Homesteading tips from a subscriber of 16 years.

COUNTRYSIDE: As a bachelor, now 84, and a subscriber since 1984, I've been searching my mind for any ideas that might add to homestead lore and finding surprisingly few; perhaps because I have never been a homesteader. A reader, rather than a doer, I cut my teeth on the writings of Ralph Borsodi and the publications of the School of Living in the late 30s, along with The "Have More" Plan. I have had a garden since retirement and am a longtime member of a pre-order co-op where I get wheat berries for bread and rolled oats, brown rice, buckwheat groats, and millet for hot cereal. My canning is limited to tomatoes and 28 pints of unsweetened applesauce, freezing string beans and gleaned broccoli from local farms. Arthritis in my hands was the excuse to retire my bread mixer for a bread machine that joined an electric grain mill, Victorio strainer, blancher, crockpot and blender.

As each shirt comes in new (or much more often, new to me) it gets a light daub of clear nail polish on the button threads; machine sewn buttons seem prone to early loss.

Being subject to an occasional pimple on the scalp, nape of the neck, or even buttocks, I have learned to apply tincture of iodine a couple of times a day for a few days. This halts the eruption and it goes away, rather than progressing to be painful or even a boil.

I arrived at the method of storing carrots in damp sawdust used by the Bubels (81:4/75). Typically harvesting two five-gallon buckets after topping, I layer the carrots in sawdust in a large garbage can. Sawdust is much lighter to handle than the damp sand often recommended. While sawdust is free at a nearby sawmill, sand would be harder to come by.

Woodsplitting (I am referring to wood sized for a cookstove, with unsplittable chunks going to a heater stove) is easier if the block is stood in an auto tire. It keeps the wood collected and upright, avoiding the constant bending to position it after each blow. An axe-eye maul is the tool of choice as it is more controllable than one with a round handle. As purchased, the handle of an axe-eye maul is too long and awkward, and works much better if replaced by a handle intended for a heavy axe. The size of chunk preferred for your stove should be kept in mind to guide the splitting. Blocks up to five or six inches can be halved or quartered. Slabs taken off larger blocks should already be the 2-1/2 to 3" final thickness in one dimension. Quartering large blocks results in pieces harder to turn into cookstove wood. This is theoretical, describing knotless wood like white ash or sugar maple. With experience comes the ability to size up a block for the best way to attack it.

The head of a maul seems designed to be hit as a wedge. Resist the impulse. The metal around the eye is the weakest point and could distort, loosening the handle and spoiling your aim. I have a maul that consistently hits a quarter inch to the right on successive strokes. Pick up an axe or maul with the head in your palm, sighting down the blade and on down the handle. These should line up for the tool to work right.

I recommend two books: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, and Solviva--How to grow $500 on One Acre and Peace on Earth, by Anna Edey.

(Ed. note: William also included the following gingerbread recipe.)

Angel Gingerbread
   1/4 cup sugar
   1/2 cup molasses
   1 egg
   1/4 cup oil
   1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine and add:
   1/2 cup hot water

Add flour mixture:
   1 cup flour
   1 teaspoon soda
   1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
   1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
   1/4 teaspoon cloves
   1/4 teaspoon salt

Batter will be thin. Use an 8" x 8" pan. Bake at 400[degrees]F for 20 minutes.--William McConnel, 37 Jordan, Presque Isle, ME 04769