The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-08-12

(Prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agricultural
II is poor business to neglect the
care Of leather. Every pair of shoes.
every machine belt. piece of harness,
or other leather product on the farm
that is allowed To 90 To waste or not
made TO yield its full service must he
needleSSly replaced. thus adding IN
necessary expense TO the farm, say
specialists of the United States De
partmcnt of Agriculture. ON many
farms a set Of harness lasts less than
ten years. Where eight or ten horses
are kept this means one new set of
harness every year. The department
has received many reports, especially
from Southern states, showing that
harness lasts only from two to five
years. But good harness, properly
cared For, will last 20 years or more.
In every n~eighbOrhOOd there are cases
where farmers are cutting their har-
ness bills in half by giving the leather
a cleaning and oiling occasionally.
Fifty million pairs of shoes could
be saved annually if the American
people kept tkeir footwear in repair,
the specialists say. As n nation we
buy some 100000 pairs of shoes Il
year, but if each individual cared for
his shoes properly the needs could he
supplied by ~250,OO0,0Oo pairs. The
wasting Of II single shoe II year by
each person in the United States
would cost the country at least $3.50
100000 annually at present prices of
shoes.
Any leather improperly used and
neglected will deteriOrate rapidly.
Belts for driving machinery, for eX-
annie, often become impaired. if not
useless, within a few years even on
straight drives. but when they are
kept clean and oiled they will last
from ten to thirty years.
Selecting and Caring for Harness.
Harness that is too light or of poor
quality cannot give years of service.
IN selecting harness, it is more eco
nOmical to get Il set that is TOO heavy
than one which is too light for the
work required. Make sure especially
that the reinS. breeching, hOldback
straps, tugs or traces, bellybands, and
yoke straps are strong. \ runaway
team cannot be controlled with weak
reins, nor will weak tugs and straps
stand heavy work. No portion of the
harness should show cracks on the
grain side when the leather is sharp
iy bent.
Harness should be washed and oiled
when il becomes dirty or extremely
dry. For washing. use tepid water, Il
neutral soap. such as CASTLE or white
toilet soap, II Il sponge or fairly stiff
brush. Hardened grease il very con-
veniently removed by scraping with
a dull knife. Rinse in clean, tepid
water. and allow the harness to stand
in IL warm place until it is no longer
wet but still damp. Then oil il and
leave il i'm a warm place for ~ hours
before being used. Harness. should be
oiled or creased while still damp 9TH
erwiSe. it MAJ take up so much grease
that it will pull out Of shape or take
w sane and grit. which will iniure II,
ms we'll rs spoil its appearance. Har-
ness should never look or feel
greasy.
Ncat's-foot or castor oil or ii mix
turc OF thest with wool crease Is good
for driving harness. For heavy har-
ness use Il mixture Of any or all of
these with wool grease to make a
paste. having about the consistency
OF butter. Apply the greaSe lightly to
driving harness and literally t. work
harness. Rub the oil or grease, warm
to the hand. thoroughly into the leath-
er while il is still damp from wash
ing. After the harness has hung in a
warm room overnight. remove with a
clean dry cloth the excess of oil which
the leather is unable to take IN.
Keep Belts Clean.
In selecting Il belt for driving ma
chinery, make sure that it is wide and
heavy enough for the load IL is TO
carry. Ordinarily he competent belt
makers advice rs to the proper belt
for a given installation should be fol
lowed. If the belt is not suited to the
work il gives trouble continually,
causing shutdown of machinery that
will soon cost more in loss of time
and wages than many good belts. 1t
should always he sufficiently flexible
to cling closely to the smallest pulley
over which II passes. A belt VIII not
give satisfactory results IL 1t slips,
does not run true, Is not properly
laced. j. run too loose or I" ngh'. ~