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Show F J SUBSTANTIAL BATES ON THE FARM i '1 Often when a man Is tired with a day's work on tho farm it seems tho ' last straw to open a gate that sags ' ' on its hinges, drags over tho ground. and has to bo carried by main . tf. strength. ', There Is no need of having a gate J of this description. It is very little trouble to make a gate that carries Its own weight, moves easily, and ' never gets out of order. - '" Get a good post, at least 10 Inches i square nnd eight feet long, ami set , in the ground threo feet. At the very bottom of the post on the op- $' posilo side from the gate, place a J I H ' I foe , is!!. p largo rock, and tamp the ground flrm- , i Jy around it and the posts. 1 On tho side that tho gate 13 to i hang on, put a flint rock about eight inches thick. This rock should bo sot in tho ground four Inches and tight against the post to keep the post from leaning. Drill vl three-quarter-inch hole ono inch deep in the rock, four inchoa .from tho posL At tho top of the -post spike a half hoop of iron with .a; loop in front mado of old wngon tire. Take a, piece of hardwood three I inches squaro and uve feet long, and make the top round to fit in tho iron loop at the top of tho post. Bore a hole from tho bottom of this pleco about three Inches up and drive In an Iron pin. This pin should be long enough to drive In firmly and reach about two Inches bolow. Use this three-by-three with tho Iron pin for tho back end of tho gato. The gate itself is mado of flvo lengthwise pieces of onc-by-four. twelve foot long, and five pieces of ono-by-two, flvo feet long. Na.II a ono-by-two at earh side of the ends of tho lengthwise pieces to form the front end of tho gato and two more pieces to form tho back end of tho gate, and two moro pieces tho same way four foot from the front end, then ono piece of one-by-two, four feet from the back end of the gato. Now place tho gate In position by putting tho rounded end of tho threc-by-threo through tho loop Jn tho Iron spiked to tho top of tho post, and set the Iron pin In tho bottom of this thrcc-by-thrco piece Into tho holo in tho rock in front of the post. Ralso or lower tho front end of the gato so that it will swing clear, and then nail a brace from tho top of tho . thjee-by-three, cornerwise across tho gate to the bottom at tho front end- Tho latch is a piece of three-fourths-by-threo-incho8 flvo foot long. Slip it In between tho cross pieces at the front of the gate and resting on tho top of tho third lengthwiso strip. Fit it so it will Blido easily and make a holo In the post In front of tho gato for tho latch to slip Into. A. J. Wilder. |