Countryside & Small Stock Journal articles from May 2008

Countryside & Small Stock Journal archives from May 2008

Save money--fix vehicles yourself.(Country conversation & feedback)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: The article in the March/ April 2008 issue on "Doing your own auto mechanic work can pay off" rings true. I have a 1991 Toyota Celica GT with over 368,000 miles, a 1995 Toyota Tacoma with nearly 200,000 miles and both receive...

Speed vs. conservation.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I was interested in the Homestead Mechanics article in the March/April 2008 issue. I have been employed as a mechanic for 35 years and certainly benefit when people decide to keep older vehicles going rather than buying new. I say...

Garlic repels chiggers & ticks.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I've been a long-time subscriber/reader of COUNTRYSIDE and can't tell you how much I enjoy it. I just wish it was monthly. Having seen all the articles over the years on these pests, their bites, and all the remedies for them,...

Cure for tough chicken: earlier butchering.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: In response to "Chicken meat is becoming tough... is it the 'Jumbo' cross?" posted by the Nickersons in the March/April 2008 issue. From what I can glean from the article, I'm led to believe that they are holding their stock too...

Milk pail cleansers & livestock sources.
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I use Dairy-Du made by AN-FO Manufacturing. (For dealers in your area, write or call: PO Box 7311, Oakland, CA 94601; 1-800-223-6933; www.anfomanufacturing.com.) It is great for cutting the milk fat out of the pail. I have also...

Great soap recipe! Have any more?(Country conversation & feedback)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I loved your recipe for laundry soap. What I need now from my fellow COUNTRYSIDE readers is a recipe for dish washing liquid that is septic-friendly, and as organic as possible. (I'd like to put the used dish washing water on my...

Newlyweds seek guidance.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I have been following your magazine for about three years now and I just wanted to say how much my husband and I love it! Every issue teaches us so very much and we are so very appreciative! Thank you! I actually have many...

Free manure is great, but check the chemical content.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I am a big fan of COUNTRYSIDE and want to share some advice regarding free horse manure for garden use. Many horse owners use chemical dewormers as often as every nine weeks. If you get free manure from a stable or any horse owner,...

Pallets provide inexpensive flooring.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: In response to the Siraks in Arkansas (Mch./Apr. 2008), one way to improve your flooring for free is to get some pallets which are often available from landscapers. Get as many as possible, choose the best ones that are strong and...

Wanted: manual leaf shredder plans.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I want to buy or make a manual leaf shredder/mulcher for a Master Gardener project. My goal is to have it ready for Earth Day in April 2008 and also to take it to shows, garden clubs and other fairs to demonstrate the importance of...

Correction.(Country conversation & feedback)(Correction notice)
May 1, 2008... In the article "Requeening Your Hive" (March/April 2008, page 80), photos number 2, 7, and 8 should have been credited to www.ohioqueenbees.com. We thank Jim Agsten, Ohio Homestead Apiaries, for his contribution.

Stressing your plants may help them produce.(Country conversation & feedback)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: Regarding the question about cabbage heads in the March/ April 2008 issue, I've never raised cabbage, but I love broccoli (a member of the cabbage family) which I raised two years in a row in a raised bed garden of lovely composted...

Drawing salve recipe.(Country conversation & feedback)(ointment)(Recipe)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: My grandmother passed this excellent drawing salve recipe on to me. Plantain is a pesky weed in most grasses and in the wild. Pick the tall stringy leaves and put in a sealed jar filled with cooking oil for one month. Strain...

A woodstove, a crock-pot & no debt.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: Thank you so much for your wonderful magazine. In response to "Don't worry, be happy" in the Jan./Feb. 2008 magazine: 26 years ago, we gave up the long hours and moved to a 720 sq. ft. home in a small town. Purging ourselves of...

Young readers are gearing up.(Country conversation & feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I just wanted to write and say that I always look forward to reading the latest issue when I visit my parents. I would get a subscription, but being a broke college student, well, I figure I'll just borrow theirs until I can get my...

Good fences are essential to keep wildlife at bay.(Country conversation & feedback)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: Where I live in southern Oregon, everyone uses fences to keep pests and predators out of their gardens and off the pastures. Besides deer, we have elk, raccoons, opossums, rabbits, skunks, foxes, coyotes, cougars and bears to deal...

Deer deterrance ideas continued.(Country conversation & feedback)
May 1, 2008... The replies to Mark's letter concerning deer in the garden have been phenomenal. Due to the number of replies, we can't print them all here, but we'll add them to upcoming issues as space allows. COUNTRYSIDE: In response to Mark...

Diesel fuel repels flies.(Country conversation & feedback)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: Spring and summer bring lush foliage, blue skies, warm sunshine and long days of planting. With the arrival of the warm months, however, also comes the incessant torment of flies. Black flies, brown flies, horseflies, deer flies;...

Has land, needs help.(Neighbors in need)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I have land, equipment, and a housing sitting idle. Perhaps someone can use it to our mutual benefit. I know I could really use some help around here!--New York If you're interested, send a stamped envelop to COUNTRYSIDE...

Fixer-upper wanted.(Country conversation & feedback)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: Does anyone have a small, run down farm in northeast Pennsylvania they want to sell? Farmhouse fixer-upper with 10-plus acres in Wayne or Susquehanna county. We'd appreciate owner-financing. A barn on the property would be...

Coming events.(Country conversation & feedback)(Calendar)
May 1, 2008... April 7-11, 2008 Washington: Washington State Sheep Producers Annual Shearing School. Beginners and advanced courses. Noted as one of the best shearing schools in the nation. Mike McWilliams, instructor. Contact WSSP at 509-968-9320, wssp@...

Solar hot water, anyone? System options for every climate.(Life on the sunny side)
May 1, 2008... Have you been thinking about installing a solar hot-water system for your domestic hot water, but are still a little unsure of just what incarnation you would like that system to take? If indecision likes company as much as misery does, you...

We built our house around our woodstove.(Alternative building)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During the energy crunch of the early 1970s, I read my first article about wood heat. I clipped and reread that article until I had it memorized. The idea of creating and being in control of our own heat was awfully...

Slip formed stone walls save money & retain heat.(Alternative building)
May 1, 2008... When I decided to build my first (and last) house, I knew I would use alternative building methods. The problem was deciding which alternative to choose. I knew I wanted earth-sheltered, passive solar, but that still left many options. Choosing...

My attached greenhouse grow dinner, hang out, and heat the house.
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My greenhouse is 8' x 18' and attached to the south side of my solar heated home. I built both in the mid 1980s for little money. The greenhouse initially cost me about $300 to build, but it was single glazed then....

Fruit trees: history's movers & shakers.(The homestead orchard)
May 1, 2008... From the Garden of Eden, through the mists of Avalon, man s existence has been sustained by a wealth of cultivated fruit. The proverbs of antiquity are ripe with images of burgeoning fig trees, the most-mentioned tree in the Bible. In ancient...

Orchards on the ground: fall and winter crops that come in perennial form.
May 1, 2008... In the September/October 2007 article on winter gardening (The Perpetual Kailyard: Gardening in a Winter Wonderland"), a sequel was promised for this spring. Though this will end up being printed a little later than originally planned, it will...

The integrated homestead: Part I.(food supply and food safety)
May 1, 2008... We are fortunate to live in an age of scientific agriculture and technologically advanced food processing. Americans enjoy the safest, highest quality, most convenient, and--most amazing of all--cheapest food supply of any nation on earth. ...

Mineral rich tomatoes for better health.
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TO grow tomatoes and other vegetables that are nutritious as well as beautiful, we need soil that is rich in minerals. Tomatoes make an interesting study because they contain many minerals, vitamins and compounds...

Home water conservation: a game in the bathroom becomes serious business.
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: My husband and I grew up conserving water. His family toted their water up a big hill from a spring, and we had a cistern that caught rainwater off the roof. When that ran out we bought water, delivered in a big truck. Other places...

Build a raised feed trough (or container garden) from a plastic barrel.
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We wanted to change our method of graining the horses from buckets to a trough. I priced feed troughs at the feed stores. They all were around $100, more than I wanted to spend! Being a homesteader, I decided to make...

A homemade dairy goat ration.(The livestock barn)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I'd like to make our own goat feed for dairy goats. We already make it for our steers and would like to do the same for our milking goats. I would like any suggestions you have--I'm looking for something that will keep the milk...

Another way to shear sheep.
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: Your article on shearing sheep (Jan./Feb. 2008) was very good and correct, but due to a few factors there is another way to shear sheep. I have a small flock of nine to 10 Romney ewes--the quantity is right for me, but the shearing...

The Silver Fox rabbit: a critically endangered dual-purpose breed.(The rabbit barn)
May 1, 2008... As I was coming in from doing morning chores, I noticed that my Silver Fox doe, Kasa, wasn't eating breakfast. She seemed pretty distracted with something in the back corner of her cage. I knew she was due to kindle with her first litter any...

Fun with mason bees.(The aviary)
May 1, 2008... I've been following the series of bee letters last year from people with bad initial experiences with honeybees, and I myself went down that road in 2005. I bought some books on honeybee culture, two hives, the full suit, all the usual bee...

Basic egg production.(The henhouse)
May 1, 2008... Producing eggs has been a time-honored tradition on family arms in most cultures for millennia. Chinese peasants, medieval Europeans and American settlers all maintained a flock of laying hens for food or for a tradable/salable commodity. More...

Keep pests away from your hens.(nest boxes)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nest box clarification COUNTRYSIDE: I can see people's confusion with the buckets on page 41, in the Nov./Dec. 2007 issue. The "buckets" do not rotate. The purpose of the buckets is for the hens to nest in. What...

Breakfast & beyond: reinventing the egg.(The homestead kitchen)(Recipe)
May 1, 2008... Science has solved the mother of all riddles: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? According to an article in USA Today, chickens may be genetic descendants of the Jurassic era, linked not to prehistoric birds but to Tyrannosaurus rex. If...

The tasty, healthy and nourishing olive.(The homestead kitchen)(Recipe)
May 1, 2008... In the world of mythology, the olive tree is supposed to have been first grown in the Garden of Eden. More realistically, according to historians, it has been cultivated along the Syrian coast since 4,000 BC and since that time it has been one...

Wholesale vs. retail: which is better for your home craft business? Part I: retail.(Your homestead business)
May 1, 2008... Let's work on the assumption that you have a wonderful craft product that you've successfully test-marketed. You've found your niche. You've perfected your manufacturing techniques. You're ready for business. Now it's time to get down to brass...

Coping with today's economy: whacky weather, increasingly higher fuel costs, and inflationary prices. Here's how one homestead is coping.(Homestead finances)
May 1, 2008... They called today--the local wholesale seed house. They d been trying to contact me, but then my rural phone service was out (again!) because of the seemingly endless nasty wintry weather Anyway, my seed order is in, the potatoes are in, and so...

Cash and carry or stop making rich people richer.(Homestead finances)
May 1, 2008... Remember "Cash and Carry" emblazoned outside and in small shops and stores? For that matter, do you even remember small shops and stores? If so, your memory goes back to simpler, more frugal, times. Today's mega-businesses encourage use of...

What's a depression?(Homestead finances)(economic depression)(Reprint)
May 1, 2008... Depression? Recession? If you think things are tough now, economic woes are nothing new--this was a concern 15 years ago, too. This is reprinted in part from the Nov./Dec. 1993 issue of Countryside. A "depression" as defined by economists...

Decorate your floors with crocheted rag rugs.(Homestead crafts)
May 1, 2008... I have been making these rugs, for over 25 years and am now an expert, hah! I have been selling my rugs at the local farmers markets and by word of mouth advertisements. It is my main source of income at the moment. My obsession ...

Standing your ground in the face of eroding property rights.(Country neighbors)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: I love your magazine; it is the best subscription I have ever had. I live in an area of Arkansas where the race is on to extract natural gas. SEECO has been harassing me since September to sign a permit allowing them to use...

Lessons learned after the funeral: burying a loved one doesn't have to be a financial burden.(Homestead finances)
May 1, 2008... My husband of 25 years died from a brain tumor early in 2003. He and our five children and I loved the country life, the simple life, the trying-to-be-homesteaders life. We homeschooled the kids, gardened, raised dairy goats, pigs, cow,...

The birds and the bears: smart bird feeding in bear country.(Wildlife on the homestead)
May 1, 2008... Feeding the birds seems like such a harmless-even helpful-hobby. In return for offering up healthy, nutritious seeds, you're rewarded with the daily pleasures of watching an endless parade of feathered friends. Most studies show that feeding...

Ham radio for homesteaders.(Country neighbors)
May 1, 2008... It was in December 2006, I believe, a cold early winter night, when I had seen to the stock and had the fire burning just right. Linda was busy with her crochet, and all was right in the world. I went back to my cubbyhole office/ham shack to...

The chainsaw saga.(Country neighbors)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Never loan your chainsaw to anyone. Ever! was the advice given by my neighbor, Jack, and now, I was kicking myself for not having followed it. It involved a pleading call from our college-age grandson who was vague...

Take the leap of faith.(Country neighbors)(country living)
May 1, 2008... My two favorite mottoes are "If you take the leap of faith, you will learn to fly," and "A culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists." How did a girl from Brooklyn, New York, end up in the country? Well,...

Grandma Orach: aging and adapting to urban homesteading.(Country neighbors)(June Griswold)(Interview)
May 1, 2008... Everywhere she goes, orach seeds go with her. I even found an orach seed in her shoe yesterday. Like the proverbial Johnny Appleseed who gave apple seeds everywhere, she goes to Ohio, Indiana and Illinois and gives orach seeds away to all who...

Last month we asked: what's the most fun you've ever had with a shovel? The answers may surprise you!(Question of the month)
May 1, 2008... Strike one... Growing up in Tillman's Corner in south Alabama, all the kids from our subdivision would gather in the vacant lot across from our house to play softball after school and on weekends. This was in the early 1960s when families...

Have you learned anything from movies?(Next month)
May 1, 2008... COUNTRYSIDE: My mother loved the movie "Places in the Heart," except she was bothered by the fact that the cotton-picking scene was incorrect. She said a field of cotton is picked several times, not "stripped" the first time through as the...

Stupid hippie gardening.(The Hapless Homesteader)
May 1, 2008... Over the past couple of years, my wife has really brought out a heretofore hidden passion for gardening and "yard work" in me. I'm usually not trusted with the finer details of her gardening projects but can be relied upon to lift heavy...

Poor Will's Countryside Almanack for late spring and early summer 2008.(Calendar)
May 1, 2008... Each change in nature brings a parallel change to the human mind and body. Every flower places its signature on us; as the trees fill with leaves, so does our soul fill out for summer; the songs of the birds alter our rhythms; the long south...

A wedding cow.(After chores)(Peaches)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A good father always has trouble letting go of his little girl. When it came time for me dating, I remember my dad saying, "A man won't buy the cow if he can get the milk for free." With this old country wisdom in...