The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-01-26
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.


The Cnrc of .Too.s and Farm Implements.
Dollar after dollar dwindles imper.
ceptibly but surely away on many
farms during the winter season because
reapers and mowers, seed-drills, plows
and harrows are left Just where they
were last employed to bear the injurious
effects of pelting storms and dry winds.
Tools worn or loosened and calling for
simple repairs are used until past
mending, and yet it is the leisure
season of the whole year.
A few hours spent each day by the
farmer and his boys in the repair shop
or, barn cleaning and oiling machines,
painting wagon-bodies and repairing
wheels and axles, replacing rake-teeth,
Tightening hoe-handles, sharpening the
knives to reaping machines, making
rollers and stump-pullers, ETC., would
not only save unnecessary loss in actual
dollars and cents, but vast amount of
time, anxiety and annoyance in the
spring when the rush of work leaves
little or no time in which to make re.
pairs or supply the place of lost tools.
There are a variety of mixtures that
may be applied to the iron parts Of i'm
plements to prevent rusting, the cheap
est of which is grease that has not been
salted. An excellent article for the
protection of steel or iron may be pre-
pared by melting lard and common
rosin slowly together and stirring the
mixture until it cools. When required
in large quantities it may be made IN
the proportion of about six pounds OF
lard to two of rosin. If only a small
Bmount is desired, piece of rosin the
size of hens egg will suffice for one
pound of lard. This mixture can be
applied with cloth to the metal sur
face, giving it thin coat. The rosin
prevents the lard from becoming ran
cid and the grease excludes the air and
moisture.
Previous to applying any protective
wash, machinery should be thoroughly
cleaned and the bearings wiped and
oiled with castor oil or other lubricant.
Castor oil, by the way, is counted among
the best of oils for iron axles. A wheel
we'll fabricated will not only revolve
readily but runs much longer than when
oiled with cheaper sort of grease.
1t is also economy to look after the
woodwork Of tools and machinery. AL
ternate wetting and drying soon Injuries
any wood, causing cracking and final
decay. This may be prevented by the
timely and occasional application Of
some cheap paint. When woodwork
from exposure has become cracked it is
advised to give it wash of crude petro-
leum previous to an external coat OF
paint. Petroleum not only improves
all wooden tools, but is alike valuable
for rustic furniture, such as arbors, gar
den chairs and vases that are exposed
to the weather. Gas tar is sometimes
employed as a paint for wagon wheels.
A correspondent who has made use Of
it in this way says that it forms hard,
durable black polish, somewhat like
Japan on tinware, and dries in the sum-
mer sun-on wood in one day and on
iron in two days. A good black paint
for coarse iron work, according to the
Americon Journal # Industry, may g
made by mixing plumbago with hot
coal tar. Equal parts of asphaltum
and rosin dissolved in common turpen-
tine, says the same authority, make also
good cheap covering for heavy iron
work.
To preserve harness, leather-belting
and the like, keep in some dry, airy
place; take apart occasionally and thor
oughly clean and oil every portion.
Never oil harness until it has first been
r. lieved of AN dirt; scrape off the thick
est accumulation of mud etc, with a
dull knife, then remove the rest with a
wet cloth. If oiled previous to clean.
ing the oil soaking through the dirt into
the leather carries with it fine particles
into the pores of the leather, thereby
rendering it hard and stiff. For hai-
ness common neatsfoot oil is excellent,
but when mice and rats abound pure
castor oil is better, for these varments
do not like it. Apply the oil with an
old woolen cloth, putting on as much
as will rub in and dry readily. After
oiling harness and betting let it hang
for two or three days in some warm,
airy place and expose to the sunshine
when that is practicable. Never keep
leather appliances of any sort in dark,
damp place.-Neac York World.