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Basic Country Skills

© Diana Pederson

Storey Books publishes books on many topics. If you are a gardener or a do-it-yourselfer, chances are that at least one of their books will be helpful to you. Let's take a look at one of their currently available books suited for both gardeners and do-it-yourselfers.

John and Martha Storey, co-authored, Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance that was published in1999. This book is for the do-it-yourselfer. It makes an excellent gift for those who live in the country, or just those who grew up on the family farm. The old time methods for accomplishing various essential tasks are included.

The book is divided into four major parts. The general topics are: home, garden and lawn, cooking and food preservation, and your barn, stable and fields. Each major part is broken down into chapters dealing with various topics within the general topic area.

Home

Here you will learn about different window styles, ideas for cutting construction costs, and even how to install your own plumbing system. Each topic is fully illustrated with well-labeled sketches. You'll also find sidebars (boxes with a grayish background) that list certain essential information. One example is on page 61 where you can find the advantages of wood and coal listed in the right column.

Gardening and Yard

Everything from vegetable gardens to water gardens is included here. The most interesting topic for me was the one teaching you how to build your own arbors and trellises out of bentwood and constructing your own privacy arbors. The sidebars for these topics include lists of construction materials. Turn to page 358 for an excellent discussion of the choices you have in greenhouses. Many country dwellers have room to add a greenhouse to your house or barn.

Cooking and Food Preservation

Far too many urban dwellers move to the country with the intention of becoming more self-reliant. Many of these people discover they don't know the basics about cooking from scratch or preserving their fresh garden vegetables for winter use. This section provides you with information on drying your own fruit leathers, making your own ketchup or mustard, and even on curing your own meat (either domestic or wild).

Barn, Stable, and Fields

Have you always dreamed of having your own horse for riding? Be sure to check out pages 496-500 for information on constructing an appropriate barn. Then turn to pages 486-489 for information on the various types of horses and how to select one for purchase. If you are really adventurous, you find information on Llamas, sheep, goats and other common farm animals in this section.

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