The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-06-15
HANDY FRUIT LADDERS.

Many farmers have too few FRUIT
ladders, and what they do have are
often too heavy and hard to handle.
A ladder to be used by carpenters OF
masons for carrying heavy loads to the
top of buildings can hardly be 100
strong. There are generally men
enough at hand to raise or move tnem
as occasion requires, which is not very
often, but in gathering fruit one neeos
a ladder that can be handled easily as
one passes around tree or goes from
one tree to another.
have had good, strong ladders, that
were not very heavy, made from wnite
pine trees that grew and died IN tnicK
groves of pines. There will be no pitcn
in such wood. II a live tree can De
| found of the desired size, and Is cut
around at the butt to kill 1t, and then
left to stand till it dies and Is sea-
soned, it will be comparatively light
| and very strong. After trimming on
what small limbs there are, and shaw
! ing of the bark and as much OF the
sap wood as necessary to bring 1t TO
the right size, the holes should Do
bored, after which the tree should Dc
split with a good splitting saw. White
oak or red oak makes good rounds II
split from sound, straight grained tim
Der. Such a ladder should be safe Tor
carving punches of shingles to the
roof of a building. But for fruit lad
ders I prefer something lighter.
have made several very satisfactory
ones from straight grain spruce boards
that were but little more than an Incl
in thickness. In piles of one by 81
inch fencing stuff, as found In lumDel
yards, one can often ind strips IRON
the outside of the logs that are mo-
only nearly free from knots, but ar
from an eighth to quarter OF an Incl
over thick. These wuR make excellen
pieces for fruit ladders. have tnre
such, ranging from ten to ninetee'
feet in length. The longest one cal
l easily raise on end, and 1t is perfecti'
3 safe to mount to the top when properi'
r placed against tree. The boards ar
split with saw on diagonal line
so that when one side Is reversed, en-
for end, have two pieces each tnre
+ and one-half at one end by two an
!, one-haIf at the other. After pianin
u the sides and taking shaving o
!. from the corners and sandpapering t
u remove all slivers, the holes should .
, bored with good extension lip bi
: Inch holes are none too large Tor IN
lower end, but those near the 10
= should be seven-eighths or even three
= quarters for the last two or three. M
= rounds have all been made from u
Init of a butternut tree, and they al
strong enough and much lighter tina
- oak.
y In working out the rounds ! wou
10 have them larger In the middle ths
:. at the ends. The rounds should
50 snuely in the holes at both ends,
- that when the ladder is finished 1t W
~ he almost like one solid piece. l
:. WAYS split the ends of the ROUNDS
VI ter they are all in place and sawed
10 smooth, and then drive In hard wo
49, wedges. This makes the ladder Il
- very firm and stiff. 1t should not
70 necessary to say that the wedges mt
av he so set as not to strain the wo
as lengthwise of the grain. The potte
as rounds should be the longest and gr'
.es shorter to the top. Made in this WI
Of II will stand more firmly when In 7
we and be easier to place on end.
he make it still more secure. the e
re rounds and several between should
ay we'll pinned with hard wood p
la driven into small holes bored WITH
len hit Such ladders, If kept painted 9
It'll housed when not in use. should !
one a lifetime.-A. w. Cheever, IN n
York Tribune.