A piece of old garden hose is generally nailed around the top of the table to protect the fruit. Besides the braces shown in the cut it is also well to wire the legs and braces together firmly, as there is a heavy load to support. The shelves on each side are for holding the boxes, as all the good fruit in this region is boxed. The height is only relative, the point being to construct it so each packer can work with the greatest comfort, avoiding back bending in all cases. The top should not be greater than 3 x 4 feet, as anything larger would not allow two packers to reach all points of it without unnecessary stretching.

PORTABLE HAY DERRICK

A

VERY satisfactory derrick for stacking hay is shown in the sketch. The base pieces are 6 x 6 inches by 16 feet. For the center pole we use a straight round pole 7 inches in diameter at the base and 5 inches at the top about 24

feet long. We put an iron band around the base and insert the peg upon which it turns. About halfway to the top is an iron collar, which has three loops to it that form an attachment for the braces, which are fastened about 15 feet from the bottom of the central pole. This allows the pole to turn readily when in upright position. The top framework is made of 2 x 6-inch pieces

HAY DERRICK

12 feet long. The rigging, consisting of three pulleys and the hay rope, is attached as shown in sketch. By having the lower pole attached near the base of the upright the arms will make half a turn when the hay fork is lifted, thus swinging around from the ground or wagon onto the stack.

A WIRE TIGHTENER

Here is a device easily made and very convenient, to use in tightening barbed wire when stringing it upon the posts. Cut

out a piece of inch board in the shape shown in the picture with a notch to let in the face of a hammer. Insert a long bolt at the point indicated by the light dotted lines, to prevent splitting. Fasten on the hammer with leather straps. The sharp brads should stick out about half an inch. Carefully finish the handle so that it will be smooth and not hurt the hands when you are using the device. It should be made of tough hardwood.

TIGHTENER IN USE

FENCE WIRE REEL

Here is a device on which one can wind barbed wire that is much better than an old barrel. The reel is mounted on a truck made of old buggy wheels with short shafts. The cart may be drawn

along by a man while a boy steadies the reel to keep it from unwinding too rapidly. For winding up wire, the machine is best pushed just fast enough

WIRE REEL ON WHEELS

to keep up with the wire as it is being wound on the reel. A crank placed upon the reel proves serviceable in winding up.

Never sign a writing till you have read it; neither drink water till you have seen it.

One part of knowledge consists in being ignorant of such things as are not worthy to be known.

Get the work habit.

SAFE WAY TO STRING BARBED WIRE

One of the most satisfactory ways to unreel barbed wire is to make a contrivance similar to the one shown on page 157. Fasten a short piece of plank to the front end of a stone boat. Bore a 2-inch hole in this plank and set the spool

of barbed wire on top. Run a piece of gas pipe about 5 feet long through the spool and let the bottom end rest in the hole made in the plank.

Attach the stone boat to the rear end of the wagon and have an assistant sit in the wagon and hold the top end of the pipe. If the wire becomes kinked the assistant simply lets go of the pipe and the spool rolls off the boat without breaking the wire.

A BOXED STONE BOAT

A flat stone boat or drag is convenient for many purposes, but its uses are limited because it has no great capacity. On page 158 is shown an arrangement for increasing the utility of a stone boat loo per cent. It is made of plank and has sides. 1 foot high. It may be used for the purpose for which the ordinary drag is employed, and in addition is very convenient for hauling apples, potatoes, or other root crops from the field.

By increasing the size of the box, manure can be