The Back to Basics Handbook by Gehring, Abigail R. -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Part One - Land: Buying It—Building on It

Buying Country Property

Realizing the Dream Of Owning a Place In the Country Buildings Are Important But Water Is Vital

Planning Your Home

The Key Ingredient In Home Design Is You Getting Your Ideas Down On a Sheet of Paper

Preparing the Site

Carving Your Homestead From the Wilderness Laying the Groundwork Gets You Started

Converting Trees Into Lumber

Processing Your Timber Into Hand-Hewn Beams and Top-Grade Lumber All About Boards, Beams, Shingles, and Shakes

Building a Log Cabin

An American Symbol of the Pioneering Spirit Tight-Fitting Notches Mean Sturdy Walls Windows and Doors, Then Roof and Floors The Finishing Touches: Shakes and Chinking

Building a Stone House

A Home Made of Rock: Beauty Plus Strength The Slipform Method Of Casting Walls Movable Slipforms: an Old-fashioned Home Using Modern Methods

Raising a Barn

Timber-Frame Method, Now Centuries Old, Still Means Quality Timber-Frame Joinery: Like Giant Furniture

Developing a Water Supply

Reaching Downward To Tap the Reservoirs Beneath Our Feet Aboveground Storage In Pond or Cistern

Sanitation

Disposing of Waste Without Wasting Water

Stone Walls

Mortarless Masonry: The Natural Alternative To Concrete and Tar Attention to the Basics Gives Lasting Results

Fences

Building Fences for Beauty as Well as Practicality Fences for Farm, Home, Pastures, and Stockpen Gates and Stiles for Getting Through

Part Two - Energy From Wood, Water, Wind, and Sun

Making Your House Energy Efficient

Energy-Saving Measures That Cost Least Keeping Heat In (and Cold Out) Protecting Your Home With Trees and Earth

Wood as a Fuel

A Reliable, Renewable Home-Heating Fuel Tools and Techniques for Harvesting Wood

Waterpower

Streams and Rivers Provide Energy Free for the Taking Finding Out How Much Your Stream Can Do Leading the Water To the Powerhouse A Power System For Hilly Areas Something for Nothing: Water Pumping Itself

Wind Power

Clean, Cheap Power From an Old Idea and a New Technology Measuring the Wind In Order to Reap It A Wind-Electric System For Household Needs

Solar Energy

Earth’s Private Star Holds Bright Promise For Abundant Energy Passive Systems: The Soft Side Of Solar Heating Active Solar Movers: Complex but Convenient Underground Residences And Backyard Cookery Solar Water Systems: A Simple Design For Year-round Use Assembling the Units Into a Working System

Part Three - Raising Your Own Vegetables, Fruit, and Livestock

The Kitchen Garden

Homegrown Produce: A Delicious Sense Of Self-sufficiency A Successful Garden Requires Planning A Life-Giving System Beneath Our Feet The Art and Science Of Soil Improvement Starting the Seeds For the Garden and for Your Table Trapping the Sun for Winter Farming From Seed to Harvest: A Grower’s Guide to Garden Favorites Mulch and Water: Helping Nature The Natural Way

Gardening in Limited Space

For Big Results Think Small Windowsill Farming Indoors and Out

Fruits and Nuts

Tree, Bush, or Vine: A Lifetime Harvest of Fruits and Nuts Less Means More: Pruning, Grafting, and Espaliering Apples and Pears Are Old Favorites The Stone Fruits: Cherries, Peaches, Apricots, and Plums The Warmth-Loving Citrus Fruits Long-lived Nut Trees For Food and Shade Tasty Strawberries Give Vitamin C Too Grapes: A Variety For Every Palate Fast, Prolific Bearers: The Bush Fruits

Pest Control

Protecting Your Crops Without Poisoning Them Do-it-yourself Defenses for Foiling the Enemy

Grains and Grasses

Raising Food and Forage For the Small Place Grassland Management For Hay and Pasture

Beekeeping

One Small Hive Can Keep You in Honey All Year Round Setting Up Shop As a Beekeeper

Fish Farming

A King-sized Aquarium that Feeds a Family

Raising Livestock

Animals Pay Their Way With Meat, Milk, Eggs, and Heavy Work Too Chickens: Best Bets For the Small Farmer For Food Without Fuss Try Geese and Ducks Rabbits: Good Protein In a Limited Space Pork for the Year From a Single Hog Sheep: Gentle Providers of Meat and Fleece Dairying on a Scale That Fits a Family Protein by the Gallon, Courtesy of Old Bossy Strong and Spirited, The Working Horse Will Pull Its Weight Hardworking Drafters Need Considerate Care

Part Four - Enjoying Your Harvest The Year Round

Preserving Produce

One Harvest Can Provide A Year-round Feast for Your Whole Family Keep Produce Fresh In Cold, Moist Air High-Heat Processing Eliminates Spoilage It Pays to Be Careful When Canning Food Salt Enhances Flavor and Shelf Life Too For Unbeatable Taste Add Vinegar and Spice Sweet and Savory Ways to Store Your Fruits A Variety of Confections To Please Every Taste Let Sun and Air Preserve for You Drying Indoors Is Most Efficient

Preserving Meat and Fish

The Old Methods Survive Not Just for Practicality But for Unsurpassed Flavor Curing and Smoking For Lasting Flavor Recipes and Techniques For Curing Poultry, Pork, Beef, and Game Smoking and Drying Food From the Sea Sausages and Scrapple: Delicious Techniques For Avoiding Waste

Making Your Own Dairy Products

Savory Dairy Treats Preserve Fresh Milk’s Nutritional Values Churning Fresh Butter Out of Your Cream For Flavor and Health Try Fermented Milks Cheese: The Most Varied Of the Milk By-products Old-time Favorites For the Adventurous

Maple Sugaring

Two Quarts of Syrup From One Maple

Baking Bread

First Master the Basics And the Rest Is Easy

Part Five - Skills and Crafts For House and Homestead

Natural Dyes

A Rainbow of Color From Common Plants

Spinning

The Relaxing Art Of Twisting Fleece Into Yarn Wheels to Speed The Spinning

Tanning and Leatherwork

A Sensible Craft Whether for Necessity Or Just as a Hobby Converting a Hide Into Leather

Soapmaking

A Simple Miracle To Perform Yourself In Your Kitchen From Humble Origins Of Fat and Potash Come Fancy Soaps

Candlemaking

Time-tested Methods Of Working With Wax

Basketry

Beautiful and Versatile: There Is a Basket Style For Almost Every Job Constructing a Basket From Coils of Straw Use Corn-Husk Braids To Make a Place Mat Weaving Strong Baskets Out of Wood Splints

INDEX

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