Read more
Zusatztext "This big! comprehensive book that covers everything from land to animals; from vegetables to country cooking. The book encompasses more than 40 years of writing and includes the expertise of many experienced authors. It's like having a whole community of seasoned gardeners! farmers and homesetaders living next door to you." - Star Beacon Informationen zum Autor John Storey founded Storey Communications, Inc. with his wife Martha in 1983. He has three children and eight grandchildren. He lives in western Massachusetts and farm in Westport, New York.Martha Storey lent her party-planning advice to Keeping Entertaining Simple. She has mastered the art of relaxed hostessing, whether giving small dinner parties for close friends or large corporate picnics, and she shares her secrets and inspiring ideas with readers. Country-living publisher for more than 17 years, Martha also draws on her country roots to bring you the time-honored classics of the American country kitchen in her book, Treasured Country Recipes from Martha Storey and Friends. Martha founded Storey Communications, Inc. with her husband John in 1983. She has three children and eight grandchildren. She lives in western Massachusetts and farm in Westport, New York. Klappentext REDISCOVER THE BASIC SKILLS OF COUNTRY LIFE! Whether it's making ice cream or sharpening an ax, cleaning a chimney or growing raspberries, you'll learn how to do it in this treasury of time-honored country wisdom. Illustrated step-by-step instructions will show you how to milk a cow, tap a maple tree, clean a fish, lead a horse, and build the best chicken coop. You'll find out how to heat your house with wood or by the sun and how to de-skunk a country dog. You'll learn the proper way to put in a water system, rewire an old house, stack a cord of wood, and grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Yearning for a more self-reliant life? You'll find the answers in Storey's Basic Country Skills. Leseprobe From Chapter 3: The Water Supply Water Sources - Water Supply Systems, Wells, Pumps, Natural Springs, Ponds, Water Distribution Water Quality We started our publishing business in a converted motorcycle repair shop in Pownal, Vermont. One hot July morning, we ran out of water. We called Floyd Patterson, the builder, who explained that there was a reservoir in the hills and a pipeline that ran down a mile or so. "Could be a break anywhere on the line," he said. "We could dig it all up, but why don't we try a dowser first?" Skeptically, we watched the dowser use a forked stick made of hazel. Within 20 minutes he had found the break, allowing the backhoe to dig in just the right spot. We were quickly becoming converts to the arts, crafts, and skills of country life. --John & Martha Storey Good homesteading land must have an unfailing supply of good water. As you look at land, find out all you can about the amount and quality that is available. An ideal site will have a reliable spring, but if yours does not, it may have a well. As a last resort, you may have to develop a new well. Spring. If you have a spring, be sure it has an ample flow of 4 to 6 gallons a minute. Does it flow year-round or dry up during summer? Is it reasonably near your home site? If the answer to these questions is "yes," you probably have a reliable water supply. But you'll need to have the water tested for purity and hardness, too. Well. Dug wells are seen on old farms that were in operation before electricity became common. They were dug with hand tools, and the sides were rocked or bricked up to prevent cave-ins. Drilled wells are common today, primarily because of the availability of drilling equipment. To create a driven well, a pipe fitted with a well point is driven into water-bearing sand. Town water. Many rural areas have established water districts...
