e e n s in th e s p r in g .

A d d : l / 4 c u p m o r e o r le s s c h ic k e n o r b e e f s t o c k ,p e r h a p s m ix e d w ith w h i t e w in e . P u t in p ie s h e ll. D o t w ith b u t t e r . P la c e c r u s t o n to p , m a k in g s lits fo r a ir to e s c a p e . B a k e in 425 °F o v e n fo r 15 m in u t e s . T h e n r e d u c e t o 350 ° F f o r a b o u t an h o u r o r u n til m e a t a n d v e g e t a b l e s a r e t e n d e r .

W e b e li e v e a c a r d in a l s in in h a n d lin g m e a t, a lm o s t a n y k in d , is t o s o a k it in w a t e r . A f t e r all, w o u ld y o u t h r o w a p ie c e o f r a w s t e a k in w a t e r ?

S o a k in g c a u s e s th e e x p o s e d m u s c le fib e r s t o c o n ­ t r a c t a n d t h u s t o u g h e n s t h e m e a t . I f t h e r e is b lo o d o r d ir t t h a t n e e d s r e m o v in g , t a k e a d a m p c lo t h -a n d w ip e t h e m e a t. W e s h u d d e r w h e n w e r e a d a r e c ip e w h ic h s a y s “ S o a k t h e m e a t o v e r n i g h t in s a lt w a t e r t o r e m o v e th e b lo o d .” T h e r e a r e b e t t e r w a y s t o r e ­ m o v e t h e b lo o d in t h e fie ld , w i t h o u t r u in in g th e m e a t . T h e o n ly e x c e p t io n t o t h is r u le is fo r e x ­ t r e m e ly b lo o d s h o t p ie c e s w h e r e t h e r e a r e s h o t w o u n d s , o r p e r h a p s t o m a k e u n p a la t a b le m e a t a t le a s t s o m e w h a t p a la t a b le . W e u s u a lly g r in d th is k in d o f m e a t o r u s e it in s o u p s .

It’s the no-nonsense Temp wood stove.

The Tem pw ood is so basically simple to operate that people tend to look for gadgets that aren’t there.

Constructed of precision fitted heavey guage steel, the Tem pw ood is welded air tight and lined with a refractory and steel firebox for maximum efficiency.

Tem pw ood achieves a steady heat rate by positive control of two downdraft vents.

Modestly priced at $229 and $279.

Distributed by Kenneth Stewart Old County Rd. W aldoboro, Maine

DEALERS Maine Natural Systems 115 Pleasant St. Brunswick, Maine 04011 (207)725-2667

Energy Conservation Systems 510 Perry Road Bangor, Maine 04401 (207)947-3368

^ " —"(Dealer inquiries invited )"■ ■

Narragansett Leathers Main Street Damariscotta, Maine (207)565-5080

Happy in Hetitfotn

by Joan Wells

I

t ta k e s a h e a p o ’ c h ic k e n s t o m a k e a fa r m a fa r m . T w e n t y -f iv e m u lt ic o lo r e d h e n s s c r a t c h a n d p e c k in t h e s u n lig h t , fo r a g i n g w o r m s

in t h e t r e e s h a d o w s , b o b b in g g r a s s e s . M o t e ly , t h e k in g c o c k , h is h a r e m , w h ile B a n t y u s h e r s t h ic k e t . A p e a c e a b le kin erdom .

a m o n g th e m e a d o w s t r u t s th e fr in g e s o f h is fe w la d ie s in to a I w on d er how I ever

liv e d w it h o u t th e m . W h a t a r e m o r n in g s lik e w it h o u t a r o o s t e r ’ s c r o w ? I p u z z le , t o o , h o w w e s to m a c h e d p a le c it y e g g s all t h o s e y e a r s .

C h ic k e n s w e r e o u r fi r s t fa r m v e n t u r e , a d o p te d e v e n b e fo r e w e p la n t e d o u r fi r s t s e e d . W h e n a g o o d n e ig h b o r o ff e r e d t w e lv e o f h e r la y i n g h e n s p lu s a r o o s t e r , w e p lu n g e d r ig h t in . A n 8 ’ b y 12’ c r ib -s t y le (o f 2’ b y 4’ r e je c t s ) c h ic k e n h o u s e w e n t u p in a s n a p , its w in d o w s fa c i n g p r o p e r ly s o u t h . F o u r la y in g b o x ­ e s , 12” b y 12” w e r e h u n g o n t h e s h o r t w a ll, w ith a r a il b e lo w fo r e a s y m o u n t in g , a n d s t r a ig h t p in e b r a n c h e s w e r e la d d e r e d u p t h e lo n g w a ll fo r r o o s ts .

W e t h e n li t t e r e d t h e s u n k e n e a r t h fl o o r w ith w o o d c h ip s (fr e e fr o m t h e t o w n m ill), a n d h e ld o p e n h o u s e fo r o u r n e w b r o o d . T a k in g o u r fa r m n e ig h b o r s ’ a d v ic e , w e b r o u g h t t h e c h ic k e n s h o m e a t d u s k a n d lo c k e d t h e m in t o t h e i r q u a r t e r s s o t h e y c o u ld g e t t h e fe e l o f s h e lt e r . L e e r il y , I le t t h e c lu c k ­ in g , c u r io u s b u n c h o u t in t h e m o r n in g t o e x p lo r e t h e ir n e w p la y g r o u n d , h a lf a fr a id t h e y ’ d r u n o f f f o r e v e r . I n s t e a d , t h e y b e e lin e d u p h ill a n d p e c k e d a b o u t t h e c a b in a s t h o u g h it h a d b e e n h o m e e t e r n a lly . I w a s s o ld . S u c h l o y a l t y , s u c h a d a p ta tio n w o u ld n o t g o u n r e w a r d e d . I v o w e d t h e n a n d t h e r e t o b e c o m e th e b e s t c h ic k e n f a r m e r on th e m o u n ­ t a in . (A n e a s y v o w ; w e ’ r e t h e o n l y fa r m o n th e m o u n t a in .) T h e n e x t a ft e r n o o n , I g a t h e r e d m y fir s t p r e c io u s th r e e e g g s , th e n w a t c h e d a m a z e d at n ig h t fa ll w h e n m y la d ie s a n d t h e i r c o c k y m e n to r , n o t m is s in g a g r u b o n t h e w a y , h e a d e d fo r t h e ir q u a r t e r s . W a s th is w h a t f a r m in g w a s lik e ? N o t h in g to it!

T h a t w a s fo u r y e a r s a g o . I ’ m w is e r n o w , le ss g r e e n l y n a iv e ; b u t I s till s a y c h ic k e n s a r e a lo v e ly , s im p le b u n c h o f c r e a t u r e s t o r a is e . E v e n b e t t e r in o u r m o n e y -l e a n liv e s , t h e y ’ r e t h e o n ly “ s t o c k ” w e ’ v e n u r t u r e d s o fa r on o u r s m a ll s u b s is t e n c e fa r m t h a t ’ s p a id fo r i t s e lf — w it h d iv id e n d s . W h e n I w o n s e c o n d p r iz e fo r m y e g g s a t t h e C o u n ty F a ir t h is y e a r , I fe lt I h a d r e a c h e d s o m e fa r m y z e n ith .

In t h e m id d le o f t h a t fi r s t s u m m e r , a m o n th a ft e r w e t o o k o n th e fir s t c h ic k e n s , t w o h e n s s e tt le d fir m ­ ly in t h e ir la y in g b o x e s a n d r u d e ly r e fu s e d to b u d g e . I c o n s u lt e d m y n e ig h b o r . T h e y w e r e b r o o d y , s h e a d v is e d ; a g o o d t im e t o o r d e r n e w c h ic k s . O u r J o a n W ells, a u th o r o f “ T o H u s b a n d a G o a t: A M o r a l T a l e ” in th e s u m m e r i s s u e h o m e s t e a d s in S p r a y , O reg o n .

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o r d e r w e n t in t o t h e m a il t h a t d a y : t w o d o z e n u n s e x e d , m ix e d d a y -o ld c h ic k s . T h e i r k in d w a s th e c h e a p e s t , a n d b e s id e s , I w a n t e d t o a d d s o m e v a r ie ­ t y t o m y R h o d e I s la n d R e d s , b o t h f o r b e a u t y a n d t h e e x p e r ie n c e o f le a r n i n g a b o u t o t h e r b r e e d s .

W h e n , b u t a fe w d a y s la t e r , t h e c h e e p in g b o x a r ­ r iv e d , w e m o v e d t h e t w o p r o t e s t i n g s e t t e r s in t o la r g e r q u a r t e r s — h a s t ily n a ile d w o o d e n b o x e s w ith c h ic k e n w ir e d o o r s . A m a y o n n a is e j a r w a t e r e r a n d n ic e c lu m p o f s t r a w c o m p l e t e d t h e d e c o r . T h e n w a r ily , b r e a t h h e ld , I t u c k e d a d o z e n c h ic k s u n d e r each

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p r e h e n d e d c o m p l e t e l y w h a t t h e t e r m “ lik e a m o t h e r h e n ” m e a n s . C lu c k in g p r o t e c t iv e ly , e a c h h e n in t u r n s p r e a d h e r w i n g s a n d flu ffe d h e r f e a t h e r s ’ til s h e s e e m e d t w ic e h e r s iz e . A f t e r th e t w e lft h c h ild w a s a d m it t e d , o n ly a s u b d u e d c h e e p ­ in g in d ic a t e d t h e b a b e s ’ w h e r e a b o u t s .

A f t e r fe e d in g t h e n e w f a m ilie s c h ic k m a s h fo r t h r e e d a y s , a n d m a k in g s u r e t h e i r w a t e r w a s n ’ t s p ille d , I o p e n e d t h e ir d o o r s a n d in v it e d t h e m in to t h e b r a v e , n e w w o r ld . M o t h e r h e n s lo o k e d c r o s s , s c o ld e d m y fo r w a r d n e s s , b u t f i n a l ly , r e lu c t a n t ly , le d t h e ir w a r d s in t o t h e s u n lig h t . T h e fir s t m o t h e r ­ ly le s s o n w a s h o w t o s c r a t c h fo r fo o d , a n d th e c h ic k s fe ll to it e a g e r ly . T h e s e c o n d w a s “ T h o u s h a lt n o t s t r a y fr o m m y s id e .” I f o n e c h ic k e r r e d a n d w a n d e r e d m o r e t h a n in c h e s , m o t h e r h e n s e t u p a lo u d s c o ld a n d r u s h e d t o h e r d t h e w a y w a r d o n e b a c k t o h e r fl u f f-f e a t h e r e d c ir c l e . “ M o t h e r h e n ” in ­ d e e d . A n d a n o t h e r n o t c h in m y c h ic k e n e s tim a tio n .

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s s o o n a s t h e ir fir s t w i n g f e a t h e r s a p p e a r e d , I t o o k t h e c h ic k s o f f m a s h

a n d in t r o d u c e d

t h e m t o o u r r e g u la r c h ic k e n fe e d in g r e g im e : e g g l a y i n g p e lle t s (s t o r e -p u r c h a s e d , sa d t o s a y , fo r w e c a n ’ t b u y o r g r o w th e a p p r o p r ia t e in g r e d ie n t s ), w h e a t , o y s t e r s h e ll, a n d a ll t h e fo o d s c r a p s n o t a lr e a d y p ig a p p o r t io n e d . T h e c h ic k s t h r iv e d a n d g r e w q u ic k ly , a n d b y F a ll, w e fo u n d o u r s e lv e s w ith te n r a n g e y y o u n g c o c k s . M o s t o f t h e s e t u r n e d o u t to b e s e x -lin k s , a la r g e , w h it e , a g g r e s s iv e b r e e d .

W h e n t h e y b e g a n t o w a g e h o u r l y b a t t le s fo r d o m i­ n io n , w e r e s c h e d u le d o u r s l a u g h t e r p la n s a n d g o t

t h e m in t o t h e p o t q u ic k ly . T h e fe w o t h e r r o o s t e r s , v a r ic o l o r e d a n d o f u n d e t e r m in e d b r e e d , w e s a v e d , s t a y i n g t h e ir e x e c u t io n u n t il W in t e r , w h e n w e ’ d m o s t n e e d m e a t o n t h e “ h o o f .” ( I t w a s a w is e d e-

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c is i o n ,

fo r

th a t

W in t e r

we

w ere

snow ed

in

fo r

w e e k s , a n d w it h o u t e l e c t r i c i t y f o r a m e a t -k e e p in g f r e e z e r , r e a d y c h ic k e n d in n e r s p r o v e d a h e a lt h y s a lv a t io n .)

W in t e r s a r e h e a v y o n o u r m o u n t a in s id e , a n d I w o r r ie d h o w m y c h ic k e n s w o u ld fa r e . W h e n t h e O c­ t o b e r t e m p e r a t u r e s d r o p p e d w e ll b e lo w fr e e z in g , w e n a ile d w in d o w s o v e r t h e c h ic k e n c o o p w ir e , a llo w ­ in g t h e w e a k s u n t o s h in e t h r o u g h . W h e n N o v e m ­ b e r ’ s fi r s t li g h t s n o w s fe ll, t h e c h ic k e n s e m e r g e d fr o m t h e ir u n lo c k e d d o o r e a c h m o r n in g a s a lw a y s a n d p e c k e d a b o u t t h e w h it e n e d e a r t h a s t h o u g h b o r n t o t h e A r c t ic . W h e n D e c e m b e r ’ s e n d le s s s n o w s fe ll, a n d d r ift s b u r ie d a ll t h e f a m ili a r s , th e c h ic k e n s p e e r e d fr o m t h e ir w in d o w s a n d n a g g e d , t h e ir c o m ­ p la in t s w a x i n g p o s it iv e ly s h r e w i s h . Y o u ’ d th in k I h a d h id d e n t h e ir e a r t h . I c o n s o le d t h e m w ith p a n s o f w a r m d r in k in g w a t e r , w it h d e s s e r t s o f s a v e d b its o f g r e e n s fr o m o u r t a b le . B u t o u t s id e o f t h e ir p e e v is h n e s s , t h e w e a t h e r , w h ic h r e a c h e d 20 b e lo w a t it s b o t t o m , s e e m e d n o t t o a f f e c t th e m a b it.

T h o u g h b r ie f d a y lig h t h o u r s c u t d o w n t h e ir e g g p r o d u c t io n , I fe lt it b e s t n o t t o m e n t io n th is to t h e m ; t h e y w e r e t o u c h y e n o u g h a t t h e t h e ft o f t h e ir su m m er.

L a t e t h a t W in te r , w e e x p e r ie n c e d o u r fir s t p r e ­ d a t o r t r a g e d y . O n r e a c h in g t h e c h ic k e n s ’ y a r d o n e s n o w y m o r n in g , I w a s g r e e t e d b y a t a n g le o f b lo o d a n d t o r n c a r c a s s . S ix o f m y y o u n g h e n s , I m a n a g e d

t o c o u n t . In d e e p m o u r n i n g , I c a ll e d o n m y n e ig h b o r . It s o u n d e d lik e w e a s e ls , s h e a d v is e d ; t h e y c o u ld g e t in t o t h e t i n i e s t p la c e s . I e x a m in e d th e c o o p t h e n , n a r r o w -e y e d . S u r e e n o u g h , o n e s m a ll h o le g la r e d fr o m a s p a c e o f w i r e a b o v e th e w in d o w .

M e n d in g it in q u ic k o r d e r , w e c a r v e d a n o t h e r n o tc h in o u r c h ic k e n le a r n in g . N e v e r s in c e t h a t d r e a d fu l m o r n in g h a v e w e le f t t h e c h ic k e n s u n p r o t e c t e d b y e v e n “ t h e s m a lle s t h o le ,” fr o m d a r k u n til d a w n .

A n d w e ’ v e n e v e r lo s t a c h ic k e n s in c e to a h u n g r y s t a lk e r .

B y t h a t s p r in g , w e h a d b u t t w o y o u n g r o o s t e r s le ft , t h e la r g e s t a n d m o s t c o m e l y , p lu s P e te r , o u r o r ig in a l p r o u d c o c k . H o w e v e r , t h r e e r o o s t e r s w a s o n e t o o m a n y , s o w ith s a d h e a r t s a n d a p p r o p r ia t e c e r e m o n y , w e b e g a n a n e w s e ig e o f s la u g h t e r . P e t e r w e n t fir s t , g a lla n t ly , t h e n o n e b y o n e , th e o r ig in a l, n o w t w o -y e a r -o ld h e n s . (I c a n ’ t d iv u lg e m u c h a b o u t t h e p r o c e s s . M ik e p e r fo r m s t h a t d e a d ly ta s k , u p to t h e p o in t w h e n e a c h c a r c a s s is q u it e a n o n y m o u s ly d e fe a t h e r e d a n d p lu c k e d . I k n o w i t ’ s a c o p o u t, b u t I c a n ’ t b r in g m y s e lf t o e a t a k n o w n fr ie n d .) h a t s e c o n d S u m m e r , I d e c id e d to t r y t o h a tc h o u t m y o w n c h ic k s . O r e o f m y y o u n g h e n s , P in k y , w h o h a d t u r n e d o u t t o h a v e s o m e b a n t y in h e r , o b lig e d fir s t , p r o d u c i n g s e v e n b r ig h t c h ic k s . In J u ly , B lo n d ie c a m e u p w it h fiv e , P r e t t y w ith a p u n y b u t w e lc o m e t h r e e . In A u g u s t , D ic e y s e t t le d o n t o a n e s t . A n d s a t . A n d sa t. In m id -

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S e p t e m b e r s h e w a s still s e t t in g . T h e t h r e e m o t h e r s p a r a d e d t h e ir b r o o d s b y h e r t r iu m p h a n t ly . D ic e y c lu c k e d a n d m in d e d h e r b u s in e s s . F in a lly o n e e a r ly F a ll m o r n in g , I h e a r d a s in g le c h e e p u n d e r D ic e y ’ s fe a t h e r s . S h e w in k e d a n d lo o k e d a t m e p r o u d ly .

U n a b le t o fin d a p r o p e r c h ic k w a t e r e r r ig h t a w a y , I g r a b b e d a p a n a n d fille d it, s t u c k it a n d a h a n d fu l o f m a s h in h e r q u a r t e r s , a n d r a n u p th e h ill to te ll M ik e t h e n e w s . A n h o u r la t e r , I r e t u r n e d fo r a n u r s e r y v is it. O n e n e w g r e y c h ic k flo a te d in th e w a t e r - b r im m in g p a n , d e a d t o a ll w o r ld s . D ic e y s e e m e d n o t e v e n t o n o t ic e . I f M ik e h a d n ’ t a p p e a r e d a t t h a t m o m e n t , I th in k I m ig h t h a v e jo i n e d m y life ­ le s s c h a r g e in s u ic id e , I fe lt s o s t u p id , so g u ilt y .

A n o t h e r le s s o n , t o o s a d ly im p r e s s e d : n e v e r le a v e a c h ic k n e a r o p e n w a t e r .

T h is y e a r I a g a in le t m y h e n s h a t c h o u t t h e ir o w n c h ic k s . B u t t h e ir s t a r s m u s t h a v e b e e n c r o s s e d , o r t h e c o ld s u m m e r n o t t o t h e i r lik in g , fo r o n ly fa it h fu l P in k y a n d o n e fr ie n d p r o d u c e d a fa m ily . A fe w h e n s b r o o d e d lik e m a d , s o m e e v e n n u r s e d t h e ir e g g s fo r a n a g e p a s t 21 d a y s . T h is y e a r ’ s tw o r o o s t e r s d id n ’ t la c k fo r f e r t i l i z i n g a c t iv it y . B u t e it h e r t h e e g g s s im p ly d id n ’ t h a t c h , o r a p o te n tia l m o t h e r c h a n g e d n e s t s m id -s e t t in g . W o r s e y e t, I d is ­ c o v e r e d o n e h e n m e t h o d ic a lly p e c k in g a t th e c lu tc h s h e s a t on u n til n o t o n e w a s le f t w h o le . (S h e w a s q u ic k ly t r a n s fo r m e d t o s t e w .) W it h th e n u m b e r o f m y e g g c u s t o m e r s g r o w i n g , I ’ v e d e t e r m in e d n o t to le a v e s o m u c h t o c h a n c e in t h e f u t u r e . T h e m in u te g o o d P in k y h u n k e r s d o w n , I ’ ll s e n d o f f m y fir s t o r ­ d e r fo r c h ic k s . O n c e I h a v e t w o d o z e n b o u g h t a n d t u c k e d u n d e r fe a t h e r s , th e d e a r c r e a t u r e s c a n p r a c ­ t ic e t h e ir m a t e r n a l a r t s a s t h e y w is h .

n m y f o u r y e a r s o f h e n d o m I ’ v e lo s t o n ly tw o c h ic k e n s t o d is e a s e , b o t h o f t h o s e t o in t e r n a l w a t e r c y s t s . A c t u a lly , w e d id n ’t lo s e e v e n t h e m ; t h e y s im p ly g r e w w e a k a n d h u d d le d in a c o r ­ n e r u n t il M ik e p u t t h e m o u t o f t h e ir m is e r y . (T h e c a t s lo v e d t h e ir r e m a in s ; n o t h in g g o e s w a s te d on th is fa r m .) V is it o r s r e m a r k o n h o w h e a lt h y m y c h ic k e n s a p p e a r , a n d , a s I m e n t io n e d , m y e g g c u s t o m e r s b u r g e o n . I c a n o n ly t h a n k m y s ta r s a n d m y f o u r y e a r s o f a f f e c t io n a t e le a r n i n g . I th in k th e a ff e c t io n p a r t m a k e s h a lf t h e s u c c e s s , fo r I t r u ly b e l i e v e y o u h a v e t o c a r e a b o u t y o u r a n im a ls ’ h e a lt h , c o m fo r t , e v e n , y e s , h a p p in e s s , to r a is e th e m

I

p r o p e r ly , t o d e s e r v e t h e ir b o u n t y .

I ’ d lik e t o s h a r e h e r e a fe w o f m y m e a n s to s u c ­ cess: 1.

C le a n q u a r t e r s . N o t s p it a n d p o lis h , o f c o u r s e , fo r c h ic k e n s , fo r a ll t h e ir e n d e a r i n g q u a lit ie s , d o h a v e m e s s y h a b it s . B u t t h e ir fo o d a n d w a t e r m u s t b e fr e s h a n d c le a n , a n d t h e ir q u a r t e r s r e la t iv e ly fr e e o f flie s a n d p e r m e a t i n g s m e lls . I c le a n t h e c o o p e a c h s p r in g fr o m s te m t o s t e r n , s h o v e l o u t th e lit ­ t e r ( g r e a t s t u ff, t ille d in t o t h e g a r d e n ) , r e m o v e th e w in d o w s , w ir e -b r u s h t h e b o a r d s a n d r o o s ts . I th e n la y d o w n 6 in c h e s o f fr e s h l i t t e r (w o o d c h ip s w o r k b e s t , fo r t h e y s t a y d r y a n d a r e a t e d ) a n d s p r in k le it w ith s u p e r -p h o s p h a t e . O n c e a m o n t h I c le a n th e

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la y in g n e s t s a n d s p r in k le t h e ir n e w h a y w ith s u p e r ­ p h o s p h a t e , s c a t t e r in g a b it m o r e o v e r th e w h o le c o o p fo r g o o d m e a s u r e .

2. W h o le s o m e fo o d . F ir s t o f a ll, I w o u ld n ’ t r a is e c h ic k e n s if I h a d n ’ t a la r g e s p a c e fo r th e m t o ru n fr e e . M in e h a v e a n o r c h a r d , m e a d o w , a n d p in e t o p p e d h ills id e , a n d a ft e r h a r v e s t , t h e r e m a in s o f th e cro p g a rd e n . T h o u g h th e y n e v e r ra n g e o u t of s ig h t , t h e y d o d e lig h t in r o a m i n g t o s e a r c h o u t th e b a n q u e t o f b u g s a n d g r e e n s t h e e a r t h s e ts o u t.

B e fo r e w e g o t a d o g , t h e y w e r e , I a d m it, p e s ts on t h e p o r c h a n d im p o lit e w ith t h e ir d r o p p in g s . B u t t h a t ’ s d o g ’ s t e r r i t o r y n o w , a n d m a n y a fe a t h e r h a s flo w n u p o n its in v a s io n .

F o o t n o t e : I’ v e fo u n d a d o llo p o f v in e g a r (c id e r ) in th e c h ic k e n s ’ w a t e r k e e p s t h e m b r ig h t -e y e d a n d b e a u t if u l. A n d to s a v e o n o y s t e r s h e ll, I r e tu r n all t h e ir r e m n a n t s h e lls t o t h e m , d r ie d a n d c r u s h e d , w h e n e v e r w e ’ v e a n a c c u m u la t i o n . S in c e c h ic k e n s m u s t h a v e fr e s h w a t e r a v a il a b le a lw a y s , it m u s t b e h e a t e d in d e e p w in t e r t o k e e p fr o m fr e e z in g . I m a n a g e th is b y t a k in g t h e m a p a n o f w a r m w a t e r t h r e e o r fo u r t im e s a s u b -z e r o d a y .

3. E g g s . G a t h e r t w ic e a d a y in h o t w e a t h e r . F o r k e e p in g , a lw a y s p a c k a g e t h e m w it h t h e n a r r o w e n d d o w n . C le a n d ir t y s h e lls b y r u b b i n g lig h t ly w ith s a n d p a p e r , n e v e r w a t e r . I f I ’ v e a s u r p lu s a n d h a v e t o k e e p th e m o v e r a w e e k , I r u b t h e s h e lls w ith m in e r a l oil t o s e a l t h e m , a n d s t o r e t h e m in t h e c o o l r o o t c e lla r . E g g s c a n b e k e p t a lm o s t ju s t - la id fr e s h fo r a t le a s t s ix m o n t h s th is w a y . I f e g g s h e lls s e e m th in o r c r a c k t o o e a s ily , in c r e a s e th e c h ic k e n s ’ o y s t e r s h e ll r a t io n . C h ic k e n s w h o e a t fr e s h g r e e n s d a ily p r o d u c e d e e p g o ld e n y o lk s . A s p e c k o f b lo o d in an e g g d o e s n o h a r m ; it u s u s a lly j u s t m e a n s th e c h ic k e n h a s b e e n b r u is e d s li g h t ly . . . o r h a d a d if­ fic u lt la y ?

4. A t t it u d e . D o n ’ t p e r s o n a liz e y o u r c h ic k e n s b y n a m in g th e m o r m a k in g t h e m p e t s . I d id a n d I d o.

A n d P in k y , S is t e r , P r e t t y , P e a r ly , S ilk y , S n o w W h ite , N e llie G r a y w ill d ie o f o ld a g e , p r o p e r ly m o u r n e d , d r a s t ic a lly u n e c o n o m i c . B u t th e n . . . t h a t ’ s h a lf th e j o y o f a fa r m , g e t t i n g to k n o w a n d c h e r is h it s c r e a t u r e s . A n d t h e r e ’ s a lw a y s t h a t p a s s e l o f lo o k -a lik e r e d h e n s , d e s t in e d t h r o u g h t h e ir a n o n y m it y t o t h e s t e w p o t.

I f y o u c a n n o t s ta n d c h ic k e n s (a n d I k n o w o f a fe w s u c h c r a z ie s ) , b u y y o u r e g g s fr o m a n e ig h b o r w h o c a n . L ik e a ll liv in g t h e y ’ r e d o n e to.

t h in g s ,

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T o o o ft e n s c o r n e d , m a d e j o k e s o f, g iv e n ba d p r e s s , I ’ d lik e t o e le v a t e t h e s t a t u s o f c h ic k e n s , a n d h e r e b y n o m in a t e t h e m as m a n ’ s s e c o n d b e s t fr ie n d !

S T A T E M E N T R E Q U IR E D BY TH E ACT OF AUGUST 12, 1970: SECTION 3685, T IT L E 39, U N IT E D STATES CODE, SHOWING TH E O W N ER S H IP , M A N A G E M E N T AND CIRCULATIO N OF F A R M S T E A D M A G A Z IN E , published bi-m onthly by TH E F A R M S T E A D PRESS. The general business office of TH E F A R M S T E A D PRESS is at Box 111, Freedom, Maine 04941.

Publisher and Editor, George Frangoulis, Box 111, Freedom, Maine 04941. Date of filing September 1,1977.

Owner (if owned by a corporation, its name and address must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addressesof stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of stock) FA R M S T E A D PRESS, Box 111, Freedom, Maine 04941.

George Frangoulis, Box 111, Freedom, Maine 04941. Known Bon­ dholders, Mortgagees, and other Security Holders Owning or Hold­ ing 1 percent or more of total amount of Bonds, Mortgages or other securities (if none,sostate). None.

The average number of copies each issue during the preceding 12 monthsare: A. Total number of copies printed 46,300 B. Paid circulation: Sales through dealers, counter sales, etc.

28,571 M ail Subscriptions 10,957 C. Total Paid Circulation 39,528 D. Free distribution by mail, carrierorother means 1,782 E. Total distribution 41,310 F. Copies not distributed: office use, left over, spoiled after printing, unaccounted 2,724 Returns from distributors 2,266 G. Total 46,300 The actual number of single issue published nearest to filing date are: A. Total copies printed 83,500 B. Paid circulation: Sales through dealers, counter sales, etc.

60,849 Mail subscriptions 15,073 C. Total Paid Circulation 75,922 D. Free distribution by mail, carrierorother means 4,806 E. Total distribution 80,728 F. Copies not distributed: office use, left over, spoiled after printing, unaccounted 2,772 Returns from newsagents 0 G. Total 83,500 I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.

George Frangoulis, Publisher

WOOD STOVES Buy * Sell * Repair C o o k s t o v e s , P a r lo r H e a t e r s a n d F i r e p l a c e s

BRYANT STEELWORKS Vi

T e le (2 0 7 ) 5 6 8 - 3 5 3 0 - T h o r n d ik e , M e . 0 4 9 8 6

SHEEPSWOOL YARN W e feature the 97 Virgin W ool Yarns of the Christopher Sheep Farm of Bowdoinham, Maine. These yarns are availa1ble in 12 weights, ranging from sport to very bulky and 24 i colors, including naturals, heathers and solids. The yarns are spun at Eastport, Maine and Harrisville, N .H . for both knit­ ting and weaving uses.

W e would like you to examine the wide range of finished products and the yarns themselves, or send for a swatch card, price list and yardage chart (50 cents) to:

WOOLROOT ©The

446 Fore Street, Portland, Maine 04111

The G R ASSH O P P ER SHOP 7 9 H ig h S t . * 3 3 8 - 2 7 4 4 B E L F A S T , M e. 0 45 1 9 21 B ay V ie w S t.

C A M D E N , M e. 048 4 3 • 236 - 2084

MORS0 MODEL NO. 1B0 CAST IRON STOVE WITH HEAT EXCHANGER

Heating Capacity: Approximately 9,000 Cu. Ft. Grandaddy of all Scandi­ navian stoves. 353 lbs., airtight, full load lasts 12-16 hours. Available in matte black or glossy grey at no extra cost.

Save money, energy with the highly efficient and beautiful stove. We offer the full line of Mors0,Trolla, Reginald and General Engineering woodstoves at discounted prices.

B ooks, R ecords, N a tu ra l C osm etics, C ards, W o odstoves, C ra ft S u p p lies , C lo th e s , J e w e lry , and P arap hern alia

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H ou d a n M ale

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by Jack C. B a rn es h e c o ll e c t in g o f a n t iq u it ie s is c u r r e n t ly in v o g u e all o v e r t h e w o r ld . O n e c a n v is it a n t i­ q u e s h o p s in a l m o s t a n y c i t y , t o w n , o r h a m le t t h r o u g h o u t t h e U n it e d S t a t e s . O n e c a n v is it c o l o r f u l b a z a a r s in s u c h p i c t u r e s q u e c it ie s as P e s h a w a r n e a r t h e K h y b e r P a s s , O ld D e lh i, K a b u l, H o n g K o n g , o r I s t a n b u l w h e r e a n t iq u e s a r e b e in g

T

b o u g h t a n d s o ld b y m e r c h a n t s w h o a r e o ft e n m o r e fa s c i n a t in g th a n t h e ir m e r c h a n d is e . In A m e r ic a t h e r e a r e c o ll e c t o r s o f a n t iq u e a u t o m o b ile s , b o tt le s , g u n s a n d e v e n b a r b e d w ir e . C e r t a in ly t h e r e is little n o v e lt y in th e fo r m a t io n o f c lu b s d e d ic a t e d to th e c o ll e c t i n g a n d p r e s e r v a t i o n o f a n t iq u it ie s . W h a t m a y b e s u r p r is in g t o m a n y , h o w e v e r , is t h e e x ­ is t e n c e in t h e U n ite d S t a t e s o f a n o r g a n iz a t io n d e ­ d ic a t e d to th e p r e s e r v a t io n o f r a r e b re e d s o f p o u lt r y c a lle d th e S o c ie t y fo r t h e P r e s e r v a t io n o f P o u lt r y A n t iq u it ie s .

A t a tim e w h e n m e g a lo p o lis a n d u r b a n s p r a w l h a v e b e c o m e a p a r t o f o u r v o c a b u la r y , m illio n s o f p e o p le n e v e r s e e liv e p o u lt r y . T h e y h a v e o n ly a c a s u a l a w a r e n e s s o f t h e e x is t e n c e o f p o u ltr y , m a in ­ ly t h r o u g h t h e e g g s a n d c h ic k e n s w h ic h t h e y c o n ­ s u m e . T o m o s t p e o p le t h e c o m m o n t e r m “ c h ic k e n s ” is u s e d t o d e n o t e a n y t h in g fr o m a b a b y c h ic k t o a

fie ld , M a in e , th e N o r t h e r n N e w E n g la n d B ird F a n ­ c ie r s ’ A s s o c ia t i o n h a s b e e n fo r m e d a n d o n c e a g a in M a in e h a s its o w n p o u lt r y s h o w . P e r h a p s s o m e o f t h e r e a d e r s o f th is a r t ic le h a d a n o p p o r t u n it y to v ie w t h e 1976 s h o w h e ld a t t h e L e w is t o n S h o p p in g C e n t e r w h e r e e x h ib it o r s fr o m s e v e r a l s t a t e s c o m ­ p e t e d f o r v a r io u s a w a r d s . M a n y v a r ie t ie s o f s t a n ­ d a r d fo w l, b a n t a m s , p ig e o n s , t u r k e y s , d u ck s , g e e s e , a n d g u in e a fo w l w e r e d is p la y e d f o r t h e t h o u s a n d s o f s h o p p e r s t o v ie w , m a n y o f w h o m e x c la im e d w ith u t t e r a s t o n is h m e n t a t s o m e o f t h e r a r e a n d e x ­ q u is it e b r e e d s w h ic h fo r m e d a k a le id o s c o p e o f c o l­ o r s w it h t h e ir lo v e ly p lu m m a g e . lt h o u g h th e t e r m p o u lt r y c o v e r s e v e r y t h in g fr o m g e e s e t o g u in e a fo w l, t h e r e m a in d e r o f t h is a r t ic le w ill fo c u s u p o n c h ic k e n s , la r g e fo w l o r s t a n d a r d s a s o p p o s e d t o b a n t a m s . S in c e t h e p o u lt r y in d u s t r y is n o w c o n d u c t e d p r im a r ily in t h e fo r m o f la r g e c o r p o r a t i o n s , a c o n s t a n t e ff o r t is b e ­ in g m a d e t o p r o d u c e s o -c a lle d s e x -lin k e d b ir d s t h a t w ill s h e ll o u t e g g s a t a r a t e th a £ w o u ld s h o c k th e fa r m e r o f y e s t e r d a y w h o e a r n e d a g o o d liv in g fr o m k e e p in g a fe w h u n d r e d R h o d e I s la n d R e d s, W h ite P ly m o u t h R o c k s , B a r r e d R o c k s , o r W h it e L e g h o r n s t o n a m e s o m e o f t h e m o r e p o p u l a r b r e e d s o f tw e n -

A

T a k e A ntique C h ick en s O ff T h e S h e lf m a t u r e fo w l. In a n e r a w h e n a g r ic u lt u r e is b ig b u s i­ n e s s , t h e p o u lt r y in d u s t r y is n o e x c e p t io n ; th e fa m ily -r u n p o u lt r y fa r m s h e r e in M a in e , fo r e x a m ­ p le , a r e a t h i n g o f t h e n o t t o o d is t a n t p a s t .

A s t r o n o m ic a l g r a in p r ic e s h a v e d is c o u r a g e d m o s t in d iv id u a ls fr o m k e e p in g a s m a ll flo c k in t h e ir b a c k y a r d s , p r o v id in g , o f c o u r s e , t h e r e a r e n o p u b lic o r d in a n c e s p r e v e n t in g t h e m fr o m o t h e r w is e d o in g so. T h e c o u n t r y fa ir s a r e c e r t a i n l y s till flo u r is h in g in M a in e ; in fa c t , t h e y s e e m t o b e in c r e a s in g a ft e r s u f f e r i n g a d e c lin e in p o p u l a r it y . T h e r e a r e e x ­ h ib it o r s o f c a t t le , s h e e p , a n d s u n d r y o t h e r e x h ib it s , b u t n o p o u lt r y . O n e b y o n e t h e fa i r s h e r e in M a in e h a v e d is c o n t in u e d p o u lt r y e x h i b i t s e v e n t h o u g h t h e r e a r e e n o u g h p o u lt r y f a n c ie r s in M a in e a lo n e to fill a n e x h ib it io n h a ll w ith e x o t i c a n d r a r e b r e e d s s u c h a s w o u ld a s t o u n d m o s t v ie w e r s . F o r th e fir s t tim e m o s t w o u ld r e a liz e t h a t a “ c h ic k e n is n o t j u s t a c h i c k e n !” A n u m b e r o f t h e N e w H a m p s h ir e fa ir s h a v e e x c e ll e n t p o u lt r y s h o w s a n d t h e e x h ib it io n o f p o u lt r y is on t h e in c r e a s e in t h a t s t a t e . T h e r e w e r e a c t u a lly a fe w y e a r s in t h e la t e 1960’ s a n d e a r ly 1970’ s w h e n t h e r e w a s n o t a s in g le p o u lt r y s h o w in M a in e . T h a n k s t o a s m a l l g r o u p o f d e d ic a t e d p o u lt r y e n t h u s ia s t s s u c h a s C .R . W o o d m a n o f R e a d -

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G l im p s e o f O u r P a s t ” w h ich a p p e a r e d in the S u m ­ m e r is s u e o f F a r m s te a d , liv e s in H ir a m , M a in e.

t y -f iv e t o fi ft y y e a r s a g o . I t u s e d t o b e t h a t w h e n h e n s c e a s e d t o la y a n d b e g a n t o m o lt o r s h e d t h e ir f e a t h e r s , o n e c o u ld b e a s s u r e d o f d e lic io u s c h ic k e n d in n e r s i f h e d id n o t w is h t o k e e p h is la y in g h e n s o v e r u n t il s u c h t im e a s t h e y w o u ld b e g in la y in g a g a in . T o d a y h e n s b r e d fo r e g g p r o d u c t io n a r e n o t w o r t h d r e s s in g o ff. E v e r y o u n c e o f e n e r g y a n d g o o d n e s s in t h e b ir d h a s b e e n e x p e n d e d in th e p r o ­ d u c t io n o f e g g s ; t h e r e is n o t h in g le f t w o r t h s a lv a g ­ in g w h e n th e h e n s s t o p la y in g . T h is is fin e ; th is is b ig b u s in e s s . H o w e v e r , o n e m i g h t p o n d e r u p on th e o r ig in o f t h e s e s e x -lin k e d b ir d s . F r o m w h e r e d o t h e b lo o d lin e s o r ig in a t e ? A ll c o m m e r c ia l b r e e d s t o d a y w e r e d e v e lo p e d fr o m o ld e r b r e e d s o f p o u ltr y , m o s t o f w h i c h a r e l i s t e d a n d d e s c r i b e d in a b o o k c a lle d th e A m e r ic a n S ta n d a r d o f P e r fe c tio n .

I t is t h e c o n c e r n o f p o u lt r y f a n c ie r s a n d p o u lt r y g e n e t ic i s t s in t h e U n it e d S t a t e s , C a n a d a , a n d o t h e r n a t io n s in t h e w o r ld t h a t u n le s s e f f o r t s a re m a d e to p r e s e r v e t h e o ld b r e e d s , t h e r e w ill c o m e a tim e w h e n i t w i ll b e i m p o s s i b l e f o r g e n e t i c i s t s a t a g r ic u lt u r a l r e s e a r c h l a b o r a t o r i e s t o d e v e lo p a n d im p r o v e u p o n t h e c o m m e r c ia l s t r a i n s , a n e c e s s it y if th e c o m m e r c ia l p o u lt r y i n d u s t r y is t o r e m a in a liv e .

T h e r e a r e , o f c o u r s e , le s s p r a g m a t i c r e a s o n s fo r th e c o n c e r n a b o u t t h e p r e s e r v a t i o n o f a n t iq u e b r e e d s o f p o u lt r y . T h e s e r e a s o n s a r e s im ila r t o t h o s e w h ic h h a v e g e n e r a t e d h e r c u le a n e f f o r t s o n th e p a r t o f c o n s e r v a t io n is t s to p r o t e c t a n d p e r p e tu a te th e w h o o p in g c r a n e , th e s ilv e r -t ip p e d g r iz z l y , th e e a g le ,

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o r t h e r e d w o o d . I t is d e p lo r a b l e a n d d is c o n c e r t in g t o m a n y w h e n e v e r a n y s p e c ie s b e c o m e s e x t in c t .

T h e r e is a lo n g lis t o f s t a n d a r d b r e e d s t h a t a r e on t h e e n d a n g e r e d lis t, a n d e a c h y e a r t h e lis t s e e m s to g r o w lo n g e r . S o m e o f t h e s e b r e e d s a r e s e ld o m s e e n e v e n in t h e la r g e s t p o u lt r y s h o w s in th e U n ite d S t a t e s a n d C a n a d a . H o w m a n y h a v e e v e r h e a r d of, le t a lo n e s e e n , s u c h b r e e d s a s t h e D o m in iq u e , L a F le c h e , D o r k in g s , B u f f C a t a la n s a n d W h ite fa c e d B la c k S p a n is h t o n a m e b u t j u s t a fe w ? A s th e y e a r s p a s s , t h e e n d a n g e r e d li s t b e c o m e s lo n g e r a n d l o n g e r . T h e M o t t le d H o u d a n , S p e c k le d S u s s e x , L a m o n a , a n d e v e n t h e N e w H a m p s h ir e R e d h a v e b e e n a d d e d t o t h e m o r e r e c e n t lis t . I t is n o t j u s t t h e m e m b e r s o f t h e S o c ie t y f o r t h e P r e s e r v a t io n o f P o u lt r y A n t iq u it i e s w h o a r e s t r i v i n g t o k e e p t h e s e b r e e d s fr o m d y in g o u t. T h e r e a r e h u n d r e d s o f o t h e r c lu b s a n d t h o u s a n d s o f e x h i b i t o r s a n d n o n e x ­ h ib it o r s , w h o b e lo n g t o n o s p e c ia l o r g a n iz a t io n , w h o a r e h e lp in g t o p r e s e r v e o u r o ld a n d lo v e ly b r e e d s .

T h e p r o b le m is t h a t s o m e b r e e d s s u c h a s th e L a F le c h e h a v e b e c o m e s o s c a r c e t h a t it is d iffic u lt fo r o n e t o a c q u ir e t h e b r e e d a n d e v e n m o r e d iffic u lt t o a d d n e w b lo o d lin e s t o o n e ’ s b r e e d i n g s to ck . O n e o f t h e s e r v ic e s t h a t t h e S o c ie t y fo r t h e P r e s e r v a t io n o f P o u l t r y A n t iq u it i e s p r o v id e s is a d ir e c t o r y o f a ll its m e m b e r s a n d t h e b r e e d s a n d v a r ie t y o f b r e e d s

s in g le c o m b s , r o s e c o m b s , fo r k e d c o m b s , p e a c o m b s ; t h e r e a r e b r e e d s w ith c r e s t s , b e a r d s , m u ffs , a n d f e a t h e r e d le g s ; t h e r e a r e t h o s e w it h fiv e to e s ; t h e r e is o n e b r e e d w ith w h it e f a c e s ; t h e A u r a u c a n a s la y b lu e , p in k a n d g r e e n e g g s ( t h e lo w -c h o le s t r o l c o n ­ t e n t o ft e n a t t r ib u t e d t o t h e ir e g g s is fa lla c io u s ); a n d , o f c o u r s e , t h e r e a r e b r e e d s a n d v a r ie t ie s w ith e v e r y c o l o r p a t t e r n im a g in a b le , in c l u d i n g b lu e . T h e m a n y c o lo r p a t t e r n s a n d v a r ie t ie s o f c o m b s m a k e r a is i n g fa n c y p o u lt r y c h a l l e n g i n g a n d e x c it in g .

P o u lt r y e n t h u s ia s t s c a n o n ly b e s t e r e o t y p e d in as m u c h a s t h e y s h a r e a c o m m o n i n t e r e s t in r a is in g p o u lt r y

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w h ic h e a c h h a s . H o w e v e r , e v e n w h e n o n e lo c a t e s a b r e e d e r o f o n e o f t h e r a r e b r e e d s f o r w h ic h h e h a s b e e n s e a r c h in g , t h e b r e e d e r m a y n o t h a v e e x t r a s to s p a r e . I f h e d o e s , t h e c o s t o f s h ip p in g liv e b ir d s is o u t r a g e o u s ly c o s t ly a n d t h e p u r c h a s e r m u s t b e a r th e c o s t w h ic h v e r y o ft e n is m u c h h ig h e r th a n t h e c o s t o f t h e b r e e d in g s to c k . F e w b r e e d e r s w ill sh ip c h ic k s a s t h e y d o n o t u s u a lly h a t c h o n a la r g e s c a le .

M a n y w ill s h ip e g g s , b u t it is a lw a y s a g a m b le t h a t t h e y w ill a r r iv e in g o o d o r d e r a n d t h e h a t c h a b ilit y o f s h ip p e d e g g s is v e r y o ft e n lo w o r n il. o o n e w h o h a s n e v e r a t t e n d e d a la r g e p o u lt r y s h o w a n d w h o is u n fa m ilia r w ith all b u t a fe w m o r e c o m m o n b r e e d s , it m a y c o m e a s s t a r t lin g n e w s t h a t t h e r e a r e a r o u n d 120 d if­ f e r e n t v a r ie t ie s a n d b r e e d s t h a t h a v e b e e n a d ­ m it t e d t o t h e Standard of Perfection. T h e r e a r e m a n y o t h e r b r e e d s a n d v a r ie t ie s t h a t h o p e fu lly c a n b e p r e s e r v e d a n d a d m it t e d in t h e fu t u r e . T o be a c ­ c e p t e d t o t h e Standard of Perfection, a b r e e d o r v a r ie t y o f t h a t b r e e d m u s t b e id e n t ifia b le b y c e r ­ ta in c h a r a c t e r is t ic s s u c h a s c o l o r p a t t e r n , t y p e o f c o m b , s iz e , a n d s h a p e . A ll b r e e d s in t h e Standard of Perfection h a v e b e e n d iv id e d in t o c la s s e s . T h e r e a r e a t p r e s e n t n in e c la s s e s : t h e A m e r ic a n , E n g lis h , F r e n c h , M e d it e r r a n e a n , A s ia n , H a m b u rg , C o n ­ t i n e n t a l , P o lis h , a n d O ld E n g l i s h a n d M o d e r n G a m e s . A lm o s t e v e r y b r e e d h a s m o r e t h a n o n e v a r ie t y . T h e fa m ilia r W h it e L e g h o r n is b u t o n e o f t w e lv e v a r ie t ie s b e lo n g in g t o t h e L e g h o r n b r e e d . T o c it e a fe w e x a m p le s o f w h a t c« .is titu te s v a r ie t y , t h e r e a r e S in g le - C o m b D a r k d r o w n L e g h o r n s , R o s e -C o m b D a r k B r o w n L e g h o r n s , a n d S in g le C o m b B la c k , B u ff, S ilv e r , R e d , B la c k -T a ile d R ed , a n d C o lu m b ia n L e g h o r n s . T h e r e a r e fo w l w ith

54

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c e s s e s , a n d f a i l u r e s . T h e w i n n e r s a r e u s u a lly m a g n a n im o u s in o f f e r in g h e lp fu l t ip s t o th e lo s e r s , a n d a c o n v iv ia l a t m o s p h e r e in t e r m in g le s w ith a c a c o p h o n y o f s o u n d s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f th e p o u lt r y w o r ld .

O n e o f t h e g o a ls t h a t m o s t p o u lt r y h o b b y is t s h a v e is t o e n c o u r a g e o t h e r s t o t a k e u p t h e h o b b y . T h e m o r e p o u lt r y e n t h u s ia s t s t h e r e a r e o v e r th e c o u n ­ t r y , t h e b e t t e r t h e c h a n c e s o u r r a r e b r e e d s w ill h a v e t o s u r v iv e a n d t o p e r p e t u a t e t h e m s e lv e s ; th e m o r e p e o p le in v o lv e d w it h p o u lt r y , th e m o r e c lu b s a n d c o n s e q u e n t ly m o r e s h o w s w ill s p r in g u p o v e r

th e c o u n t r y . I t is a h e a lt h y a n d w h o le s o m e h o b b y .

A ll s h o w s a t t e m p t t o o f f e r in c e n t i v e s t o y o u n g p e o ­ p le t o e x h ib it b ir d s . I a m in t h e fie ld o f e d u c a tio n , a n d e a c h y e a r I r e a liz e g r e a t s a t i s fa c t i o n fr o m t a k ­ in g s o m e o f m y o w n b ir d s t o m y h ig h s c h o o l a n d g iv i n g le c t u r e s on p o u lt r y g e n e t i c s t o t h e b io lo g y c la s s e s . H a v in g liv e b ir d s in t h e b io lo g y le c t u r e r o o m a lw a y s g e n e r a t e s a g r e a t i n t e r e s t a m o n g th e s t u d e n t s . F o r m o s t , it is t h e fi r s t tim e t h a t t h e y h a v e v ie w e d a n y t h in g b u t t h e m o r e co m m o n b r e e d s , a n d t h e y a r e a m a z e d a t t h e v a r ia t io n s o f t r a it s in d if fe r e n t b r e e d s . A s h o w a n d te ll le c t u r e w ith p o u lt r y is a g u a r a n t e e o f a s u c c e s s fu l d a y in t h e c la s s r o o m . L ik e a n y o t h e r h o b b y , r a is in g a s m a ll flo c k o f p o u lt r y is t h e r a p e u t ic . P e r h a p s it is

o r s o m e p o u lt r y h o b b y is t s , t r a c i n g th e o r ig in o f t h e ir b r e e d o r b r e e d s c a n b e fa s c in a t in g .

T h e c la s s e s o f m o s t b r e e d s d e n o t e th e a r e a o f t h e ir o r ig in . H o w e v e r , t r a c i n g t h e o r ig in o f b r e e d s o f p o u lt r y c a n b e a s c o m p l ic a t e d a s a t t e m p t in g to t r a c e t h e o r ig in o f r a c e s , p r o v id in g , o f c o u r s e , o n e r e c o g n iz e s t h a t t h e r e a r e d is t in c t r a c e s . T o b e m o r e s u c c in c t , O r p in g t o n s a r e a b r e e d t h a t b e lo n g s t o th e E n g l is h c la s s s in c e s o m e o f it s v a r ie t ie s w e r e f i r s t d e v e lo p e d in E n g l a n d . H o w e v e r , th e O r p ­ in g t o n

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M e d it e r r a n e a n b r e e d s . S in c e f a c e t s o f m y w o r k in ­ v o lv e r a t h e r e x t e n s iv e t r a v e l , I fr e q u e n t ly h a v e t h e o p p o r t u n it y t o o b s e r v e s m a ll flo c k s o f p o u lt r y r u n ­ n in g a b o u t in t h e s t r e e t s a n d y a r d s o f v illa g e s a r o u n d t h e w o r ld . W h a t I a m a lw a y s lo o k in g fo r b u t s e ld o m s e e is a flo c k o f o n e o f o u r s t a n d a r d b r e e d s .

U s u a lly t h e flo c k s a r e t y p ic a l b a r n y a r d flo c k s t h a t h a v e b e e n c r o s s e d a n d r e c r o s s e d . S u r p r is in g , p e r h a p s , a r e t h e o b v io u s t r a i t s o f o u r A m e r ic a n b r e e d s t h a t f r e q u e n t ly p r e d o m in a t e in th e flo c k s I o b s e r v e . I s p e c ia liz e in E n g l is h a n d F r e n c h b r e e d s .

A lo n g t h e C h a m p s E ly s e e s , t h e m o s t fa s h io n a b le p r o m e n a d e in P a r is , t h e r e is a s e c t i o n w h e r e t h e r e a r e a n u m b e r o f p e t s h o p s c lu s t e r e d t o g e t h e r . In a d d it io n t o v a m p ir e b a t s a n d a s s o r t e d s n a k e s , t h e r e a r e t h e m o r e m u n d a n e p e t s in c l u d i n g c a g e s o f p o u lt r y . E a c h t im e I p a s s t h e s h o p s , I lo o k in v a in fo r C r e v e c o e u r s , H o u d a n s , L a F le c h e , or F a v e r o lle s . I n s t e a d I s e e R h o d e I s la n d R e d s , W h ite R o c k s , L e g h o r n s , a n d A s ia t i c b r e e d s . T h e F r e n c h b r e e d s a r e n a m e d a f t e r t h e t o w n s o r v illa g e s w h e r e t h e y w e r e fi r s t d e v e lo p e d . F o r e x a m p le , t h e M o t ­ tle d H o u d a n (o n e o f m y f a v o r i t e s ) w a s , a c c o r d in g to t h e r e c o r d s , d e v e lo p e d in H o u d a n , a to w n o f 2,100 p e o p le lo c a t e d a b o u t f o r t y m ile s fr o m P a r is . I o n c e m o t o r e d o u t t h e r e t o s e e t h e p la c e o f o r ig in o f o n e o f m y b r e e d s . T h e fe r t ile g r e e n fie ld s a n d th e w h it e ­ w a s h e d h o u s e s a r e s till t h e r e , b u t t h e H o u d a n h a s a ll b u t v a n is h e d fr o m t h e p la c e o f it s o r ig in . T h e r e a re tim e s , h o w e v e r , w h e n m y v ig il an d p e r s e v e r a n c e a r e r e w a r d e d . F o r e x a m p le , o n e d a y w h ile h ik in g a lo n g t h e c o u n t r y r o a d s in F la n d e r s , B e lg iu m , I o b s e r v e d t h e f i n e s t flo c k o f S a lm o n F a v e r o lle s I h a v e e v e r s e e n . A l t h o u g h it w a s n o t in F r a n c e t h a t I o b s e r v e d t h e m , t h e v illa g e a n d s e t ­ t i n g w e r e s o m e w h a t s im ila r t o F a v e r o lle , th e p la c e o f t h e ir o r ig in .

a d a y . U s u a lly w h e n I r e t u r n t o m y h o m e in th e a f­ t e r n o o n , I a m c a r r y in g a n a t t a c h e c a s e fille d w ith w o r k t h a t m u s t b e c o m p le t e d b e f o r e th e fo llo w in g d a y . H a v in g t o c a r e fo r t h e p o u l t r y g iv e s m e a r e s p it e fr o m m e n ta l p r e s s u r e s . I e n jo y fe e d in g a n d w a t e r in g t h e b ir d s , g a t h e r i n g t h e e g g s , c h e c k in g o u t t h e f e a t h e r i n g o f o n e o f m y c h o ic e b ir d s , o r w o r k in g w ith t h e m s o t h a t t h e y w ill n o t b e c o m e n e r v o u s w h e n t h e y a r e h a n d le d b y j u d g e s d u r in g a s h o w . M y b ir d s h a v e c o m p e lle d m e t o ta k e t h a t b r e a k fr o m m y r e g u la r w o r k ; I fe e l m o r e r e la x e d a n d r e a d y t o c o p e w ith t h e e v e n i n g ’ s w o rk .

O n e t h in g I h a v e o b s e r v e d fr o m t r a v e lin g a n d b r e e d in g p o u lt r y is t h a t t h e r e s e e m s t o be a r e ­ m a r k a b le lik e n e s s b e t w e e n t h e t e m p e r m e n t o f th e b r e e d s a n d th e in d ig e n o u s p o p u l a t i o n w h e r e t h e b r e e d s o r ig i n a t e d . F o r e x a m p le , M e d it e r r a n e a n breeds

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b r e e d s , a n d t h e A s ia t i c b r e e d s s u c h a s th e B r a h m a s a n d C o c h i n s m a i n t a i n , w i t h f e w e x c e p t io n s , a p e r p e t u a l A s ia t i c c a lm . e w p o u lt r y e n t h u s ia s t s r e a l i z e a p r o fit fr o m t h e ir h o b b y u n le s s t h e y a r e a b le t o se ll m a n y o f t h e ir s u p e r flu o u s s t o c k a t a g o o d p r ic e , b u t r a is i n g p o u lt r y d o e s o f f e r s o m e m o n e t a r y r e ­ t u r n s d ir e c t ly o r in d ir e c t ly . M a n y r a r e b r e e d s a r e g o o d la y e r s , a n d m o s t o r i g i n a l l y w e r e b r e d fo r

F

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p e r h a p s o n ly o n e o f c e r t a in b r e e d s . F o r t h o s e w h o a r e m o r e s e r io u s a b o u t b e c o m i n g s u c c e s s fu l a s e x ­ h ib it o r s it is b e t t e r t o fo c u s u p o n a s fe w b r e e d s as p o s s ib le . I f o n e is c o n fr o n t e d w it h a p r o b le m o f la c k o f s p a c e , it is m o r e fe a s ib le t o lim it h im s e lf to o n e o r t w o b r e e d s . T h e m o r e b ir d s o f a s in g le v a r ie t y , th e b e t t e r t h e o d d s t h a t t h e r e w ill b e a fe w w h ic h w ill s o m e w h a t a p p r o a c h t h e a p p r o x im a t e s t a n ­ d a r d s s e t fo r t h a t p a r t i c u l a r b r e e d o r v a r ie t y . I f o n e w is h e s t o h a t c h h is o w n c h ic k e n s fr o m h is o w n b r e e d in g s to c k , it is a d v is a b le t o h a v e m o r e th a n a s in g le p e n o f b r e e d e r s . O n e m u s t c o n s id e r th e

u t il it a r i a n p u r p o s e s . T h is m e a n s t h a t t h e y a r e u s e fu l fo r b o th m e a t a n d e g g s . O n e c a n e n jo y h is o w n fr e s h e g g s , s e ll t h e s u r p lu s t o h e lp p a y fo r th e g r a in , a n d s a v o r fr e s h c h ic k e n w h e n it c o m e s tim e t o c u ll o u t t h e flo c k . F r e q u e n t l y t h e r e a r e o p ­ p o r t u n it i e s fo r o n e t o s e ll h a t c h in g e g g s , b a b y c h ic k s , a n d b r e e d in g s t o c k w it h in t h e a r e a o r a c r o s s t h e n a t io n i f o n e w is h e s t o a d v e r t is e , e s p e c ia lly in T h e P o u l t r y P re s s , t h e o n jy p u b lic a t io n c o m p le t e ly d e v o t e d t o th e n e e d s a n d in t e r e s t s o f th e p o u lt r y f a n c i e r a n d t h e p r e s e r v a t i o n o f a ll b r e e d s o f p o u lt r y . I f o n e ta k e s p r id e in p o s s e s s i n g a b e a u tifu l flo c k , h e s h o u ld a ls o t a k e p r id e in k e e p in g h is p e n s c le a n a n d t h e flo o r c o v e r e d w it h fr e s h s h a v in g s o r s o m e o t h e r k in d o f c le a n lit t e r . U s u a lly if o n e k e e p s p o u lt r y , h e a ls o m a in t a in s a g a r d e n . T h e r e is n o b e t t e r fe r t ili z e r a v a ila b le t h a n p o u lt r y m a n u r e , p r o v id in g it is u s e d w ith s o m e d is c r e t io n , to m a k e v e g e t a b l e a n d flo w e r g a r d e n s , la w n s , a n d fie ld s p r o d u c t iv e . I f o n e c le a n s o u t h is p e n s fr e q u e n t ly , t h e r e w ill b e lit t le o d o r fr o m t h e s o ile d litte r ; y e t, it w ill c o n t a in e n o u g h n it r o g e n t o in d u c e a lm o s t a n y t h in g t o g r o w m o r e lu x u r ia n t l y . in a lly , fo r t h o s e w h o a r e c o n t e m p la t in g r a is ­

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fo r m a t io n m a y p r o v e h e lp fu l. T h e s e le c t io n o f a b r e e d o r b r e e d s is a lw a y s a p r o b le m . T h e r e a r e a f e w h a t c h e r i e s in t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s t h a t s p e c ia l iz e in h a t c h in g r a r e b r e e d s . M u r r a y M c M u r r a y o f W e b s t e r C ity , I o w a , a d v e r t is e s s ix t y -s e v e n v a r ie t ie s . T h e y p u b lis h a b e a u t if u l a n d c o lo r fu l c a t a l o g u e , fr e e u p o n r e q u e s t , w h ic h is e x t r e m e ly h e lp fu l to t h e n o v ic e a s a lm o s t e v e r y b r e e d a n d v a r ie t y is p ic t u r e d , m o s t o f t h e m in c o lo r . T h e r e a re r a r e b r e e d s p e c ia ls w h e r e o n e m a y a c q u ir e a r a in ­ b o w o f c h ic k s a t v e r y m o d e r a t e p r ic e s . T h is is t e m p t in g a n d is a q u ic k w a y o f s a m p lin g a n u m b e r o f b r e e d s . I t c a n b e e x c it in g a s c h ic k s c h a n g e in a p ­ p e a r a n c e fr o m d a y t o d a y , a n d s o o n o n e fin d s h im s e lf w ith a m o s a ic o f r a p id ly m a t u r in g p u lle t s a n d c o c k e r e ls . In m a n y c a s e s o n e c o u ld en d up w ith

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m o r t a lit y r a t e e v e n a m o n g h e a lt h y flo c k s . T h e r e is a lw a y s a n e le m e n t o f r is k in s h o w i n g b ir d s b e c a u s e t h e y a r e v u l n e r a b l e t o a n u m b e r o f d is e a s e s , e s p e c ia lly fo r m s o f r e s p ir a t o r y d is e a s e s . I t is o ft e n t e m p t in g to p u r c h a s e a la r g e n u m b e r o f c h ic k s , e s p e c ia lly a t b a r g a in p r ic e s . R e m e m b e r t h a t th e p r ic e o f g r a in is v e r y h ig h , a n d g r o w i n g c h ic k s h a v e p r o d ig io u s a p p e t it e s .

O n e m a y s o o n la m e n t t h e f a c t t h a t h e y ie ld e d to t h e t e m p t a t io n t o p u r c h a s e t o o m a n y . T w e n t y -fiv e t o f i f t y c h ic k s is w h a t I p e r s o n a lly r e c o m m e n d . A s fa r a s b r e e d s a r e c o n c e r n e d , t h a t is a m a t t e r u p o n w h ic h o n ly t h e in d iv id u a l c a n d e c id e . It m a y ta k e s e v e r a l y e a r s o f e x p e r im e n t i n g b e f o r e o n e c a n s e t ­ tle u p o n o n e o r m o r e b r e e d s w h ic h h e r e a lly fe e ls a r e h is fa v o r it e s . H o p e fu lly r a is i n g a n d p e r h a p s e x ­ h ib it in g p o u lt r y w ill b e c o m e a fa m ily h o b b y , n o t j u s t a h o b b y fo r a n in d iv id u a l m e m b e r o f th e fa m i­ ly. T h e r e is a d ir e n e e d fo r m o r e fa m ily o r ie n t e d h o b b ie s a t a tim e w h e n fa m ilie s s e e m t o fin d little tim e t o s h a r e e x p e r ie n c e s . O v e r t h e y e a r s t h a t I h a v e b e e n a tte n d in g sh o w s th r o u g h o u t N ew E n g la n d , I h a v e o b s e r v e d t h a t s o m e o f th e m o s t s u c c e s s fu l e x h ib it o r s a r e t h o s e w h o m a k e u p a fa m ily t e a m . L a s t o f a ll, if o n e w is h e s to e x h ib it o r j u s t le a r n m o r e a b o u t r a is i n g p o u lt r y , h e s h o u ld j o i n a p o u lt r y a s s o c ia t io n . I t is o n ly th r o u g h th e s t r e n g t h o f h u n d r e d s o f c lu b s a n d a s s o c ia t io n s t h r o u g h o u t th e U n it e d S t a t e s a n d o t h e r n a tio n s o f t h e w o r ld t h a t m a n y o f t h e r a r e a n d e x o t ic b r e e d s w ill b e s a v e d fr o m e x t in c t io n .

Juniper & Bayberry

by Darrell A. Rolerson r o b a b ly n o t w o s h r u b s a r e m o r e c h a r a c ­ t e r i s t i c o f t h e l a n d s c a p e in M a in e t h a n ju n i p e r a n d b a y b e r r y . T h e y c a n b e s e e n in s t o n e y p a s t u r e s e v e r y w h e r e , a n d flo u r is h in g b y th e s e a — s t r a i g h t o u t t o t h e c l i f f s e d g e . T h e ir h o m lin e s s a n d t h e ir c h a r m h a v e e s t a b l is h e d th e m e v e n in t h e li t e r a t u r e o f th is la n d . S a r a h O rn e J e w e t t, d e s c r ib i n g a M a in e p a s t u r e in Country of the Point­ ed Firs s a id t h a t “ I c o u ld s e e t h e ric h g r e e n o f

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f l a v o r g in , a n d I h a v e r e a d t h a t t h e E n g lis h s o m e t im e s p u t t h e b e r r ie s in t h e i r c id e r . C o o k s s o m e t im e s u s e t h e m a s a c o n d i m e n t w ith g a m e , a ls o . T h e f l a v o r o f v e n is o n a n d p h e a s a n t a n d w ild r a b b it e s p e c ia lly is e n h a n c e d b y a c o u p le o f ju n ip e r b e r r ie s g r o u n d t h r o u g h a p e p p e r m ill. A c o u p le o f t h e s e tb e r r ie s a ls o c a n b e p la n t e d w h o le in t h e s t u f­ fi n g o f a w ild d u c k . O r t r y a fe w in a c r o c k o f sa u erk ra u t.

Juniper

b a y b e r r y b u s h e s h e r e a n d t h e r e , w h e r e th e r o c k s m a d e r o o m . T h e a ir w a s v e r y s w e e t . . .” A n d t r a v e l lin g “ u p c o u n t r y ” s h e s p e a k s p le a s a n t ly o f s h a d y r o a d s w h e r e t h e w o o d s s t o o d c lo s e o n th e r i g h t . . .“ o n t h e le f t w e r e n a r r o w fie ld s a n d p a stu re s w h ere th e re w ere as m an y a cres of s p r u c e s a n d p in e s a s t h e r e w e r e o f b a y a n d ju n ip e r a n d b u n c h b e r r y .” E d n a S t. V in c e n t M ille t, a ls o , in h e r p o e m e n t it le d Journey p r a is e s t h e “ dim , s h a d y w o o d s r e d o le n t o f fe r n a n d b a y b e r r y .” A n d m o r e th a n o n c e s h e ta lk s o f t h e s m e ll o f “ b a y b e r r y h o t in th e s u n .”

W h ile e v e r y fa r m e r a n d e v e r y fis h e r m a n t h r o u g h o u t t h e s t a t e is fa m ili a r w it h ju n ip e r a n d b a y b e r r y , a n d e v e r y o n e a p p r e c ia t e s t h e s e s h r u b s t o s o m e d e g r e e , fe w p e o p le k n o w t h e i r fu ll v a lu e . T h e m o s t c o m m o n u s e o f j u n i p e r b e r r ie s , o f c o u r s e , is to

D a r r e ll R o le r so n , Isle s b o r o , M a in e.

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B e y o n d it s c u lin a r y u s e j u n i p e r is o n e o f th e m o r e im p o r t a n t m e d ic in a l p la n t s — t a k e n g e n e r a lly in a t e a m a d e b y s t e e p in g a fe w t a b le s p o o n s f u l o f th e b e r r ie s in a p in t o f b o ilin g w a t e r . A c u p o f th is c a n b e s ip p e d t h r o u g h t h e d a y t o s t i m u la t e th e a p p e tit e a n d a id d ig e s t io n , a n d t o h e lp e lim in a t e m u c o u s d u e t o c o ld s . T h e t e a is a ls o a n e x c e ll e n t w a s h fo r m o s q u it o b it e s a n d b e e s t in g s , a n d d u e t o it s a n ­ t is e p t ic q u a lit ie s it is a n e x c e l l e n t s p r a y to d is in fe c t a r o o m in w h ic h a p a t i e n t w it h a c o n t a g io u s d is e a s e h a s b e e n k e p t. In d a y s o f p la g u e t h e s ic k r o o m a t ­ t e n d a n t s u s e d t o c h e w t h e s e b e r r ie s , w h ic h w o r k lik e a c h a r m fo r im m u n it y . T h e y p u r if y th e b r e a th b e t t e r th a n a n y t h in g I k n o w , s o l o n g as y o u d o n ’ t g e t a c c u s e d o f n ip p in g o f f t h e g in b o t t le .

O n e o f t h e m o s t tr ie d u s e s o f t h e ju n ip e r b e r r y h a s b e e n in t h e t r e a t m e n t o f k id n e y , u r in a r y , a n d b la d d e r t r o u b le s . T h e o ld h e r b a li s t s a r e q u it e e x ­ p lic it a b o u t t h is . J o s e p h M e y e r in The Herbalist s a y s t h a t ju n i p e r b e r r ie s “ im p a r t t o th e u r in e th e s m e ll o f v io le t s .”

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T h e A m e r ic a n I n d ia n s h a d d e v e lo p e d t h e ir o w n u s e s fo r ju n i p e r b e r r ie s . T h e y u s e d th e m as a m e t h o d o f b ir t h c o n t r o l, t o h e lp in c u r in g c e r t a in t y p e s o f v e n e r e a l d is e a s e s a n d t o e a s e th e p a in s o f a r t h r it is . A ls o , t h e y d r ie d t h e b e r r ie s to s t r in g as b e a d s a n d u s e d t h e m to d y e t h e ir h a ir an d fa b r ic . u n ip e r b e r r ie s r e q u ir e fr o m tw o to t h r e e y e a r s t o r ip e n — s o t h a t t h e b lu e a n d th e g r e e n b e r r ie s a p p e a r s im u lt a n e o u s ly on th e s a m e s te m . O n ly t h e b lu e b e r r ie s s h o u ld be p ic k e d — a n d j u s t p r io r t o t h e ir p e r f e c t r ip e n e s s , fo r th e n t h e y c o n t a in t h e ir h ig h e s t a m o u n t s o f v o la t ile oil — t h e ir “ p r in c ip a l c o n s t it u e n t ,” M r s . G r ie v e s s a y s . In

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m o r e p r o g r e s s e d s t a g e s o f r ip e n e s s t h e v o la t ile oii c h a n g e s t o r e s in . T h e b e r r ie s t u r n s lig h t ly d a r k e r , p e r h a p s e v e n b la c k .

J u n ip e r s h o u ld n e v e r b e e r r a d ic a t e d fr o m p a s t u r e s , n o r t r e a t e d a s a w e e d in a r e a s w h e r e a n im a ls g r a z e . G o a t s , s h e e p a n d h o r s e s s e e k th e y o u n g s h o o t s o u t. F o r t h e m j u n i p e r is a to n ic . It

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c u r e s a c id m ilk in c o w s , a n d h e lp s s p e e d im p u r itie s fr o m t h e b lo o d , liv e r a n d k id n e y s . I t is e s p e c ia lly b e n e fic ia l t o a n im a ls w h ic h h a v e b e e n c o n fin e d a lo t , a ft e r a lo n g w in t e r . V e t e r n a r ia n s s o m e t im e s u s e t h e v o la t ile o il w ith la r d o r a n y g o o d s a lv e b a s e (v a s a lin e is g r e a t ) o v e r e x p o s e d s o r e s t o h e lp h ea l w h ile it r e p e ls flie s .

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FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE \

M o n h e g a n , a b o u t t w e n t y m ile s o f f th e c o a s t o f M a in e , ju n i p e r is c a lle d “ t r a i l i n g y e w ” ; it is th e c u s t o m o f t h e n a t iv e s t h e r e t o in c lu d e it w ith b a y a n d o t h e r s w e e t -s c e n t e d “ p o s ie s ” in o ld -fa s h io n e d n o s e g a y s — w h ic h t h e y g iv e t o e s p e c ia lly fa v o r e d g u e s t s fr o m “ A w a y ” . h e b a y b e r r y b u s h is m o s t c o m m o n ly k n o w n

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a s s w e e t g a le , t h o u g h c a n d le b e r r y a n d w a x m y r t le a r e a c o u p le o f it s n a m e s , a ls o — b o th i n d i c a t i n g it s u t i l i t a r i a n v a l u e . L ik e j u n i p e r , b a y b e r r y ’ s m o s t p o p u la r u s e s e e m s t o b e as a f l a v o r in g fo r a lc o h o l (I t h in k p r o b a b ly th is h a s b e e n o n e o f th e m o s t p o p u la r u s e s a t o n e tim e o r a n o t h e r fo r j u s t a b o u t e v e r y h e r b ). M r s . G r ie v e s in h e r M o d e r n H e rb a l s a y s t h a t “ it s b r a n c h e s h a v e b e e n u s e d a s a s u b s t it u t e fo r h o p s in Y o r k s h ir e , a n d p u t in t o a b e e r c a lle d t h e r e ‘ G a le B e e r .’ ” Y o u c a n ta k e M rs . G r ie v e s ’ w o r d t h a t “ it is e x t r e m e l y g o o d t o a l­ la y t h ir s t .”

J e t h r o K lo s s in B a c k to E d e n c a lls b a y b e r r y “ o n e o f th e m o s t v a lu a b le a n d u s e fu l h e r b s .” It is a n o ld fa s h io n e d A m e r ic a n fo lk r e m e d y o f r e a l d is t in c tio n — t h e b a r k a n d le a v e s a n d t h e flo w e r s , a ll th r e e , b e in g t h e p a r t s u se d . A c o m b i n a t io n o f th e th r e e , I h a v e fo u n d , w o r k s b e s t . T h e f l o w e r s a n d th e le a v e s a r e g a t h e r e d a t th e s a m e t im e , e a r ly in th e s p r in g .

A s it is t r u e w ith a ll h e r b s w h o s e flo w e r s a r e u s e d t h e s e w ill b e m o s t p o t e n t j u s t a s t h e p la n t b e g in s to b lo o m . B o u q u e t s c a n b e h u n g t o d r y in a n y w a r m a t t i c w h e r e t h e a ir c i r c u l a t e s f r e e l y , o r in a h a y m o w , o r u n d e r t h e h o t r o o f o f a s h e d — a s lo n g a s t h e y a r e in t h e s h a d e . T h e b e s t tim e t o d ig th e r o o t s o f b a y is in t h e la t e fa ll w h e n th e b u s h is d o r ­ m a n t, w h e n a ll t h e p la n t ’ s p o w e r s a r e a c c u m u la te d m o s t in t e n s e ly u n d e r g r o u n d . T o c u r e t h e r o o ts , w a s h t h e m fir s t ; t h e n s p r e a d t h e m t o d r y in a b a r e ­ ly w a r m o v e n fo r a d a y — in a w o o d -o v e n , p e r h a p s , w ith th e d o o r s lig h t ly a ja r . W h en th e y a re t h o r o u g h l y d r y — m e a n in g b r it t le — g r in d th e m w ith a m o r t a r a n d p e s ta l a n d s t o r e th e m in d a rk c o n t a in e r s , h a v in g c o m b in e d t h e m w ith th e d r ie d l e a v e s a n d flo w e r s o f t h e h e r b . T h e c o n t a in e r s h o u ld b e w e ll-s e a le d .

T h is c o m b in a t io n is a r o m a t ic , a s t r in g e n t , t o n ic a n d s t im u le n t . S t e e p a t a b l e s p o o n o f it in a p in t o f b o ilin g w a t e r fo r h a lf an h o u r . A d d a little h o n e y if y o u lik e , a n d d r in k it fr e e ly . W o m e n fin d it h e lp s to W HERE LO BSTERS A R E CAU G H T, COOKED A N D EA TEN

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c h e c k p r o fu s e m e n s t r u a t io n (K lo s s c a lls it a n “ u n ­ f a i l i n g r e m e d y ” f o r t h is w h e n c o m b i n e d w it h c a p s ic u m ). G a r g le w ith t h is t e a f o r b le e d in g g u m s a n d c a n k e r s . I t a ls o p r o m o t e s p e r s p ir a t io n a n d im ­ p r o v e s c ir c u la t io n , w h ic h m a k e s it e s p e c ia lly g o o d fo r c o ld s — c o m b in e d w it h y a r r o w , c a tn ip , s a g e o r p e p p e r m in t , o r t h e n e e d le s fr o m fiv e -n e e d le d p in e ).

f th is m ix t u r e o f b a y le a v e s , flo w e r s , a n d r o o t is g r o u n d e x t r e m e ly fi n e i t c a n b e “ s n o r t e d ” u p th e n o s e a p in c h a t a t im e fo r a ilin g a d e n o id s a n d t o c u t m u c o u s — t h o u g h I p r e fe r p e r s o n a lly t o s n o r t t h e lu k e w a r m t e a fr o m t h e p a lm o f m y h a n d , u p o n e n o s t r il a t a tim e . In y o g a t e r m in o lo g y th is is k n o w n a s a “ k r i y a ” — o r c le a n s ­ in g p r o c e s s , a n d is n o t a t a ll a n u n p le a s a n t t h in g to

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d o. P e o p le w h o h a v e b e e n s w im m i n g in th e s e a a n d s n o r t e d s a lt w a t e r a c c id e n t l y u p t h e ir n o s e m a y m a k e a n u n p le a s a n t a s s o c ia t io n b e t w e e n t h e s e tw o e x p e r ie n c e s , w h ile r e a lly t h e r e is n o c o m p a r is o n .

P e o p le w it h a “ s t u f f - d u p - d o z e ” w ill b e g la d to b r e a t h a g a in .

A s fo r t h e g r o u n d m i x t u r e , I p r e f e r to ta k e it in c a p s u le s — w h ic h u s u a lly c a n b e p u r c h a s e d e m p t y fr o m a d r u g s t o r e . T a k e n t h is w a y t h e b a y le a v e s , flo w e r s , a n d r o o t h e lp t o c le a n t h e s to m a c h . E v e n w it h o u t t h e c a p s u le s th is p o w d e r c a n b e a p p lie d to in fe c t e d s o r e s . D o c u m e n t e d c a s e s e x is t in w h ic h it h a s h e a le d g a n g r e n e .

T h e w a x u s e d in m a k in g b a y c a n d le s c o m e s fr o m th e b e r r ie s . T h e s e c a n b e fo u n d c lu s t e r e d a lo n g t h e ir s t e m lik e t h e e g g s w h ic h h o ld t o th e ta il o f a s e e d lo b s t e r . T o o b t a in t h e ir w a x b o il th e b e r r ie s in w a t e r . T h e w a x w ill flo a t t o t h e s u r fa c e , t o b e r e ­ m o v e d w h e n it h a s b e c o m e c o ld a n d h a r d e n e d . A p u r e b a y b e r r y c a n d le , c o n s id e r in g th e n u m b e r o f b e r r ie s it ta k e s t o y ie ld t h a t a m o u n t o f w a x , is w o r t h it s w e ig h t in g o ld . T h o u g h f a r b e it fr o m m e t o d is c o u r a g e a n y o n e fr o m u n d e r t a k in g th e jo b .

T h e v a lu e o f s o m e t h in g s c a n ’ t b e m e a s u r e d in tim e n o r e f f o r t n o r t h e m o n e y it t a k e s t o a c q u ir e th e m . A p u r e b a y c a n d le b u r n s w ith a r a d ia n t lig h t : a tr u e d is p e lle r o f d a r k n e s s , la s t in g m u c h lo n g e r th a n a p a r a ffin c a n d le . A n d t a lk a b o u t a p u r e fr a g r a n c e !

T h e s m e ll o f a b a y c a n d le b u r n i n g w ill e le v a t e a p e r s o n in t o a s u b lim e s t a t e e v e n w h e n n o t h in g e ls e w ill.

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From Stump to Stove b y J a c k B u lg e r o o d is o n e o f t h e b e s t a lt e r n a t iv e s t o oil h e a t in t h e N o r t h e a s t . A n a d d e d a d v a n t a g e

b e n e fit s a r e r e s u lt a n t , b u t t h a t s p e c ia l s o m e t h in g

is t h a t fir e w o o d h a r v e s t c a n a c tu a lly be u s e d t o im p r o v e fo r e s t s t a n d s a n d g r e a t l y in c r e a s e th e v a lu e o f f o r e s t s t o t h e la n d o w n e r . P o o r e r q u a li­ t y t r e e s c a n b e t h in n e d fr o m t h e s t a n d fo r fir e w o o d , le a v i n g th e b e t t e r q u a lit y t r e e s t o g r o w fo r v a lu a ­ b le w o o d p r o d u c t s . B y p r o p e r f o r e s t m a n a g e m e n t ,

u s e r . T h e r e is s o m e t h i n g a b o u t t h e h e a t fr o m a w o o d s t o v e t h a t p e n e t r a t e s c h ille d b o n e s a n d e n ­ v e lo p e s th e u s e r in a w a r m , s t i m u la t i n g b la n k e t

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w e c a n h a v e o u r c a k e a n d e a t it t o o .

In t h e b r o k e n fa r m la n d o f t h e N o r t h e a s t , m o s t e v e r y fa r m h a s its w o o d lo t . B y n o t p r a c t ic in g s o u n d f o r e s t m a n a g e m e n t , f a r m s t e a d e r s a r e m is s in g an im p o r t a n t p o t e n t ia l s o u r c e o f fa r m in c o m e . T h e

t h a t d e fie s id e n t ific a t io n w ill e m b r a c e th e fir e w o o d

t h a t c o u ld n e v e r b e d u p lic a t e d b y a n y c e n tr a l h e a t ­ in g s y s t e m . B y n o w , y o u m u s t b e a b le to fe e l th is w a r m t h , so , o n to s p e c ific s .

B e fo r e g o in g fu r t h e r , I s h o u ld d e fi n e a n d e x p la in s e v e r a l t e r m s u s e d in f o r e s t m a n a g e m e n t a n d f i r e w o o d u s e , in o r d e r t o a v o i d a n y c o n fu s io n a m o n g th e r e a d e r s .

C ord

— A s t a c k o f w o o d f o u r f e e t x e ig h t fe e t x

p u r p o s e o f t h is a r t i c le is t o h e lp fa r m s t e a d e r s h a r v e s t f i r e w o o d w h i le i m p r o v i n g t h e ir f o r e s t s t a n d s . I f y o u a r e fo r t u n a t e e n o u g h t o o w n o r h a v e

fo u r fe e t . In s o m e a r e a s c o r d w o o d is u s u a lly c u t in ­ t o f o u r fo o t le n g t h s , a n d a p ile f o u r fe e t h ig h b y e ig h t f e e t w id e e q u a ls a c o r d . In o t h e r a r e a s , c o r d

a c c e s s t o a w o o d lo t , p u ll u p a c h a ir , p u t y o u r fe e t u p o n y o u r n o w c o ld s t o v e , a n d r e a d o n .

F ir e w o o d c u t t i n g c a n im p r o v e f o r e s t s s ta n d s b y

w o o d is c u t in e ig h t f o o t le n g t h s a n d th u s th e p ile n e e d s t o b e o n ly fo u r fe e t h ig h a n d fo u r fe e t w id e . A

t h in n in g , r e le a s in g a n d p r o p e r ly s p a c in g th e b e s t q u a lit y t r e e s fo r o t h e r v a lu a b le u s e s . T h is is p o s s i­ b le b e c a u s e a n y s p e c ie s o f a n y s iz e a n d fo r m c a n be

c o r d , w h ic h is a p ile f o u r f e e t h ig h b y e ig h t fe e t w id e . A fa c e c o r d is a lw a y s s m a l le r th a n a r e g u la r

u s e d fo r fir e w o o d .

F u r t h e r m o r e , n o s m a ll b e n e f it w ill b e r e a liz e d in s a v in g s a n d s a t is fa c t io n b y u s in g fir e w o o d o n e h a s c u t a n d “ f i t t e d ” fr o m t h e w o o d l o t . N o t o n ly rea l

B T U ( B r it i s h T h e r m a l U n i t ) — T h e a m o u n t o f h e a t r e q u ir e d to r a is e o n e p o u n d o f w a t e r o n e d e g r e e F a h r e n h e it .

S ta n d — A fo r e s t s t a n d is s im p ly a n y d e fin a b le a r e a w h ic h is r e la t iv e ly u n ifo r m a n d c o m p o s e d o f

J a c k B u lg er , a u th o r o f “P la g u e a n d P e s tile n c e Y o u r W o o d lo t ” w h ich a p p e a r e d

in

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is s u e o f F a r m s te a d , is a D i s t r i c t S e r v ic e F o r e s t e r f o r th e B u r e a u o f F o r e s t r y , S ta te o f M a in e. Illu s tr a ­ tio n s a re b y L iz B u ell.

60

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

s m a lle r c o r d m e a s u r e u s e d in s o m e a r e a s is a fa c e

cord .

th e s a m e m ix t u r e o f s p e c ie s t h r o u g h o u t .

F o r e s t T y p e — A fo r e s t t y p e is a la r g e r a r e a w ith s im ila r s p e c ie s a n d s o il c o n d it i o n s t h r o u g h o u t . Y o u m a y h a v e s e v e r a l s t a n d s on y o u r p r o p e r t y o f th e s a m e fo r e s t ty p e .

S i t e q u a lity — A t e r m u s e d t o d e lin e a t e th e v a lu e o f a s p e c if ic a r e a fo r g r o w i n g t r e e s . O n a g o o d o r h ig h s it e , tr e e s g r o w m o r e r a p id ly a n d a r e t a lle r a t a n y g iv e n a g e . O n a p o o r o r lo w s it e , tr e e s g r o w m o r e s lo w ly a n d d o n o t g e t a s t a ll. U s u a lly , if an a r e a h a s ta ll s t r a i g h t t r e e s t h a t d o n o t ta p e r r a p id ­ ly fr o m t h e t r u n k on u p th e s t e m , it is o f g o o d s ite q u a lit y . I f th e t r e e s a r e r e la t iv e ly s h o r t a n d ta p e r r a p id ly , it is a p o o r s it e . D i a m e t e r g r o w t h is u s u a lly

r e la t e d m o r e to t r e e s p a c in g a n d t h e h is t o r y o f th e p a r t ic u la r s ta n d , t h a n it is t o s it e q u a lit y .

F o r m — T h e fo r m o f a t r e e r e la t e s t o its s h a p e . A t r e e w ith g o o d fo r m is o n e t h a t is ta ll a n d s t r a ig h t a n d d o e s n o t t a p e r r a p id ly fr o m t h e b o t t o m to th e to p . T h e b e t t e r th e fo r m , t h e m o r e v a lu a b le th e t r e e is fo r u s e a s s a w t im b e r .

P u lp iv o o d — W o o d s o ld t o m a k e p u lp a n d p a p e r.

S a w tim b e r a n d sa w lo g s — W o o d sold to m a k e

d im e n s io n lu m b e r .

B o lt w ood — W o o d s o ld t o m a k e d o w e ls , s p o o ls ,

w o o d e n h a n d le s , e tc .

V e n e e r lo gs — U s u a lly h a r d w o o d lo g s u sed fo r m a k in g p a n e lin g .

S o ft w o o d — A te r m u s e d fo r a ll e v e r g r e e n o r c o n ­ ife r o u s t r e e s p e c ie s , s u c h a s p in e s , s p r u c e s , a n d firs.

H a r d w o o d — D e c id u o u s s p e c ie s t h a t lo s e t h e ir le a v e s e a c h y e a r .

F o r e s t t y p e s a r e s o m e t im e s c o n f u s i n g a n d t h e r e a r e s e v e r a l s y s t e m s o f c l a s s i f i c a t i o n . B a s ic a lly , h o w e v e r , f o r e s t t y p e s m a y b e b r o k e n d o w n to s o ft w o o d , m ix e d w o o d , a n d h a r d w o o d . B u t in r e a li­ ty , t h is is t o o g e n e r a l a c l a s s i f i c a t i o n to be o f g r e a t h e lp in c h o o s in g fu e lw o o d h a r v e s t a r e a s . I fe e l it is im p o r t a n t t o s e p a r a t e t h e s e t h r e e b a s ic t y p e s in to u p la n d a r e a s a n d w e la n d a r e a s , b e c a u s e th e s p e c ie s c o m p o s i t io n a n d m a n a g e m e n t p r a c t ic e s v a r y so m u ch . e t ’ s ta lk a b o u t u p la n d h a r d w o o d s , w e t la n d h a r d w o o d s , u p la n d m ix e d w o o d , a n d w e t la n d

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m ix e d w o o d fo r a s t a r t , b e c a u s e t h e s e a re t h e a r e a s t h a t m a y be m o s t s u it a b l e fo r fir e w o o d

W e la n d m ix e d w o o d c o n s is t s p r e d o m in a n t ly o f red m a p le , E a s t e r n la r c h , b a ls a m fir a n d h o r n b e a m (fe w ), a lo n g w ith a m i n o r i t y c o m p o n e n t o f g r a y b ir c h a n d a n o c c a s io n a l w h it e p in e . G e n e r a lly , t h e s e a r e g r a s s y , w e t a r e a s v a r y i n g in s iz e fr o m sm a ll p o c k e t s t o la r g e s w a m p s .

T h e s o ft w o o d t y p e s , b o th u p la n d a n d w e t la n d , a r e o ft e n n o t s u ite d fo r m a n a g e m e n t fo r fir e w o o d . T h e y u s u a lly c o n ta in o n ly a s m a ll c o m p o n e n t o f h a r d w o o d s p e c ie s , b u t w h e r e t h e r e a r e h a r d w o o d s , th e s e ty p e s to o c a n be im p r o v e d by c u ttin g fir e w o o d .

T h e f i r s t s t e p in m a n a g i n g y o u r f o r e s t fo r fir e w o o d is to id e n t ify t h e s e t y p e s a n d d e t e r m in e a p p r o x im a t e ly h o w m u c h o f e a c h ty p e y o u h a v e .

T h e n y o u s h o u ld d e t e r m i n e t h e b e s t s ta n d s in w h ic h t o c o n c e n t r a t e y o u r fi r e w o o d h a r v e s t in g e f ­ fo r t s .

T h e r e a r e a n u m b e r o f c r i t e r i a y o u s h o u ld c o n ­ s id e r w h e n s e le c t in g y o u r b e s t s t a n d s . A c c e s s , s it e q u a lit y , e q u ip m e n t a v a il a b le fo r u s e , s p e c ie s p r e ­ s e n t, a g e , s iz e , a n d d e n s it y o f t r e e s , a r e a m o n g t h e s e c r it e r ia .

H o w m u c h la n d w ill y o u n e e d t o p r o d u c e y o u r fir e w o o d ? T h a t ’ s a ls o a n im p o r t a n t e a r ly q u e s t io n in y o u r fo r e s t m a n a g e m e n t p la n n in g .

T

h e g r o w t h r a t e is t h e m o s t im p o r t a n t fa c t o r in d e t e r m i n in g h o w m u c h la n d y o u ’ ll n e e d fo r a p e r p e t u a l h a r v e s t . In

N orth ern N ew

E n g la n d t h e a c c e p t e d g r o w t h r a t e is a b o u t a h a lf c o r d p e r a c r e p e r y e a r . T h is is f o r u n m a n a g e d s ta n d s , h o w e v e r , a n d w ith m a n a g e m e n t, th e g r o w t h r a t e c a n b e in c r e a s e d s u b s t a n t ia lly . U s in g th e c o n s e r v a t iv e fig u r e , h o w e v e r , 10 a c r e s w o u ld p r o d u c e fiv e c o r d s o f w o o d p e r y e a r . I f y o u a r e c o n ­ s id e r i n g u s in g t h in n in g s , c u ll t r e e s , a n d in fe r io r s p e c ie s fo r fir e w o o d ; w h ile l e a v i n g t h e b e t t e r q u a li­ t y t r e e s o f b e t t e r s p e c ie s t o g r o w fo r o t h e r w o o d

p r o d u c t s , it m ig h t t a k e 20 a c r e s t o p r o d u c e t h e fiv e c o r d s /y e a r o v e r t h e lo n g r u n . A t t h is m o m e n t in

m a n a g e m e n t . T h e f o r e s t t y p e s I w ill d e s c r ib e a r e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e o f N o r t h e r n N e w E n g la n d , th e n o rth e rn G rea t L ak es a rea , a n d E a ste rn C anada.

t im e , h o w e v e r , m o s t f o r e s t la n d s in t h e N o r t h e a s t in s m a ll p r iv a t e o w n e r s h ip a r e d e n s e a n d in n e e d o f im p r o v e m e n t c u t t in g s . Y o u c o u ld c e r t a i n l y c o n s id e r t a k in g h a lf a c o r d p e r a c r e p e r y e a r fo r s o m e tim e ,

A ll o f t h e s e t y p e s d o n o t o c c u r o u t s id e th is a r e a , b u t it s h o u ld b e p o s s ib le fo r t h e r e a d e r to in ­

w h ile s till le a v i n g fu t u r e c r o p s .

t e r p o l a t e to h is o w n s it u a t io n .

U p la n d h a r d w o o d s m a y c o n s is t o f th e fo llo w in g

A c c e s s is a n o t h e r im p o r t a n t c o n s id e r a t i o n . M a n y fa r m s t e a d s w ill h a v e o ld s k id o r lo g g in g r o a d s w h ic h w e r e u s e d in t h e p a s t . T h e s e r o a d s c a n be d if fic u lt t o lo c a t e , a s t h e y m a y b e g r o w n o v e r w ith n e w fo r e s t c o v e r . L o o k fo r o ld w h e e l r u ts , a n d s t a r t w ith o p e n in g s w h ic h m a y a p p e a r m o r e r e a d ily a t fie ld e d g e s . U s u a lly , t h e s e r o a d s w ill r e q u ir e v e r y lit t le w o r k t o m a k e t h e m p a s s a b le o t h e r th a n c u t ­

s p e c ie s : s u g a r m a p le , re d m a p le , A m e r ic a n b e e c h ; w h it e , g r a y , a n d y e llo w b ir c h , a ll c o m m o n ly a s ­ s o c ia t e d w ith h e m lo c k ; e lm , b a s s w o o d , w h ite p in e a n d s o m e w h it e s p r u c e . T h e b e e c h , b ir c h , a n d m a p le s a r e th e m o s t a b u n d a n t .

W e t la n d h a r d w o o d s w ill c o n s i s t in th e m a jo r it y o f red m a p le , b la c k a s h , s m a ll a m o u n t s o f w h ite a s h , A m e r i c a n b e e c h , b a s s w o o d , a n d A m e r ic a n e lm , a lo n g w ith s c a t t e r e d b a ls a m fir a n d E a s t e r n la r c h .

U p la n d m ix e d w o o d w ill in c lu d e w h ite a n d red p in e , a s s o c i a t e d w ith N o r t h e r n re d o a k , w h it e s p r u c e , b a ls a m fi r , A m e r i c a n b e e c h , E a s t e r n h e m lo c k , s u g a r m a p le (fe w ) t o g e t h e r w ith a s m a ll c o m p o n e n t o f w h it e a s h , b ig t o o t h a n d t r e m b lin g a s p e n , w h it e b ir c h a n d g r a y b ir c h .

th e

b etter

tre e s

to g r o w

fo r

t i n g s m a ll t r e e s a n d d o w n t i m b e r , a n d w ill a ls o s e r v e t h e a r e a s o f b e s t t i m b e r g r o w t h . I f n o old r o a d s c a n b e lo c a t e d , y o u m u s t c h o o s e a lo c a t io n to e s t a b lis h n e w r o a d s .

E s t a b li s h m e n t o f a r o a d s y s t e m w ill r e s u lt in m o r e t h a n t h e b e n e fit o f a c c e s s f o r fu e lw o o d . T h e s e r o a d s m a y b e u s e d fo r fir e c o n t r o l , in s e c t a n d d is ­ e a s e c o n t r o l, a n d m o s t c e r t a i n l y r e s u l t in a c c e s s fo r o t h e r b e n e fit s s u c h a s h u n t i n g a n d s c e n ic t r a ils fo r

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th e o w n e r . E s t a b lis h m e n t o f a n e w r o a d s y s te m is t im e -c o n s u m in g h o w e v e r , a n d w ill r e q u ir e m u ch w o r k . In m o s t c a s e s , w o o d r e m o v e d d u r in g ro a d b u ild in g w ill b e u t iliz e d fo r f i r e w o o d o r p u lp w o o d .

In c h o o s in g a r o a d s it e , b e a w a r e o f s lo p e s , fin a l d is ­ t a n c e fr o m p o in t o f fir e w o o d u s e , a n d im p a s s a b le a r e a s s u c h a s s t r e a m s a n d b o g s . S t a y a w a y fr o m s t e e p s lo p e s , t r y a n d fo llo w t h e c o n t o u r o f th e la n d , a n d m o s t c e r t a in ly , w a lk t h e e n t ir e p r o p o s e d r o a d b e fo r e c u t t i n g a n y t r e e s .

Y o u r d e c is io n to b u ild o r u t iliz e a w o o d ro a d w ill a ls o d e p e n d o n th e t y p e o f e q u ip m e n t y o u h a v e a v a ila b le fo r u s e . M o s t fa r m s t e a d s h a v e s o m e ty p e o f fa r m t r a c t o r , o r w h e e le d v e h ic le fo r u se a r o u n d th e fa r m . T h e s e v e h ic le s w ill s e r v e d u r in g w in t e r to s k id t h e h a r v e s t e d w o o d t o w h e r e it m a y be u t iliz e d . I h a v e t a lk e d w ith s o m e o w n e r s w h o w e r e s k id d in g s m a ll t r e e s w ith a s n o w s le d , so if o n e s h o u ld b e a v a ila b le , m a k e u s e o f it.

U p la n d h a r d w o o d s w ill y ie ld a n a b u n d a n c e o f fir e w o o d . A n a v e r a g e c o r d o f d r ie d h a r d w o o d w ill p r o d u c e th e e q u iv a le n t h e a t o f 193 g a llo n s o f h o m e h e a t in g oil. A ll s p e c ie s o f w o o d p r o d u c e a lm o s t an e q u a l a m o u n t o f h e a t p e r p o u n d o f w o o d , b u t th e d e n s it y o f w o o d v a r ie s g r e a t l y . T h e s p e c ie s w h ic h p r o d u c e th e m o s t h e a t p e r c o r d a r e h a r d w o o d s (T a ­ b le 1) a n d th is s h o u ld b e c o n s id e r e d w h e n s e le c t in g fir e w o o d .

TABLE 1 H E A T IN G V A L U E S O F D IF F E R E N T W OOD

S P E C IE S H ic k o r y W h ite o a k B eech S u g a r M a p le R ed O ak Y e llo w B ir c h W h ite a s h R e d M a p le T am arack

H E A T IN G V A L U E (M illio n s o f B T U ’ s P e r C o r d , A ir D r ie d ) 25.4 23.9 21.8 21.8 21.7

B la c k C h e r r y

21.3 20.0 19.1 19.1 18.5

W h ite B ir c h R e d P in e E lm

18.2 17.8 17.7

G r a y B ir c h H e m lo c k S pru ce A spen B a ls a m F ir

17.5 15.0 15.0

14.1 13.5 13.3 W h ite P in e B assw ood 12.6 T h e s p e c i e s t o b e f o u n d in N o r t h e r n N e w E n g la n d in u p la n d h a r d w o o d s w h ic h w ill s e r v e as g o o d fir e w o o d a r e : S u g a r m a p le , red m a p le , A m e r i c a n b e e c h , t h e b ir c h e s , a n d a fe w e lm s .

C r it e r ia fo r s e le c t io n t o c u t m u s t b e e s ta b lis h e d b e c a u s e m a n y o f t h e s e s p e c ie s h a v e h ig h e r v a lu e if u t iliz e d fo r o t h e r p r o d u c t s . I n it ia ll y , e v e r y t r e e c o n ­ s id e r e d fo r c u t t i n g s h o u ld b e e x a m in e d o n th e fo l lo w in g b a s is : fo r m , s iz e , h e a lt h , a n d v ig o r .

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a n y s p e c ie s w h ic h m a y b e u t iliz e d fo r h ig h e r v a lu e p r o d u c t s , s u c h as b o ltw o o d , s a w lo g s , a n d v e n e e r lo g s , m a y be s e p a r a te d o n t h e b a s is o f fo r m . I f a t r e e h a s s m a ll d ia m e t e r b r a n c h e s , a g o o d s t r a i g h t b o le o r s t e m , a n d a sm a ll n u m b e r o f b r a n c h e s o n t h e lo w e r b o le a r e a , p r o ­ b a b ly th is t r e e s h o u ld b e le ft a s a h ig h v a lu e t r e e a n d n o t r e m o v e d fo r fir e w o o d . If, on th e o t h e r h a n d , a c r o o k e d s te m , m a n y la r g e b r a n c h e s , a n d g e n e r a lly p o o r fo r m a r e a p p a r e n t , t h e tr e e m a y be p u t to b e t t e r u s e a s fir e w o o d .

M

T h e s iz e o f t h e t r e e , o r d ia m e t e r o f th e b o le a t a b o u t fo u r fe e t a b o v e g r o u n d , s h o u ld a ls o be ta k e n in t o a c c o u n t . T im b e r s t a n d im p r o v e m e n t , w h ic h b a s ic a lly m e a n s a n im p r o v e m e n t in lig h t , m o is tu r e , n u t r ie n t s , r o o m t o g r o w , e tc . a s a p p lie d to th e tr e e s y o u w ill n o t c u t , s h o u ld b e a c o n s id e r a t io n . T h e y o u n g e r s t e m s w ill r e s p o n d t o im p r o v e m e n t w o r k m u c h b e t t e r th a n t h e o ld e r v e t e r a n s .

T h e b e s t s iz e o f t r e e t o le a v e in a n im p r o v e m e n t p r o g r a m w o u ld b e d e m o n s t r a t e d b y le a v in g a g o o d s p e c ie s o f t r e e o f a b o u t t h r e e t o e ig h t o r n in e in c h e s in d ia m e t e r a t b r e a s t h e ig h t . T h e la r g e r v e t e r a n s , fr o m a b o u t 10 in c h e s a n d u p , m a y b e r e m o v e d t o in ­ s u r e m o r e lig h t , m o is t u r e , a n d r o o m to g r o w , fo r s o m e o f t h e s m a lle r c r o p t r e e s y o u p la n to le a v e . O f c o u r s e , s o m e s m a lle r t r e e s o f g o o d s p e c ie s m a y be t a k e n d u e t o p o o r fo r m , o r d is e a s e , a s a s c e r t a in e d b y y o u r fir s t s e le c t io n .

T h e fir s t s e le c t io n s h o u ld a ls o in c lu d e a n in s p e c ­ tio n fo r h e a lth a n d v ig o r . M a n y t im e s w h a t a p p e a r s to b e a g o o d t r e e t o le a v e w ill h a v e s o m e d e fe c t w h ic h w ill a ff e c t y o u r s e le c t io n . F o r e x a m p le , tr e e s w ith d e a d b r a n c h e s e x t e n d in g u p w a r d a n d w h ic h a r e lo c a t e d in th e m a in lo w e r b o le w ill h a v e a c e r ­ ta in a m o u n t o f d e c a y in s id e . A ls o , s o m e d e c a y fu n g i w ill l e a v e a n a p p a r e n t b l e m i s h o n t h e s t e m .

D a m a g e fr o m n a t u r e o r b y m a n ’ s a c t iv it ie s , w h ic h is lo c a t e d o n th e m a in s t e m , w ill a ls o r e d u c e th e v a lu e o f th e t r e e . T h e s e t r e e s s h o u ld be s e le c t e d fo r fir e w o o d if t h e y s u it y o u r c r it e r ia fo r s iz e in fe llin g , b u c k in g , a n d s p l i t t i n g . V i g o r , o r a p p a r e n t a g ­ g r e s s iv e c o m p e t it io n w it h a d j a c e n t t r e e s is a ls o an im p o r t a n t c o n s id e r a t io n . A t r e e o f g o o d fo r m , w ith a la r g e c r o w n o r le a f a r e a in r e la t io n to its siz e , w ith g o o d u n ifo r m g r e e n c o l o r a n d w h ich s h o w s d o m in a n c e o v e r its n e ig h b o r t o s o m e e x t e n t , is g r o w i n g v a lu a b le w o o d fo r y o u , a n d , if o f th e p r o p e r s p e c ie s , s h o u ld b e le ft t o c o m p o u n d its v a lu e o v e r fu t u r e y e a r s . E a c h o f t h e f o r e g o i n g c r it e r ia sh o u ld be c o n s id e r e d fo r e a c h d if f e r e n t a r e a an d fo r e a c h d if f e r e n t t r e e y o u p la n t o e x a m i n e fo r fir e w o o d .

A w o r d a b o u t s i t e q u a l i t y . S i t e q u a l i t y is m e a s u r e d b y t h e h e ig h t o f t h e d o m i n a n t tr e e s in r e ­ la t io n t o t h e ir a g e . S ite q u a lit y c a n be e s tim a te d b y v is u a l e x a m in a t io n o f t h e e x i s t i n g d o m in a n t tr e e s .

I f t h e d o m in a n t t r e e s in a s t a n d h a v e e x c e p t io n a l h e ig h t g r o w t h in r e la t io n to o t h e r t r e e s o f th e s a m e s p e c ie s y o u h a v e n o t ic e d in o t h e r a r e a s , th e s ite q u a lit y is p r o b a b ly p r e t t y g o o d . A lit t le p r a c t ic e in o b s e r v a t i o n w ill a id t h e fa r m s t e a d e r in s it e d e ­ t e r m in a t io n .S ite q u a lit y is a n im p o r t a n t c r it e r ia in c h o o s in g an a r e a t o h a r v e s t fo r fir e w o o d b e c a u s e if

you desire the added benefit of timber stand im­ provement, it is best to begin on the better sites. t would be impossible to tell you exactly which trees to save during timber stand im­ provement, because it would depend on your specific stand, local conditions, and local markets.

A few examples, however, might illustrate how to select the valuable trees which should not be cut for firewood.

Local markets are important. The farmsteader interested in obtaining maximum value from his woods must investigate local markets and de­ termine which forest products are most valuable.

Select grade hardwoods; straight and with very few knots are often very valuable. If there is a veneer mill close, good quality sugar maple, yellow birch, large white birch, and elm can be worth $200 or more per thousand board feet in the woods. Ash and oak are also valuable wood if the trees are straight, tall, and with few lower limbs. White birch bolt wood is much more valuable than firewood if there is a mill near that makes dowels and spools.

Clear white pine sawlogs are becoming more valua­ ble all the time, and good spruce logs are used mainly for construction timbers. Hardwood species that should be selected as firewood because they have little other value are red maple, beech, and gray birch. Other hardwoods should be selected on the basis of form.

Wetland hardwoods will serve for fuelwood harvest during winter months when the ground is frozen. Red maple, ash, beech, elm, and basswood can be selected for firewood in this type. All the

I

above-mentioned criteria for selection should be ap­ plied to each of the areas you intend to work in.

Upland mixed wood produces oak, beech, maple, birch, and some ash. These are the species to prefer for firewood. Wetland mixed wood areas may be harvested for red maple, birch, and black ash. The majority of the hardwood species mentioned for each area will serve adequately for firewood because of the heat output, and if selected by the correct criteria, will result in improved woodland areas for future harvest of higher value products much earlier than if left alone.

There are often some hardwoods in the softwood forest types and softwood types can be improved by firewood cutting, but the amount of good firewood per acre is limited and it would be time-consuming to harvest it. The softwoods species can also be used for firewood, but conifer thinnings are pro­ bably more valuable as pulpwood if there is a good pulpwood market in the area. Tamarack has the same heating value as red maple and is the only softwood species which makes good firewood. At any rate, softwood types would have to be con­ sidered low priority areas for improvement with firewood cutting. If that’s all you have to choose from, however, by all means use it. ith the preceding information in mind, the worst thing you can do is grab your saw and head out to cut some trees. Before any cutting, examine the areas on the ground and select the trees to remove beforehand and mark them. Nothing is more confusing than to try and select trees to cut during the process of harvest.

W

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moved to insure good burning. This practice should be a second choice to proper drying methods. One problem with wilting is that you must determine how many cords you have cut while the wood is still in tree length. A rule of thumb would be that for eight-inch diameter trees, about 12 trees will be re­ quired to make a cord.

TABLE 2 A V A IL A B L E H E AT F R O M A P O U N D OF W OO D

jjoooLjbrtvl badybrm^•

iw

'f a r m s

Percent Moisture 0 overdried 10 20 air-dried 30 40 50 60

Available Heat BTU’s 7100 6300 5400 4500 3600 2900 2100

plitting chores are time-consuming, but a few hints will save time and much energy.

Split in line with end checks or cracks; split parallel to knots rather than at right angles; split parallel to a spiral grain; and generally, green wood splits more easily than dry wood. Frozen wood also splits more easily. The choice of tools for splitting will also be a factor of time saving.

If you rent a splitter, much wood may be split in a very short time, and may well be worth the ex­ pense. Splitting mauls, axes, and steel wedges may also be used. I find the easiest method for me is to use a steel wedge with a short-handled mason sledge hammer. Less effort is used with this method than with swinging a maul or an axe over long periods. Be sure to protect your eyes with safe­ ty glasses when using any method of splitting; you only have one pair, so be sure to keep them in good operation. Speaking of safety, always use caution when using all tools and equipment. Most of the equipment used in woods work is quite dangerous, and all safety precautions should be taken at all times.

Fall has come, there’s a chill to the air, and you’re ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Before loading the stove, be sure all pipes and flues

S

't v w - b e * r v 'o i o e Once the trees are marked and cut, and after they are transported to the area that you will “ fit” and use them, the trees should be split to suit your stove and stacked for drying where the wind and sun can do their work.

Wood dries almost 100 percent from the cut ends rather than the side or bark area. Pile your wood so that the ends will be open to the wind and sun.

Fuelwood should be dried for at least one year before burning. The amount of heat you receive from wood is greatly increased if the wood is dry.

Also, much less creosote is produced by dry wood.

Time can be saved in drying wood by a process called “ wilting.” This is done by cutting the trees in June or early July after leaf growth has matured.

The tree is left intact, and the leaves draw moisture from the stem. The trees are then cut up and split in the fall, and stored for use. Not as much moisture will be removed as in cutting, split­ ting, and drying, but a sufficient amount will be re­

T h e Farmstead Fireplace.

Farmstead families know the value of a fireplace. It’s more than just cozy atmosphere. It’ s practical for cooking, heating and conserving energy resources.

A t T he Hearth & Cricket Shops we have a complete line o f built-in fire­ places and w ood & coal burning stoves.

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FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

Including Majestic, Jotul, PortlandWillamette Glassfyre Enclosures and all kinds of fireplace furnishings and gifts._ W e’ re open 6 days a week. Evenings: Bangor, Tues. & Fri. till 9 P.M.; Turner, Tues. & Thurs. till 9 P.M. S. Portland, M on. - Fri. till 9 :3 0 P.M.

The Hearth & Cricket V hl K Av tVl Cv

i J

50 Maine M all Rd

R t4 <000 State St T u rn er

l

So P ortlan d 774 0162

2 2 5 3044

B angor 942 3057

are clear and tight, and check all dampers to be sure you have control. Remember, there is an art to burning wood in a stove. Some like to mix a little softwood in for a quick fire, using the hardwood for longer lasting heat production and formation of coals. Some like to add a little apple, or cherry wood to appreciate the fragrance in an open fire.

Whatever your choice or method, remember that the greener the wood, the hotter the fire needs to be. Moisture that remains in the wood must be changed to water vapor before you obtain any heat value from the wood. any stoves are available on the market to­ day; stoves which will hold a fire for 10 to 12 hours, and stoves which must be charged every few hours. One point to remember is that the slower you burn the wood to make the fire last, the more creosote that will be formed due to the incomplete combustion at lower temperatures.

So if you are using one of the air-tight stoves, be sure to check the chimney periodically and keep it clean to prevent chimney fires.

When the first light mantle of frost greets you some morning, and when the first few white flakes begin swirling ’ round the leaden sky, cheer up, just load up the old cast-iron pot, put your feet up, and let the cheery warmth of your firewood sink in.

M

L.O. BALLS WOOD S P U TTE R Announcing a NEW member of the family.

L.O. Balls, Jr. — our newest motor­ ized log splitter is smaller, lighter and and more compact than our other fine models. Still rugged and depen­ dable, it is designed with the homeowner in mind. 24" capacity; on towing wheels........... Only $995.00

MAINE WOOD HEAT COMPANY Atthe

we have

H.S. Tarm Wood/Oil Combination Boiler Coop Orders

Wood Only Boilers Wood & Wood/Oil Furnaces High Efficiency Wood Stoves and Cook Stoves ( I f we d o n 't have w hat you want w e 'll g e t it.)

Black Cook Stoves &

******************

We also have 2 6 " o r 4 8 " models - tra cto r hydra u lic powered o r PTO pum p powered o r m otorized. A lso available fo r the "d o -ityourselfers” - kits, components, o r plans. ($5).

European Masonry Stove Designs

Discount Prices On Prefab Chimney Stove Pipe Oven Chimney Cleaning Brushes

Dealer inquiries invited

Write or call for more information A LB R IG H T CORP.

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FATH ER RASLE M O NUM EN T ROAD NORRIDGEWOCK, ME. 04957 696-5442 SEND STAMPS

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

by A l b e r t A . B a r d e n , III

f you want to buy a high efficiency stove, but don’ t really know how to compare one modern stove with another or if you’ve bought what you think is a high efficiency stove and want to know how it works and how you can most effectively fire it, then this guide is written for you.

In order to achieve maximum efficiency a stove must meet five basic requirements in design, con­ struction, fuel, and operating practice: (1) dry wood (preferably hardwood) seasoned for 8-12 months.

(2) an adequate oxygen supply for the complete combustion of both the charcoal and combustible gases.

(3) a means of slowing down and directing the air flow and draft within the stove so as to allow for complete combustion of the volatile gases before they are lofted out of the stove.

(4) Sufficient heat retaining mass or other means to achieve the 1200 degrees F. minimum temperature requirement for combustion of the charcoal and the volatile gases, particularly in the upper portions of the stove where the volatile gases are most likely to be found.

(5) Safe, durable, high quality design and construc­ tion. hy use dry wood? Wood that has been wellcured or seasoned is roughly 1/3 charcoal, 1/3 volatile gases and 1/3 water. Water does not burn in a stove. Charcoal and gases do. Wet wood has a higher water content than dry wood.

Some green (wet) woods are more than 50% moisture. The water in well-cured or seasoned dry wood is chemically “ locked-in” water and is not re­ leased until the wood itself is burned. The process of releasing water vapor and volatile gases from wood through the application of heat is called “ destructive distillation” .

The temperature required to burn wood charcoal is the same as the temperature required to burn volatile gases released from the wood: 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. Large amounts of moisture in a firebox (via green wood) have the effect of absorbing heat and lowering the firebox temperature, especially in the “ v a p o r” or upper zone of the firebox.

Furthermore, water vapor has the tendency to en­ capsulate combustible particles and gases in the firebox and make them inaccessible to combustion.

Unburned gases will condense (the laws of physics) as soon as they enter a cool enough zone.

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Albie Barden owns the Maine Wood Heat Co., Norridgewock, Maine, which sells stoves, cookstoves, furnaces and boilers. This article is excerpted from a large and informative poster “A Wood Stove Buyer's Guide” available fo r $3.50 by mail or $3.00 at the store from Northeast Carry, 110 Water St., Hallowell, Me. 0U3h7. Illustrations are by Margaret B. Campbell.

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W oodburning Basics An exposed stove pipe cooled by convection cur­ rents or a fan or a cold chimney is easily cool enough to cause this condensation. The higher the moisture content of the wood, the less effective the combustion will be, thereby not only lowering heat­ ing efficiency but also increasing flammable de­ posits on the stove pipe and chimney interior.

Very few stoves achieve complete combustion.

Complete combustion involves the burning of both the charcoal and the volatile gases. Compared to burning the gases, burning the charcoal is child’s play. Proud owners of Ashleys will gladly proclaim the ability of their stoves to consume wet wood, rarely realizing that the stove is consuming almost none of the gases.

Until charcoal is reduced to a fine ash, it is quite willing to remain in one spot, but gases are totally uncooperative in this regard. Heated gases rapidly rise out of the 1200 degree F. primary fire zone at the charcoal level and become invulnerable to com­ bustion. In order for the gases to be consumed, they must either be forced back through the primary combustion zone or travel through other parts of the stove that are maintained at a tem­ perature greater than 1200 degrees F. More on this in a moment...

In addition to providing a space for wood fuel, stoves must also allow means for oxygen-carrying air to enter the stove and a means for spent gases to exit the stove. The purpose of the air is to pro­ vide the oxygen so critical to combustion. Choked of air, a fire will die just as surely as a car will stall.

While air assists in combustion of the fuel, its entry into, and exit from, the firebox usually creates a movement of air up and through the firebox. This updraft effect has three primary negative effects: (1) In the case of a fireplace, often more heat can move from the room through the fireplace and up the chimney than the fireplace itself can radiate in­ to the room. The rapid movement of air from the room and out the chimney literally vacuums the room of warm air in a surprisingly short time.

Abhoring a vacuum, nature does its best to re-sup­ ply the room with air from the closest available source, the out-of-doors, sucked in through leaky foundations, window seals and cracks around doors.

O n e o f t h e m a j o r e f f o r t s in t h e a d v a n c e m e n t o f w o o d h e a t i n g d e s i g n h a s b e e n t o s l o w d o w n t h is a ir m o v e m e n t t h r o u g h t h e f i r e b o x t o a n e g l i g i b l e p o in t, s o t h a t t h e f i r e w i ll r e c e i v e a d e q u a t e o x y g e n w ith o u t th e n e g a tiv e e ffe cts o f a stron g u pdraft a n d s u b s e q u e n t h e a t lo s s . A n o p e n f i r e p l a c e o r F r a n k l i n s t o v e m u s t h a v e t h i s f l o w o f air, h o w e v e r , to a v oid th e c o n s e q u e n c e s w h ic h a n y o n e w h o has lit a f i r e in a f i r e p l a c e w i t h t h e d a m p e r c lo s e d c a n s m o k i l y a t t e s t to. I f t h e s m o k e i s n ’ t s u c k e d o u t ( a l o n g w i t h w a r m r o o m a ir ) o r c o n t a i n e d (a s in a s t o v e ) it w ill c o n s i d e r t h e r o o m i t s e l f its n a t u r a l h o m e . (2) S e c o n d l y , a i r m o v e m e n t t h r o u g h t h e sto v e h a s th e e ffe ct o f r e m o v i n g n o t on ly the w a rm r o o m a ir , a s in t h e c a s e o f a f i r e p l a c e , b u t a ls o t h e h e a t e d a ir p r o d u c e d w i t h i n t h e s t o v e it self. A r u s h o f a ir t h r o u g h a f i r e b o x w ill h a v e t h e e f f e c t o f c o o l ­ in g th e in te rio r s u r fa c e o f th e fire b o x th ro u g h w h i c h t h e s t o v e is i n t e n d e d t o r a d i a t e h e a t to t h e room . M ost old er s to v e s im p r o v e d g rea tly on the fire p la ce d e sig n b y n ot c r e a t i n g a v a cu u m of the w a r m e d r o o m a ir q u i t e s o q u i c k l y , b u t t h e y still lo s t a co n sid e ra b le a m o u n t o f the h e a t they produced up th e c h im n e y . T h is s t r o n g w a r m c h im n e y draft h a d o n e p o s i t i v e s id e e f f e c t : it c r e a t e d s u c h h e a t a n d a i r m o v e m e n t in t h e c h i m n e y t h a t c o n d e n s a ­ t io n a n d c r e o s o t e d e p o s i t s w e r e n o t as s e v e r e as t h e y o f t e n a r e in m o d e r n s t o v e s . (3) P o in t t h r e e is t h a t t h e a ir f l o w c a r r i e s t h e h e a t e d g a s e s o u t o f t h e fire p la ce b e fo re th e y are c o n s u m e d and th e re b y

e it h e r a u to m a t ic a lly or m a n u a lly a d ju sta b le a ir­ t i g h t n e s s . T o c l a r i f y : r e a l i z e t h a t a i r is n o t g e n e r a l ­ ly b l o w n t h r o u g h a s t o v e , it is s u c k e d t h r o u g h it b y t h e n a t u r a l c o n v e c t i o n c u r r e n t s c r e a t e d in t h e c h i m n e y a n d b y t h e p a s s a g e o f w a r m e d a ir t h r o u g h t h e c h i m n e y . I f a s t o v e h a s l o o s e j o i n t s , a ir w ill e n t e r t h e s t o v e w h e r e v e r t h e r e is a c r a c k . T h i s a d ­ d i t i o n a l s u p p l y o f o x y g e n t o t h e f i r e will c a u s e t h e fir e t o b u r n h o t t e r b u t n o t n e c e s s a r i l y h e a t t h e room better, becau se, as e x p la in e d above, m uch of t h e h e a t w ill be l o s t u p t h e c h i m n e y . P e o p le w i t h o l d e r s t o v e s w o u l d b e w i s e t o c o m p l e t e l y seal all jo i n t s w ith fu r n a c e c e m e n t to in c r e a s e the e ffic ie n ­ cy o f th e ir stoves.

In n e w e r s t o v e s a d v e r t i s e d a s h i g h e f f i c i e n c y u n ­ its, t h e c r i t i c a l p o i n t f o r a i r t i g h t n e s s is t h e d o o r s e a l. I f t h e d o o r a n d s e a l is p o o r l y m a d e o r s u b j e c t (a s in t h e c a s e o f v e r y t h i n s t e e l s t o v e s ) t o w a r p a g e u n d e r h e a t s t r e s s , t h e n t h e s t o v e w ill a l m o s t u n ­ d o u b t e d l y h a v e g r e a t d i f f i c u l t y a c h i e v i n g h ig h e f f i ­ cien cy.

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f y o u can esta b lish th a t th e stove you are c o n s i d e r i n g is a i r - t i g h t a t t h e j o i n t s a n d at th e d o o r seal a n d ca n be e x p e c t e d to rem a in

so u n d e r lon g -te rm fir in g c o n d it io n s , th en th e n e x t f e a t u r e o f a ir c o n t r o l t o c o n s i d e r is t h e d r a f t i n t a k e a n d t h e i n t e r n a l s t r u c t u r e o f t h e s t o v e . In a r e ­ la tiv e ly sm all s to v e o f c a s t iro n c o n s tr u c tio n , a ir ­ tig h t jo i n t s and d o o r seal (n o m o r e than a p ap er th ick n e ss g a p ) and w e ll-m a c h in e d d raft co n tro ls m a y b e all t h a t is r e q u i r e d t o e l i m i n a t e e x c e s s i v e m o v e m e n t o r d r a f t t h r o u g h t h e s t o v e . In s o m e o f t h e s e s m a l l e r s t o v e s , t h e f i r e b o x is s o s m a ll t h a t t h e t e m p e r a t u r e t h r o u g h o u t t h e f i r e b o x is h ig h e n o u g h to c o n s u m e a s ig n ific a n t p r o p o rtio n of the v o la t ile g a s e s . In li g h t e r w e i g h t a n d /o r la r g e r s t o v e s , h o w e v e r , e i t h e r u n i q u e p l a c e m e n t o f t h e a ir i n t a k e a n d / o r t h e p r e s e n c e o f o n e o r m o r e b a f f l e s is n e c e s s a r y to slo w d o w n a n d d iv e r t th e n orm a l upa n d -o u t m o v e m e n t o f th e v o la t ile g a s e s so th a t t h e y c a n b e s u b j e c t e d t o a b u r n b e f o r e e s c a p in g .

T h e f i r s t t e c h n i q u e o r d e v i c e w e c a n c o n s i d e r in t h is r e g a r d is s o m e t h i n g c a l l e d a “ v e r t i c a l b a f f le d esig n ” .

elim in a te s th e ir h eat g a in p o te n tia l to the ro o m ’ s h e a tin g needs.

O n e a t t e m p t to s o l v e t h e p r o b l e m is t o m a x i m i z e c o n t r o l o v e r b o t h t h e a m o u n t o f a i r i n t r o d u c e d to t h e s t o v e a n d t h e f l o w p a t t e r n o f t h e a ir a n d g a s e s w i t h i n t h e s t o v e , w i t h t h e l a t t e r b e i n g e a s il y as i m ­ p o r t a n t a s t h e f ir s t . A b a s i c f e a t u r e w h i c h all h ig h e f f i c i e n c y s t o v e s s h a r e is t h a t t h e y a r e “ a i r - t i g h t ” .

T h i s d o e s n o t m e a n t h a t t h e s t o v e s h o u l d be o p e r a t ­ ed w i t h n o a ir a l l o w e d t o e n t e r . T h i s w ill e f f e c t i v e l y p u t o u t the fire a n d p r o d u c e t r e m e n d o u s a m o u n ts o f c r e o s o t e w h i l e t h e f i r e is d y i n g . It d o e s m e a n t h a t all s id e s o r s e c t i o n s o f t h e s t o v e a r e e f f e c t i v e l y s e a l e d o r w e l d e d s o t h a t t h e o n l y a ir t h a t e n t e r s t h e s t o v e d o e s s o t h r o u g h c a r e f u l l y p la c e d d r a f t i n ­ le t s . T h e s e a i r in l e t s , in t u r n , h a v e a la r g e d e g r e e o f

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th e r e b y m in im izin g c r e o s o te p ro d u ctio n d u rin g a slow bu rn, m a x im iz in g th e le n g th o f tim e th a t a lo a d o f w o o d will b u r n a n d c r e a t i n g an e v e n h e a t o u t p u t t h r o u g h o u t t h e b u r n c y c l e . T h e il l u s t r a t i o n s b e l o w s h o w a t y p ic a l b u r n c y c l e in a h o r i z o n t a l b a f ­

e g a r d l e s s o f w h e r e t h e d r a f t a i r is i n ­ t r o d u c e d , it w ill, w h e n m i x e d w i t h t h e h e a t ­ e d g a s e s , w a n t t o r is e a n d e s c a p e . I n s t e a d o f p r o v id in g for a m e a n s of e s c a p e a t th e top or top re ­ a r o f t h e s t o v e , a v e r t i c a l b a f f l e c a n be in s e r t e d w h ich forces the g a s e s to flo w back dow n th rou gh th e c o m b u s t io n z o n e b e fo r e t h e y ca n depart. A l­ l o w a n c e f o r t h e a d d i t i o n o f p r e h e a t e d a ir o n t h e

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o t h e r s i d e o f t h i s b a f f l e in w h a t is c a l l e d t h e " s e c o n ­ d a r y c o m b u s tio n c h a m b e r ” a llo w s for co m b u stio n of th e g a se s to co n tin u e t h r o u g h o u t the tim e th ey r e m a i n in t h e s t o v e . T h e o n l y s t o v e s r e a d i l y a v a i l a ­ b le o f f e r i n g t h is k in d o f v e r t i c a l b a f f l e in c o m b i n a ­ t io n w i t h a s e c o n d a r y c o m b u s t i o n c h a m b e r a r e t h e w i d e l y d i s t r i b u t e d R i t e w a y h e a t e r s a n d th e n e w

fle s t o v e .

M a n y p e o p l e b u y o n e o f t h e s m a l l e r b a ff le d E u r o ­ p e a n s t o v e s a n d t r y t o g e t t h e m to b u r n o v e r n i g h t by s h u t t in g th e d ra ft c o n tr o ls . T h is action e n ­ co u ra g e s cre o so te p ro d u ctio n through oxygen s t a r v a t i o n , pool* c o m b u s t i o n , l o w f i r e b o x t e m ­ p e r a t u r e s and ra p id c o n d e n s a t io n . T h e sm a ller s t o v e s , s u c h a s t h e J o t u l 60 2 , a r e n o t d e s i g n e d to h o ld a s t e a d y f i r e o v e r n i g h t a n d s h o u ld n o t be p u r c h a s e d w i t h t h a t h o p e in m i n d . B e v e r y c a r e f u l w h e n b u y i n g a s t o v e t o g e t a s t o v e w ith d e s ig n c a p a b ilitie s eq u a l to y o u r h e a t in g needs. T his m a y n o t a l w a y s m e a n y o u n e e d a l a r g e r s t o v e if y o u a r e w i l l i n g t o t e n d f i r e s m o r e f r e q u e n t l y , o r if y o u h a v e h e a t r e t a i n i n g m a s s in y o u r h o u s e . U s e y o u r c o m ­ m on s e n s e and do n ot try to o p e r a t e a stove bey on d its b a s i c d e s i g n c a p a b i l i t i e s . o m e sto v e s, by a d d in g an a r c h or o th e r form o f a d d itio n a l c h a m b e r a t o p the p rim a ry b u r n i n g c h a m b e r , c r e a t e m o r e m ass for h ea t tr a n s fe r , slo w d o w n and m a k e m o r e efficien t use of t h e e s c a p i n g w a r m g a s e s a n d a ir.

S

le s s -k n o w n V e r m o n t D o w n d r a ft e r , so n a m ed b e c a u s e it d r a w s t h e v o l a t i l e g a s e s n o t o n ly in to t h e f i r e z o n e a s in t h e R i t e w a y , b u t a ls o t h r o u g h and b e lo w th e sta in less steel g r a t e s w h ere se co n ­ d a r y a i r is i n t r o d u c e d f o r a n a d d i t i o n a l b u r n .

V a r i o u s o t h e r f e a t u r e s o n t h e D o w n d r a f t e r m a k e it on e of th e m ost so p h istica te d h igh efficien cy stoves on th e m a rk et.

In a d d i t i o n t o v e r t i c a l b a f f l e d e s i g n s , t h e r e a r e a ls o h o r i z o n t a l b a f f l e d e s i g n s . T h e J o t u l s t o v e s w e r e t h e f i r s t s t o v e s in t h i s c o u n t r y to o f f e r th is fe a t u r e c o m m o n to m a n y E u r o p e a n im p orts.

H o riz o n t a l b a ffle s do a t le a s t t h r e e thin gs c o n ­ t r i b u t i n g t o h i g h e f f i c i e n c y c o m b u s t i o n : (1) t h e y fo rce th e g a s e s to re m a in c lo s e r to th e in ten se h eat o f t h e c h a r c o a l z o n e f o r a l o n g e r p e r i o d o f t im e , (2) t h e y f o r c e t h e g a s e s t o r e m a i n in t h e s t o v e f o r a l o n g p e r i o d o f h e a t t r a n s f e r a s t h e y e x it f r o m t h e f i r e z o n e , a n d (^) t h e y c r e a t e a b u r n p a t t e r n w h i c h a l l o w s t h e l o g s t o b u r n f r o m e n d t o e n d like a c ig a r , a r l y S h a k e r s t o v e s s o m e t i m e s h ad an a d d i ­ t i o n a l c h a m b e r o r s u p e r h e a t e r a d d e d to t h e t o p o f t h e p r i m a r y s t o v e . T h e w e l l - k n o w n doi t - y o u r s e l f A l a s k a n D r u m S t o v e m a d e f r o m 55 g a l l o n d r u m s f e a t u r e s t h is d u a l c h a m b e r . J o t u l, L a n g e a n d M o r s o all o f f e r a r c h d e s i g n m o d e l s . T h e b ig L a n g e a rch m odel has d o o rs u n d e r th e arch w hich a l l o w t h e u s e r t o b a k e u n d e r t h e a r c h . In t h e c a s e

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of th e h e a v y , c o m p le te ly fir e b rick -lin e d S ty ria s t o v e s f r o m A u s t r i a , o n e o r t w o c h a m b e r s sit a t o p th e b a sic fire b o x . T h e S E V C A s to v e , m a n u fa ctu re d f r o m d i s c a r d e d h ig h p r e s s u r e g a s t a n k s , u t iliz e s a co m b in a t io n o f a h o r iz o n ta l b a ffle, a secon d a ry h e a t in g c h a m b e r and a u n iq u e ly placed secon d a ry a ir i n t a k e a t t h e r e a r o f t h e s t o v e .

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w i t h h i g h e r w a g e s , h ig h r a w m a t e r i a l s c o s t s , a n d stiffer e n v iro n m e n ta l and w o r k e r sa fe ty stan dards a m o n g t h e m . C a s t ir o n s t o v e s a r e c a s t a s p i e c e s f r o m m o l t e n ir o n p o u r e d i n t o m o l d s . W h e n c o o l e d and r e m o v e d from th e m old s, th e p ie ce s are clea n ed a n d c a r e f u l l y m a c h i n e d t o c r e a t e t h e t i g h t fit n e c e s s a r y f o r a q u a l i t y s t o v e . J o i n t s a r e s e a le d w ith f u r n a c e c e m e n t a n d t h e v a r i o u s s e c t i o n s a r e b o lt e d t o g e t h e r . I f t h e c a s t s t o v e s y o u a r e lo o k i n g a t do n o t h a v e c a r e f u l l y m a c h i n e d , w e l l - m a t c h e d p a r t s ; if th e y are v ery p orou s o r ba d ly p itted or sh ow g r e a t v a r i a t i o n s o f t h i c k n e s s ; i f t h e y la c k a d e q u a t e fu r n a c e c e m e n t and a re c r u d e ly bolted to g e th e r ( m a n y A m e r i c a n a n d F a r E a s t e r n c a s t s t o v e s fall in t h i s c a t e g o r y ) ; t h e n t h e y m u s t b e c o n s i d e r e d an i n f e r i o r p r o d u c t . D o o r a n d s t o v e lid s e a ls s h o u ld be tight.

T h e p r o b l e m s o f a ir f l o w , c o m b u s t i o n r a t e a n d v o l a t i l e g a s c o m b u s t i o n e f f i c i e n c y a r e ta c k l e d w i t h t h e c a r e f u l a n d u n i q u e p l a c e m e n t o f air in t a k e s a l o n e in t h e T e m p w o o d s t o v e (illu s.). A i r is i n ­ t r o d u c e d t h r o u g h t w o p i p e s in t h e t o p s u r f a c e o f t h e s to v e , s u p p ly in g m a x im u m o x y g e n to v ola tile g a s e s a n d l i m i t i n g o x y g e n f o r a s l o w b u r n to t h e c h a r c o a l z o n e . T h e a ir t u b e s a l s o s e t u p an a ir f lo w w h i c h c o u n t e r s t h e n a t u r a l u p d r a f t o f th e h e a t e d a ir in t h e f i r e b o x .

F ire d u n d e r n orm a l c o n d itio n s , a w ell-m a d e ca st s t o v e will n o t c r a c k o r w a r p . In t h e h ig h e f f i c i e n c y sto v e s, th e m o s t v u ln e r a b le p o in ts for c r a ck in g s e e m t o b e w h e r e u n i f o r m t h i c k n e s s is d i f f i c u l t to a c h i e v e , s u c h a s a l o n g a h i g h r e l i e f sid e p a n e l.

D o n ’ t b e a f r a i d t o s c r u t i n i z e v e r y c a r e f u l l y all p a r t s of e v e n very w ell-kn ow n s to v e s b e fo re you p u rch a se o n e a n d w h i l e y o u a s s e m b l e it. S e v e r e w a r p a g e t h a t o n e s e e s in a n t i q u e c a s t s t o v e s m a y h a v e f r e ­ q u e n t l y b e e n t h e r e s u l t o f b u r n i n g c oa l ( w h i c h b u r n s h o t t e r th a n w o o d ) w i t h o u t an a d e q u a te g r a t e . O w n e r s o f u s e d c a s t c o o k s t o v e s s h o u ld be w a r n e d to r e p l a c e m i s s i n g l i n e r s , a s t h e c a s t i n g s o f t h e o v e n s in s u c h s t o v e s a r e q u i t e th in a n d c a n ea sily cr a c k d u r in g a y e a r or t w o o f u n p rotected use. a v in g ta lk e d a b o u t th e w is d o m o f u sin g dry w o o d and the n eed for a d e q u a t e ox y g e n and t h e d e s ir a b i lit y a n d m e a n s a v a ila b le for s lo w in g d ow n and a lte r in g th e d r a ft flow th ro u g h a stove, w e com e n ow to a d iscu ssio n of heat re ta in ­ i n g m a t e r i a l s a n d o t h e r m a t e r i a l s u s e d in s t o v e

H

con stru ction.

T h e m a t e r i a l t r a d i t i o n a l l y a s s o c i a t e d w ith s t o v e ­ m a k i n g is c a s t ir o n . In r e c e n t y e a r s , c o s t s f o r c a s t ir o n s t o v e s h a v e s k y r o c k e t e d f o r s e v e r a l r e a s o n s

S t e e l is a n o t h e r m a t e r i a l n o w c o m m o n l y u s e d in sto v e m a n u fa ctu re . S to v e b u y e rs trad ition ally h ave l o o k e d a s k a n c e o n all s t e e l s t o v e s a n d n o t w i t h o u t s o m e r e a s o n . S t e e l s t o v e s h a v e in t h e p a s t o f t e n been th e p rod u ct o f s o m e b a c k y a r d tink erer w h o h a d n o t t h e k n o w l e d g e o r t h e t o o l s to d e s ig n a t r u l y h ig h e f f i c i e n c y s t o v e . E v e n t h e b e s t m a d e o f s u c h s t o v e s u s u a l l y fail m i s e r a b l y o n d o o r c o n s t r u c t i o n te ch n iq u e s. S u ch sto v e s g e n e r a lly o ffer the user v e r y li t t l e d e g r e e o f c o n t r o l o v e r t h e fire a n d it s rate o f burn.

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Year-round hooded sweater. Hand cast pewter buttons.

100% natural Maine wool. Light grey, navy trim. Dark grey, light grey trim.

Small, medium, Ig. $50 postpaid. Maine residents add 5%.

Allow 3 weeks delivery.* * No Christmas orders accepted after Nov. 15

sand dollar designs gerry brad ley p.o. box 123, richmond, me. 04357 737-2128

M o re recen tly , steel h a s g a in e d m o re and m ore le g it im a t e re s p e ct as a s u it a b le s to v e b u ildin g m a t e r i a l w h e n u s e d in a n a d e q u a t e t h i c k n e s s o r in c o m b i n a t i o n w i t h o t h e r m a t e r i a l s s u c h as f i r e b r ic k a n d c a s t ir o n . M a n u f a c t u r e r s d i f f e r w i d e ly in t h e ir c l a i m s a s t o w h a t a n a d e q u a t e t h i c k n e s s o f s te e l for s t o v e s is. S t e e l, u n l i k e c a s t ir o n , c a n be p r o d u c e d and w o rk e d at e x t r e m e ly th in th ick n esses. F ires c a n a n d h a v e b e e n b u i l t in c o n t a i n e r s e i t h e r a d a p t ­ ed o r d e s i g n e d f o r u s e a s s t o v e s , w i t h a t h i c k n e s s n o g r e a t e r t h a n a h e a v y tin c a n . L o c a l i z e d h o t s p o t s c a n r e s u l t in s u c h s t o v e s b e c a u s e o f s t e e l ’ s r e l a t i v e i n a b i l i t y t o s p r e a d h e a t l a t e r a l l y t h r o u g h it self. On t h e o t h e r h a n d , c o o k s , y o u n g a n d o ld , will t e s t i f y to c a s t i r o n ’ s m a r v e l o u s a b i l i t y t o s p r e a d lo c a l iz e d h ea t even th ro u g h o u t ca s t cook w a re. C ast c o o k w a r e is, h o w e v e r , b y d e f i n i t i o n , h e a v y . W e r e c o o k s t o u s e s t e e l o f s i m i l a r w e i g h t a n d th ic k n e s s , t h e y m i g h t be s u r p r i s e d t o f i n d h o w e v e n l y th e m a t e r i a l h e a t e d up. o n s i d e r a ls o t h a t e v e n t h e m o s t c a r e f u l w o o d b u r n e r m a y m a k e a m i s t a k e a n d s u b j e c t th e s t o v e ( b y l e a v i n g a d r a f t w i d e o p e n ) to s t r e s s g r e a t e r t h a n t h a t u n d e r w h i c h t h e s t o v e is n o r m a l ­

C

ly f i r e d . A d d i t i o n a l t h i c k n e s s o f o t h e r b u ilt-in s a f e ­ t y f e a t u r e s m a y b e a n i m p o r t a n t c o n s i d e r a t i o n in t h is r e g a r d .

H o w t h i c k is t h i c k e n o u g h ? B e t t e r ’ n ’ B e n ’ s w h i c h u s e s 1 1 - g a u g e l o w - c a r b o n s t e e l in it s c o n s t r u c t i o n h a s p r o d u c e d a n d s o ld s e v e r a l t h o u s a n d u n i t s w i t h little o r n o w a r p a g e . T h e i r l i t e r a t u r e r e a d s : “ W e h a v e n o t been a b le to w a rp , c r a c k or burn ou t the s t o v e u n d e r t h e s e v e r e s t o f c o n d i t i o n s . W e do, h o w e v e r , s p e c i f y in o u r g u a r a n t e e , t h a t t h e s t o v e m u s t b e r u n u n d e r c o n t r o l in o r d e r n o t to V O I D th e g u a r a n t e e . T o r u n t h e s t o v e o u t o f c o n t r o l is to let t h e s t o v e h e a t t o a p o i n t w h e r e it is r e d h o t o v e r a p e r i o d o f t i m e . N o w o o d s t o v e , n o m a t t e r w h a t it is c o n s t r u c t e d of, s h o u l d b e a l l o w e d t o r u n o u t o f c o n ­ tro l.”

A n o t h e r b a s ic m a t e r i a l u s e d in m u c h s t o v e c o n ­ s t r u c t i o n is f i r e b r i c k . F i r e b r i c k c o m e s in e i t h e r p r e ­ c a s t b r i c k s o f v a r i o u s s i z e s o r in a c a s t a b l e fo r m .

B o t h f o r m s a r e id e a l f o r d o - i t - y o u r s e l f e r s . It a ls o m a k es rep a irs to fire b rick lin in g s rela tiv ely easy.

S o m e p e o p l e c o m p l a i n t h a t f i r e b r i c k is t o o b rit tle , b u t t h e b e s t s t o v e s t h a t u s e it p r o t e c t t h e m o s t v u ln e ra b le su rfa ce s w ith m etal an d m ake rep la ce­ m e n t o f t h e b r ic k q u i t e e a s y . F i r e b r i c k h a s th e c a p a b i l i t y o f h o l d i n g h e a t f o r s o m e tim e , t h e r e b y m a i n t a i n i n g a h ig h t e m p e r a t u r e in a f i r e b o x w ith m i n i m u m o x y g e n . W h e n u s e d in c o m b i n a t i o n w i t h s t e e l a n d a li m i t e d a m o u n t o f c a s t i r o n , a fi r e b r ic k li n e d s t o v e c a n p r o v e t o be a v e r y f i n e p r o d u c t .

S t a i n l e s s s t e e l , t h o u g h e x p e n s i v e , is v e r y h ig h l y r e s i s t a n t to c o r r o s i o n a n d is f i n d i n g w i d e r u s e as a s u i t a b l e f i r e b o x lin e r . S t a i n l e s s s t e e l h a s a l r e a d y e s t a b l i s h e d i t s e l f in r e l a t i o n t o w o o d h e a t e r s as a f i n e m a t e r i a l f o r p r e - f a b c h i m n e y c o n s t r u c t i o n . It is w orth rem em b erin g , h o w e v e r, th a t w hen copper a n d s t a i n l e s s s te e l a n d o t h e r m e t a l s b e g in to g r o w s c a r c e r in t h e f u t u r e , b r ic k a n d c l a y tile w ill still be w i t h us.

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By Clarice L. Moon h e A n c i e n t R o m a n s k n e w t h e p r in c ip l e s f o r m a k in g sa u erk ra u t. F in e ly shredded ca b ­ b a g e w a s p l a c e d in p o t s o r v a t s a n d a ll o w e d to fe r m e n t , and a cq u ire d a s lig h tly sou r taste. T his art s e e m s to h a v e d is a p p e a r e d fr o m E u ro p e with

c o n t e n t w h i c h a id s d i g e s t i o n a n d h e l p s kill h a r m f u l

t h e fa ll o f t h e R o m a n E m p i r e .

T h e A s i a n s w h o i n v a d e d E a s t e r n E u r o p e in t h e th irte e n th and fo u rte e n th c e n t u r ie s b ro u g h t the

p o u n d s ) in a l a r g e e a r t h e r n w a r e j a r , a d d 1/4 c u p s a lt. T a m p d o w n f i r m l y w i t h p o t a t o m a s h e r o r h e a v y stic k . T h e j u i c e w ill b e g i n t o c o m e o u t o f t h e c a b b a g e . R e p e a t t h is p r o c e s s u n t i l t h e j a r is a b o u t f o u r i n c h e s f r o m t h e to p . T a m p d o w n w ell. P u t a d r y l i n e n c lo t h o v e r t h e t o p o f a p l a t e . T h e n i n v e r t the p la te and cloth o v e r th e c a b b a g e and w eig h d o w n w i t h w a s h e d s t o n e s . T i e a n o t h e r c lo t h o v e r the top o f th e ja r . L et sta n d tw o weeks. T ake o ff c l o t h a n d r e p l a c e r in s e , r e m o v e a lit t le b r i n e a n d r e p l a c e c l o t h , p l a t e , a n d w e i g h t s . L e t it s t a n d a g a i n . T h i s p r o c e s s r e q u i r e s s ix w e e k s . S a u e r k r a u t c a n b e u s e d f r o m t h e j a r if it is k e p t in a co o l r o o m .

T

a r t w i t h t h e m . In A s i a , s a u e r k r a u t w a s sa id t o o r i g i n a t e in C h i n a . I t c a m e t o A m e r i c a f r o m E u r o p e , w i t h t h e c o l o n i s t s . C a b b a g e is o n e o f t h e h a r d i e s t v e g e t a b l e s g r o w n a n d is c u l t i v a t e d o v e r m o s t o f t h e w o r l d . S a u e r k r a u t is n o w p o p u l a r e v e r ­ yw here.

S a u e r k r a u t is a v e r y v e r s a t i l e d is h . It is s e r v e d w i n t e r a n d s u m m e r in t h e m o s t h u m b l e k i t c h e n s a n d in t h e b e s t r e s t a u r a n t s . I t c a n b e s e r v e d w i t h ham , b a con , pork, p a rtrid g e , d u ck , g oose, d ifferen t k in d s o f s a u s a g e s , a n d f r a n k f u r t e r s .

F o r o u r a n c e s t o r s , s a u e r k r a u t w a s an i m p o r t a n t w i n t e r s o u r c e o f V i t a m i n C, a n d w a s u sed t o c u r e s c u rv y on sea v o y a g e s. R e se a rch on sau erk rau t has f o u n d t h a t t h e f e r m e n t a t i o n p r o c e s s c a u s e s little lo s s in t h e V i t a m i n C c o n t e n t o f t h e k r a u t . R e s e a r c h h a s s h o w n t h a t s a u e r k r a u t h a s a h i g h l a c t ic a cid

C la rice Moon, a fr e q u e n t co n tr ib u to r to Farmstead, lives in Delavan, Wisconsin. Illustra­ tions are by Liz Buell.

b a c t e r i a in t h e d i g e s t i v e t r a c t .

Sauerkraut in a Stoneware Jar Put

a

th ick

la y e r

of

fin e -cu t

cabbage

(fiv e

I f n o t , it c a n be c a n n e d in s t e r i l i z e d j a r s , a n d p r o ­ c e s s e d in a h o t w a t e r b a t h f o r 15 m i n u t e s .

Sauerkraut Made in Jars S lice c a b b a g e w ith a k r a u t c u t t e r . Pack c a b b a g e s o l i d l y in s t e r i l i z e d f r u i t j a r s w i t h 1 t e a s p o o n s a lt p e r j a r . F ill j a r s w i t h c o l d w a t e r . P u t o n c a p , s c r e w ­ i n g b a n d f i r m l y t i g h t . P u t j a r s in c o n t a i n e r , a s t h e j a r s w ill f e r m e n t t h r e e o r f o u r d a y s a n d t h e j u i c e w ill r u n o v e r . I t w ill b e r e a d y f o r u s e in f o u r t o six w e e k s , a t w h i c h t i m e t h e j a r s m a y b e t i g h t l y s e a le d a n d p r o c e s s e d in t h e h o t w a t e r b a t h f o r 15 m i n u t e s .

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

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S A U E R K R A U T S T U F F IN G FO R GOOSE 2-1/2 p o u n d s s a u e r k r a u t 1 g ra ted potato 1 grated carrot 1 m in ce d on ion 1 cu p sa la m i or o t h e r s m o k e d m e a t, cu b ed 1 cu p d ried bread cru m b s 1 ta b lesp oon g o o s e or b acon fat M i x t o g e t h e r all t h e a b o v e i n g r e d i e n t s . S t u f f in to g o o s e p r e p a r e d t o r o a s t i n g . R o a s t in 350 °F. o v e n fo r 2 h o u r s o r u n t il d o n e , u n c o v e r e d . P o u r o f f f a t o c ­ ca sion a lly.

P IG S ’ K N U C K LE S, D U M P LIN G S

SAU ERK RAU T

AND

4 quarts sauerkraut 6 p ig s’ kn uck les o r 3 p o u n d s c o u n try -sty le spare r ib s A f t e r w a s h i n g p i g s ’ k n u c k l e s o r s p a r e rib s, p la c e in l a r g e s a u c e p a n w i t h s a u e r k r a u t a n d c o ld w a t e r t o c o v e r . B oil u n t il t e n d e r ; a b o u t 1-1/2 h o u r s . A b o u t 20 m i n u t e s b e f o r e s e r v i n g , m i x u p d u m p l i n g s a n d d rop b y sp o o n fu ls in to th e p ot. C o v e r tig htly and c o o k f o r 20 m i n u t e s .

S A U E R K R A U T D U M P LIN G S 1 egg, beaten 1/8 t e a s p o o n s a lt 1 t a b l e s p o o n dill 1/2 t e a s p o o n b a k i n g p o w d e r 1/2 c u p f l o u r M a k e i n t o p a s t e , D r o p i n t o b o i l i n g k r a u t . C o o k fo r 20 m i n u t e s in t i g h t l y c o v e r e d p o t . S e r v e w i t h p a rsley potatoes.

BEEF AND SAUERKRAUT 3 p o u n d s b risk et o f b e e f or o t h e r b e e f roast 1 qu art sauerkraut 2 ta b le s p o o n s flour 1 t e a s p o o n s a lt 1/2 t e a s p o o n p e p p e r 1 ta blespoon brow n su gar 1 t a r t a p p le , g r a t e d 1 sm a ll on ion , m inced In la r g e s a u c e p a n , p u t h a lf th e s a u e rk ra u t.

S p r i n k l e w i t h f l o u r . A d d m e a t , o n i o n , a p p le , a n d su g a r. S p rin k le w ith sa lt a n d p e p p e r. L a y rest of s a u e r k r a u t on top. C o v e r w ith b o ilin g w ater. C o v e r t i g h t l y a n d c o o k f o r 1-1/2 t o 2 h o u r s .

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SAUERKRAUT SALAD 1 l a r g e c a n s a u e r k r a u t w i t h li q u id 1 cu p w h ite su gar or su b stitu te 1/2 c u p v e g e t a b l e oil 1 o n ion , cu t fine 1/2 g r e e n p e p p e r 1 r e d p i m e n t o , d ic e d M i x all i n g r e d i e n t s a n d le t s t a n d o v e r n i g h t in refrigera tor.

SAU ERK RAU T CASSEROLE 2 pounds sauerkraut 2 cu p s d iced sm ok ed h am 1/2 c u p d i c e d s m o k e d s a u s a g e 1/2 c u p d i c e d b a c o n 1 l a r g e c a r r o t , d ic e d 1 on ion , m inced 1 l a r g e a p p le , d ic e d 1 la rg e potato, pared and g r a te d 12 p e p p e r c o r n s 1 cup stock or w ater 1 cu p d ry w h ite w in e A r r a n g e all i n g r e d i e n t s in l a y e r s in b u t t e r e d c a s s e r o l e . P o u r o v e r all t h e s t o c k a n d w in e . B a k e, c l o s e l y c o v e r e d , in a 350 ° F. o v e n f o r 1-1/2 to 2 h o u r s , w h e n it s h o u l d b e f a i r l y d r y .

Herbs in the Fall Garden by

Madeleine

H.

Siegler

e r b g a r d e n s a r e a t t h e i r b e s t in e a r l y fall.

H erb s seem to p u t fo rth t h e ir best efforts fr o m m id -A u g u s t u n til t h e y a re cu t d ow n by th e fir s t k illin g frost. T h e y s e e m to k n o w th a t th e ir d a y s a r e n u m b e r e d . I t is n o w o r n e v e r .

I n m y h e r b g a r d e n , h e r e a t M o n k ’ s H ill, t h e c r u s h e d ro ck p a th s a re h a lf h id d e n u n d er th e h e a v y g r o w t h o f l e m o n b a l m , p a r s l e y , s a la d b u r n e t , l a d y ’ s m a n t l e , s a g e , l a v e n d e r , a n d m i n t . It is t i m e t o m a k e o n e f i n a l c u t t i n g a n d fill t h e s h e d a n d h o u s e w i t h h u g e b o u q u e t s o f f r a g r a n t f o l ia g e . A ll th e h e r b s h a v e b een c u t a t le a s t o n ce , u su a lly ju s t b e f o r e t h e y c o m e i n t o f l o w e r . T h a t h a r v e s t is t h e

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r i c h e s t in a r o m a a n d f l a v o r .

T h e le m o n b a lm h a s lo n g s in ce flo w e re d w ith the t i n y , w h i t e - l i p p e d b l o o m s s e t c l o s e t o t h e s te m . N o w it is r a n k a n d t a ll. W e w i ll c u t it b a c k o n e m o r e t i m e . T h e p a r s l e y h a s b e e n s n i p p e d all s u m m e r , a lw a y s ta k in g th e o u t e r sta lk s, so t h a t n ew g r o w t h w ill c o n t i n u e f r o m t h e c e n t e r o f t h e p la n ts . T h is

Ms. Siegler owns and operates Monk's Hill Herbs in Winthrop, Maine. Photos are by George Frangoulis.

l a s t h a r v e s t w ill b e s n i p p e d f i n e l y w i t h s c is s o r s a n d f r o z e n f o r u s e all w i n t e r . S a l a d b u r n e t w a s a t it s b e s t in e a r l y s p r i n g w h e n t h e t e n d e r le a v e s , w i t h t h e i r f a i n t h i n t o f c u c u m b e r , f l a v o r s a la d s . D u r i n g t h e s u m m e r , s o m e o f t h e o l d e r p l a n t s a r e a l l o w e d to b l o s s o m a n d t h e n a r e c o n s i g n e d t o t h e c o m p o s t pile.

O th ers are trim m ed b a ck an d c o n t in u e to send ou t n e w g r o w t h all s u m m e r .

L a d y ’ s m a n t l e b l o s s o m e d in l a t e J u n e . T h e c h a r t r e u s e f l o w e r s a r e v e r y e f f e c t i v e in f r e s h flo w e r a r r a n g e m e n t s ; t h e y a lso h old th eir color w ell fo r use as d ried flo w e rs . T h e lea v es o f th is h a n d s o m e h e rb are on ste m s t h a t g r o w from th e b a s e o f t h e p la n t . T h e y a r e t i g h t l y p l e a t e d lik e a fan an d g r a d u a lly u n fo ld to a n e a r ly rou nd fo u r or five in ch d ia m e te r. R a in a n d d e w d r o p s lin g er on t h e i r s u r f a c e all t h r o u g h a s u n n y d a y . I lik e t o ca ll t h e m m y d i a m o n d s s h i n i n g in t h e s u n .

Sage and Lavender A ll t h e sa g e p la n ts h a v e b e e n c u t b a ck tw ice d u r­ i n g t h e s u m m e r . T h i s f i n a l c u t t i n g w ill b e a l i g h t o n e . S a g e is a h a r d y p e r e n n i a l h e r b . O l d e r p l a n t s b e c o m e sm all s h r u b s w ith g n a r le d , w o o d y stea m s. A c o m m o n m i s t a k e is t o c u t

all

th e lea ves from th e

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p l a n t in t h e fa ll, o n t h e t h e o r y t h a t t h e f r o s t will kill t h e m a n y w a y . T h i s g u a r a n t e e s t h e d e a t h o f t h e p la n t. A s on e h e rb a lis t a d v is e s , “ S en d sa g e in to w i n t e r w i t h a fu ll h e a d o f l e a v e s . ” T h e p l a n t n e e d s t h e m f o r it s n o u r i s h m e n t a n d s u r v i v a l .

T h e l a v e n d e r b o r d e r c o n t a i n s a b o u t s e v e n fullg r o w n p la n t s . E a c h o n e s p r e a d s t o a d i a m e t e r o f a b o u t e i g h t e e n i n c h e s . A l l t h e f l o w e r i n g s ta lk s w e r e c u t in e a r l y J u l y j u s t b e f o r e t h e f l o w e r s w e r e c o m p le te ly open . S in ce th e s e p la n ts are crow ded, and h a v e su ffe re d som e b r o w n i n g n ea r th e base fro m la ck o f s u ffic ie n t a ir c ir cu la tio n , I h a v e a l r e a d y t a k e n s o m e d i v i s i o n s f r o m t h e s id e s o f t h e p l a n t s a n d r o o t e d t h e m . T h e s e s i d e d iv i s io n s c a n n e v e r b e p r u n e d t o m a k e a s w e l l - s h a p e d a p l a n t as on e g r o w n from seed or from top cu ttin g s, but th ey a r e u s u a l l y v e r y s t r o n g p l a n t s a n d p r o d u c e a lo t o f b lo ss o m s th e follow in g y ea r. A n y p ru n in g needed fo r g o o d sh a p e on th e s e la r g e p la n t s w a s d o n e im ­ m e d i a t e l y a f t e r t h e f l o w e r s w e r e c u t in J u l y s o t h a t n on e o f the n ew g ro w th w h ich w a s dev elop in g n ext y e a r ’ s f l o w e r s w a s d a m a g e d . A n y s t r a y s id e s h o o t s t h a t o v e r h a n g t h e p a t h a r e c u t in J u l y also. T h e s e and ea rlie r pru n in g s I d ry for th e potpourri jar.

W h ile th e flo w e rs c a r r y th e s t r o n g e s t scent, the l e a v e s a r e a ls o f r a g r a n t .

S u c c e s s in g r o w i n g l a v e n d e r s e e m s to d e p e n d on a s u n n y w e l l - d r a i n e d l o c a t i o n in l i g h t soil t h a t h a s b e e n w e l l li m e d . I f y o u s c a t t e r t h e g r o u n d w i t h lim e u n t i l it l o o k s lik e a l i g h t s n o w f a l l — t h a t is w e ll l i m e d . M a n y g a r d e n e r s a d v i s e w o r k i n g old p l a s t e r r u b b l e i n t o t h e soil. T h i s w o u l d b e e s p e c i a l l y g o o d if t h e s o il is h e a v y ; it w o u l d l i g h t e n a s w e ll as li m e.

M in ts A f t e r su ffe r in g for five y e a r s w ith a h od g e -p o d g e m i n t s e c t i o n in t h e h e r b g a r d e n , w e h a v e f i n a l ly c o n s ig n e d th e p e p p e r m in t a n d sp e a rm in t to n ew beds o f th e ir ow n w h e r e t h e y ca n run to th eir h e a r t ’ s c o n t e n t . E v e n t u a l l y t h e h e r b g a r d e n w ill c o n t a i n o n l y t h e ta ll w o o l l y m i n t , w h i c h I c a ll app lem in t, and th e lo v e ly o r a n g e m in t w h ich does not s e e m to be as a g g r e s s iv e as t h e o th e rs . R ig h t now, t h e c u r l y s p e a r m i n t is still r a m b l i n g a b o u t w i t h i n th e h e r b g a r d e n a n d c o m p l e t e ly h id in g th e path n e a r it. T h e ta ll w o o l l y m i n t s t a y s o n l y b e c a u s e it is th e on e v a riety th a t tolera tes sun.

O n e w o u l d t h i n k t h a t b e c a u s e it is s u c h a n a g ­ g r e s s i v e p la n t , t h a t m i n t w a s o n e o f t h e e a s i e s t h e r b s t o g r o w . In m a n y r e s p e c t s it is, b u t it d o e s h a v e p ecu lia rities . If th e ro o ts b e c o m e too th ick ­ ly b o u n d t o g e t h e r , t h e t o p g r o w t h w ill s u f f e r . T h e p la n t b e c o m e s p r o n e to f u n g u s an d to in se ct d a m a g e . F o r t h i s r e a s o n , it is r e c o m m e n d e d t h a t a n y m in t bed be d u g and r e s e t e v e r y th ree years.

T h i s is e s p e c i a l l y t r u e , i f li k e m e , y o u h a v e s t a r t e d too m a n y varieties too clo se to g e th e r . R epeated ad ­ v i c e in all h e r b b o o k s is n e v e r t o u s e m a n u r e o n m int. It c a rrie s th e s p o re s o f a fu n g u s th a t ca n d e s t r o y t h e c r o p . T h e r e is a f u n g i c i d e t h a t w ill c o n ­ trol t h e d a m a g e , b u t w h y a sk fo r trou b le? S in ce m i n t is a h e a v y f e e d e r , I f e r t i l i z e w i t h b o n e m e a l on ce a year.

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B a s il, M a r jo r a m an d S u m m e r S a v o r y S e p t e m b e r is s u c h a b u s y t i m e , a s w e c a n a n d f r e e z e t h e b o u n t y o f o r c h a r d a n d g a r d e n , t h a t it is e a sy to fo rg e t th e h erb h a rv e st. P e rh a p s you w ere n e w a t h erb g r o w in g and rea lly d o n ot kn ow w h a t t o d o w i t h all t h a t b a s il , m a r j o r a m a n d s u m m e r s a v o r y th a t g r e w fro m th o s e t in y s e e d s y o u pla n ted la s t s p r i n g . T h e f i r s t t h i n g t o d o is g e t t h e m p ic k e d w h i l e t h e y still h a v e s o m e f l a v o r . Y o u w ill h a v e a l o n g h o u s e - b o u n d w i n t e r in w h i c h t o e x p e r i m e n t w ith u s in g th em . Steal an h o u r on a w arm , su n n y d a y , a n d fill a b a s k e t w i t h s w e e t o d o r s . S in c e t h e s e th r e e a re a n n u a ls, y ou ca n c u t t h e en tire p lan t at t h e s o il li n e. R i n s e a w a y t h e d i r t in a p a n o f c o o l w a t e r , t i e e a c h v a r i e t y in s m a l l b u n c h e s , a n d h a n g in a w a r m , d r y a r e a t h a t is o u t o f d i r e c t s u n . T a k e t i m e t o t a g e a c h v a r i e t y s o t h e r e w ill b e n o c o n ­ f u s i o n la t e r .

L e m o n B a lm a n d th e O t h e r T a ll H e r b s T h e t a l l e r h e r b s , s u c h a s l e m o n b a l m , m in t , s a g e , a n d c a t n i p w ill n o t n e e d w a s h i n g if y o u t i m e t h e c u t t i n g to f o l l o w a g o o d r a i n . W a i t u n t i l t h e s u n h a s d r ie d t h e s u r p l u s m o i s t u r e , t h e n c u t , tie, a n d h a n g .

S in ce th e se are p e re n n ia l p la n ts, a d iffe re n t te ch n i­ q u e is c a l l e d f o r in t h e c u t t i n g . T a k e n o m o r e t h a n tw o -th ird s o f th e g r o w t h . L e a v e a g o o d su pply of h e a r t l e a v e s a t t h e b a s e t o s u s t a i n life f o r n e x t y e a r . T h i s r u l e a p p l i e s t o all h e r b s a n d is a g o o d on e to re m e m b e r w h e n sn ip p in g fro m th e an nu al h erbs d u rin g the su m m er.

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ce ssiv e d a y s o f su n sh in e are fo llo w e d by in cre a sin g ­ ly c o l d e r n i g h t s . I a l w a y s f o r g e t t h e r e a l i t y o f I n ­ d i a n s u m m e r a n d h a r v e s t p l a n t s t h a t c o u l d w e ll s t a n d a n o t h e r m o n t h o f o u t d o o r life . I f t h e y a r e n o t cut, t h e y are d u g and p otted , r e a d y fo r a w in te r in ­ s id e t h e h o u s e . H e r e a t M o n k ’ s H ill w e m a y n o t g e t a h a r d f r o s t u n t il t h e m i d d l e o f O c t o b e r . L o n g b e fo re th a t I h a v e sp e n t m a n y a ch illy ea rly e v e n ­ i n g c u t t i n g a r m l o a d s o f all t h e h e r b s f r o m t a n s y t o s i l v e r k in g , f r o m s o u t h e r n w o o d t o p i n e a p p l e s a g e . I do n o t n eed th e m to d a y b u t w ith th e sp ecter of s n o w l u r k i n g n o t f a r a w a y , I fill e v e r y c o r n e r o f t h e h ou se w ith g r e a t b u n ch e s o f fr a g r a n t bounty. W hen t h e t o r r e n t i a l fa ll r a i n s c o m e , a n d l a t e r t h e f i r s t o f t h e m a n y s n o w f a l l s , I a m c o n t e n t t o s t a y in s id e , s n u g b y t h e fir e , a n d s o r t a n d s t r i p t h e still f r a ­ g r a n t le a v e s fro m m y s u m m e r ’ s g a r d e n . B u n d les o f d r i e d s t e m s c r a c k l e in t h e f i r e a n d g i v e a s p e c ia l a ro m a to the w ood sm ok e.

R o s e m a r y , lem on v e r b e n a , an d m a n y of the b e fo r e th a t, I h a v e s p e n t m a n y a c h illy ea rly ev en s c e n t e d g e r a n i n u m s , a r e n e v e r c u t in t h e fall. T h e y skill a s I c a n m u s t e r . A l o n g w i t h t h e t w o b a y t r e e s and t h e ca r d a m o n p la n t w h ic h s u m m e r e d ou tsid e in t h e i r t u b s , t h e s e w ill s o o n b e b r o u g h t in f o r t h e w i n t e r . R o o m w ill b e f o u n d s o m e w h e r e f o r t h e s e te n d e r herbs. T h e loca tion m a y n o t be ex a ctly w h a t t h e y w o u l d p r e f e r , b u t in s p i t e o f t h e li m it a t io n s , m o s t o f t h e p l a n t s w ill m a k e it t h r o u g h t h e l o n g w in ter. t

T h e r e are at le a s t tw o s c h o o ls o f t h o u g h t on h o w b e s t to t r a n s fe r a p la n t fr o m g a r d e n to h ou s e w ith n o s e v e r e d a m a g e . O n e w a y is t o b r i n g it in s i d e b e f o r e t h e h e a t i n g s y s t e m s t a r t s it s e n d l e s s r u n ­ n in g . T h e o t h e r m e t h o d is t o p o t t h e p l a n t s a n d l e a v e t h e m o u t s i d e o n a p r o t e c t e d p o r c h o r c l o s e to th e h o u s e fo r a fe w w eek s. I h a v e h a d g ood resu lts w ith th e la tter m ethod .

Firs* I fi n d p o t s t h a t I t h i n k w i ll b e t h e r i g h t s iz e . C i a y p o t s a r e s o a k e d f o r s e v e r a l h o u r s in t h e r a in b a r r e l . T h i s is e s s e n t i a l , o t h e r w i s e t h e p l a n t is a l w a y s t h i r s t y , a s m o s t o f t h e w a t e r y o u g i v e it is a b s o r b e d b y t h e d r y p o t. T o d i g r e s s f o r a bit , if y o u lik e t h e a p p e a r a n c e o f c l a y p o t s b u t h a v e a l r e a d y d isco v e re d h o w often th e y n e e d w a te rin g , y o u can

p o s i t i o n t h e r o o t m a s s o n it . A d d soil c a r e f u l l y , m a k in g su re th e r e are n o a ir p o c k e t s a m o n g th e roots. A s h a rp to n k of th e p o t w ill h elp settle th e soil a n d s if t it in a m o n g t h e r o o t s . T r y t o e n d u p w i t h t h e p l a n t a t t h e s a m e l e v e l t h a t it w a s g r o w ­ i n g in t h e g a r d e n . I f it a p p e a r s t h a t a f t e r all t h is t h e p o t is t o o s m a l l o r t o o l a r g e , t a k e t i m e t o d o it all o v e r a g a in . Y o u r c h o i c e s p e c i m e n is g o i n g t o s p e n d s i x m o n t h s in t h a t c o n t a i n e r , s o d o t h e b e s t f o r it y o u c a n . U s u a l l y t h e r i g h t s i z e p o t is o n e t h a t h old s th e ro o t m a ss easily, w ith s o m e space for n e w g r o w t h . N e x t , g i v e it a g o o d w a t e r i n g a n d le t it r e s t in t h e s h a d e f o r a f e w d a y s . A l w a y s w a s h t h e f o l i a g e or s p ra y w ith an in se cticid e b e fo r e b r in g in g th e m in ­ to th e house.

M y p la n ts are u s u a lly p o t t e d e a r ly e n o u g h so t h a t t h e y s p e n d a f e w m o r e w e e k s o u t in t h e f r e s h

co a t th e inside w ith m e lte d p a ra ffin . I ca n n o t re­ m e m b e r w h o s h a r e d t h i s h i n t w i t h m e , b u t t h e r e it is. I h a v e n o t t r i e d it y e t , b u t p l a n t o t h is y e a r .

D i g t h e p l a n t c a r e f u l l y a n d s h a k e all t h e soil f r o m th e roots. T h is g iv e s you a c h a n c e to m ake su re no s o w b u g s o r e a r t h w o r m s a r e g o i n g in t o t h e p o t.

W o r m s a r e i n v a l u a b l e in t h e g a r d e n a n d t h e r e is w h e r e t h e y s h o u l d s t a y . Y o u r p o t t i n g soil w ill n o t f e e d b o t h t h e m a n d y o u r p l a n t all w i n t e r . S t e a l s o m e g o o d r ic h soil f r o m y o u r b e s t g a r d e n s p o t to fill y o u r p o ts . I d o n o t t h i n k it is n e c e s s a r y t o s t e r i l i z e it, n o r d o I b o t h e r w i t h p r e - p a c k a g e d p o t ­ t i n g soil. P u t a f e w s t o n e s o r p i e c e s o f b r o k e n c l a y in t h e p o t f o r d r a i n a g e i f y o u lik e . I d o n ’ t t h i n k th is m a k e s m u c h d i f f e r e n c e , a l t h o u g h I ’ v e d o n e it f o r

W h a t d o w e d o w i t h all t h a t d r i e d m a t e r i a l o n c e w e h a v e g a t h e r e d it? T h e u s e s a r e li m i t e d o n l y b y o u r i m a g i n a t i o n s o r o u r s k ill in c o p y i n g id e a s . M o s t o f t h e p r o d u c t s I m a k e f r o m m y h e r b s t a k e v e r y li t ­ tle t i m e a n d t h e y all a r e u s e d e i t h e r t o e n h a n c e o u r

y e a r s . N o w p u t t w o i n c h e s o f s o il in t h e pot, a n d

h o m e o r as g ifts for oth ers.

a ir r e c o v e r i n g f r o m t h e r u d e s h o c k o f b e i n g d u g b e fo re t h e y a re s u b je c te d to t h e fu r t h e r in d ig n ity o f b e i n g e x p o s e d to c e n t r a l h e a t i n g . A l t h o u g h a h u m i d i f i e r h e lp s u s t o o v e r c o m e t h e e f f e c t s o f d r y , h e a t e d a ir, m o s t p l a n t s , e s p e c i a l l y t h e r o s e m a r i e s , n eed fr e q u e n t m istin g w ith ro o m te m p era tu re water.

H erb Presents

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T a k e c a t n i p , f o r e x a m p l e . I f y o u p la n t e d th is h e r b , y o u p r o b a b l y h a v e q u a n t i t i e s o f it. Y o u c o u ld m a k e c a t n i p m i c e a n d g i v e t h e m t o all y o u r f r i e n d s ’ cats fo r C hristm as. Y o u rea lly d o n ’ t need a pattern.

C ut a r e m n a n t o f stu rd y fa b ric to a n y shape th a t r e s e m b l e s a m o u s e , s t i t c h , s t u f f , s e w on a t h ic k y a r n t a il, e m b r o i d e r a n e y e i f y o u fe e l like it, a n d y o u h a v e a m o u s e . I f it d o e s n ’ t l o o k like a m o u s e , c a ll it a c a t n i p c r i t t e r . T h e s a m e d r i e d c a t n i p t h a t is so e x c it in g to th e c a t m a k e s a fin e c u p o f tea th a t I c a ll o n e o f n a t u r e ’ s t r a n q u i l l i z e r s . W o u l d n ’ t a f e w p e o p l e o n y o u r C h r i s t m a s li s t l i k e s o m e o f it?

M a k e closet bags o f s o u th e r n w o o d , w orm w ood , t a n s y , o r w o o d r u f f . A d d a f e w c l o v e s to t h e h e r b s and y o u h a v e a m oth r e p e lle n t as e ffe ctiv e as m oth b a ll s a n d f a r m o r e p l e a s a n t t o s m e l l .

S t r i p all t h e c u l i n a r y h e r b s f r o m t h e i r s t e m s a n d s t o r e in o p a q u e a i r t i g h t c o n t a i n e r s t o u s e f o r g o o d c o o k i n g all w i n t e r lo n g . I f y o u h a v e a s u r p lu s , fill e m p t y v ita m in b ottles w ith t h e m a n d g iv e as g ifts t o y o u r v e r y b e s t f r i e n d s . Y o u w i ll b e g i v i n g s e a s o n ­ in gs t h a t a re m o re fresh a n d p u r e th a n a n y th a t c a n b e b o u g h t in s t o r e s a t a n y p r i c e .

F il l a b i g w o o d e n b o w l w i t h a f r a g r a n t m i x t u r e o f le m o n b alm , sa g e, m int, c o m f r e y , a n d a few la d y ’ s m a n t e l le a v e s , f o r h e r b te a . B l e n d t h e m all t o g e t h e r a n d cru s h slig h tly w ith y o u r h a n d s . W h ole lea f b l e n d s k e e p t h e i r a r o m a a n d f l a v o r b e t t e r t h a n if t h e y h a v e b e e n p u l v e r i z e d . I f y o u h a v e a n y d r ie d c a le n d u la s or e ld e r flow ers, add th e m to th e m ix ­ t u r e f o r c o l o r a n d f u r t h e r g o o d b e n e f i t s . P a c k a g e in a n y w a y y o u li k e, a n d y o u h a v e a n o t h e r u n i q u e g if t . A l l t h e a b o v e h e r b s m a k e f i n e t e a , e i t h e r a l o n e o r in a n y c o m b i n a t i o n . I n m a k i n g t h e b le n d , u s e

The author at work in her garden.

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le s s s a g e , as it is a s t r o n g h e r b a n d c a n o v e r p o w e r th e b o u q u e t of th e m ore d e lic a te o n e s. C o m fr e y has v e r y li t t l e fl a v o r , s o I a d d a n y o f t h e m i n t s to it.

T ry a cu p of y o u r h erb tea. P u t a g e n e ro u s te a s­ p o o n f o r e a c h c u p o f w a t e r i n t o a t e a p o t , add b o i l i n g w a t e r , le t it s t e e p f o r t e n m i n u t e s , s t r a i n i n t o c u p s , s w e e te n w ith a bit o f h o n e y a n d e n jo y ! C om b in e as­ sorted bags o f teas w ith a fe w sm a ll con tain ers of c o o k i n g h e r b s , p u t t h e m in a n i n e x p e n s i v e b r e a d b a s k e t , tie it all u p w i t h a r i b b o n , a n d y o u h a v e m a d e a n o t h e r u n i q u e g if t .

C r u s h s o m e h e a d s o f l a v e n d e r flo w e rs, add cr u s h e d la v e n d e r le a v e s a n d s o m e orris root for a fixative, and you h ave a la v e n d e r sach et. Put som e in a d a i n t y s a t i n b a g e d g e d w i t h l a c e a n d g a t h e r e d w ith rib b o n to m a tch , a n d y o u h a v e p rod u ced the p e r f e c t g i f t f o r a n y w o m a n o n y o u r list. I f y o u h a v e o n ly a sm all a m o u n t o f la v e n d e r , m a k e tiny sa ch ets o f r i b b o n . A y a r d o f t w o - i n c h w i d t h r ib b o n w o u l d m a k e sev era l.

A f t e r all t h e h e r b s a r e g a t h e r e d a n d h u n g t o d r y , w e r e l a x a bit . T h e r e is still m u c h t o be d o n e b e f o r e t h e g a r d e n s a r e r e a d y f o r w i n t e r , b u t w ith t h e p r e ­ c i o u s c r o p s a f e l y in s i d e , w e d o n o t w o r r y a b o u t t h e h e a v y r a i n s t h a t a r e d u e , o r t h e i n c r e a s i n g l y c h il ly n ig h ts th a t ro b th e h e r b s o f a r o m a an d flavor. W e can a lm o s t a cce p t w ith s e r e n it y th e lon g w in te r t h a t is c l o s e u p o n us. I t w ill b e a t i m e o f r e i n f o r c e ­ m e n t ; t h e r e w ill b e t i m e t o r e a d all t h e b o o k s w e d u tifu lly p u t aside fo r th e s u m m e r , tim e to record s u c c e s s e s a n d f a i l u r e s in o u r g a r d e n j o u r n a l , t i m e t o s k e t c h p l a n s f o r n e w g a r d e n s , a n d m o s t o f all, t i m e t o e n j o y w i t h all o u r f i v e s e n s e s t h e h e r b s w e g r e w th is year.

A WOK FULL OF BOK CHOY b y L y n d a D ia n e G u t o w s k i

S

t i r - f r y i n g , w h i c h is a b a s i c t e c h n i q u e o f C h in e se co o k in g , co n s is ts o f sa u te in g ch un k s

o f v e g e t a b l e s ( w i t h o r w i t h o u t m e a t o r fish ) v e r y b r i e f l y in oil, t h e n s t e a m i n g t h e m fo r j u s t a f e w m i n u t e s u n t il t h e y a r e t e n d e r b u t still c r is p . It is a n e x c e l l e n t w a y t o p r e p a r e v i r t u a l l y all v e g e t a b l e s c o m m o n l y g r o w n in N e w E n g l a n d g a r d e n s — the sh o rt c o o k in g tim e d o e s not d estroy e i t h e r t h e i r f l a v o r o r t h e i r n u t r i t i o n a l v a lu e . A stir-

f r i e d v e g e t a b l e d is h , s e r v e d w i t h r ic e , m a k e s a d e ­ l i c io u s a n d f i lli n g m e a l ; s t i r - f r i e s a ls o m a k e e x ­ c e l l e n t a c c o m p a n i m e n t s f o r p la i n m e a t , p o u l t r y , o r fish.

O n ce y o u m a ste r th e b a sic s tir -fr y in g tech n iqu e, i n f i n i t e v a r i a t i o n s a r e p o s s i b l e b o t h in t h e c o m b i n a ­ t i o n s o f v e g e t a b l e s u s e d a n d in t h e s a u c e s a n d c o n ­ d i m e n t s ( d o m e s t i c a n d C h i n e s e ) w h i c h y o u c a n add.

S p e c i a l c o o k i n g u t e n s i l s a r e n o t n e c e s s a r y : w h i l e it

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is f u n t o p r e p a r e t h e v e g e t a b l e s in a w o k (a C h i n e s e c o o k e r w h i c h r e s e m b l e s a h u b c a p in s h a p e ), a n y h e a v y s k il le t w i t h a t i g h t - f i t t i n g lid will do j u s t as w e ll.

F o r t h e p u r p o s e o f s t i r - f r y i n g , all v e g e t a b l e s a r e d iv id e d in to tw o c a te g o r ie s : t h o s e w h ich con ta in a lo t o f w a t e r a n d t h e r e f o r e m a y b e c o o k e d w i t h li t ­ tle o r n o a d d e d liq u id , a n d t h o s e w h i c h a r e d r i e r and re q u ire the a d d itio n o f at le a s t on e-h a lf cup of w a t e r o r s tock p e r p o u n d . T o e n s u r e even cookin g, b o t h t y p e s s h o u l d b e c u t in s m a l l , u n i f o r m p i e c e s — s li c e d , d i c e d o r s h r e d d e d , d e p e n d i n g on t h e n a t u r e o f t h e p la n t .

H ig h m o is tu re v e g e t a b le s in c lu d e the follow in g: k a le , c a b b a g e , l e t t u c e , s p i n a c h , S w i s s c h a r d , a n d o th e r le a fy g re e n s; C h in e se c a b b a g e , cu cu m b e rs and on ion s. T o u se to m a to e s , s e le ct th ose w h ich are r ip e b u t f i r m a n d c u t i n t o w e d g e s . T h o s e v e g e t a b l e s w h i c h m u s t b e c o o k e d w i t h a d d e d liq u id i n c l u d e a s p a r a g u s , b roccoli, c a u liflo w e r , b ru sse ls sprouts, c e l e r y , e g g p l a n t , g r e e n a n d r e d p e p p e r s , k o h lr a b i, t u r n i p s , a n d r u t a b a g a . O t h e r s in t h e l o w - m o i s t u r e g r o u p a r e li m a a n d f a v a b e a n s , g r e e n b e a n s , p e a s , sn ow or ed ib le -p o d d e d p ea s, w h ite and sw eet p o ta to e s , ca rro ts , ra d ish e s, o k ra , a n d both w in te r a n d s u m m e r s q u a s h ( s t i r - f r y i n g in v a r i o u s s a u c e s is a n e x c e l l e n t w a y t o a v o i d m o n o t o n y in s e r v i n g t h a t n e v e r -e n d in g su p p ly of z u cch in i). h e b a sic r e c ip e fo r s tir -fr ie d v e g e ta b le s sta rts w ith on e p ou n d of a n y vegetable, p eeled a n d c u t as n e e d e d , o r a n y c o m b in a ­ tion o f p re p a re d v e g e ta b le s . W h e n u s in g a c o m b in a ­ tion, tr y to select v e g e t a b le s w ith sim ilar co o k in g tim es as w ell as th o s e w h o s e fla v o r , color and t e x ­ tu re s m a k e an a tt r a c tiv e a n d t a s t y m ix tu re — leaf v e g e t a b l e s , f o r i n s t a n c e , w ill b e o v e r c o o k e d l o n g

T

b e f o r e p o t a t o e s , w i n t e r s q u a s h o r c a r r o t s w ill b e c o m e ten d er. If y o u w ish to c o m b i n e fa st-cook in g v e g e t a b le s w ith s lo w on es, p a rb o il t h e slow -cook ers before stir-fryin g or add th e q u ick -cook in g ones a fte r th e slo w p o k e s h a v e s t e a m e d a few m inutes.

F r o z e n v e g e t a b le s m a y be u sed in s te a d of the fresh — t h a w t h e m f ir s t , a n d s t e a m t h e m f o r a s h o r t e r tim e.

A s s e m b le the fo llo w in g in g r e d ie n ts : 2 t b s p , v e g e t a b l e oil ( not o l i v e ) o r c h i c k e n o r b a c o n fat 1 o r 2 g a rlic clo v e s (op tion al) 2 o n e - i n c h s li c e s o f f r e s h g i n g e r r o o t (o p t i o n a l) * 1/2 ts p . s a lt dash o f p ep p e r (op tion al) O n e p o u n d a n y o n e v e g e t a b l e , p r e p a r e d as d i r e c t e d a b ove, or a com b in a tion of p re p a re d vegetables 1/2 c. o r m o r e s t o c k , b o u i l l i o n , o r w a t e r ( u s e le s s o r n o n e w ith h ig h -m o is tu r e v e g e t a b le s , unless you w a n t a lo t o f s a u c e ) 1-2 t b s p . s o y s a u c e 1/2 t s p . s u g a r B in d in g m ixtu re: co m b in e 1 tbsp. co rn sta rch 1/4 c. w a t e r 1 tbsp. rice w in e or dry sh e r r y (o p tion a l)

*Fresh ginger root is available in the produce de­ partments of many larger supermarkets — if you 78

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don’t see it, ask fo r it. If you must substitute ground ginger, use it sparingly — //4 tsp. is quite sufficient for one pound of vegetables.

In a s k il le t o r w o k , h e a t t h e oil o r fa t o v e r m e d i u m - h i g h h e a t . A d d t h e g a r l i c , g i n g e r , s a lt a n d p e p p e r . S t i r - f r y t h e s e a s o n i n g s — u s i n g a fo r k o r l a r g e s p o o n , t o s s t h e m q u i c k l y u n t il all t h e s u r f a c e s a r e c o a t e d w i t h oil — f o r a f e w s e c o n d s , t h e n r e ­ m o v e g i n g e r a n d g a r l i c . If y o u p r e f e r a s t r o n g e r f l a v o r , t h e g i n g e r a n d g a r l i c m a y be m in c e d , in ­ s t e a d o f u s i n g l a r g e r p i e c e s , a n d a l l o w e d to r e m a i n in t h e sk ille t.

A d d t h e p r e p a r e d v e g e t a b l e ( s ) a n d s t i r - f r y u n t il t h e y a r e w e l l - c o a t e d w i t h oil — a b o u t te n m o r e s e c o n d s . L o w e r t h e h e a t to m e d i u m a n d ad d t h e li­ q u id , s u g a r , a n d s o y s a u c e . C o v e r , a n d s t e a m u n t il t h e v e g e t a b l e s a r e t e n d e r b u t s till c r i s p — th e c o o k ­ in g t i m e w ill v a r y a c c o r d i n g to th e ty p e o f v e g e ta b le s used, the q u a n t ity , a n d how th ey are c u t : g r e e n s a n d t o m a t o e s m a y r e q u i r e o n ly o n e o r t w o m i n u t e s a f t e r c o m i n g t o a b o il, w h i le f i r m e r v e g e t a b l e s o f t e n r e q u i r e f i v e m i n u t e s o r lo n g e r .

D o n ot o v e rco o k : w h a t y o u w a n t are ten d er but cle a rly -d e fin e d ch u n k s o f in d iv id u a l vegetables, not a s o g g y , i n d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e m a s s . A s s o o n as t h e v e g e t a b l e s a r e c o o k e d b u t s till c r i s p , a d d t h e b i n d ­ i n g m i x t u r e . S t i r f o r a f e w s e c o n d s u n t il t h e s a u c e is t h i c k , t r a n s l u c e n t a n d g l o s s y . R e m o v e f r o m th e h e a t a n d s e r v e i m m e d i a t e l y — if y o u w ish , s p r in k le th e s tir-fries w ith to a s te d s e s a m e seeds, nuts, or c h o p p e d ch iv e s or sca llion s.

Y

ou h ave n ow m a stered th e tech n iq u e of p re­ p a r in g stir-fried d is h e s u s in g c o m m o n g a r d e n

v e g e ta b le s and o t h e r in g r e d ie n ts re a d ily a v a i l a b l e in s u p e r m a r k e t s . I f y o u a r e a d v e n t u r o u s , y o u m a y w a n t t o g o o n t o m o r e e x o t i c r e c ip e s w h i c h r e q u ir e th e a d d iton o f sp ecia l C h in e s e in gred ien ts.

S o m e o f t h e s e y o u c o u l d t r y g r o w i n g in y o u r o w n g a r d e n ; o th e rs are m o s t e a s ily o b t a in e d by v isitin g a n O r i e n t a l g r o c e r y in B o s t o n o r N e w Y o r k (a tr i p to C h i n a t o w n c a n b e a h i g h l i g h t o f a n y v is it to e i t h e r c it y ). T h e y c a n o c c a s i o n a l l y b e f o u n d in g o u r m e t s e c ­ t i o n s o f d e p a r t m e n t o r g r o c e r y s t o r e s , o r in s o m e h e a l t h f o o d s t o r e s ; t h e y m a y a l s o b e o r d e r e d b y m ail.

S t o r e s w h i c h s h ip s o m e O r i e n t a l i t e m s i n c l u d e t h e follow in g: A p h r o d i s i a , 28 C a r m i n e S t r e e t , N e w Y o r k , N Y 10014 ( S e n d $1.00 f o r c a t a l o g ) T h e D e l i c a c i e s S h o p , B l o o m i n g d a l e ’ s, L e x i n g t o n A v e . a n d 5 9 th S t r e e t , N e w Y o r k , N Y 10022 ( H a s no c a t a l o g b u t w ill s h i p a v a i l a b l e i t e m s o n r e q u e s t ) W i n g F a t C o m p a n y , 35 M o t t S t r e e t , N e w Y o r k , N Y 10013 ( S e n d f o r c a t a l o g ) S o m e i n g r e d i e n t s w h ic h w ill a d d a sp e cia l C h in e s e to u ch to y o u r s tir -fr ie s are describ ed below . L isted first are a fe w fre sh , ca n n e d and d r i e d O r i e n t a l v e g e t a b l e s w h i c h m a y be s ti r - f r i e d in stea d of or as an ad d ition to y o u r ow n produce.

T h e s e a re fo llo w e d by C h in e s e s a u c e s and co n d i­ m e n t s w h i c h c a n be u s e d t o m a k e d e l i c i o u s v a r i a ­ tion s on th e b a sic stir-fry recip e.

V egeta b les

Bamboo Shoots — A v a i l a b l e in c a n s in t h e C h i n e s e f o o d s s e c t i o n o f a l m o s t all s u p e r m a r k e t s , t h e s e a r e a l r e a d y s li c e d i n t o t h i n p ie c e s . D r a i n e d a n d u s e d w i t h a n y v e g e t a b l e c o m b i n a t i o n fo r stirfry in g , th e y add a sp ecia l t a s t e a n d a c r u n ch y t e x ­ t u r e . T h e liq u id t h e y a r e p a c k e d in m a y be r e s e r v e d and used a lo n g w ith or in s te a d o f the stock or water.

Boh Choy ( C h i n e s e c h a r d c a b b a g e ) — A le a f y d a r k g r e e n v e g e t a b l e w i t h a w h i t e s t e m , b o k c h o y is e x c e l l e n t in s t i r - f r i e s b y i t s e l f o r w i t h o t h e r p r o d u c e — p r e p a r e it lik e S w i s s c h a r d , w h i c h it r e s e m b l e s in a p p e a r a n c e b u t n o t in t a s t e . I t is o n l y a v a i l a b l e f r e s h in C h i n e s e m a r k e t s a n d t h u s c a n n o t be s h ip p e d . It w ill k e e p a b o u t o n e w e e k u n d e r refrig era tion . S eeds are a v a ila b le for g row in g you r ow n bok choy.

Chinese Mustard Greens ( K a i C h o y ) — A n o t h e r f r e s h g r e e n l e a f y v e g e t a b l e , g o o d a l o n e o r in c o m ­ b i n a t i o n s t i r - f r i e s . P r e p a r e a n d s t o r e like b o k c h o y .

Cloud Ears ( W o o d E a r s ) — A d r i e d f u n g u s w h i c h m a k e s a t a s t y a n d n u t r i t i o u s a d d i t i o n to s tir -fr ie s .

S o a k e d f i r s t in w a r m w a t e r f o r a b o u t o n e - h a l f h o u r , it w ill e x p a n d t o m a n y t i m e s it o r i g i n a l s iz e a n d a s ­ s u m e a flu ffy clo u d s h a p e. S lice th e soaked fu n g u s in to th in strip s and stir-fry w ith o t h e r veg eta b les.

A v a ila b le o n ly from O rie n ta l m a rk e ts , clou d ea rs w ill k e e p i n d e f i n i t e l y w i t h o u t r e f r i g e r a t i o n . T r e e e a rs a re s im ilar b u t s m a lle r a n d th in n e r.

Dried Forest Mushrooms — D e l i c i o u s , m e a t y ta s t in g m u s h r o o m s w h ich a lso a dd a g r e a t deal of f l a v o r to s t i r - f r i e d d i s h e s . S o a k t h e m in h o t w a t e r u n t il s o f t — a b o u t f i f t e e n m i n u t e s . D i s c a r d t h e t o u g h ste m s and cu t in to th ick strip s. O cca s ion a lly d r i e d E u r o p e a n m u s h r o o m s m a y b e f o u n d in su p e rm a rk e ts: th e y m ak e an e x c e ll e n t substitute.

Golden Needles ( L i l y B u d s ) — T h e s e d r ie d b u d s f r o m t h e lo t u s f l o w e r a r e a n o t h e r u n u s u a l v e g e t a ­ ble t o a d d to y o u r s t i r - f r i e s , a n d a r e o f t e n u s e d in c o m b i n a t i o n w i t h c l o u d $ a r s . S o a k t h e m in c o o l w a t e r f o r a b o u t t e n m i n u t e s b e f o r e u sin g . L ik e all d r i e d f o o d s , t h e y w ill k e e p i n d e f i n i t e l y w i t h o u t refrigera tion .

Glutinous Rice — A s h o r t - g r a i n e d w h i t e r ic e a ls o k n o w n a s s w e e t o r s t i c k y r ic e , it is v e r y r ic h in B v i t a m i n s a n d m a k e s a n e x c e l l e n t a c c o m p a n i m e n t to

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C o v e r w i t h f r e s h w a t e r in a p o t w i t h a t i g h t - f i t t i n g lid, a n d b r i n g t o a b o il ; l o w e r t h e h e a t a n d s t e a m u n t il s o f t , a d d i n g e x t r a w a t e r if n e c e s s a r y .

Water Chestnuts — L ik e b a m b o o s h o o t s , t h e s e a r e a v a i l a b l e c a n n e d in t h e C h i n e s e f o o d s s e c t i o n o f m o s t s u p e r m a r k e ts . T h e y s h o u ld be d ra in ed and t h i n l y - s l i c e d b e f o r e u s i n g in a s t i r - f r y to a d d a d e ­ li c io u s , s w e e t , n u t - l i k e c r u n c h i n e s s . T h e i r liq u id m a y b e r e s e r v e d a n d u s e d lik e t h a t o f b a m b o o s h o o t s . W a t e r c h e s t n u t s m a y a l s o be b o u g h t in d r i e d f o r m in C h i n e s e g r o c e r i e s — s o a k t h e s li c e s in h o t w a t e r f o r s e v e r a l h o u r s b e f o r e u sin g . D r ie d w a t e r c h e s t n u t s w i ll k e e p i n d e f i n i t e l y w i t h o u t r e f r i g e r a t i o n i f s t o r e d in a m o i s t u r e - p r o o f c o n ­ t a i n e r . S o m e p e o p l e u s e J e r u s a l e m a r t i c h o k e s in p la ce o f w a t e r c h e s tn u ts .

S a u ces and C on d im en ts

Fermented Black Beans — T h e s e s m a ll, v e r y p u n g e n t b l a c k b e a n s a r e p r e s e r v e d in salt. T h e y a r e s o a k e d in w a r m w a t e r f o r a f e w m i n u t e s , d ra in e d , and th e n m a s h e d t h o r o u g h l y b efore b ein g u s e d in a s a u c e . T h e y c a n b e b o u g h t in p la s t ic b a g s at O rien tal m a rk e ts and s to re d w ith o u t re fr ig e r a ­ tio n . C a n n e d b l a c k b e a n s a u c e — t h e b e a n s a r e a l r e a d y m a s h e d — is a l s o a v a i l a b l e b u t m o r e d i f ­ f i c u l t t o find.

Brown Bean Sauce — A v a i l a b l e in c a n s f r o m C h i n e s e m a r k e t s , t h is t h i c k f e r m e n t e d s a u c e is a ls o k n ow n as y e llo w bean o r g r o u n d b e a n sauce. It r e ­ s e m b l e s s o y s a u c e in f l a v o r , o n l y s t r o n g e r a n d s a l t i e r ; h e n c e , it is n e v e r u s e d w i t h salt, a n d s o y s a u c e is u s e d v e r y s p a r i n g l y . I t s h o u l d be r e m o v e d f r o m t h e c a n a n d r e f r i g e r a t e d in a t i g h t l y - s e a l e d con ta in er.

Hoisin Sauce — A s p i c y , m i l d l y s w e e t t h ic k s a u c e w h i c h , u s e d in m o d e r a t i o n , g i v e s a d e l i c i o u s e x o t i c t a s t e t o s o m e s t i r - f r i e s . I t is m a d e o f s o y b e a n s , s u g ­ ar, a n d s e a s o n i n g s . S t o r e d in a t i g h t l y - s e a l e d c o n ­ t a i n e r , it w ill k e e p i n d e f i n i t e l y in t h e r e f r i g e r a t o r .

Oyster Sauce — A t h i c k , b r o w n s a u c e m a d e o f o y s t e r s , c l a m s , a n d s o y s a u c e , it m a y be s u b s t i t u t e d f o r s o y s a u c e in v i r t u a l l y all r e c i p e s , a n d c a n a ls o b e u s e d a s a d ip o r t a b l e c o n d i m e n t . It, to o , w ill k e e p f o r a l o n g t i m e if r e f r i g e r a t e d .

MAKE COOKING W ITH WOOD E FFIC IE N T T w o cast iron ranges from the Old World The

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* Large airtight l7Vz” firebox w ith removable grate. * Will hold a fire overnight and heat the kitchen. * In black or colorful enamels.

* Firebrick lined airtight construction holds fire 8-9 hrs. * Precise tem perature con­ tro l system fo r large oven. * H ot w ater heater attachm ent

W rite, c a ll o r com e see these a n d th e o th e r Lange W oodheaters. S h e p E rh a rt, S h o re R d .r F ra n k lin , 04634.

Tel. No. 5 6 5 -2 9 0 7 .

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

79

S e s a m e O i l — A h i g h l y - f l a v o r e d oil a v a i l a b l e in O r i e n t a l g r o c e r y s t o r e s , it is u s e d o n l y fo r s e a s o n ­ i n g d i s h e s , n e v e r a s a c o o k i n g oil. It is v e r y s t r o n g a n d is u s e d b y t h e d r o p , n o t t h e s p o o n f u l — a little g o e s a v e r y lo n g w a y to im p a r t a su b tle flavor and a r o m a t o s t i r - f r i e d d i s h e s . I t is n e v e r c o o k e d le s t t h e f r a g r a n c e b oil o f f — it is u s e d in s a la d s a n d o t h e r c o l d d i s h e s , a n d is a d d e d t o h o t o n e s a f t e r co o k in g , im m e d ia te ly b e fo re se r v in g . T ry ad d in g a f e w d r o p s t o t h e b a s i c s t i r - f r y r e c i p e . B u y a sm a ll b o t t l e a n d r e f r i g e r a t e it.

T h e C h in e s e s a u c e s a n d c o n d im e n t s d escrib ed a b o v e ca n be used to m a k e th e fo llo w in g v a ria tion s on th e b a sic stir-fry recip e: Stir-fries with Black Bean Sauce — B la c k b e a n s a r e a l w a y s u s e d w i t h g i n g e r a n d g a r l i c . T o t h e b a s ic i n ­ g r e d i e n t s a d d 2 t b s p . b l a c k b e a n s a n d 1 tsp. d r y s h e r r y ; o m i t t h e s a lt b e a n s a s p r e v i o u s l y d ir e c t e d , or use th e a lre a d y -p re p a re d black b e a n sauce. C o m ­ b in e w ith th e m in ce d g i n g e r a n d ga rlic (n ot o p ­ t i o n a l h e r e ) . H e a t w i t h oil in t h e s k i l l e t — a d d t h e b ea n m ix t u r e and s tir-fry te n secon d s. A d d the v e g e t a b l e s ( s w e e t o r b l a n d v e g e t a b l e s s u c h as w h ite o r s w e e t p o t a t o e s a n d w i n t e r Squash are p a r t i c u l a r l y g o o d w i t h t h i s p u n g e n t s a u c e ) a n d stirf r y t e n m o r e s e c o n d s t o c o a t w i t h oil a n d b e a n s .

A d d th e soy, sh e rry , s u g a r a n d w a t e r and p roceed a c c o r d i n g t o t h e b a s i c r e c i p e ; d o n o t a d d s h e r r y to th e b in d in g m ixtu re.

Stir-fries with Brown Bean Sauce — T o t h e b a s ic r e ­ cip e in g r e d ie n ts add 1 tbsp. b r o w n b e a n s a u ce; om it t h e s a lt , a n d u s e o n l y 2 ts p . s o y s a u c e . H e a t t h e oil

in t h e s k il le t a n d s t i r - f r y t h e o p t i o n a l g a r li c , g i n g e r a n d p e p p e r f o r t e n s e c o n d s ( i f u s e d ) . A d d fir s t t h e b r o w n b e a n s a n d t h e n t h e v e g e t a b l e s ; s t i r - f r y ten m o r e s e c o n d s u n t il t h e v e g e t a b l e s a r e w e l l - c o a t e d w i t h b r o w n b e a n s a n d oil. A d d t h e s o y , s u g a r a n d li q u id a n d s t e a m a s d i r e c t e d u n t il t h e v e g e t a b l e is c r i s p y - t e n d e r . A d d t h e b i n d e r , c o o k u ntil g lo s s y , a n d t h e n t o s s in a f e w d r o p s o f s e s a m e oil — m o r e o r le s s t o t a s t e . S e r v e a t o n c e .

Stir-fries with Hoisin Sauces

— C o m b in e the fo llo w ­ i n g i n g r e d i e n t s a n d s e t a s id e : 1 tbsp. soy sau ce 1 t b s p . h o is i n s a u c e 1/2 ts p . s a lt 1/2 ts p . s u g a r 1/2 C. w a t e r H e a t 2 tb s p . oil in s k i l l e t a n d a d d 1 lb. p r e p a r e d

v e g e t a b l e ( a s p a r a g u s a r e e s p e c i a l l y g o o d w i t h th is sa u ce). S tir-fry a fe w s e co n d s . A d d the sa u ce m ix ­ ture; cover, and s t e a m u n t il t h e v e g e t a b l e s a r e crisp y -te n d e r. A d d th e b in d in g m ix tu re and cook u n t il t h e s a u c e is t h i c k a n d g l o s s y . S e r v e a t o n c e , s p r i n k l e d w i t h s e s a m e s e e d s if d e s i r e d .

Stir-fries with Sweet and Sour Sauce — C o m b i n e t h e fo llo w in g in g re d ie n ts a n d s e t a sid e: 1/4 C. v i n e g a r 1/4 C. b r o w n s u g a r 1 tbsp. soy sau ce 2 tbsp. o ra n g e ju ic e 2 tbsp. p in e a p p le ju ic e 2 tbsp. to m a to paste

Freezers Now In Stock FROM 5 CUBIC FEET TO 25 CUBIC FEET

WE HAVE CHESTS AND UPRIGHTS IN STOCK

OUR SPECIAL FR EIG H T CAR PURCHASE OF FREEZERS D IRECT FROM THE FACTORY MEANS YOU SAVE BIG! We also have a c o m p le te lin e o f h o m e furnishings.

FrankPomerleau. Inc. 4 3 Bridge S t., A u g u s ta

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"Just ask anyone in Augusta where we are"

80

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

H e a t 2 tb s p . oil in s k il le t a n d a d d vegetable g o o d w ith the sa u ce vegetables

1 lb. p r e p a r e d

(p e p p e rs and c a r r o t s a re p a rticu la rly t h is s a u c e ) . S t i r - f r y a f e w s e c o n d s . A d d m i x t u r e ; c o v e r , a n d s t e a m u n t il t h e are d on e. A d d th e b in d in g m ixture, and

c o o k u n t il t h e s a u c e is t h i c k a n d g lo s s y . S e r v e .

P in e a p p le c h u n k s m a y be c o m b in e d w ith v e g e t a b l e s in s w e e t a n d s o u r s a u c e . till m o r e v a r i a t i o n s m a y b e c r e a t e d b y a d ­ d i n g m e a t o r fish . G r o u n d b e e f o r p o r k m a y b e p u t in t h e s k il le t a t t h e b e g i n n i n g , w i t h t h e s a lt , g a r l i c a n d g i n g e r , a n d t h e b a s ic r e c ip e fo llo w e d fro m th e n on. O t h e r m e a ts, bo n e le ss p o u l t r y , o r fish m a y be c u t i n t o s m a l l p ie c e s (t h is is e a s ie s t to d o w h e n t h e y a r e p a r tia lly fro z e n ), c o o k e d w i t h t h e s e a s o n i n g s u n t il n o t q u i t e d o n e , r e ­ m o v e d f r o m t h e s k il le t a n d t h e n p u t b a c k w h e n t h e v e g e ta b le s are n ea rly co m p le te d . Cooked, leftover m e a t , d i c e d o r t h i n l y s li c e d , m a y a l s o be u s e d — ad d it to t h e s k il le t w i t h t h e v e g e t a b l e s . O n l y a sm a ll q u a n t i t y o f m e a t is n e e d e d : a b o u t o n e c u p t o o n e p o u n d o f v e g e ta b le s . T h e p o s s ib ilitie s are en d less — d o n o t b e a f r a i d to e x p e r i m e n t . O n c e y o u h a v e t r i e d s t i r - f r y i n g y o u r h a r v e s t , C h i n e s e s t y le , y o u w ill n e v e r g o back to so g g y , o v e r c o o k e d v egetables aga in .

, brooks

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Will ‘ ^ i7) 0Sea( N Searsmom

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Specializing in listings of

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Belfast, Maine TH E CLARK AGENCY 89 High Street, Belfast, Maine 04915 2 0 7 -3 3 8 -4 6 1 0

“I

Sirs: Please send me Free mail outs o f Penobscot Bay area real estate

M R ./M R S .

ADDRESS_

Lynda Diane Gutowski, author of “Old Time Ap­ ples”, which appeared in the Fall ’76 issue of Farmstead, lives in Kennebunkport, Maine.

CITY STATE

ZIP

TEL.

The Dover Stove R ou te 15 Bucksport, Me. 0 4 4 1 6

CLOSED MONDAYS

n

The Black Stove Shop Augusta, Maine R o w e ll’s A u t o Sales Palmyra, Maine

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The Hearth & Cricket Shops Bangor, Turner and Portland, Maine

469 - 3 021

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

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M ILLE TT'S RESTAURANT

Professional T re e C a re

Route 1

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Gqwley*/ Le°May*§toV6 Gompanyf °Inc. Box 431—1, RD1, Barto, Pennsylvania 19504 215-845-7176

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FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

i

£ r o c .f) u r e ,

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NEW!

The FARMSTEAD BOOKSTORE Now, it’s easy to shop by mail for those special interest books . . .

How-to do-it information on everything from w ood heating to gardening to raising livestock . . .

Valuable, useful additions to your collection o f data on living more self-sufficiently.

Check the FARMSTEAD BOOKSTORE in each issue for new listings.

R-34 P E D A L POWER: Edited by James C. McCullagh — PED A L POWER ex­ amines the past, present, and future of the bicycle and other pedal and treadle machines. In clear, revealing prose, this unique new book explores the potential for pedal-driven devices in the workshop, kitchen, on the farm , and for transporta­ tion. P E D A L POWER is a new look at the fu tu re of the bicycle in appropriate technology. Around the workshop and homestead, pedal power can be applied to these machines: Wheel grinder. Stone polisher, Buffer drill. Jeweler's lather, Wood carver, Potter's wheel, Battery charger, Hydraulic log splitter, Cider pre­ ss, A ir pump. 144 pp with 72 photographs, 65 illustrations.

Paperback............................................. $4.95

G -80 RAISING POULTRY THE MODERN W A Y

by Leonard MerciaCovers stock selection, feeding, brood­ ing, rearing, management, current dis­ ease prevention, treatment for LAY­ ING FLOCK, MEAT CHICKENS, TU R ­ KEYS, DUCKS, GEESE. Also housing plants, processing, preservation and more.

240 pp.

Quality paperback....................... J5.95

R-32 W ORKING WOOD: A guide for the country carpenter by Nancy and Mike Bubel — W ORKING WOOD offers an op­ portunity for the do-it-yourselfer to build anything from a sawhorse to a barn, using readily available secondhand materials.

Through easily read text, photographs, and drawings, the Bubels share their rough-hewn brand of carpentry — reveal­ ing how to acquire and store building m aterials, listing the necessary tools, and giving tips on working with the tools and m aterials needed to solve anyone's build­ ing problems. 220 pp with 91 illustrations and 56 photos

Paperback...........................................$3.95 Hardcover...........................................$7.95

i

Gretchen Mead GF-01 K E E P IN G T H E HARVEST: Home Storage of Vegetables and Fruits by Nancy Thurber and Gretchen Mead — Taking the mystery and awe out of home food process­ ing is exactly what this book does. Practical inform ation about storage of fruits and vegetables makes this a truly valuable source. Over 100 step-by-step photos for can­ ning, freezing, brining, drying, pickling, making jam s and jellies! It tells you how to avoid serious kitchen canning problems, as well as planning your garden for usable quantities, when you want them. A must book for today's farmsteader! 224 pp.

Oversized p a p erb a ck...............................$5.95

D ESIG N IN G & BUILDING fc

S O IM HOUS6

VOWHfttt *1TH€sun £Y0C!*.:DWMSOH

G-95 D E S IG N IN G & B U ILD IN G A SOLAR HOUSE by Donald Watson, AIA — Here is the complete and practical book everyone has been waiting for on solar house con­ struction. This lavishly illustrated book (over 400 illustrations) shows how the architect or the homeowner can design and build a solar-heated home — today.

Watson discusses not only the historical "passive" uses of solar heating but also the ap p lic atio n of " a c tiv e " heating systems to modern buildings, including de­ tailed information on the many com­ mercial systems available and the effi­ ciency calcuations needed to choose the right system for your site. Climate design, site planning, and combinations of collector/storage/ and distribution systems are a ll considered, with illu strations of specific houses as solutions to specific pro­ blems. Watson's book explains, among others, the following important elements: • how solar heating works • passive systems: greenhouses, Drumwalls, roof ponds, reflectors, diode panels, Beadwall and other insulation methods • active systems: flat-plate collectors and focusing collectors • w ater, rock, and phase­ changing storage systems • prototype solar houses with air systems, watertrickling systems, and liquid systems • solar-assisted heat pumps, solar-powered air conditioning • solar photovoltaic cells for direct electric conversion • ecodesign principles for different U.S. climates • de­ signing for northern climates • how to choose the best solar system for cost payback • site planning, with a special planning checklist • four ways to reduce solar housecosts. 288 pp.

Paperback............................................ $8.95 Hardcover .........................................$12.95

G-94 TAN YOUR H ID E : Home-Tanning Furs & Leathers by Phyllis Hobson — With a fair amount of time and effort, but almost no expense, you can make furs and leathers unequalled commercially, often using skins that would be wasted. And what tremendous satisfaction in your luxurious finished products. Phyllis Hobson discusses in a fullyillustrated step-by-step format working with skins and tanning furs and skins by nine different methods. She includes producing washable furs such as sheepskins along with methods for butter tanning, shortcut tanning, de-hairing for leathers, making sole leather, curing sheepskins, making buckskins by the Indian and modern methods, and even how to tan snakeskins. 112 pages with 25 il­ lustrations.

P aperb ack........................................................ . .$4.95

GF-06 H O M E M A D E : 101 Things to Make Around the Home, Farm and Garden by Roger Griffith & Ken Braren — This book provides useful informa­ tion for the person interested in small scale func­ tional building projects for the home, garden or farm . Nearly anyone can make any of the hundreds of items described and illustrated in HOMEMADE with the simple home tools they already have.

Even if they are an unhandy person! This is a "how-to" book with all of the pitfalls eliminated — no half-finished projects due to lack of tools, materials or clear instructions. And none of these projects involve high costs — actually recycled easy-to-find materials are suggested to keep costs at a m inimum. And these aren't projects limited to the "back-to-the-landers." Each project was chosen because of its wide-spread applicability — highly useful items that are easy to make yet un­ justifiably expensive when storebought. 160 plus pages with over 150 illustrations.

Paperback........................................................... $6.95 H ard co ver........................................................... $8.95

QARDEN WATS

PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING

GF-07 SUCCESS W ITH SMALL FOOD GARDENS: Using Special Intensive Methods by Louise Riotte — This unique vegetable gardening book has been developed for everyone who has little land but would like to grow an abundance of vegetables.

This book details the many techniques developed to insure bountiful crops in small spaces. Some techniques discussed: • interplanting • growing fences • tier plots • chatch cropping • hanging gardens • terrace gardens • succession plantings • raised beds • kitchen and herb beds • vertical gardening • pyramids • French intensive beds.

Unique to this book is the concept of landscaping, wherein the entire home landscape is planned to accommodate food production attractively and ef­ fectively. Fence-row growing, border plantings, multiple-use trees and shrubs, and small de­ corative vegetable plots can be combined for a stunning landscape, while providing a luscious fresh fruit, vegetable and berry supply. 192 pp. with 70 illustrations.

Paperback........................................................... $4.95 GF-08 M A K IN G YOUR OWN ICE CREAM , ICES AND SHERBETS by Phyllis Hobson— What could be more naturally delicious than country-style homemade ice cream topped with garden fresh strawberries? And that is just the beginning, for Phyllis Hobson has included over 100 unbeatable frozen desserts that are sure to brighten many a summer's day. With the recent promotion of elec­ tric ice cream freezers, homemade ice cream can be everyone's "country" treat. Included here is a complete discussion (along with manufacturer's directory) of electric ice cream freezers, crank type freezers, home-improvised freezers, freezer trays, and motorized refrigerator freezers. 64 pp with 35 illustrations.

P aperback........................................... ...............$2.95

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G-96 G A R D E N W A Y 'S P R A C T IC A L B E E K E E P IN G by the Garden Way Staff — Here is the book we have been asked for, the p ra c tic a l, easy-to-understand ap­ proach to beekeeping, equally valuable for the beginner and the more experienced beekeeper.

F O R T H E B E G IN N E R Answers to These Questions Can I keep bees at home?

How much honey can I expect?

How do I start Whatshould I buy?

Are bees dangerous?

What's inside that hive?

FO RTHEVETERAN Good Explanations About Dangers of Pesticides Nectarand pollen plants Genetics of bees Rearing Queen bees Processing honey Getting high honey yields This is a book that we know from ex­ perience will work in the field, a book that we know from experience is necessary to fill the need for easily grasped, practical know-how in the ever-growing field of beekeeping. 224 pp with 100 illustrations.

Paperback............................................. $5.95

LOW-COST

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G-93 B U IL D YOUR OWN LOW-COST HOME by Roger Hard — This book offers a viable alternative to expensive home construction; by describing in text and il­ lustrations, the techniques used to build log homes either from '"scratch" or using pre-cut log house kits. Over 100 detailed drawings, plus illustrative photographs take you step-by-step through the plan­ ning, site selection and preparation stages, the text always carrying parallel directions for kit construction or "fromthe-tree" construction. Plus: • site and cost considerations • log struc­ ture designs • hand tools required • heating/utility systems • power tools needed • general chain saw use • home-built saw mill • log home maintenance • landscaping/log furnishings • kit manufacturer directory. Here is a remarkably complete home construction book to fill a void in a field that is booming! 220 pp with 135 il­ lustrations.

Paperback.........................................$6.95 Hardcover .......................................$10.95

R - 2 2 S T E P - B Y - S T E P TO O R G A N I C V E G ETA B LE GROWING by Samuel Ogden — This well-known guide to raising vegetables without chemical fertilizers and insecticides is based on the author's 40 years of personal ex­ perience. M r. Ogden's book represents a solid re­ ference source for beginners who need the basic information on caring for the soil, organizing the garden plot, collecting the necessary tools, con­ trolling pests, and growing two dozen of the more popular vegetables. 192 pp. 95 illustrations.

Paperback...........................................................$3.95 Hardback .......................................................... $7.95

R-23 HOW TO GROW V E G E T A B L E S A N D FR U ITS BY TH E ORGANIC METHOD by J.l.

Rndale — This hefty volume is actually seven books in one, covering general organic gardening techniques, vegetable growing, the home fruit garden and orchard, organic fruit culture, organic nut culture, herb gardening and growing unusual fruits. This rem arkable book is the organic vegetable and fruit grower's bible. More than 600 charts, tables, how-to-illustrations and photos. 926 PPHardback............................................................$13.95

R-27 TH E HOM ESTEADER'S HANDBOOK TO RAISING SMALL LIVESTOCK by Jermone D. Belanger — A most complete and informative book on raising goats, chickens, sheep, geese, rabbits, hogs, turkeys, and other small stock. The chapters cover diet, feeding, breeding, butchering, bedding, tanning hides, using manure, building housing and feeding equipment. 256 pp. 50 illustrations.

P aperback............................................................$3.95 Hardback.............................................................. $8.50 R-28 TH E HERBAL HANDBOOK FOR FARM AND STABLE by Juliette de Bairacli Levy — This book brings information to farmers and owners of domesticated animals in treating their livestock without chemicals. Separate chapters on each animal include herbal care for diseases, delivering young, and keeping animals healthy. 320 pp.

Paperback........................................................ $3.95 Hardback ........................................................ $7.95

R-17 B U IL D IT BETTER YOURSELF — Here's a building projects book especial­ ly for homesteaders and gardeners; selfsu ffic ien t cusses who do things for themselves. It's a big book with page after page on making practical items, from planting flats to greenhouses, from chicken feeders to small barns. Each pro­ ject is carefully explained in text, photo­ graphs and illustrations. A detailed m aterials list shows what's necessary for

the project, and step-by-step instructions tell how to fabricate and assemble the item. Projects include: Plant Stands; Potting Benches; Window Greenhouses; Hand and Wheeled Garden Cultivators; G arden C a rts ; B ird Feeders; Cold Cellars; Smokehouses; Walls; Fences; Bridges; Barns; Beehives and many, many m ore! 640 pp. over 600 photographs and illustrations.

Hardback ..........................................$16.95

R-14 TH E SHEPHERD'S GUIDBOOK: Raising Sheep for Meat, Wool and Hides by Margaret Bradbury — For anyone contemplating raising sheep. The author discusses what to look for in buying a flock with emphasis on marketable pro­ duction. She talks about breeds and even gives in­ structions for preparing wool for spinning, direc­ tions for tanning sheepskins, recipes for lamb, and some tips on butchering. 200 pp. with photo­ graphs.

Hardback ..........................................................$7.95

R-26 A V E T E R IN A R Y G U ID E FOR A N IM A L OWNERS by C.E. Spaulding, D .V.M. — Here's a book that's long been needed on the farmstead — a handbook for specific preventive measures and cures for all common pet and livestock ailments.

It's organized by animal, and each chapter gives health-care information for that particular animal.

A book that animal owners will use time and time again. 432 pp. 60 illustrations.

Hardback ............................................................$9.95

R-29 G A R D E N IN G INDOORS W IT H HOUSE PLANTS by Raymond Poincelot — Despite the re­ cent wave of house plant books, this one proves to be unique. Included are how-to details for growing fruits, vegetables and herbs indoors as well as or­ namental house plants, 280 pp. 100 illustrations.

P aperback........................................................... $4.95 Hardback ...........................................................$8.95

G-37 LOW-COST POLE BUILDING CON­ STRUCTION by Merrilees and Loveday —

YOUR ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOUSE Building & Remodelling Ideas

Now w ith P L A N S for small barn, garage, tool shed, year 'round homes!

One-of-a-kind book w ill save you m oney, labor, tim e, materials. 60 drawings, all-inclusive details.

Unbelievably clear, easy and economical!

115pp.

Oversized p a p erb a ck..................................$ 4 .9 5

G-40 HOW TO BUILD STONE WALLS by John Vivian — A ll about sources of stone, equipm ent needed, laying ou t a w all, b u ild ­ ing techniques, drainage, retaining walls, wall maintenance.

A practical, "h o w -to " book fo r great results! 85 p p . Heavily illustrated, photos.

Q u ality paperback ................................. $ 2 .9 5

J

by Anthony Adams G-79

G-44 MAKING BREAD WITH HOME GROWN YEAST & HOME GROWN GRAINS

by Phyllis Hobson — Includes growing, grind­ ing grains, growing variety of everlasting yeasts, sponges and other "risings” . Plus 30 special bread recipes. H ard-to-find in fo rm a­ tio n . 4 6 p p .

Q u ality paperback ................................. $ 2 .9 5

G-92

THE CANNING, FREEZING, CURING & SMOKING OF MEAT, FISH & GAME

THE FAM ILY COW by Dirk van Loon

— Perfect for the single-cow fa m ily or fo r semi-commercial needs. Highly inform ative, usable in form atio n on buying a cow, han­ dling techniques, housing, feeds and feeding, m ilking, health care, breeding, calving, land use, all about hay and roots.

Excellent illustrations. 2 0 0p p .

Q u ality paperback ................................. $5.95

G-3 COMPLETE BOOK OF HEATING WITH WOOD by Larry Gay — Types of w o od, stoves and fireplaces, conversion cap­ abilities, economics of wood heat, environ­ m ental benefits and virtu ally every other aspect o f using wood for heat. A must for every hom eowner! 12 8p p .

Q u ality paperback ................................. * $3.95 L»

by Wilbur F. Eastman, Jr. G-47

Step-by-step instructions, m ethods, m aterials, costs.

Covers beef, veal, lam b, p o u ltry , game and fish.

Loaded w ith old-tim e recipes fo r smoked hams and salmon, sau­ sages, bolognas, bacons, venison m incemeat and m ore. Illustrations.

Photos. Charts. 220pp„ Q u ality paperback ..................$ 4 .9 5 H a rd b a c k ...................................... $ 8 .9 5

G-41 DOWN-TO-EARTH VEGETABLE GARDENING KNOW-HOW by Dick Ray­ mond — We honestly believe if you have a

RAISING M ILK GOATS THE MODERN WAY

by Jerry Belanger

vegetable garden you ought to have this book!

Absolutely unique, otherwise unavailable practical advice fro m a gardener of 4 0 years.

Extending vegetable pro d u c tivity, "w id e -ro w " planting fo r trip le yields, picking at peak flavor, saving and storing seeds.

Heavily illustrated. Succession planting, in-depth in­ fo rm atio n , excellent regional advice. Many gems o f garden wisdom .

160pp .

L a r f t.

Q u ality paperback ................................. $5.95

G-43 C om plete, up-to-date coverage by the leading a u th o rity . Illustrated chapters on selection, housing, fenc­ ing, breeding, kidding, chevon, goat m ilk products and m ore. Plenty of "h o w -to " diagrams and photos. T e r­ rific insight! 150pp .

Q u ality paperback ..................$ 3 .9 5

Sold Over 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 Copies!

Here is the homeowner's manual to drastically reducing fuel bills by not wasting "b o u g h t" energy, and by using F R E E energy around you. Learn here the m any small in­ expensive steps to lock in the w arm th , and to take advantage of nature's own heating and cooling systems.

W hy pay when you can cut fuel costs naturally and per­ m anently?

• Energy-saving checklist for guaranteed savings • W orking w ith the sun, w in d , clim ate factors • W indbreak plantings • Shade plantings • V entillating and insulating to best advantage Heavily illustrated. 120pp.

Large, q u ality paperback . . . .

$ 4 .9 5

G-39 LET IT ROT! The Home Gardener's Guide to Composting by Stu Campbell — The compost heap brings th e gardening experience fu ll circle. A nd it's so beneficial to yo ur soil, and so very easy to do if you know th e basics.

Stu Campbell has w ritte n a th orough, deligh t­ fu l, inform ative book to benefit all composters. In practical, "h o w -to " term s covers al­ ternative m ethods. Illustrated guide to hofnemade equipm ent. Extensive composting m a­ terial list, w hat to avoid, locations, activa­ tors, modern applications. Sure to add an im portant and satisfying dimension to your gardening! Illustrated. 15 2p p .

Q uality paperback ................................. $ 3 .9 5

GF-04 RAISIN G SHEEP TH E MODERN WAY by Paula Simmons — Modern sheepraising has shown a trend toward the small holder, with em­ phasis on profitable, self-sufficiency. This book provides the small flock owner with information on the fundamentals of sheep management. It stresses sheep health and preventive care, and of the latest in medical treatm ent, should that become necessary. 234 pp. with illustrations.

Quality paperback.............................................$5.95

R-16 TH E DR A FT HORSE P R IM E R by Maurice Telleen — For people who want to learn the fun­ damentals of using work horses on the farm . This book clearly illustrates the economy of using draft horses and explains the basics: how to buy a draft Horse; how to feed and care for the animals; how to find and repair horsedrawn machinery; how to harness and hitch a team; and how to breed them.

272 pp. with illustrations and photos.

Hardback ..........................................................$10.95

R-13 R A IS IN G T H E H O M E S T E A D P IG by Jerm one D. Belanger — Raise a pig in the backyard? Why not, challenges the author, as he explains that properly maintained pigs are not smelly or dirty. It covers the full range of hog raising including feeding, diseases and related management topics. 224 pp. 36 illustrations.

Hardback ......... j . . . .......................................... $7.95

R-31 COMPOSTING: A Study of the Process and Its Principles by Clarence G. Golueke, Ph. D. — One of the nation's leading authorities covers in depth the processes, pitfalls and profits of making compost at home and large-scale composting as a solution to our solid waste problems. 128 pp.

Paperback............................................................$3.95

R-11 TH E GARDENER'S G U ID E TO B ETTER SOIL by Gene Logsdon — How to develop rich, fertile soil and keep it that way year after year.

Every gardener, novice and veteran, can derive down-to-earth tips on ensuring bountiful harvests of tasty and nutritious fruits and vegetables, beautiful flowers and majestic trees. 260 pp. 33 il­ lustrations.

Paperback........................................................ $4.95 Hardback ........................................................ $7.95

R -1 2 T H E M A N U A L O F P R A C T I C A L H O M E S TE A D IN G by John Vivian — Following a calendar year, this book details when, why and how a homesteader performs his chores, such as handling crops, chickens, goats and pigs. It also tells how to supplement the family food supply from the wild. Thoughtfully written, it's the up-todate book on homesteading. 352 pp. 180 descrip­ tive illustrations and photos.

Paperback..........................: ................................$5.95 Hardback ........................................'.................. $8.95

R-1S T H E PRACTICAL E N ­ C Y C L O P E D I A OF N A T U R A L H E A L IN G by M ark Bricklin — This book brings together the most popular natural healing techniques, from acupuncture to herbal medicine to yoga therapy. This complete, revealing book is filled with the d isco veries and advice of m edical specialists, herbal and folk remedies and anecdotes from doctors and lay-people on treating health problems without drugs or surgery. Natural healing is the ap­ proach to health care that takes max­ imum advantage of the human body's re­ markable ability to defend itself against disease, pain and lasting injury. 608 pp. photos and drawings.

Hardback ..........................................$12.95

R-35 T H E D IC TIO N A R Y OF USEFUL PLANTS by Nelson Coon — An incredible number of plants cov­ er the earth and few there are that have not been put to some use by man. Until now, information on these plants and their uses could only be found in scattered and specialized books. But master horticultural writer Nelson Coon has culled his own experience and hundreds of volumes, spending years developing his most extensive work to date.

TH E D IC TIO N A R Y OF U SEFUL PLANTS. Here at last is a useful reference on useful plants, creat­ ed specifically for the layman. There is no book on the m arket to match it. 304 pp with 383 illustrations.

P aperb ack............................................................$4.95 R-36 SUCCESSFUL B ERR Y GROWING — How to Plant, Prune, Pick, and Preserve Bush and Vine Fruits by Gene Logsdon — For berry lovers and growers everywhere this handy book gives impor­ tant detail for raising and enjoying berries and grapes from the garden. From preparing the soil right on through to eating or marketing the berries, SUCCESSFUL BERRY GROWING covers it all.

Among the many plants discussed are strawber­ ries, raspberries (yellow, black, red, and purple), blackberries, blueberries, dewberries, elderber­ r ie s , g o o s eb e rries, c u rra n ts , grap es, and muscatines. The book also provides essential and fascinating information about wild berries, berries for birds only, berries for decoration, dyes, inks, and other non-edible uses. 208 pp with 12 illustra­ tions.

P aperb ack............................................................ $3.95

FARMSTEAD

R-21 ORGANIC PLANT PROTECTION, Edited by Roger B. Yepsen, Jr. — Wilted squash vines, perforated cabbage leaves, wormy apples — to grow plants is to meet bugs and diseases head on.

But ORGANIC PLANT PROTECTION can help you turn your garden "battle-ground" into a balanced environment. The book is arranged in two parts: Section One explains how to use the basic strategies of poison-free plant protection; Section Two is a book-length encyclopedia to more than a thousand bugs and diseases. 696 pp. Over 100 color photos and 100 line drawings.

H ardback........................................................... $12.95

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R-15 SMALL-SCALE GRAIN RAISING by Gene Logsdon — For every gardener and homesteader who wants to increase both the quantity and quali­ ty of his homegrown food supply by growing and using whole grains. Individual chapters are devot­ ed to corn, wheat, sorghum, oats, soybeans, rye and barley, buckwheat and millet, rice and their many varities. Also included is a section on un­ common grains — wild rice, triticale, safflowers, and legumes. 320 pp. with illustrations.

Paperback........................................................... $4.95 Hardback ........................................................... $8.95

W

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R -24 T R E E S F O R T H E Y A R D , ORCHARD AND WOODLOT, Edited by R oger B. Y epsen, J r . — Both the homeowner and homesteader will find this guide helpful in the many areas of tree care and harvest. Chapters cover: Propagation; Pruning; Landscaping; Orcharding; Sugaring; Woodlot Manage­ m ent. Th e fin a l ch apter is an en­ cyclopedic guide to 120 trees will illustra­ tions of leaves, range maps and an ac­ count of the special uses for each.

Illustrated with 320pp.

H ardback............................................. $8.95

0

R-25 WOOD HEAT by John Vivian — As prices of more conventional fuels con­ tinue to rise, more people are turning to wood heat as a natural alternative. Wood Heat is a how-to book on the uses of wood stoves, furnaces, and heaters. This book stands as one of the most practical com­ pilations of information on the most prac­ tical winter appliance you can own. It also contains chapters on The Science and History of Wood Heat; Chimneys and Flues; Fireplaces Old and New; Cooking with Wood; and Harvesting Wood. Won­ derfully descriptive drawings by Liz Buell. 336 pp.

Paperback .........................................$4.95 Hardback........................... ................. $8.95 R-30 G E T T IN G TH E BUGS OUT OF ORGANIC G A R D E N IN G — Experienced organic gardeners reveal th eir secrets for combating insects — naturally. I ncludes recipes for safe organic sprays plus a listing of insect-deterrent herbs and plants.

128 pp.

Paperback............................................................$2.95

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R -1 9 L O W - C O S T E N E R G Y - E F F I C I E N T S H ELTE R by Eugene Eccli — For the owner and builder, this book tells how to cut energy bills for heating, cooking, appliance use, lights and water.

In addition to money-saving advice, it includes plans and specifications for 14 low-cost, energyefficient homes with 150 detailed illustrations, un­ derstandable to the novice designers, builder and handyperson. 416 pp.

Paperback.........................................................$5.95 Hardback . ............................. ......................... $10.95

R-20 PRODUCING YOUR OWN POWER: How To Make Nature's Energy Sources Work For You, Edited by Carol Stone — This book includes the advice and information from many experts on how to harness energy from the sun, wind, water, wood and organic wastes. Over 165 charts, tables, building plans and detailed instructions are in­ cluded. 332 pp.

Hardback ........................................................... $8.95

R-33 G U ID E TO BEES AND HONEY by Ttd Hooper — This invaluable aid is not just a how-to about beekeeping, but a vital collection of informa­ tion on how to work with bees. Author Ted Hooper describes important situations that take place in the hive and offers reasons and responses. It's all here — beekeeping tactics with recommendations on necessary tools, different syles of hives and dif­ ferent races of bees, advice on siting the apiary and a complete outline of the work involved in a year of beekeeping, including maintenance necessary for a healthy harvest. In addition, G U ID E TO BEES AND HON EY details the fine points of handling bees, controlling swarms, making increase, rear­ ing queens, and coping with pests and diseases. A final section treats honey plants and the removal, composition, handling, and preparation for sale of honeybee products. 260 pp. with 120 black and white illustrations.

H ard co ver............................................................$7.95

GF-05 P R O F IT A B L E H E R B G R O W IN G AT HOME by Betty E.M . Jacobs — The author of this book writes from experience, having run an herb farm in Canada for eight years. Here she shares knowledge on growing, harvesting and marketing herbs. The text is well-organized and the illustra­ tions are delightful. 225 pp.

Quality p a perback.................... ........................ $5.95

STAR T OR COMPLETE Y O U R

F A R M S T E A D L IB R A R Y W e o f f e r f o r s a le a l i m i t e d n u m b e r o f b a c k is sues o f F A R M S T E A D M A G A Z I N E . E a c h issue c o n 足 ta in s a w e a l t h o f i n f o r m a t i o n f o r g a r d e n e r s an d

Check contents sam pler below for some o f the topics covered in p r e 足 vious issues of FA R M S TE A D .

s m a l l f a r m e r s e v e r y w h e r e . Y o u m a y use the c o u p o n at r ig h t to s e n d us y o u r o r d e r . B a c k is足 s u e s a r e $1.25 e a c h , p p d . P a y m e n t m u s t be in 足

TO:'

c l u d e d w ith o r d e r .

'

WINTER 7 5

SUMMER 7 6

The Maine Planting Calendar F o o d S t o r a g e on th e M a in e Farmstead Energy and the Small Maine Farm Sprouting Making Cider Wine The E a r ly Settlers of Matinicus Island Be Your Own Woodland Manager Care and Use of Your Chainsaw

The Grasses of Maine How to Buy a Horse Making Hay Despite the Weather Planting an Organic Orchard Some of my Best Friendsare Bugs Enjoy Your Own Farm Pond Plants that Poison Livestock G row ing O rien tal Vegetables in Maine

SPRING 7 5 Growing Grains in Maine Goats on our Farmstead Careand Feeding of Young GoatKids Incom e Ta x Deductions For the Small Farm er Wild Apple Trees Onions F rom Seed to Storage Insurance And The Farmsteader Our First Garden in Maine Better Living Without Electricity Corn: Growing It InM aine

SUMMER 7 5 Of Slugsand Suds Letter From Western Maine Ho, Sheep, Sheep!

P lag ue and P estilence in Your Woodlot How to M ake Butter and Buttermilk The G reat Purple Vegetable Patch A Successful Farmstand Lovely, Lowly Lambs Quarters The G reat H orned Owl On Growing Red Tomatoes Canning Fruits and Vegetables

FALL 7 5 T ric k s For the Fall and W inter Garden Breed That Pig The Kitchen Garden The Wise and Useful Farm and Garden Guide Rabbits On Your Farmstead Tan Y ourH ide A Grove of Walnuts Making Jams and Jellies Storing Fruits and Vegetables Jerusalem Artichokes, Horse-radish and Squid

WINTER 7 6 M aine G ardeners' Favorite Seed Varieties Growing Christmas Trees Workhorses on Your Farmstead How To Sell Your Crafts Starting Seedjings Indoors Fruit Leather Ravens In Maine Bee Keeping Ice Fishing Maine Clim ate and Weather Heating With Wood

SPRING 7 6 Spring Pig Power!

How ToW orkand Play With Squash How To Build a Fence Clearing Land Without Backache or Backhoe Raising Bees in Maine Tapping the Maine Sugar Bush Heirloom Beans Can You Afford Free Chicks?

Planting By TheSigns A Patch of Rhubarb Recipes__________

THE r FARMSTEAD

F A R M S T E A D M A G A Z IN E

boo J htjre

BOOK CODE NO.

B o x 1 1 1 , F re e d o m , M e . 0 4 9 4 1

Please send me the books and/or back issues of FARMSTEAD magazine as indicated below.

COST

HOW M A N Y

FALL 7 6 Old Tim e Apples A Guide to Raising Ducks Muscovies on a Maine Farm More about Muscovy Ducks On Augers, Froes and Crozes Ergot Forest Management Flightfrom Winter, Flight to Spring I n Homage to Angelica

:

WINTER 7 7 The Commonsense Gardener Farming With a Draft Horse H ow to M a kea Barrel Stove Winter Deer Feeding Lambing Tim e Harvesting Salt Hay Wood Stove Cookery Wood Stove Safety John Vivian's Convenience Garden Saving Energy is Saving Money

Total A mount of Books Maine Residents Add 5% Sales Tax

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ISSUE

HOW M A N Y

COST

W inter'75

SPRING 7 7

Spring'75 S um m er'75

Know Your Soil TheModularCold Frame On Choosing Your Goose Making Maple Wine Smelting by Moonlight Digging Dandelions Starting T omato Seedlings A Bee for The North

Fall '75 W inter'76 Spring'76 Sum m er'76 F a ll'76

EARLY SUMMER 7 7

W inter'77

Let Weeds Protect Your Garden Hoes for Hard Rows Understanding Passive Solar Heating Systems Home Childbirth Broad Beans Eat Violets Nutrition and the Vegetarian Diet Old Tim e Rhubarb Recipes Squash, Beans & Corn Woodsheds Are Beautiful Beefalo

Spring'77 E arly S um m er'77 S um m er'77 TotaI Amountof Back Issues Tota IA mount of Orde r Orders under $10 please add 60< for postage a nd ha ndl ing

SUMMER 7 7 Getting A Li neon Bees How to H ook a Hon'd Pout Cooking Carpand Other Rough Fish Making Low Sugar Jams & Jellies Tea Thyme Palate Pleasing Pickles To Husband A Goat: A Moral Tale Rural Poland-A G Iim pse of Our Past Legumes - Selecting Seed, Mixtures fo rtheS m all Farm

N O TE : Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Any titles temporarily out of stock will be shipped when available. Due to book publishers' price i ncreases, our prices are subject to change without notice.

I

Name Address

USE H A N D Y COUPON TO O RD ER

Zip

T h e s e t w o ev il c h a r a c t e r s c o m e u n d e r t h e F o e s s e c t i o n ; t h e e a r t h w o r m , o f c o u r s e , is d e s c r i b e d u n ­ der F rien d s. “ T h e i r s h o v e l - l i k e lip l o o s e n s t h e soil a s t h e w o r m s b u r r o w a lo n g . T h e i n g e s t e d soil, s u c k e d in t o th e ir m o u th s by m u s cu la r a ctio n , pa sses in to th eir to u g h , th ick -w a lled g r in d in g g iz z a r d s . . . w hich p u l v e r i z e s t h e f o o d - c o n t a i n i n g s oil a s it is r u b b e d a g a i n s t s a n d p a r t i c l e s s w a l l o w e d w i t h it.”

S e e w h a t I m e a n ? T h e s e a u t h o r s d o n ’ t h o ld b a c k on d e s c r i p t i o n .

L ittle ja b s o f w it pop up u n e x p e c t e d ly th ro u g h t h e b o o k — lik e in t h e G a r d e n S c h e d u l e , w h i c h “ e v e n if y o u i g n o r e it m o s t o f t h e t i m e . . . is h a n d y t o h a v e . ” U n d e r J a n u a r y ’ s lis t o f t h i n g s to do, y o u a r e r e m i n d e d t o o r d e r s e e d c a t a l o g u e s ; in F e b r u a r y , y o u a r e r e m i n d e d t o o r d e r s e e d s ; in M a r c h , y o u a r e r e m i n d e d t o “ d o all t h e t h i n g s y o u d i d n ’ t d o in J a n u a r y a n d F e b r u a r y . ” D id I m e n t i o n t h a t t h e b o o k is w e l l- ill u s t r a t e d a n d d e s i g n e d ? S m a ll a e s t h e t i c p o i n t s , p e r h a p s , b u t t h e l i t t l e t h i n g s a d d up. B o t h t h e p h o t o g r a p h s , by T om J on es, and th e d r a w in g s , by M a rg a ret C a m p b e l l , a r e g r e a t — b u t I g u e s s y o u ’ ll h a v e s e e th e m fo r y o u rs e lf, sin ce I re a lly c a n ’t rep rin t and re -d ra w th e m h ere for you.

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By Eleanor Thurston Backyard Gardener, b y M a i n e T im e s s t a f f ; i l l u s t r a t ­ ed b y M a r g a r e t C a m p b e l l , S t r o u d w a t e r P r e s s , 176 p a g e s , p a p e r b a c k $5.95

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an A + for ch arism a.

In a m o m e n t , I ’ ll g e t a r o u n d t o p r a i s i n g it fr o m a scie n tific p o in t o f v ie w for b e in g such a c o m p l e t e , i n f o r m a t i v e , l o c a l i z e d b o o k on g a r d e n ­ in g .

H o w e v e r , I w a s s o i m p r e s s e d w i t h it s w i t t y , g o o d h u m o r e d w r i t i n g s t y l e t h a t I h a v e t o slip in a f e w w o r d s a b o u t t h a t fir s t. A f t e r all, w h o w a n t s to r e a d a d u ll, d r i e d - o u t t e x t b o o k o n g a r d e n i n g , n o m a t t e r h o w f a c t u a l l y s u p e r i o r it is? In f a c t , w h a t g o o d is a f a c t u a l l y s u p e r i o r g a r d e n i n g b o o k if y o u c a n ’ t w a d e y o u r w a y t h r o u g h it?

Backyard Gardener, c o m p l i e d b y M a i n e T im e s s t a f f m e m b e r s P e t e r C o x , S a n d r a G r e g o r y , M.J. P a r k e r , L u c y M a r t i n , a n d B a r b a r a R ie g e l, r e a d s lik e a l e t t e r f r o m a f r i e n d — a v e r y i m a g i n a t i v e frien d . T h e d e s c r ip t io n s are p ic t u r e s q u e , to say th e

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l i g h t f u l . T h e p r in t , y o u s e e , is f a i r l y la r g e a n d bold, a n d t h e r e a r e n ic e li t t l e b r e a t h i n g s p a c e s o f w h i t e b e tw e e n se ctio n s , s u b -s e c tio n s , and su b -su b ­ sections.

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is a m u c h n e e d e d b o o k , fo r it is c u s t o m - w r i t t e n f o r t h e c o l d M a i n e c l i m a t e a n d is g e a r e d t o D o w n e a s t w e a t h e r p a t t e r n s . It i n c l u d e s a m a p o f lo c a l f r o s t d a t e s a n d a g a r d e n a l m a n a c f r o m f i r s t p l a n t i n g to la s t fr o s t , c o m p i l e d b y P e t e r C o x . “ T U E S D A Y , J U N E 10; T h e r e w a s a f r o s t la s t n i g h t . S o m e o f t h e t o m a t o e s h a d l e a v e s k illed , b u t e v e r y t h i n g s u r v i v e d . (T h is t u r n e d o u t t o b e t h e la s t f r o s t . ) C u t w o r m s s e e m to be d e c r e a s i n g . G a r d e n a b o u t a m o n t h b e h in d on c r o p s c u t w o r m s hit, d u e t o r e p l a n t i n g . B u t t h e r e

w ill b e p e a s b y t h e F o u r t h o f J u l y . ” T h e b o o k c o v e r s all t h e t o p i c s t h a t y o u ’ d e x p e c t , a n d s o m e y o u w o u l d n ’ t.

M o s t i m p o r t a n t , all t h i s i n f o r m a t i o n c a m e f r o m th e p e rs o n a l e x p e r ie n c e s o f M a in e g a rd e n e rs , in ­ c lu d in g th e au th ors.

Y e t , a s t h e a u t h o r s p o i n t o u t in t h e b e g i n n i n g , “ T h e r e is n o o n e w a y t o p l a n t , G a r d e n e r s t e n d to

le a s t .

E a r w i g s , f o r e x a m p l e , “ l u r k in d a m p , d a r k p la c e s an d a re tr ig g e r e d in to ra p id slith e rin g s w h en g a r b a g e c a n li d s o r f l o w e r p o t s a r e lifte d . T h e y h id e in c r a c k s in f o u n d a t i o n s a n d in t h e d a m p g a r d e n fo lia g e th e y p r o b a b ly g n a w e d t h e n igh t b e fo re .” ( S h u d d e r . . . I h o p e / n e v e r m e e t a n e a r w i g in a d a r k

d e v e l o p t h e i r p e t m e t h o d s o f s oil p r e p a r a t i o n a n d s o w i n g , a n d o f c o u r s e , t h e r e a r e all k i n d s o f v a r i a b l e s in s u c c e s s a n d / o r n o n - s u c c e s s : s o i l , w e a t h e r a n d t h e g r e a t e s t v a r i a b l e o f all, p e r s o n a l i ­ ty . S o t h e f o l l o w i n g g u i d e is j u s t t h a t ; a g u i d e . ” T h i s is a b o o k y o u ’ ll e n j o y b e i n g g u i d e d by.

a ll e y .) . .

T h e c u t w o r m is “ a s t o u t , g r e a s y lo o k i n g h a ir l e s s g r u b . . . s o f t b o d i e d , d a r k b r o w n t o b la c k b a c k e d , a n d u p t o t w o i n c h e s lo n g , d e p e n d i n g on m a t u r i t y .

H is m o u t h is e q u i p p e d f o r b i t i n g a n d c h e w i n g , a n d

By Madeleine H. Siegler

h e h a s f l e s h y li t t l e l e g s o n h is p a l e a b d o m e n . ”

D a v i d G o d i n e P r e s s , B o s t o n , $4.95 a n d is w r i t t e n b y

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A n e w and v e ry p ra ctica l b ook fo r the v e g eta b le g a r d e n e r h a s j u s t c o m e t o o u r a t t e n t i o n . It is c a lle d

Vegetables Money Can’t Buy But You Can Grow,

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M a n y te m p t in g r e cip e s a re g iv e n u sin g th e n e w

v o c a t i v e , a n d N a n c y B u b e l is a p l a i n d ir t f a r m e r w h o s e n a m e is f a m i l i a r t o m a n y o f u s . S h e h a s w r i t ­ t e n c o n s i s t e n t l y s e n s i b l e a r t i c l e s fo r O rg a n ic G a r d e n in g for as m a n y y e a r s a s I h a v e read t h a t

v e g e t a b le s as w ell as s o m e fin e v a r ia t io n s for c o o k ­ i n g o ld s t a n d b y s .

A d e ta ile d g lo s s a r y tells th e r e a d e r w h e re hardt o - f i n d s e e d s m a y b e f o u n d . T h e t e x t is b r i g h t e n e d by th e use o f m a n y orig in a l w o o d c u ts from th e p a g e s o f a n t i q u e s e e d c a t a l o g s . T h e b o o k is a v a i l a ­ b le in h a r d c o v e r o r in a w e l l b o u n d p a p e r b a c k e d i ­ tion.

m a g a z i n e , a n d h e r n a m e a n d a u t h o r s h i p is o n e I h a v e c o m e t o tr u s t . “ W h e n d id y o u l a s t s e e s p a g h e t t i s q u a s h f o r s a le in y o u r lo c a l m a r k e t ? H o w a b o u t s u g a r p e a s , b u r p ­ le s s c u c u m b e r s . . s m a l l c r u n c h y k o h lr a b i, m ild s a v o y c a b b a g e . . .o r p l u m t o m a t o e s ? I w o n ’ t e v e n a s k w h e t h e r y o u c a n b u y l e a f l e t t u c e , s a ls ify , le e k s , o r O r i e n t a l r a d i s h e s . ” T h a t is t h e o p e n e r in t h e p r e ­ f a c e . I f y o u a l w a y s t h o u g h t p r e f a c e s w e r e dull t h i n g s y o u w ill c h a n g e y o u r m i n d w h e n y o u p ic k u p M r s . B u b e l ’ s b o o k . R e a d it a n d w h i m p e r a b it as you re a lize th a t e v e r y th in g sh e says abou t s u p e r m a r k e t v e g e t a b l e s is t r u e .

G r a n t e d , p r o d u c e m a n a g e r s in e v e r y m a r k e t h a v e e a r n e d t h e i r u lc e r s , t h e y h a n d l e h i g h l y p e r i s h a b l e p ro d u cts d isp layed o p e n ly an d a t th e m e rcy of ev ery stron g th u m b ed sh op p er. H ave you ever w a t c h e d stro n g -m in d e d s h o p p e r s t r y to s h ov e th eir t h u m b s t h r o u g h e v e r y t o m a t o o r p e a c h on t h e r a c k ?

W e d o th e m a rk e t m a n a g e r s an in ju s t ic e to blam e th e m fo r th e p la stic to m a t o s or w o o d e n ca rro ts th a t a re so o ft e n th e b e s t th e y ca n offer.

C e l e r i a c , s o r r e l, N e w Z e a l a n d s p i n a c h , k ale , a n d s o y b e a n s a r e a f e w o f t h e e x o t i c s s h e te lls us h o w to g r o w . M a la b a r s p in a c h an d ta m p a la are tw o sp in a ch -lik e v e g e ta b le s th a t to le r a te h eat and s o u n d lik e f i n e e a t i n g . R o o t e d p a r s l e y , a ls o k n o w n a s H a m b u r g p a r s l e y is a n o t h e r v e g e t a b l e n e w to m o s t o f us.

T h e b ook n ot on ly d e scrib e s th e virtu es o f m a n y d i f f e r e n t v e g e t a b l e s , it g i v e s c o m p l e t e l y p r a c t i c a l d i r e c t i o n s f o r g r o w i n g t h e m . T h e a u t h o r g a r d e n s in P e n n s y lv a n ia b u t m a k e s h e r a d v ice u niversal by s u g g e s t i n g t h a t y o u p l a n t “ w h e n t h e d a f f o d i ls a r e b lo o m in g , o r w h e n th e a p p le b lo ss o m s h a v e ju s t g o n e b y .” T his su re ly b ea ts th e n a r r o w v iew o f th e g a r d e n e r w h o w r i t e s t h a t “ h e r e w e p l a n t p e a s on M a r c h 2 0 t h .” T h e B u b e l s h a v e g a r d e n e d o r g a n i c a l ­ ly f o r e n o u g h y e a r s t o k n o w t h e v i c e s a n d v i r t u e s o f t h i s m e t h o d . T h e r e a d e r c a n h a v e c o n f i d e n c e in ta k in g a n y ad vice g iv en .

In fo rm a tiv e books on p la n ts do n ot need to r e ­ s e m b l e t e x t b o o k s . N o b o o k m a k e s t h i s p o i n t as o la in ly as a r e c e n t o ff e r in g fr o m T h e Y e o m a n G r o u p in N e w Y o r k . C a l l e d T h e G o o d H u m o u r e d G a r d e n e r a n d w r it t e n by t w o D u tc h girls w h o possess both a w ick ed w it an d u n co m m o n good s e n s e a b o u t p la n ts, th is b o o k s u r e ly d e s e rv e s a tt e n ­ tion. T r e e s k e B la se a n d A n n e k e H o h m a n n first co l­ la b o r a t e d on th is w o r k as a c o m i c strip w h ich a p ­ p e a r e d in a n A m s t e r d a m n e w s p a p e r . T h e s t r i p w a s h i g h l y p o p u l a r a n d w a s p u b l i s h e d in b o o k f o r m in H o l l a n d in 1970. T r a n s l a t e d b y I n g e B o u r k e N i e u w s t r a t e n a n d e d i t e d f o r A m e r i c a n id i o m b y E l a i n e M u e l l e r , it m a d e i t s d e b u t in t h is c o u n t r y in 1975.

W h o cou ld resist a b ook th a t m a n a g e s to c o v e r a v a riety of su b jects from h ow to p ru ne a ra n gy p h ilo d e n d r o n to h o w to h a v e a p e r fe c t la w n and m a n a g e s all t h i s in a f o u r f r a m e c o m i c s tr ip ? T h e p iece on a z a le a s d e s c r ib e s th is g r e e n h o u s e p la n t as c a p t i v a t i n g a n d c a p r i c i o u s a n d is a c c o m p a n i e d b y a s k e t c h o f a f e m a l e w h o is j u s t t h a t . T h e la d i e s a d ­ v i s e t h a t a m a n n o t g i v e h is l o v e a n a z a l e a u n l e s s h e r t h u m b n a i l is a d e e p e m e r a l d g r e e n , t i m e is n o o b je c t w ith her, and h e r lo v e o f p la n ts bord ers on m an ia. If she d oes n o t m e e t th e s e req u irem en ts t h e y s u g g e s t g i v i n g h e r j a d e o r a j a d e p la n t . T h e n in t h e r e m a i n i n g s k e t c h e s t h e y g i v e all t h e tip s n e c e s s a r y t o k e e p g i f t a z a l e a s g r o w i n g h a p p i ly .

I t is p a i n f u l t o c r i t i c i z e a b o o k as c h e e r f u l a n d c h a r is m a t ic as th is on e, b u t t h e c o m ic strip fo rm a t p r o d u c e s a n a r r o w b o o k , 5 b y 14 i n c h e s . T h i s m a k e s it u n w i e l d y f o r b o o k c a s e s b u t it w i ll b e a b r i g h t a d ­ d ition to a n y c o ffe e ta b le.

If y o u c a n n o t find th is d e l i g h t a t y o u r fa v o r ite b o o k s t o r e , w h y n o t a sk fo r it? M o s t b o o k s h o p o w n e r s a r e d e l i g h t e d t o o r d e r a n y b o o k n o t in s to c k .

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Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Care

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petroprotein O n e o f A m e r i c a ’ s n e w e s t n a t u r a l f o o d s is c a lle d T o r u t e i n , t h e t r a d e n a m e o f a p r o d u c t m a d e by A m o c o F o o d s . M i c h a e l H a r r i s , in a n a r t i c le in t h e A u g u s t is s u e o f M o t h e r J o n e s , r e p o r t s t h a t it is a T o r u l a y e a s t C a n d id a u tilis g r o w n on h y d r o c a r b o n s d is t i l l e d f r o m p e t r o l e u m . It h a s b e e n so ld to U.S. f o o d p r o c e s s o r s s i n c e 1975 a n d is u s e d as an a d ­ d i t i v e in m e a t p r o d u c t s , b a k e d g o o d s , f r o z e n fo o d s , i n f a n t d i n n e r s , m a r g a r i n e s , s o u p s , g r a v i e s , t o r t ill a ch op s, a n d pizzas.

T o r u t e i n is u s e d p r i m a r i l y b y p r o d u c e r s o f i n ­ s titu tio n a l food, and a h ig h p r o te in m a ca ron i p ro ­ d u c t h a s been a c c e p te d by th e g o v e r n m e n t for use in f e d e r a l l y s p o n s o r e d s c h o o l l u n c h p r o g r a m s .

Y o u ’ ll p r o b a b l y n e v e r k n o w if i t ’ s in t h e fo o d y o u e a t b e c a u s e b y F D A r e g u l a t i o n s , i f it’ s u s e d as a f l a v o r e n h a n c e r , it c a n b e i n d i c a t e d o n t h e la b el a§ “ n a t u r a l f l a v o r i n g s . ” I f it is u s e d as a p r o t e i n b o o s t e r , it is d e s c r i b e d a s “ t o r u l a y e a s t . ” F D A a p ­ p ro v e d th e p r o d u c t “ on th e b a sis o f e x istin g F D A r e g u l a t i o n ” , b u t a d m i t s it h a s d o n e n o t e s t s t o d e ­ t e r m i n e if t h e p r o d u c t is s a f e . T h e F D A file c o n ­ ta in s o n ly o n e 13-w eek s tu d y o f th e p e tro p ro te in b e­ in g a d d e d to th e d iet o f t e s t a n im a ls w ith no a d ­ v e rse effects. T h e stu d y w a s c o n d u c t e d by A m oco.

On th e o t h e r h a n d , J a p a n e s e stu d ies of y e a s t c u ltu r e s g r o w n on p e tr o le u m h a v e found ca n ce rc a u s i n g b e n z o p y r e n e s a n d r e l a t e d s u b s t a n c e s . A ls o , t h e h e a v y m e t a l s le a d , m e r c u r y a n d a r s e n i c w e r e f o u n d in t h e y e a s t . J a p a n e s e c o m p a n i e s d i s c o n ­ tin u ed th e ir e ffo rts to p ro d u c e p e trop rotein , even f o r a n i m a l fe e d , in 1973.

B ritish , V e n e z u e la n , and Ita lia n g o v e rn m e n ts h a v e a l s o h e ld u p a p p r o v a l o f p e t r o p r o t e i n s . A n A m o c o V i c e P r e s i d e n t s a id , “ W e n o w h a v e 112 fo o d p r o c e s s o r s in t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s u s i n g o u r p r o d u c t . ”

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w e r e 41,000 c h i m n e y f i r e s l a s t y e a r , c a u s i n g $19 m i lli o n in d a m a g e s . B e f o r e y o u s t a r t u p t h e w o o d stove, ch eck th e ch im n ey .

clim ate and coal A r e c e n t r e p o r t r e le a s e d b y th e N a tion a l A c a d e m y o f S c ie n c e s c o n c lu d e d “ T h e clim a tic e f ­ fects o f ca rb o n d io x id e re le a se m a y be the prim ary l i m i t i n g f a c t o r o n e n e r g y p r o d u c t i o n f r o m fossil f u e ls

storing seeds A n e w w a y to store seed s h a s b e e n d evelop ed at th e U n iv e r s it y o f C a lifo r n ia , D a v is. P ut seed p a c k e t s in c a n n i n g j a r s w i t h t w o h e a p i n g t a b l e s ­ p o o n s o f f r e s h , p o w d e r e d d r y m i l k w r a p p e d in f o u r th ic k n e s s e s o f facial tissu e a n d s e c u r e d w ith a rubb e r b a n d o r t a p e . T h e t i s s u e s k e e p t h e m ilk f r o m s ift in g o u t and p r e v e n t th e s e e d s fr o m to u ch in g the m o i s t d e s s i c a n t . M a k e s u r e t h e r e is an a i r t i g h t se a l o n t h e j a r a n d c h a n g e t h e m i lk p a c k e t o n c e o r t w i c e

r e p o r t p r e d i c t s t h a t C 0 2 l e v e l s w ill d o u b l e b y 2050.

C lim a tic m o d e lin g , th o u g h a d m it t e d ly im p erfect, p r e d i c t s a 5 d e g r e e F r is e in a v e r a g e t e m p e r a t u r e s w ith e a ch d o u b lin g o f a t m o s p h e r ic C 0 2 c o n c e n tr a ­ t io n .

a year.

92

o v e r th e n ex t fe w c e n tu r ie s .” S in ce th e b eg in n in g o f t h e I n d u s t r i a l R e v o l u t i o n , a 13 p e r c e n t ris e in th e a tm o s p h e r ic c o n c e n t r a t io n o f C 0 2 has taken p l a c e , i n c l u d i n g a 5 p e r c e n t r i s e in j u s t t h e la s t 15 y e a r s . I f p r e s e n t t r e n d s in e n e r g y u s e c o n t i n u e , a n d m o s t o f t h is e n e r g y c o m e s f r o m fossil fu e l, t h e

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

{

pollution impairs crop productivity A c c o r d i n g to a r e c e n t s t a t e m e n t is s u e d by E F A A d m i n i s t r a t o r D o u g l a s M. C o s t l e , a i r p o ll u t io n is c o s t i n g t h e n a t i o n “ m i l l i o n s o f d o l l a r s a y e a r in r e d u ce d a g ricu ltu ra l p r o d u c t iv i t y .” R esults o f a stu dy con d u cted by th e B oyce T h o m p s o n In stitu te f o r P l a n t R e s e a r c h in N e w Y o r k , i n d i c a t e t h a t y i e l d s o f a lf a l f a a n d s w e e t c o r n w e r e r e d u c e d by 15 p e r c e n t w h e n e x p o s e d t o s m o g a s c o m p a r e d w ith th ose crops protected

from

f

The MaineTextile Center, Inc. MAINE'S LAR G EST SELECTION OF

a i r p o l l u t i o n . S im i la r

FABRICS

e x p e r im e n ts d e m o n s tr a te th a t b e a n p rod u ction was r e d u c e d b y 25 p e r c e n t a n d t o m a t o p r o d u c t i o n by o n e -th ird w h e n e x p o s e d to a ir p o llu tio n .

Conservation News, June 15, 1977

sea water irrigation B a r le y has been s u c c e s s fu lly g r o w n on sea w ateri r r i g a t e d s o ils b y E m a n u e l E p s t e i n a n d J.D . N o r l y n

B R ID A L , D R A P E R Y , U PH OLSTER Y and C R A F T SUPPLIES

of th e U n ive rs ity o f C a lifo rn ia a t D avis. By v ig o ro u s­ ly s e l e c t i n g v a r i e t i e s t h a t g r e w in s a l i n e c o n d i t i o n s , t h e s c i e n t i s t s h a v e a t t a i n e d y i e l d s o f up to 1,242 k g h a o n p lo t s i r r i g a t e d w i t h p u r e s e a w a t e r . S i n c e m a n y o f th e w o r ld ’s p rim e ir r ig a t e d a g ricu ltu ra l l a n d s a r e s u f f e r i n g f r o m i n c r e a s e d s a l i n i z a t i o n , th is re s e a r c h m ig h t im p ly th a t a t le a s t s o m e plan ts can

10-5:30 Weekdays & 1-5:30 Sundays U.S. Route 1 Tel. 338-3930 Belfast, Maine

be a d a p t e d to s a l i n e c o n d i t i o n s t h r o u g h p la n t b r e e d ­ in g.

Science, July 15, 1977.

farm bulletins S e v e ra l n ew fa rm b u lletin s h a v e been started t h i s p a s t y e a r o r t w o . Maine-ly Agriculture is a w e e k ly m a rk e t b u lle tin p u b lis h e d by th e M a in e D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e . New Hampshire Market

B u lle tin

is

a

sim ila r

p u b lica tio n

by

N ew

H a m p sh ire ’ s

D e p a rtm e n t of A g r icu ltu re .

Massachusetts Farm Bulletin is p u b l i s h e d e v e r y t w o w eek s by the N e w E n g la n d F a r m and H om e A s ­ s o c i a t i o n , S u d b u r y , M a s s . Rural Delivery is p u b l i s h e d m o n t h l y b y D i r k v a n L o o n in P o r t J oli, N o v a S c o tia . A ll t h e s e p u b lic a t io n s fe a tu r e c la s s ifie d ad s a n d s ta t e a n d p r o v in c ia l n ew s for s m a l l f a r m e r s . C l a s s i f i e d a d s a r e u s u a l l y f r e e to su b scrib ers.

89 FO R E SID E R D ., F A L M O U T H 781 - 3 8 6 0

S K ILLIN 'S TOWN & C O U N TR Y STORE BATH RD., BRUNSWICK 4 2 2 -8 1 1 1 2 N EW

LO C A T IO N S : M a in e M a ll, S o u t h P o r t la n d P r o m e n a d e M a ll, L e w is t o n

common ground country fair A

C eleb ra tion

of

R ural

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w ill t a k e

p la c e

A LL YOUR

S e p t e m b e r 23-24-25 a t t h e L i t c h f i e l d F a i r g r o u n d s in L i t c h f i e l d , M a i n e . S p o n s o r e d O rgan ic F arm ers and G ard en ers

by th e M a in e A s s o c i a t i o n in

c o o p e r a t io n w ith s u p p o r t in g g r o u p s , th e e v e n t r e t u r n s to M a in e a n d N e w E n g l a n d the la rg e o l d - f a s h i o n e d c o u n t r y fa ir . A n o u t g r o w t h o f t h e p o p u la r r e d isco v e ry o f ru ral lifestyles, C om m on G r o u n d C o u n t r y F a i r w ill be a m a r r i a g e o f t h e b e s t of N e w E n g la n d a g r ic u lt u r a l t r a d itio n s with the e x c i t e m e n t o f t h e n e w s p i r i t o f c o u n t r y li v i n g a n d lo c a l a g r i c u l t u r e .

G A R D E N IN G NEEDS F L O R IS T G ARDEN CENTER HOUSE PLANTS GIFTS LANDSCAPE P LANTING NEEDS

FARMSTEAD MAGAZINE

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T h e F A R M S T E A D P eddler B E A U T IF U L O R IG IN A L POEMS FOR ANY OC­ CASION, A N Y SUBJECT (in memoriam, love, humourous, etc.) Send $8.00 and S.A.S.E. For Fast Service or Personalized, send $10.00 cash or money order and S.A.S.E. to POEMS, R.R. 2, Box 27, Sparland, IL 61565 F1P H E IR LO O M V EG ETA B LE SOUP: A recipe you will tell your heirs you created. Developed over 25 yrs. in my own kitchen. This is not a shortcut re­ cipe. Send $1.00 and S.A.S.E. to Heirloom, R.R. 2, Box 27, Sparland, IL 61565 F1P M A G A Z IN E FOR HOMESTEADERS. $3. ea. un­ classified 5<t a word. FAR M ING UNCLE — Old Monticello FM Rd. Liberty, N.Y. 12754 F1P OVER 100 Dwarf Fruit Tree Varieties. Plant Nov­ ember or March. Free descriptive list. Baums Nursery, R.D. 2, New Fairfield, CT 06810 "F ru it tree culture, 400 descriptions, illustrations $1.50" F1P F A M IL Y COWS — available throughout the year.

Own a registered Jersey. Springdale Farm, Colby Whitcomb, Rt. 2, Belfast, Me. 04915. (207) 342-5446.

E4P

B E E -K E E P IN G SUPPLIES — All basic items always in stock. Dealer: A .I. Root Co. "There is no substitute for q u ality." Free catalog and literature upon request. William B. Jordan, 672 Ocean Avenue, Portland, Maine 04103 Tel. (207) 774-2569 E6P SUCCESS BOOKS F A IL YOU? G uaranteed answer. Complete report $3.00. Success Develop­ ment, Box 158, Alburtis, PA 18011.

Su6P B U ILD A PRE-CUT LOG HOME! Kits from $3900.

Brochure $3.50, Dealership information package $5.00, W ILD E R N ES S LOG HOMES; R.R. 2 FM-F Plymouth, WI 53073 F1P TRU TH IN ASTROLOGY A between the lines look at the astrological personality. Risque-Humorousgreat for gifts. Send $3.00 to Conrad Box 673 Barre, VT 05641 F4P GOULDSBORO — Paradise found. 200+ acres with >/j mile frontage on West Bay Pond. At end of town road with electricity. Plenty of wood. 30 acres blueberry fields. Send for free listings of others.

J.C . M IL L IK E N A G E N C Y , INC., Lighthouse Road, Prospect Harbor, M E 04669.207-963-7941.S4P

GOULDSBORO — Paradise found. 200 + acres with '/j mile frontage on West Bay Pond. At end of town road with electricity. Plenty of wood. 30 acres blueberry fields. Send for free listings of others.

J.C . M IL L IK E N A G E N C Y , IN C ., Lighthouse Road, Prospect Harbor, M E 04669.207-963-7941.S4P PENOBSCOT — 5 fertile acres. Farm pond. Two camps bring in nice income (mortgage payer). 5 room year round house. Keep the wood stove going and the furnace won't go. Workshop, sheds, much more. Oh yes! Horse drawn implements available. $29,900. J .C . M IL L IK E N A G E N C Y , IN C .

Lighthouse Road, Prospect Harbor, ME 04669.

207-963-7941.

S4P LONESOME M E N AND WOMEN: All Ages. Send for Free publication covering Matrimony and Pen Pals. R eferrals Limited, 141 Buckpond Road, Westfield, Mass. 01085 FP6

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A highly efficient B4%-72% wood itove made from recycl­ ed materials. S E V C A wood are now available on the open marFor brochure send name and address:

STOVI WORKS

Box )M Foils, W. OSIOI

N E W S L E T T E R FO R D O -IT -Y O U R S E L F H O M E B IR TH COUPLES. Subscribe to discover why thousands are doing it, how they manage, etc.

Quarterly. $3.00/year. The New Nativity, 4010 W. 90 Street, Prairie Village, KS 66207 F1P S P L IT T IN G UP A LARGE PARCEL of Cleared and wooded land in Maine at cost. And hoping a community will result that has some communal not competitive spirit. For more info write: Chris Greene, R .F.D . 1, Box 420-A, Center Harbor, NH 03226 F2P FARM HOME IN W ELD, M A IN E with two car garage and ten acres of land including Brook, Spr­ ing, Farm Pond, and Woods. $38,500 (207) 585-2207 F2P NICE 7/8 ARABIAN F IL L Y 3 Years, light bay, with star. Trained, gentle and ready to go. (207) 585-2207 F2P S P IN N IN G W H EELS and related items. Send large stamped envelope for BROCHURE. OZARK OAKS FA R M , Eldridge, MO 65463 F3P R A P I D W O O D C U TTE R . Cut firewood many times faster. Save time, energy, backache. Send $1.95 for design. J. Turrell, Box 289, Sebago Lake, M E 04075 F2P C A R E T A K E R N E E D E D . Dec. - Feb. fo r homestead goat dairy during dry period. Isolated Ozark location without electricity. Will provide small salary and wood for heat. Need vehicle, pre­ fer knowledge of goats. Write: Thomas, Rt. 2, Box 96A, Leslie, AR 72645 FI P F IN A L L Y ! A F IE L D G U ID E to New England Ap­ ples — 21 Old Varieties technically described. $2.50. Garret Press, South Barre, VT 05670 F1P G R A N D M A ' S D E L I G H T S . R ecipes. 10 recipes/$1.00. Toth, Plain Hill Road, Norwich, Conn.

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SUPER

tw o p r e s s s iz e s , $5 o r s e n d 50c fo r Packet

tw o (2) m in k a n d o n e d a m n e d h o u se c a t , in

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MONK'S H I L L

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D A I L Y 9 to 4 pm

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For catalog o f 76 herb varieties, send 354 to us at k F D 2

ta x

c l o s e d

G e r r y B a r c e l l a , D e p t. 1S, 61 Y o r k R d . K e n s in g to n , F3P

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P r o d u c t s , S o u p s , S a la d s , &

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P .O .

Box

1552,

M a s o n C i t y , I A 50401

S6P

M APLE

BROOK

FARM

—

P u re b re d

& G ra d e ,

R e g is t e r e d D a i r y G o a t s . B u c k S e r v ic e , R . F . D . 1, B o x 143, M o r r i l l , M E 04952, 342-5612

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dam ages

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to

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or

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M a in e - W id e E n t e r p r is e s , P .O . B o x 2106, A u g u s t a , M a in e 04330.__________________________________ F I B A T TEN T IO N :

D u e to c a n c e lle d o r d e r s ,

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■ f in d in g m AtflCRflME CORDS ■BtfERTHERM i%COK6i <ETC

a fe w u n c la im e d p r e f a b r ic a t e d g a r a g e p a c k a g e s .

205, L y n n f ie ld , F1P

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fo r N . E . R e g io n . L iv in g a n d o u t b u ild in g s to y o u r n e e d s . S e n d S . A . S . E . a n d b r ie f d e ta ils a b o u t y o u r h o m e s t e a d p la n s . R .S .G . A s s o c ia t e s , 120 D e e r f ie ld S tr e e t, G r e e n f ie ld , M A 01301 DOES

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I n c re a s e th is y e a r 's

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f a m ilie s w ith a c e n tu r ie s -lo n g t r a d i­

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