Country Living Tips from 1946

The leaves lay like hands upon the ground.
When the wind rustles them, they applaud
softly. ~Laura E. Stevens

Today I'm sharing tips from The Watkins Almanac Home Book, published in 1946. These are from a section entitled Farm Hints and Rules, but anyone in a rural setting could use these. Plus, they are a fun read!

To Clean a Post Hole Digger: Before using the digger, especially in heavy clay or gumbo soil (a fine-grained silty soil that becomes a very sticky mud when wet.), dip the blades in a bucket of waste oil at regular intervals.(Old car or tractor oil would work).

To Find the Value of Articles Sold by the Ton: Multiply the number of pounds by the price per ton, point off three places, and divide by two.

Pitchfork Holder: A couple of old shelf brackets form an excellent holder for the pitchfork. They could be nailed or bolted to the wall just far enough to allow the fork handle to slide in readily with the tines up. A rack of this kind will hold two or three forks. Proper care of this sort will often prevent injuries.

Moving Balky Cows: A simple and effective means of causing a cow to get up quickly when she lies down and refuses to be led or loaded into a truck is that of placing the palms of the hands over her nostrils with fingers under the jaw, tightly enough to stop breathing. It gets immediate action and is a humane way of getting results. (Ed. note: Of course they mean GENTLY, as to not hurt the cow. Being a former farm girl, I know farmers treat their animals with great care.)

Learn about autumn on the farm in this article I wrote for OFL:
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/farm1.html