The best apple is usually a little beyond reach, as every boy knows, so I fitted a tin can, cut as shown in the sketch, to a pole and can easily pick the apple that I want. The device is useful for picking many varieties of fruit, and prevents damaging it by a fall. For picking apples or other fruit from the upper branches of trees, where it is almost impossible to reach by the use of a ladder, the tin-can fruit picker is especially handy. The small sketch shows how the edges of the can should be cut to afford the best grip on the stem, making it possible to cut the twig from above or below.—T. A. Charles, Hamilton, Ont.
The Shotgun and How to Use It
By STILLMAN TAYLOR
PART I—How a Shotgun is Made
Hunting and fishing have always held the most important places in the field of sport. Primitive man was an expert hunter and a skilled fisherman. He had to be in order to secure food and skins, and while but few men are now dependent upon this method of getting a living, the call of the outdoor world is still heard by millions of men and women. This, then, may be reckoned the inheritance which our primitive ancestors have bequeathed to every man, and every man will find health and recreation through it. It would be interesting to begin this chapter at the start and set down the history of weapons, trace the evolution of the hunting arm all the way from the bow down to the modern hammerless shotgun, but as this is a practical article on how to pick out a good gun and the knack of using it, only modern weapons will be discussed. While the novice need not know the detailed process of constructing a shotgun, he will find it an advantage to know something of the way in which a serviceable weapon is manufactured, for with this knowledge he is better qualified to pick out a suitable arm for his own particular use.
The Side-Plate Lock Is a Development of the Old Hammer Lock with Striker Inside
The frame of a shotgun—that is, the part to one end of which the barrels are affixed, the stock being bolted to the other—contains the lock mechanism, and that the weapon may give the most satisfaction for many years, the stock must be of good quality, of the exquisite temper, and the bolting mechanism—securing the barrels to the frame—must be simple, yet strong and serviceable. For the frame, a solid drop forging is milled to make a shell into which the working mechanism is fitted, and two types of frames are used in making the modern shotguns. The side-plate lock is really a development of the old hammer lock, with the striker inside. This lock is preferred by some shooters because of its neat and graceful lines, and some manufacturers use this type because it enables them to make use of a lighter frame.
The Box Type of Frame Likewise Has Its Champions and Possesses Its Advantages
