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MOTHER'S DOWN-HOME

Most folks wouldn't think a refrigerator'd grow much other than mold on bread. But William Kiewel of Crookston, Minnesota made a perfect spring seed-sprouter out of a "well-used" icebox that he got for only $20. Bill simply unplugged the food chiller and installed a small thermostatically controlled heater (set at 75°F). Then all he had to do was add the seeds and shut the door. The dark, humid atmosphere proved to be perfect for sprouting all his tomatoes, cukes, squash, peppers, etc. (A plant starter like Bill's would be especially helpful to folks whose homes get pretty chilly on spring nights.)

But Bill doesn't stop there. Come fall, he takes the heater out, plugs in the fridge (set at about 40°F), and uses it to force flower bulbs. With this method, he has fragrant hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, and crocuses decorating his home... even when it's 20 below outside!

You say you really want to build a fence this year ... but you've got soil so rock-hard it'd blunt a steam shovel, and an "inconvenient" shallow creek runnin' through your back forty besides? Gary Blanford of Louisville, Kentucky has a simple solution to help you out. Just use an old tire as a form, fill the discarded road rider with ready-mix concrete, and stick your post in. The round anchor rig'll hold your fence stands secure ... on land or stream. (You can even use a big old truck tire for your base, if you figure that you'll need extra ballast.) Best of all, Gary notes, this handy tip recycles "eyesore-ing" countryside litter into useful homestead items.

Well, we never thought we'd get a "down-home" country tip from Ivan Pavlov! But Marjorie Watt of Old Monroe, Missouri tells us that an idea she borrowed from the eminent Russian scientist helped her get out of a very difficult situation. Marj's brainstorm came to her when a fence washed away and she—and her husband—spent the next four days searching for their strayed calves. After that, the Watts decided to ring a cow bell every day at 6:00 p.m.— right before they fed the young heifers—to try to call the animals home.

Did the treatment work? Heck, those hungry calves came a-scurryin' at the sound of that dinner clanger after only three days! Not only that, says Marjorie ... "now everything answers the call of the bell: calves, horses, ducks, geese, and pigs!"

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