TAKES A MAN'S PLACE

In most cases it takes two men to fill a sack of

b

a

SACK HOLDER

grain, but by using the sack holder one man can do it alone. Make a platform, b, 20 inches square, and fasten to it a 2 x 4, c, with notches cut in. The arms, a, should be 18 inches long. Make the upright piece 3 feet long so that long bags can be handled. Some bags will require a still longer upright piece. A device that takes the place of a

man or enables a man to work twice as fast as he could without it is worth while.

A wise old owl sat on an oak,

The longer he stayed the less he spoke.
The less he spoke the more he heard.

Why are not more of us like that wise old bird?

There are but two ways of paying debt: increase of industry in raising income, increase of thrift in laying out. Carlyle.

If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly.-Macbeth.

A HANDY BAG HOLDER

It is constructed with two good boards I inch thick and 15 inches wide. The perpendicular one is 32 feet long, and the horizontal one 2 feet long. These are joined together and braced as shown in the draw

ing, and the hopper is attached, wedged out from the perpendicular board so the bag may wrap it all the way round. The hooks for holding the bag in place can be secured at a hardware store. As the whole affair, if composed of thoroughly seasoned lumber is light to handle, it can easily be carried to any spot where grain is to be put up.

BAG HOLDER

Here is another scheme that saves time and labor and makes it possible for one man to do the work that usually requires two. This one is as good and perhaps better than any device that has been invented in the bag-holder line. In making it, an important point is to attach all parts very securely where they come together, especially the hopper and the braces. Otherwise, with hard usage the holder will get loose and break down.

A CORN HUSKING RACK

Many who husk their corn by hand find it very tiresome to sit on the floor or ground in a cramped position. A rack made as shown in the drawing

RACK FOR CORN HUSKING

will hold two or three shocks and gives a better place for the husker to sit. Place the stalks crosswise of the bench in front of you.

A HOMEMADE FEED CUTTER

An old lawn mower can be arranged to make a fairly satisfactory straw or feed cutter. One must

WORKING THE LAWN MOWER

rig up a hopper, as shown in the sketch, and attach the mower to the lower end of it so that the straw or grain will just strike the knives where the grass usually comes into the mower. A crank and a belt arrangement makes it easy for one man to feed and turn the cutter. This is a good use for a lawn mower in the winter time when it is not working outdoors.

SAW ROOT CUTTER

Those who have cut roots in the winter time with a butcher knife or hatchet will fully appreciate

ROOT CUTTER

something better

for a root cutter. A Wisconsin farmer has found a serviceable

homemade lever cutter very efficient for all roots. For hard ones, like rutabagas, it is about the best thing available.

His is made out of an old hand saw, sharpened on the back, fastened by means of a bolt passing through a hole punched at the small end, and held by a guide formed of two pieces of wood secured upright, so as to have a slit for the saw to work in. This contrivance is a success, and with a little practice the roots may be cut very rapidly. See accompanying illustration. The cutter may be mounted upon the wall wherever it will be most convenient. The bench or platform should be at about the height of a common table.

HOMEMADE CABBAGE CUTTER

A cheap and easily made cabbage and root

cutter is shown in the

CABBAGE CUTTER

drawing. Take two 12-inch boards and nail them strongly together. With dividers mark around a circle, then saw out and mark in quarters. Cut four slots 7 inches long on a slant, as shown by dotted lines, so the cabbage will fall through easily. Next cut two circles 4 inches in diameter. Nail one to the large wheel on the back and leave the other loose on the shaft to act as a bearing.

Make a frame to inches clear, and just

admit the wheel, leaving 2 wide enough so the knives do not strike the side. Make a top over the wheel and put a hopper on the opposite side from the crank. The knives are 8 inches long and can be made from an old bucksaw and ground down sharp, with a bevel on one side. Screw these on the wheel at a slant according to the thickness the cabbage is wanted. A square hole should be cut through the center of the wheel for the shaft.

Kindle not the fire that you cannot extinguish.