The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming Part 6

"Now we come to stage two of this working drawing (Drawing II). I wish a 4-ft. path going down to the centre bed from the points A, B, C and D.

Place your ruler, Jay, on point A, for you may draw now. Measure to the right of A 1/4 in. and to the left 1/4 in., and place dots at these points. You have the width of your 4-ft. paths. Do this same thing at points B, C and D. Number these points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. With very light lines connect points 1 and 3, 2 and 4, 5 and 7, 6 and 8.

Where the line 1-3 cuts the second circle from the centre, letter the intersections E and F. The intersections of 2-4 mark G and H, of 5-7 I and J, and of 6-8 N and L. You now see the outline of these paths running through the garden. Let us border each path with two 1-ft.

borders. So place the ruler at point 1 and mark off two 1/8 in. s.p.a.ces by dots. Do the same at points 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Connect the opposite dots by light lines.

"Now let George take the third stage (Drawing III). Go right over the inside circle so as to make it stand out boldly. Strengthen line 1 to E, 2 to G, 3 to F, 4 to H, 5 to I, 6 to N, 7 to J and 8 to L. Now these circles should be strengthened and lines erased that interfere. That leaves curve EI, GJ, LH, and FN standing out clearly. You see in the drawing one-half the garden plan erased and all right.

"After Myron has erased every line (Drawing IV), you will see the garden plan in all its neatness. Place the measurements on the drawing. It looks well, does it not, boys?

"These are the steps. Any of you can work out your plan if you have one to work out."

"Now boys, for the shop! Myron, Jay and Jack are to work on the coldframe. Peter will have an evening's work printing this planting table. Albert will tell us the use of the dibber and make you one each from all these old handles."

Albert, a.s.suming a grand oratorical manner, gave the boys the benefit of his search for knowledge. "A dibber is a pointed tool, usually a stick, used to make holes for planting seeds, bulbs, setting out plants and transplanting of seedlings."

Off they all trooped to a little workshop back of the man's home. Soon the boys were hard at work, sawing, whittling, and setting up type.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A st.u.r.dy dibber. This needs no directions for the making.

The cut tells the story.]

Here are directions for what the boys made.

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING A COLDFRAME

Hemlock was the wood Jack used. The lumber for sides and ends is one inch thick while strips marked A and B are one and one-fourth inches thick. Cut out pieces 14 in. x 5 ft. 7 in., and 10 in. x 5 ft. 7 in., for the back and the front. Cut two pieces 14 x 36 in. and shape them according to drawing for the ends. Nail these four pieces together to form the frame. The sides should be nailed to the ends. Use ten-penny nails and drive them slantingly.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WORKING SKETCH OF HOTBED

Jack's working drawing of his hotbed. This was to serve for a coldframe temporarily.]

Saw out strips A two inches wide and as long as the slanting edge of the end of the frame. Be careful with this measurement not to measure the slanting edge of the _end_ piece only, but to include with it the thickness of both front and back pieces. Saw out two more pieces two inches wide and as long as the frame is wide at the bottom. Make strip B 2-1/2 in. x 5 ft. 7 in.

Lay out notches marked A by dividing top and bottom edges of front and back into three equal s.p.a.ces. Cut notches to receive strips marked A.

Nail strips A in place, also B. To make a neat piece of work the ends of strips A should be planed slightly slanting to make them exactly even, or "flush" with front and back boards. The real object of strips A is to keep the frame from bulging at the centre.

Jack had three common single window sashes, 22-in. x 3 ft. which made an excellent cover for the frame. These should be placed in position and fastened to strip B with two-inch b.u.t.ts. Notice the sashes project over the front so as to carry the water away from the frame. The sash should be fastened to the frame, putty side out.

GARDEN STAKE

The stake may be made of soft wood or hard. It is a good one to use in staking off the garden. It is entirely a piece of knife work. The dimensions are clearly given on the working plan. If the stake is made 12 inches instead of 14 inches, it may be used as a foot rule in measuring off furrows.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A heavy stake like this one, Jack used in marking off his drills. It is adapted to just such work.]

THE BOY'S GARDEN REEL

A piece of wood (ash is suitable for this work), 11-3/8 x 4-1/2 x 1/2 in. is needed. Draw pencil lines lengthwise and widthwise through the centre of this piece. From the centre measure out one inch in both directions, placing dots. These give the central points for centre cut.

Measure from the four corners of the piece 3 inches along the length.

Connect by line the opposite dots. This gives the line marked 4-1/2 in.

in the diagram. It shows the beginning of the cut to the centre line.

One inch above these lines draw other lines straight across the wood.

Find centre of these. Place a dot one-half inch on both sides of each from centre. This gives the one-inch end cuts. Cut this up to one-half inch of each corner. This makes a large substantial garden reel.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Made of hard wood this reel will last forever.]

A PLANT STOOL OR TABOURET

The materials needed are four pieces 18 x 3 x 7/8 in. planed, for legs; one piece 14 x 14 x 7/8 in., planed, top; two pieces 8-1/2 x 1-3/4 x 7/8 in., planed, lower braces; one piece 8-1/2 x 8-1/2 x 7/8 in., planed, upper brace. Use chestnut, white wood, white oak, mahogany, cherry or birch. You will need also 2-in. blued screws, round head, for fastenings.

[Ill.u.s.tration: This looks like a pretentious piece of woodwork for a lad to make. George did not think so. The construction is simple. Note the good lines.]

To construct the stool make with the two 8-1/2 x 1-3/4 x 7/8 in. pieces the lower braces, a lap joint. Find the mid-line of each piece by measuring 4-1/4 in. from the ends. From this line lay off two other lines parallel to it and at a distance of 7/8 in. to the right and left. This makes a 1-3/4 in. square in the centre of each piece. Now transfer these lines down the edges of the lower brace pieces. Saw on the inside of the lines down one-half the thickness or saw and chisel down to one-half. It is necessary to saw on the inside of the lines or a loose joint will result. The joint must be exactly in the middle and all arms must be equal in length when completed. Brads or finis.h.i.+ng nails should be used to hold the joint in place. This lower brace is 7 in. up from the floor or bottom of the stool. In the picture the screws, which hold the brace, show plainly.

Now lay off an octagon, with a diameter of 8-1/2 in. on the 8-1/2 x 8-1/2 x 7/8 in. piece, sawing off the corner pieces so as to just fit the leg. Glue and screw this to the under sides of the top piece, placing the grain across that of the top wood. Warping is thus prevented. This brace acts as a support to which the upper ends of the legs are firmly screwed and glued. A 3/16 in. gimlet hole should be bored for each screw or the wood will split. The holes should not be deeper than 1-1/2 in. if the screws are to hold firmly. Try drawing the screws across a cake of soap and see if they will not be applied more easily.

To be sure that the legs go on exactly rigid it would be well to draw lines diagonally through the centre of the under surface of the top piece. The legs are to be attached at right angles to these diagonals.

After the legs are screwed to the upper and lower braces sandpaper the entire stool. Do this lengthwise to the grain, never across. Then stain and wax.

VI

WHAT THE GIRLS MADE WINTER EVENINGS

While the boys were making their pieces of garden apparatus the girls were at work also. They met with The Chief at Katharine's house and made a number of pieces of garden apparatus. The directions for making these are given so that other children may make some too.

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING SEED ENVELOPES

Cut paper 7-1/2 in. by 5-3/4 in.; place it the long way of the paper going from front to back of the desk or table at which you work.

Measure from the upper left corner down 1-3/4 in., and place point 1; 3-1/4 in. farther down place point 2. Measure from the upper right corner down 1-3/4 in. and place point 3; 3-1/4 in. farther down place point 4.

Measure from the upper left corner toward the right 1-1/4 in. and place point 5; 3-3/4 in. farther toward the right place point 6. Measure from the lower left corner toward the right 1-1/4 in., and place point 7; 3-3/4 in. farther toward the right place point 8.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PATTERN FOR SEED ENVELOPE

Katharine made this seed envelope of rather stiff paper So it was of real service]

Draw dotted lines through 1 and 3, 2 and 4, 5 and 7, 6 and 8.

Measure 1/4 in. toward the right from points 5 and 7 and place a dot.

Draw full lines toward the left to the intersection of the dotted lines. Measure 1/4 in. down from 1 and 3, and place dots. Draw full lines upward to the intersection of the dotted lines. Measure 1/4 in. up from points 2 and 4, place dots, and draw full lines downward to the intersection of the dotted lines.

Draw a full line from points 6 and 8 to the intersection of dotted lines.

Cut on full lines.