An excellent pair of leggings for use in brush and forest land can be made in a few minutes from birch bark cut in the woods. Select a suitable tree, about 6 or 8 in. in diameter, and cut into the heavy bark to obtain two rolls around the circumference of the tree, taking care not to cut deep enough to injure it. Fit these sections around the legs leaving 6-in. portions overlapping. Trim the bark to the proper shape and soak it in water to soften the grain. Place the bark close to the fire until it curls. The leggings are then ready for use.
Stretcher for Drying Small Fur Hides
Small hides should be dried over a stretcher to give the best results, and the device shown in the sketch will be found useful for this purpose. It is made of two strips of ¹⁄₂-in. wood, hinged at the pointed end. Small holes are drilled into the upper surface at the other ends and adjustment is made by means of a wire bent at the ends and inserted in the holes.—Elmer Tetzlaff, East DePere, Wis.
¶Wire mesh is useful for drawer bottoms in tool cases where dirt is likely to accumulate.
Reel for Use with Seed-Planting Guide String
This Reel Aids in Setting Out Plants in Rows
Many gardeners derive as much pleasure from the orderly arrangement of the plants in their “farms” as from any other feature of this home diversion, and I am one of them. In order to facilitate the planting I made a reel like that shown in the sketch. The frame is of wood, and the reel is made of a piece of broomstick to which two small tins, or box covers, are nailed. A wire handle made of a long nail is fitted to one end, and a shoulder hook is used as a stop for the handle when it is desired to check the line. A screw eye driven into the back of the frame holds it at various heights on the stake. This device is far superior to the common use of two stakes for the planting cord.—James M. Kane, Doylestown, Pennsylvania.