Issue #88 July/August, 2004

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DEPARTMENTS

6  Publisher’s Note 7  Editorial:       A summer of energy fairs and politics 65  Ask Jackie:       Repacking pickle relish, poisoned compost pile, growing yeast, pickled red beet eggs, failed sauerkraut, companion planting, can ning catsup, rough cast iron pan homemade chicken feed, gardening in a cool short season climate, cold cereal recipe, etc. 30  Irreverent joke page 72  Ayoob on Firearms:       The pump shotgun: a backwoods home classic 80  Letters 90  Classified ads (pdf) 90  Classified advertising form 93   Advertiser Index 95   BHM anthologies, CD-ROMs, & books 96-97  Order form/Subscription Info 98  The last word:       Democracy in Iraq? For a subscription Call Toll Free 1-800--835-2418

ABOUT THE COVER      This issue’s cover is an original painting by our long-time artist, Don Childers. Two of the articles in this issue, both by one of our favorite writers, Charles Sanders, are about bees—beekeeping (page 18) and making your own bee equipment (page 26). Bees can be an important part of your homestead. Not only can well-kept apiaries supply all your needs for sweetener, but excess honey—and there’s sure to be some—is easy to barter or sell. On top of this, keeping your own bees is a surefire way to guarantee pollination in your garden and orchard.

FEATURES

Building and tools 8  Split shake siding the modern way   By David Lee       David Lee explains how he makes unique shake siding which can make a home more beautiful. It also offers the entrepreneurial minded a business opportunity. 26  Make your own bee equipment   By Charles A. Sanders 52  A portable mini-cabin   By Marvin B. Harper       Marvin Harper lives in Savannah, Georgia, seven hours from the land he bought to retire to in Tennessee. Constant trips to construct a cabin on the site would be, in the very least, inconvenient. So he did the next best thing: he built the cabin in Savannah, disassembled it, and trucked it in pieces to Tennessee Food and recipes 31  Hungry enough to eat a horse?   By Don Chance 56  Wonderful wilderness wines   By Linda Gabris 59  Jams and jellies from Mother Nature’s wilderness picks   By Linda Gabris Alternative energy 47  Solar Power 101: Batteries part 2   By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM       In this second part of his discussion on batteries, Jeff Yago explains how to select and set up a battery system for your energy system. Country Living 77  Fried chicken for breakfast   By Danny Fulks Animals 18  Beekeeping basics   By Charles A. Sanders       The honey that an average colony will produce in a year is usually enough for a family to use with enough left over to sell some, as well, and selling or bartering your surplus can be a welcome shot in the arm to the homestead economy. Self-reliance 34  Controlling groundhogs   By Tom R. Kovach 43  Plantain   By Rick Brannan 63  Nursing — a perfect backwoods career   By John McLane       A career in nursing can provide a stable, livable income for both men and women when living in the backwoods. Small Town America 35  Ashland, Oregon   By Dorothy Ainsworth