Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-02-07
Handling Potatoes.

y
bushel boxes for marketing early po-
tatoes while the skins slip. and for
handling the crop In the HELD al
through the season. This Ia one OF the
ways in which the potato specialist can
get ahead Of the small raiser" says
Terry, in his "a b @ of Potato Culture"
'I think we handle our crop for less
than half what 1t used to cost us BEFORE
we got these boxes made. Our boxes
are 13 inches by 10 and Is deep. all In
side measures. They were made III
tile deeper to allow for shrinkage. The
sides and bottoms are made or three
leighths stuff, and the ends OF hve-
eighths. Hand-holes are cut IN the
ends.
1.-THE upper corners are bound with
galvanized hoop iron to make them
strong. The price paid for them was
from $25 to $50 hundred at box fac
tory. Some light wood should be used,
of course, so as to make them as light as
possible. They need not weigh more
than 6 or pounds. Early in the sea-
son, while the skins slip, our potatoes
are dug and laid mot thrown) into
these boxes. and the boxes are covered
as fast as filed"
Method in Feeding Hens.
1t Is source of complaint that the
large breeds eat more food than the
smaller ones, and do not give as good
results in eggs This depends, however,
upon how they are fed. If the food Is
placed before them In unlimited supply,
so they can eat their fill, there will be
but one result-excessive fat All grain
fed to large birds should be scattered
lover surface Of ground, so as to make
them as much exercise as possible. II
they have plenty Of range, 1t Is best to
feed nothing at all except at night in
order that they may work during the
day, and thereby keep not only in bet
ter health, but avoid taking on too
much fat. If confined, however, the
grain should be scattered In some kind
of litter, such as leaves, as the object
should be to compel them to hunt for
each grain rather than to fill themselves
in a few moments. only to sit on the
roost and fatten like hog. Such hens
are useless, and do not lay, but are al
ways ready for market-The Fancier.
A Homemade Barley Fork.
Most farmers have two or three use
less grain cradles which may easily be
converted into serviceable implements.
Cut Off the cradle fingers 20 inches from
the point and shave y inch Of the large
end of each to fit into a " hole. Split
out a piece Of tough wood 20 inches
long and y inch square, and bore four
* inch holes through the stick 6 inches
apart and drive the fingers in and
wedge them tight Split out another
tough piece 10 inches long, Y inch
wide and u inch thick, into which bore
four gimlet holes 6 inches apart; bore
n gimlet hole in each finger 6 inches
from the head piece and with four
rivets long enough to reach through,
fasten this piece securely to the fingers
on the outer side. For the handle, an
old shovel handle Is the best thing, as
the crook makes the fork easy to use.
Where the handle rests on top Of the
head piece 1t should be fastened with
a little bolt or stout rivet; and where
the end Of the handle, which should be
fiattened, goes under the other cross
piece It can be secured by rivet The
bow to keep the barley, etc, from slid
ing down the handle can be made Of