ET WORTH KNOWING FREEZING ICE IN BLOCKS W HERE pond or stream is not handy from which to get the year's supply of ice, blocks can be frozen in forms with comparatively little labor. A supply of pure water is essential. The forms are best made of galvanized iron of any size desired. A convenient size is 16 inches wide, 24 inches long and 12 inches deep inside measure. The sides and ends should be made to taper 4 inch, so HOMEMADE ICE MOLDS that the frozen block will drop out easily. The top of the mold should be reinforced with wire for the sake of strength and durability. With a dozen or 20 forms one can put up quite a supply of ice during the winter. The forms should be set level on joists or boards and placed a few inches apart. Fill them nearly full with pure water and let them freeze, which they will do in one or two days and nights in suitable weather. When frozen solid, turn the forms bottom side up and pour a dipper of warm water on them, which will release the cake of ice. The form can then be lifted off, the ice put away in the icehouse and the form filled with water again. SAVING THE SEED CORN Here is a handy device for preserving select ears of seed corn. It consists of a wide board SEED CORN RACK fastened between two supports nailed to the edges. The board stands upright on one end and may be as long as desired. Drive heavy spikes through it from the opposite side and stick an ear of corn upon each spike. This allows for the passage of air, and the ears can be examined without removing them from the rack. It is much to be preferred to expensive wire racks, as each nail may be numbered and a record kept of the ears in this way. This rack was designed at the Idaho experiment station. RACK FOR SEED CORN Here is a simple arrangement for keeping choice Take a 2-inch square timber ears of seed corn. for the upright, and make a solid base by boring a hole through the two base pieces, then drive the timber into it. Drive 4-inch spikes through the upright at intervals of 6 inches from four sides, and stick the ears of corn on these spikes by thrusting the same into the butt of the cob. Numbers may be placed above each spike, so that records can be kept of all of the corn. The corn should be placed on this rack as soon as picked and husked, and may be left there until planting time if the rack is placed in a dry room where rats and mice cannot get at it. A large post strongly mounted on a heavy pedestal may be used in a manner similar to the small upright described above. The bigger the post and the larger the number of spikes used, the greater the capacity of the rack, of course. It is a good plan to make the pedestal heavy and strong in order that it may not be tipped over too easily. RACK The first years of man must make provision for the last.-Samuel Johnson. Put your trust in God, my boys, and keep your powder dry.-Colonel Blacker. DRYING AND KEEPING SEED CORN Never let it freeze before it is dry. Farmers have had seed corn exposed to a temperature of CORN DRYING RACK 30 degrees below zero without injuring its vitality, and have had it ruined at 10 degrees above zero. We would not recommend kilndrying for the general farmer, as this is only practicable where a grower is in the seed business. A very convenient way is to take four pieces 4 x 4 6 feet long, set them up in a square, and nail laths on them two and two opposite. Leave a 6-inch space between the laths, so the corn will have plenty of ventilation. Lay your corn on this to dry, and if thoroughly dry it can lay there all winter. Knowledge is worth nothing unless we do the good we know. It is better to give one shilling than to lend twenty. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. |