Evening star., 1952-11-16

M0St gardeners nave q cOnSlu-
cradle investment in their equip
ment. tools and supplies and 1t
will pay to give them proper
storage. Rust can ruin steel
easily and it only takes a few
minutes to clean and oil each
piece. But, the job should be. done
now. There is too much money
at stake to put it off.
The first step in getting tools
ready for winter is to buy quart
of kerosene, some sandpaper and
a can of old crankcase oil or
grease. Remove the dirt from
each tool first, then go after the
rust. That is where the kerosene
come in handy. After a tool is
cleaned it should be rubbed until
dry and then coated with oil. Out
in California they have tried shell
lacing the tools and claim that 1t
prevents soil from sticking as well
as prevents rust. We might give
that idea a try and see if it works,
Any tool that needs repair or
sharpening should be put in a
special place where it will be seen
every time we go into the work.
room, basement or garage where
it is stored. The idea is to get
the job done while there is plenty
of time-not wait until spring
when every shop is rushed. If
the handles are loose, tighten
them. Any parts that need to be
replaced should be ordered now.
Drain Garden Hose.
Drain and repair the garden
hose before storing. This is more
important with the rubber hose
than with the plastic, but it
should be done. Remove old worn
out washers from the hose and re-
place with new ones. It will save
time next spring when there is so
much to do in so short a time.
The lawn mower might be sent
to the shop now for sharpening
and replacement of worn parts.
It may take several weeks to get
the job done, but we can part
with the mower more easily now
than next spring. If it is a power
mower, the oil may be drained
from the crankcase and a light oil
be put In for rinsing purposes. Get
the sluge out before putting it
away for the winter. Then, it's
a good idea to remove the spark
plug and put a light grade of oil
in the top of the cylinder. Crank
the engine several times to work
the oil in and around the piston
and valves before putting the
spark plug back in place.
The cutter bars and blades
should be cleaned with kerosene
and oiled as the last step in get
ting the mower ready for storage.
Even though it might be neces-
sary to bring 1t out for another
round of grass cutting, it will only
take a few minutes to have it
ready for duty.
Clean Garden Tractor.
The same cleaning and greasing
Job should be done on the garden
tractor, although this piece of
equipment may be used for snow
cleaning and other winter chores.
At least once a year it should be
cleaned, the crankcaSe flushed,
and all exposed parts coated with
a protective grease. And it would
be cheap insurance to repaint
those parts that are painted to
prevent rust and deterioration.
Small tools, such as shovels,
hoes, rakes, ETC., need only to be
cleaned with kerosene and creased.
But first let's sharpen them so
that they will be ready for duty.
A clean sharp tool is so much
easier to use.
The stakes poles and posts
needed in the garden should be
cleaned and stored in dry place
Rot takes a quick toll If they are
neglected and those important
garden aides cost plenty these
days. Use a copper preservative
to protect them-it's cheap pro-
lection.
Gather up all Of the insecti-
cides fungicides, weedicides and
other materials used in the con-
troll Of insects diseases and weeds.
Discard those that are likely to
be so weak by spring as to be
valueless. Bordeaux mixture is
one that deteriorates rapidly.
Rotenone is another that may be
tmpotent by spring. Store the rest
of them in a cool. dry situation,
preferably in a box or cupboard
that can be locked. Better make
q list Of them first so that pesti-
cides needed for another season
may be ordered before the spring
rush Is on.
Empty and Rinse Sprayers.
Empty the busters and wipe out
with a dry cloth. Take out the
plungers and clean them. II they
may be fabricated with graphite
dust. now is the time to do it.
Or, If neatsfoot oil is to be used,
there never was a better time to
rub a few drops into the leather.
Sprayers should be emptied and
rinsed several times with hot
water. Take the sprayer apart and
wipe each part dry. If the washers
need replacing, now is the time to
do that job. After cleaning and
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