Small Garden & Rural Living Tidbits:

• Do you know you can protect young cabbage and tomato plants from cutworms by cutting both ends off tin cans and setting them about 2” deep in the soil around each stem of your plants?

• Summertime bug bites. Ouch! Did you know mosquitoes are more attracted to wet clothing than they are to dry? Also bet you didn’t know they love the color blue.

• Next time you go camping and you forget the charcoal, try pinecones, but be careful. Only use the open pinecones. The closed ones will explode. The open ones burn just like charcoal and last a long time.

• Most parks and campgrounds, nowadays, will not allow you to use the wood you find on the ground around your campsite. You have to bring in your own campfire wood. Reason: Preserving the natural habitat. If everyone removed the sticks and limbs for campfires, the land would be more barren leading to erosion. This will cause tree roots to dry out and their lifespan to shorten. Strange sounding but true. 

• Also, on a camping trip in the southern states, realize moss does not grow on the north side of trees. It grows all around the trees. But if you are unlucky to discover you did not bring a scouring pad to clean that greasy frying pan, use Spanish Moss. Works just as well.

• If you have an old work glove and can’t find its mate, don’t throw it away. Here’s an idea for another use. Cut a slit in two places on the front to run your belt through. Cut off the finger and thumb tips. Use it as a handy way to carry your pliers and screwdrivers for your next fix-it job.

• A strange sounding medical remedy for cuts and scrapes. Now this goes back to my grandmother Mama Bess. She used kerosene on that wound. It heals faster, very little sting and leaves no scar. I know someone in the medical profession is going to come after me on this one, but it does work and some members of my family still use this method. 

• Next time you go on a family vacation, fill the areas in the back seat where the kid’s feet go with luggage or what ever you have, making it level with the seat and spread blankets and pillows on top. It’s easier for the kids to spread out and maybe they will sleep instead of asking, “are we there yet?” My family used this method on many of a vacation and sister Cindy, if you are reading this, you hogged way too much room.

• To unstick a glass from the inside of another glass, lower the bottom into hot water and fill the stuck one, with cold water. They’ll will separate instantly.

• To keep from hitting your thumb with a hammer when hammering small, thin nails, use a bobby pin to hold the nail upright.

• A traditional cold remedy is a hot tea made with equal parts of cinnamon sage, and bay leaves with a little lemon juice. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

• Remember: Always cut up the plastic rings from you soda packs, recycle all cans and plastic bottles and newspapers. Never burn newspapers in a fireplace or campfire because of toxic fumes. Use natural cleansers to save money and the environment such as vinegar and water for windows. Always use vinegar or bleach or baking soda in your daily cleaning. Better than most store bought cleansers.

Some of the above information I acquired and used from my rural living Bible, Mother Earth News Almanac. Some information was handed down from my Grandmother and Mother and the camping information is from half my life spent in Scouting-Girls and Boys. 

Next: The Art of Bartering