Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from January 1999

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from January 1999

Oh sure, blame me me for calling out the National Guard!(Y2K preparations)
January 1, 1999... A reader who says he's been with us for 20 years sent this note: "You have always been a doomsayer. Your comments over the years have been amusing and/or interesting. However, with the latest issues you have gone off the wall. It is time...

The ants and the grasshoppers.(years 2000 computer problem)
January 1, 1999... Countryside: Every time I read another issue of Countryside these days a question keeps coming to mind. Basically, I believe that "stuff" which could create havoc in our lives could potentially be happening in the near future. I also...

Meanwhile, in the news ...
January 1, 1999... "Worried by the year-2000 problem, tax lawyers and others familiar with the IRS's clunky computers warn businesses to be especially careful when sending tax-related data and funds to the agency next year." (The Wall Street Journal, Nov. 4, page...

How to dig a well.(includes guidelines for well-driving)
January 1, 1999... Not many people in full possession of their mental facilities would want to dig a well by hand if they could have one drilled or driven. But this doesn't mean homesteaders aren't curious about how wells are dug. Old-time knowledge like this...

Get free water from the sky.(harvesting rain water for household use)(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... Valuable soft water is running off your roof during every rainfall. Does yours wash into the town's sewage system, carrying leaves, debris and the incredible expense of sewage treatment with it? Does the rainwater simply leach the nutrients out...

Storing rainwater in a cistern.
January 1, 1999... When considering your water needs, don't forget water from the sky. Rainwater has many homestead uses. Since it's softer than groundwater, it's ideal for laundry and washing hair. It can be used for irrigation, especially during periods...

Wind and water.(windmills make efficient water pumps)(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... Water-pumping windmills helped build America, and they aren't finished yet Once a fixture of rural life, the water-pumping windmill is often considered a vestige of the past. The number of windmill manufacturers has declined from more than...

A good example of Yankee ingenuity.
January 1, 1999... This item from the November, 1857 Wisconsin Farmer demonstrates the kind of thinking that might have to -- and we think should -- become common again. (We refer not only to the device, but to the 1857 editor's comments about needing time for...

How to make water run uphill without power: RAM it!(hydraulic rams)(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... Even in this age of technological "miracles" it sounds like magic: pump water -- uphill -- without wind, solar or electric power? Not only is there nothing magic about it, but hydraulic rams have been used since the 1700s. There is a...

Here's a water filter to consider.
January 1, 1999... The Swiss-made Katadyn water filters have a long-standing reputation for durability and removing harmful substances. For the average homesteader, there is only one problem with Katadyns -- the price. Of the eight choices offered by...

Use sun power to pump water for livestock.
January 1, 1999... The Fleming solar pump is designed to provide water for cattle and other livestock without utility lines. Since it is most efficient during the hottest and sunniest times of the year, the Fleming pump provides the largest volume of water...

Filtering water through sand.
January 1, 1999... There are three common ways of purifying drinking water: Boiling; chemical disinfectants such as chlorine, iodine or household bleach; and filtration through a ceramic or sand filter. A simple household sand filter can be made wherever fine...

How to get water from a drilled well when the power is off.(includes related article on making well buckets and hand pumps)(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... Most homesteaders get their water from private, drilled wells. Most private wells use electric pumps. Ordinary buckets won't fit in a (commonly) 6" well casing. Therefore, without electricity, most homesteaders won't have water. We thought...

How to purify water in an emergency.(includes related article on livestock water needs)
January 1, 1999... Water is the most crucial element for staying alive. It's more important than food. Everyone must have enough safe drinking water, which generally means one gallon per person per day. Needs will differ according to age, physical condition,...

Understanding and caring for a septic system.(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... Approximately 25 million Americans live beyond the reach of municipal wastewater sewer systems and rely on their own on-site sewage treatment systems, commonly referred to as the septic tank. The septic tank itself is a watertight...

Make almost any water safe to drink with a portable filter.(water purification filters)
January 1, 1999... If you can't store water, or as much as you'd like to have on hand, consider a portable water filter that can make almost any water safe to drink. These filters have been sold mainly to backpackers, other outdoor enthusiasts, and to people...

You can squeeze water out of the ground!
January 1, 1999... Back in the early 1960s we interviewed Professor Farrington Daniels, who was doing research into solar power at the University of Wisconsin. He mentioned a way to get water from soil, that could be useful in an emergency. It amounts to a very...

Water from springs.
January 1, 1999... There are two main types of springs: gravity and artesian. With a gravity spring, water-bearing rock has come to the surface, and water is forced out under gravity. The yield from gravity springs fluctuates with rainfall levels, and they often...

A simple still for pure water in an emergency.
January 1, 1999... A simple still can be constructed from a five-gallon metal container with a tight-fitting cover, a piece of copper water pipe at least 10 feet long, a glass or metal collection vessel, and a marble. You'll also need a metal rack or stones to...

Personal cleanliness.
January 1, 1999... Long daily showers are nice, but a very recent luxury. They aren't essential for cleanliness. A soldier can brush his teeth, make coffee, and take a bath with a helmet full of water. It's possible to wash your hands with a mere cupful. Wet...

Building a solar still.(water distillation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... Most Americans take a steady supply of clean water for granted. This is not the case in much of the world. Only an estimated 20 percent of the residents of Third World nations have regular access to safe drinking water. Anyone who has visited...

Use grass clippings in the garden to conserve water.
January 1, 1999... Why use valuable time and effort to rake and pour grass clippings into a garbage bag? Since clippings are 90 percent water by weight, allowing them to break down at lawn level will put some of that moisture back into the soil. As organic...

Using grey water in the garden.(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... Using pure fresh water in the garden -- while sending only "slightly used" grey water into the septic or sewer system -- is considered wasteful in some situations. Where water is extremely scarce, some people consider it insane. Here's how...

Acequia tradition lives on in New Mexico.
January 1, 1999... In arid New Mexico, water for many rural communities and farms comes from a series of nearly 1,000 acequias or irrigation ditches. Most of the systems are found in the northern part of the state or within close proximity of the Rio Grande...

Use water from swamp coolers with caution.
January 1, 1999... In the desert southwest, many homes use evaporative coolers (locally known as swamp coolers) instead of standard air conditioners. Swamp coolers lower temperatures by evaporating water, and they work well in states with low humidity, such as...

Peasant gourmet dining on a northwoods homestead.(includes recipes)
January 1, 1999... We are so far off the grid we can't even see the sidewalks. The nearest power and phone lines are 10 miles away. We use solar power for energy, have a cellular phone for communication, and even use a computer, but we heat and cook with wood...

Feeding your family with sourdough.(includes recipes)(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... Bread is called "the staff of life" and is one of the most widely eaten foods in the world. Most people eat bread in some form or another at every meal, and they have been doing so since prehistoric times. Bread not only provides some vitamins...

Woodstove cookery.(includes recipes)(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... I'm responding to the person who wanted to cook on their wood heating stove. We have a Federal Airtight we use as our main source of heat. I've learned to cook some things on it over the years. This is a typical woodstove and not a cookstove....

Grow herbal vegetables.
January 1, 1999... Permaculture, a term coined by Bill Mollison, was introduced to me during my only semester at Prescott College. I have continued to study the works of Mollison and other permaculture designers over the years, and I have always kept my eyes open...

Expand a small garden ... vertically!(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... Is lack of garden space your problem? Try vertical gardening. Take a garden fence, for example. It's not always the most attractive feature, but it can be. Each summer sees our fences converted into attractive, fruitful, living walls. We...

Buying a greenhouse? Some things to consider.(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... Bev Carney's "Advice on Buying a Greenhouse" from 82/2 was running through my thoughts today as I poured concrete for greenhouse number three. Having operated one (technically a coldframe, as it is unheated) for years, I'll try to offer some...

How to buy a good garden tool.(includes related article)
January 1, 1999... A high-quality tool is always a good investment: the quality will be remembered, and appreciated, long after the price is forgotten. While this has always been true, it will become even more important if a cheap, "disposable" tool breaks...

A basic guide to raising dairy goats.
January 1, 1999... Introduction Goats are sometimes called "the poor man's cow" for good reason. For homesteaders who want to raise their own dairy products, a goat can be a more manageable and practical choice than a cow. The initial cost of a goat or...

A beginner's guide to the family cow.(breeding and milking techniques)
January 1, 1999... I absolutely had to respond to Eric Wilson's article regarding the family cow. I found the article sad because I really feel that he missed out on the great blessing that the family cow can be. Admittedly, I'm a cow lover. They are gentle...

Planning a watering system for controlled grazing.(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... Controlled grazing is the practice of moving a herd of livestock from one pasture to another and allowing each pasture a period of rest before it's grazed again. The grazing system needs to contain at least 12 pastures per herd in order to...

Pig pointers for beginners.(raising and caring for pigs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... I have picked up a number of pig-raising pointers that would be useful to those interested in having inexpensive pork. Buy two or three feeder pigs early in the summer. Multiple hogs do better than just one, because they will eat more feed...

Nature's remedies.(fighting the common cold using natural remedies)(Abstract)
January 1, 1999... If you have the illness, nature has the cure Colds are generally caused by any of about 100 different viruses that are capable of infecting the upper respiratory tract. They are easy to get and even easier to give away. Though each...

An American homesteader in France.(a man lives and farms in France)(Abstract)
January 1, 1999... Since it is unlikely that you have many subscribers living in France, I feel an obligation to report on how the homesteader life exists in my little corner of Europe. I do live a "Countryside" life in the tiny village of Fontaine, which means...

Strike threat got Nevada homesteaders thinking.(management of small family farm)(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... My family will have food on the table if things get rough. We live in a very remote area where all groceries and hardware are brought in by truck. There were threats of a trucker's strike a few years ago. It didn't happen, but it got me...

Finding new friends is easy in the Ozarks.
January 1, 1999... I have been living in cities most of my life. I picked up your magazine about 18 months ago at the local library. I have always dreamed about living in the country, but never thought I could afford such an undertaking. While looking...

She does an awful lot, for a renter (and a single mom)!
January 1, 1999... I enjoy Countryside tremendously. Contrary to most publications I have run into, your approach to the year 2000 is positive. It is a year for serious homesteading, and Countryside is dedicated to helping people do just that. I am a single...

An introduction to cultivators.(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 1999... Farm tools: Part V (Conclusion) The equipment reviewed here could all be classified as cultivators. All cultivators, whether tractor-mounted, horse-drawn or hand-operated, function on the same basic principle: disturb the soil just enough...

Getting the best deal on precious metals.(precious metal investments)(Abstract)
January 1, 1999... As Y2K draws closer, the demand for gold and silver is increasing. Even though official daily "spot" (the commodity exchange) prices for both metals has been weak, strong retail demand for gold and silver has led to higher prices and tight...

Investing for the well-to-do homesteader.(food and tools important investments as the year 2000 approaches)(Abstract)
January 1, 1999... A number of readers have asked what to do with their savings in anticipation of a financial crash in connection with Y2K problems, real or imagined. (Even if the problems themselves don't materialize, the fear of them will have widespread...

Save smaller bills.
January 1, 1999... Since most "money" in modern society is computer blips or electrons, more than one commentator has suggested that cash will be king in the event of a Y2K economic breakdown. Even the government's Bureau of Engraving and Printing has...

Making and using rawhide.(tanning)(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... I've been a skinner (buckskinner, that is) since about '73, but I find that I must also be a homesteader as well. I grew up on a small farm in Indiana and remember when our house was electrified. I attended school in a one-room schoolhouse....

Space age materials launch this homesteader's ideas.(heat retaining material)(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... Our homestead is several miles from town and if I buy a pizza there it is always cold by the time I get home. We have a microwave to reheat the pizza but it seems to me that it never tastes as good as fresh baked. My solution to this...

Recycle old socks: Make mittens!
January 1, 1999... One sock will make a pair of warm mittens I was faced with more old socks than I could use as rags, but couldn't bear to throw out all that good material on the tops... especially those expensive wool socks! One day I tried this and it...

More hints from the Hunters.
January 1, 1999... Honey hand scrub: While honey is good for the inside of you, it is also good for your skin. Here's a recipe for an easy-to-make hand scrub that won't dry out your skin, even in winter weather. 3 tablespoons finely ground cornmeal 2...

Making corned beef.(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... The method was developed to preserve beef without refrigeration The world has certainly changed since I was a kid growing up out of the Depression years and into WWII. Bologna was 5 [cts.] a pound. Corned beef, ham hocks, beef briskets,...

Erosion decreases, but still a threat.
January 1, 1999... Total erosion on American cropland decreased by 42 percent from 3.4 billion tons in 1982 to 2 billion tons in 1995, according to a special study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Services. On a per-acre...

Disappearing genes and the food supply.
January 1, 1999... The decline in natural diversity and variety is obvious even at the midtown Manhattan offices of The New York Times. In a special section titled The Natural World that appeared in the June 2 edition, the Times reported, "Since the early...

Homesteading gains popularity in Japan.
January 1, 1999... A growing number of older Japanese citizens are seeking a saner and more rural alternative in one of the most crowded and urbanized nations in the world. The Japan International Agricultural Council reports that since 1995, more than...

Organic producer to open USDA processing plant.
January 1, 1999... When doctors told Karen Machetta that nitrites and food preservatives were the cause of her migraine headaches and other physical problems, she decided to raise her own organic food. After experiencing some of the problems that come with being...

Lavender to be promoted in '99.
January 1, 1999... The Herb Growing and Marketing Network has chosen lavender as its 1999 Herb of the Year. In an effort to market and educate the public about lavender, the organization has developed an in-depth profile that explains many medicinal,...

Countryside to co-host renewable energy systems workshop.
January 1, 1999... If you're interested in learning more about renewable energy, set aside April 17-18. That's when Countryside magazine and the Midwest Renewable Energy Association will co-sponsor a workshop explaining and demonstrating the use of wind, solar...

Institutions and the Intentional Peasant.
January 1, 1999... THE INTENTIONAL PEASANT BALTIMORE, MARYLAND Most of us have lived the greater part of our lives in, by and for our institutions: government, manufacturing, retailing, education, banking, medicine, law, media, finance, housing,...

Webs of ecology and the light bulb.
January 1, 1999... When we think of energy and energy conservation, we generally think of autos and trucks, or heating or industry, but little things can add up. Consider the ubiquitous light bulb. One fourth of the electricity used in the United States is...

Designing Utopia takes imagination.(homesteading)
January 1, 1999... Countryside: As usual, I read your Sept/Oct issue with great interest, and was amply rewarded with a number of informative and valuable articles. However, one of your stories, "The 21st Century and Homesteading", has prompted me to write,...

Confronting the ethics of Y2K.(homesteaders face problems associated with being prepared for the end of society)
January 1, 1999... Countryside: I have been a subscriber for about eight years, and have engaged in a decent variety of homesteading activities on the several farms on which I have lived during that time. I am glad, though, that I enjoy these activities in their...

Is stocking up worth the trouble?
January 1, 1999... Countryside: Do you really believe that a few extra cans purchased while grocery shopping will help much in the long run? I have tried to figure the amounts of dried and canned provisions needed for my family for just six months, and my mind is...

Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World.(Review)
January 1, 1999... An innovative water pump was made even more unusual by connecting it to a teeter-totter. Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World; by Alan Weisman; hardcover; 227 pp; Chelsea Green Publishing Co., White River Junction VT 05001; $22.95....

Country Garden & Smallholding.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Country Garden & Smallholding, Broad Leys Publishing Co., Buriton House, Station Road, Newport, Saffron Walden, Essex CB113PL, United Kingdom; http://www3.mistral. co.uk/cgs They're called "smallholders" instead of homesteaders in England,...

Learn where money comes from, and where it goes.(Review)
January 1, 1999... The Truth in Money Book, (Fourth edition), by Theodore R. Thoren & Richard F. Warner; Truth in Money, Inc., P.O. Box 30, Chagrin Falls OH 44022; 262 pages; paperback, $17.00 ppd. Like everyone else, you have deep and disturbing questions...