The Mother Earth News

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HANG 'EM HIGH (AND SECURELY)

The situation is a common one around the house or barn ... there's something heavy to hang and a single nail just won't handle the job with any reliability.

Two nails, however, placed as illustrated in the accompanying sketch, will support each other and hold up a goodly amount of weight. Just drive the lower nail first.

HELLO, DOLLY...

Moving heavy objects without the aid of a handtruck (or dolly) is hazardous to floors, walls, and fingers . . . aside from often exposing anyone around to the cussin' equivalent of a blue norther. In the absence of the right equipment, though, any old-fashioned push-type lawn mower— flipped upside down so the blades don't engage the ground and with the load supported by the wooden roller—can handle most jobs nicely. Furthermore, a cross brace bolted on halfway up the handle makes an easily removable support and a handy place to attach a security strap.

"QUERLS" DON'T GROW ON TREES

. . . but you can fashion one of these German cooking utensils from hardwood. In case you're wondering, the querl is used for everything from mashing potatoes to squeezing lemons (with beating eggs somewhere in between) . . . and it performs most of these duties more efficiently than any tool available at your local hardware emporium.

Cut a circular piece (about two inches in diameter) from 1/2-inch-thick stock (preferably maple or ash). A series of straight cuts—use a vice to hold the wood—provides the traditional star shape . . . and a 3/8-inch hole accepts the foot-long handle. In use the star goes into the mixin's s and the handle is twirled rapidly between the palms of the hands.

'HOPPER HOLDER

Those little green-brown grasshoppers that sort of explode in front of you when you walk through a field make about the finest—and least expensive—trout baits around. Unfortunately, once on the hook they either die or—at best—ever look quite natural. And presenting an unnatural-looking offering to a smart trout has about the same effect as falling into his stream . . . he'll move on in a hurry.

Well, here's a way to solve that dilemma: Solder a small strip of light sheet metal (tinned steel or aluminum cut from a can) to the shank of a hook. Then just bend the strap around the 'hopper's body . . . and he'll float on downstream like a full-rigged schooner. A bug affixed this way behaves enough like "ordinary" insects on the water to stand a very good chance of tempting up a Friday night supper.

CLIFF SWALLOW CONDOMINIUMS

A plain old clay flowerpot can be made into an attractive—and functional—birdhouse for cliff swallows or most any other species of bird. Open up the bottom hole in the container by carefully breaking away bits of material with pliers and finish the job with a file. The pot is then placed—top down—on a board that is at least three inches wider than the receptacle used and the prefabricated birdhouse is fastened to the board with screws and wooden cleats as shown in the drawing. A trellis arrangement above and below the assembly will provide roosting room for the feathered tenants . . . and the whole works should be secured to a suitable pole, tree, or wall about ten feet from the ground. Then just sit back and wait for your new neighbors to fly in!