One Thousand Ways To Make A Living; Or, An EncyclopæDia Of Plans To Make Money

ONE THOUSAND WAYS TO MAKE A LIVING OR AN ENCYCLOPÆDIA OF PLANS TO MAKE MONEY

Collated and Edited by Harold M. Dunphy , LL. B. FIRST EDITION SPOKANE, WASHINGTON 1919 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES Copyright , 1919 BY H. M. DUNPHY SPOKANE, WASHINGTON...

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IMPORTANT PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

The contents of this book have taken years to gather. They have been collected from every corner of this vast continent, and in some cases from Europe. The literary style, no doubt, from the reviewer’s point of view, will leave much to be desired. This, from the very start, was pointed out to the editor, Mr. H. M. Dunphy, who, however, determined that his object was to give a plain, unvarnished story of how to make a livelihood, and not to produce a book of a high literary character. His exact w

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PREFACE

The title of this book speaks for itself and should require no foreword from me. However, the able compiler and editor thinks otherwise, so I gladly fall in with his wishes. I grasp the opportunity, because I think when doing so, I can benefit a great number of my fellow-countrymen and country-women, who to-day have the constant shadow of unemployment confronting them. This is not a “get-rich-quick” book. It is a work to teach people how to get a livelihood. Of course, a great many people who co

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The Way To Wealth

I have heard that nothing gives an author so great a pleasure as to find his work respectfully quoted by others. Just, then, how much I must have been gratified by an incident I am going to relate to you. I stopped my horse lately where a great number of people were collected at an auction of merchant goods. The hour of the sale not being come they were conversing on the badness of the times; and one of the company called to a plain, clean, old man, with white locks: “Pray, Father Abraham, what

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List of Questions to Submit

1. Give full name of corporation, partnership or association. 2. If partnership, has your firm name been properly filed of record? 3. If corporation, when were you incorporated? 4. Have you paid your last annual license fee to the state? 5. What is your capitalization? 6. In how many shares is the company divided? 7. Is the stock assessable or non-assessable? 8. Do you have common or preferred stock? 9. If you have common or preferred stock, how much common and how much preferred stock

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PLAN No. 1. WEAVING BASKETS FOR FERNS

It was the clever idea of a woman that prompted her to dig ferns out of the woods of her native state, and put them in attractive raffia baskets woven by herself. The florists of her neighboring city gladly pay good prices for all of these she can bring in. In the winter she fills these same baskets with holly, attaches a bow of red ribbon to the side of each basket, and sells them as fast as she can turn them out. Other plants can be used to the same advantage in other localities....

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PLAN No. 2. PROFESSIONAL HOSTESS

A young girl who possessed a pleasing personality, but had no capital, created a profitable profession for herself by announcing to the young mothers of her neighborhood that she would take charge of children’s parties at the low price of two dollars for an afternoon. She arranged the menu and planned the entertainment for the youngsters, and did it so well that she soon had all the orders she could fill. From this small beginning, she enlarged her activities by planning parties for grown people

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PLAN No. 3. A TEACHER TURNS CHAUFFEUR

One of the teachers of a Seattle school was obliged by ill-health temporarily to suspend teaching, and, for outdoor exercise, engaged to run an auto carrying children from a distance to and from the school. She soon found this work so healthful and pleasant that she bought a machine, carried passengers for a while at a good profit, and finally, in partnership with her brother, an expert mechanic, went into the automobile business as a regular occupation. Plan No. 3. A School Teacher’s Way She ma

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PLAN No. 4. PAID READING MATTER FOR NEWSPAPERS

Just after the panic of 1893, when jobs were not to be had, an advertising man made a contract with a Denver daily newspaper to conduct a column of small reading notices, on a commission of forty per cent. He went among the small merchants who were not advertising in the display columns, and found they were willing to spend a little money each month in that sort of publicity, though not able to advertise extensively. He wrote attractive items for each one, and had them set up in the form of news

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PLAN No. 5. VACANT LOTS KEPT CLEAN

Here is the case of a woman who, though having only a few hundred dollars, had a lot of foresight and energy, and these qualities enabled her to originate a plan that paid. Thousands of vacant lots in her city were covered with weeds that were an eyesore to their respective neighborhoods, and detracted from their appearance when shown to prospective purchasers. She went to the agents for these lots, made contracts with them under which she was to keep them clean of weeds the entire season for $3

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PLAN No. 6. MINT CULTURE

No capital, and but little space, is required for growing mint on a profitable scale. One woman, who is making and saving money for the education of her children, goes at it in a very methodical manner. She lays out her ground in beds with walks between, and each variety is given a separate bed. Each bed has a border of sage or other herb plants that find a ready sale. The soil should be loose and fine, and well fertilized, to obtain the best results. She not only supplies customers in her neare

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PLAN No. 7. CLIPPING COLLECTION

The woman who has a taste for literary or club work can turn many an honest penny by starting a small clipping bureau of her own. One lady who made a success of this, both socially and financially, procured some large envelopes, and put all the clippings she made from magazines, newspapers, etc., on any one subject, into one envelope, duly labeled, until she had accumulated an extensive variety. Realizing that material for papers to be read at the meetings of women’s clubs are always eagerly sou

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PLAN No. 8. A ONE-COW DAIRY

Here is how a lady who knew her business made a lot of pin money from what she called her “One-Cow Dairy.” There were three in the family and their available capital consisted of an excellent cow, with an average butter production of one pound per day the year round, besides supplying the family with plenty of milk and cream. They also had a small cream separator, which cost considerable to begin with, but more than paid for itself, even with the output of a single cow, as it insured clean milk,

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PLAN No. 9. WRITING BUSINESS LETTERS

Many good business men write very poor business letters, and anyone having a taste and a talent for this class of work can make the writing of such letters a permanent and profitable profession. A former newspaper man in a western city took it up, and found in it a much larger income than even the liberal salary he had formerly received. Living in a town of about 50,000 inhabitants, and having a rather extensive acquaintance, he called upon a number of the leading merchants and offered to come a

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PLAN No. 10. WINDOW-CARD SUGGESTIONS

An Illinois woman tells an interesting story of how she helped her husband rise from a $20-a-week clerk to proprietor of a fine office business netting them $5000 a year, but she furnished the plan. Both were employed in an advertising agency, and patronized a nearby delicatessen store kept by a German woman who prepared palatable foods, but never had used any form of publicity concerning them. The lady with the idea was fond of the home-baked beans and the salads sold at this place, but had no

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PLAN No. 11. STARTING A GINGHAM SHOP

From a position as a small-salaried clerk in a Missouri wholesale dry-goods store to the ownership of a good-paying store of their own, is told by a wife, who first conceived the idea of the enterprise. Needing some ginghams for her little girls’ school dresses, she learned that gingham stocks in all the retail stores were extremely limited, the clerks telling her that the firms purchased cheap wash goods only once a year, and they were practically out. On her way home, she passed an attractive

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PLAN No. 12. CROCHETING DOLL CLOTHES

Noticing a very pretty doll’s crocheted sack in a store, and hearing the proprietor say he feared he could get no more like it, as the lady who made those things for him had not been in the store for some time, a young lady who had ideas of her own decided to take up the work herself. She bought some worsted, went home and proceeded to make a number of dolls’ sacks, hoods, capes, booties, caps, slippers, muffs, etc., put some baby ribbon on most of them, and, after figuring up the cost, put a pr

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PLAN No. 13. MAKING READY-TO-WEAR APRONS

Making and selling ready-to-wear aprons is the means a woman may employ to earn a good many extra dollars, without interfering very much with her regular household duties. She can turn her parlor into a work- and sales-room, where she can exhibit every description of aprons, in sizes and patterns, and offer them at attractive prices. A woman we know, now has a large list of regular patrons and has found it necessary to employ help in doing her housework, so that she can devote the larger portion

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PLAN No. 14. MAKING CANVAS GLOVES

Making canvas gloves would not seem to be a very good way to earn money, but a woman who lived near a small mining town, where the demand for canvas gloves was much greater than the supply, found she could live very comfortably on it. She had a sewing machine, and having ripped an old pair of gloves open to get the pattern, found that it was merely a matter of sewing seams on the machine, so she turned them out very rapidly, and earned many dollars by doing so. One need not live in a mining town

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PLAN No. 15. SPATS FOR COLLEGE GIRLS

A college girl with a limited allowance had just enough spare cash to pay for a new blue-gray tailor-made suit, but not enough more to pay for a pair of spats to match, which the tailor offered to make for $2. However, she had a small piece of the goods left over when the suit was finished, and by ripping an old pair of spats to note the pattern, she proceeded to make a pair of new ones herself; silk-lined, but with the old buttons. They were so well made, and presented so neat an appearance, th

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PLAN No. 16. A CHILDREN’S 5c PLAY GROUND

It was the sound of children’s voices raised in shouts of glee, as they reveled in the delights of a six-passenger, hand-propelled merry-go-round in the back yard of a friend, that gave to a young man, temporarily out of a position, an idea which he promptly enlarged to the dignity of a community affair, and imparted a world of pleasure to hundreds of children, while adding very largely to his own bank account. The small merry-go-round in the private grounds of his friend was operated upon stric

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PLAN No. 17. CO-OPERATIVE COOKING

The daily drudgery of cooking is a nightmare; the horror and the despair of the ordinary housewife. And no wonder; for no other member of the family would ever stand for it. Therefore, any reasonable and economical plan that will free the wife and mother from this thraldom, and at the same time assure equally satisfactory service in the matter of food, at possibly less cost, is sure of a cordial welcome. The co-operative kitchen not only solves this vexed problem for the housewife in general, bu

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PLAN No. 18. STARTING A TEA ROOM

To start a tea room, and start it right, will require an amount of capital ranging all the way from $500 to $1,000, according to the locality and the amount of competition, either of other tea rooms, or of the service offered by various larger enterprises that use this as a side line. A lady in Denver gives her experience in the following condensed statement: She was fortunate in securing a location where the advent of a tea room was joyously hailed as a much desired innovation, and where the co

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PLAN No. 19. BREAD AND CAKE BAKING

Many men lose their positions, from one cause or another, but it isn’t every one of them who has a resourceful, skilful and determined wife to help him out. Here is one who had: This man who had been a salesman was “let out” because his firm could no longer manufacture the goods he had been selling, and, as times were hard, another position could not be obtained. The family had never saved anything, and, their grocer changing suddenly to the cash system, left them with only half a dozen potatoes

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PLAN No. 20. PENCIL SHARPENING MACHINE FREE

The teacher who finds the sharpening of pencils for her pupils a large and disagreeable part of her daily duties, will welcome this plan as a perfect godsend: that the plan, when properly operated by a live man, is a money-maker, is demonstrated by the fact that a Chicago man made big profits out of it. He bought a large number of that botanical wonder known as the Resurrection Plant, or Anasta-tica, which can be obtained at a cost of 2 cents each, or less, when ordered in large quantities, and

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PLAN No. 21. $5,000 A YEAR FROM 81⁄2 ACRES

“The touch of a woman’s hand” is what turned eight and one-half acres of unattractive, idle land on the shores of Long Island Sound into a productive little farm that is now netting it’s owner a profit of over $5,000 a year! Don’t believe it? Listen! To be sure, she had a few hundred dollars—just enough to buy it and improve it with a cheap little cottage, a small barn and some poultry sheds, and plant it to fruit trees, besides every sort of vegetable that enjoyed the greatest demand. She now h

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PLAN No. 22. POLITICAL MANUAL

Politics is always an interesting subject, particularly to politicians, whether of large or small calibre, and the man who can formulate a plan by which to “aid the party,” and at the same time insure an income for himself has certainly “picked a winner.” We know of a man who did this, most successfully, and this is the way he did it: His city, like all others, had political organizations of varying degrees of efficiency and influence, and desiring to assist in placing his own political party in

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PLAN No. 23. THEATRE-GOERS’ WEEKLY

In many cities the theatrical managers arrange in some way to compile a list of theatre goers, and send them, by mail, neatly printed postal cards announcing the attractions billed for their houses several days in advance of their appearance. This plan has proved successful in most cases, but a man in one city of the middle west improved greatly upon it by publishing a weekly that embraced all the theatres and amusement places, and gave them all very much wider publicity, at no cost to any of th

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PLAN No. 24. SPRAYING FRUIT AND SHADE TREES

Every orchardist stands in mortal terror of the multitude of pests that infest both fruit and shade trees in practically all parts of the country, and as but few really understand how to prevent or destroy these persistent plagues, or have the time to do it properly, it affords some one in each community an excellent opportunity to make a good living by doing it for them. All he needs is to know exactly how. An enterprising young man in one of the irrigated fruit districts of the Northwest thoug

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PLAN No. 25. HOME LUNCH DELIVERY

A Michigan young lady, who had an invalid mother and a little brother to support, hit upon the novel plan of supplying the families of her neighborhood, as well as nearby cafes, lunch rooms, business offices, stores, and soda fountains, with tempting lunches consisting mainly of nut sandwiches made of shredded wheat biscuit, or bread, or buns, baked by herself. Buying all the materials in large quantities, she secured everything necessary at greatly reduced prices, purchasing English walnuts at

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PLAN No. 26. REPAIRING LAWN MOWERS

Can you repair a lawn mower that is out of order? If not, you can soon learn, and if you have any mechanical ability at all, you can put it to a practical use and make a good business out of it. An elderly man in a western city, who was regarded as “too old” to be given a salaried position, but who “needed the money,” turned his knowledge of lawn mowers to good account, and to-day has a profitable business that renders it unnecessary for him to ask anybody for a “job.” He made his own job. Of co

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PLAN No. 27. THE INKLESS PEN

Never heard of an inkless pen? Well, you can make one, or a thousand, so easily, and sell them so fast, at a splendid profit, that you will wish you had known how a long time ago. A down-east girl learned how it was done, and she has made a lot of money out of it, just as anyone else can by trying. She got some of the very best quality of violet aniline, and reduced it with water, to a thick paste. She added about half as much mucilage as there was of the aniline and water, and mixed it thoroly.

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PLAN No. 28. OLD BARN MAKES $600 A YEAR

How a plucky woman, with an invalid husband and two small children, utilized a rickety old barn on a run-down farm eleven miles from a city, is best told in her own words: “The old barn had not been used for years, and was in a dilapidated condition indeed. I paid $1.25 for new shingles and 5 cents for nails, and fixed the roof so it would not leak. I found some old hinges around the place, and put on the doors in good shape. There were six windows, and I bought $1.80 worth of cheese cloth and m

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PLAN No. 29. BAKING FRUIT CAKE TO SELL

Who doesn’t love fruit cake? And yet how few can make it as it should be made. A lady who really knew how, found that she could make a fruit cake at a cost of about 10 cents a pound, and make it so good that anybody would be glad to buy it at more than three times its cost. She used the following receipt. Two cups of flour, 1 cup of raisins, 1 cup of currants, one-half cup of lard, 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoonful cinnamon, 1 teaspoonful of cloves, 1 teaspoonful of soda, 1 ⁄ 4 teaspoonful of salt;

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PLAN No. 30. LAWYER MAKES MUNICIPAL COLLECTIONS

In nearly all cities of 75,000 to 150,000 population, there are usually many thousands of dollars due the municipality in old claims, unpaid assessments, and all sorts of overlooked accounts in practically all departments. These have been allowed to accumulate until they amount to a sum large enough to materially reduce the tax levy for several years, but incoming administrations, having all the difficulties incident to their own tenures of office to meet, and having no disposition to overcome t

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PLAN No. 31. BRIEF-WRITING FOR LAWYERS

Plan No. 31. Lawyer puts Dictaphone to Profitable Use A far-sighted young attorney in a large city, desiring to extend his acquaintance among the older members of the bar, and at the same time add materially to his rather limited income, figured that he could do both by writing the briefs of those lawyers interested in cases taken to the higher courts on appeal. He purchased a dictaphone and, having familiarized himself with a case, by reference to the files, and otherwise, he found it an easy m

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PLAN No. 32. RENTING WATER FILTERS

For more than three years a man in a western city realized a net profit of $225 a month, through the very simple plan of renting water filters, and then sold out his business for $5,000. Having a little spare money he bought filters by the gross from the manufacturers, at $12.50 per gross, or a fraction over 12 cents apiece. They were the reversible kind, filled with powdered charcoal and crushed granite, were nickel plated, easily kept clean, and caught all the impurities in the water leaving i

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PLAN No. 33. CLIPS PERSONAL NOTICES FROM NEWSPAPER

Not the big press clipping bureau, with its elaborately furnished offices and scores of employes, but one which any energetic young man or woman may start in a small way, and earn more than a comfortable living, while increasing the scope and revenues of the business. Here is how a bright young fellow did it: Realizing the pride and vanity many people feel in seeing their names in print, and calculating on their curiosity as well, he subscribed for a number of papers in near-by cities and towns,

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PLAN No. 34. PUBLISHING A COOK BOOK

There are cook books and cook books, but we know of only one in which thousands of housewives, who contributed recipes to it, took that deep personal interest which made them feel that each one positively must buy a copy of it. This one was thought out by a young man in a middle western state, and literally “takes the cake”—and the cash. If there is any place where the ordinary woman likes to see her name in print, outside of the society columns of a Sunday newspaper, it is in a book, and especi

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PLAN No. 35. GOOD SAFETY RAZORS FOR 25 CENTS

You know, as does everybody else, that $5.00 is too much for any safety razor ever made. A western man who found himself a cripple for life, and had to earn his living or starve, perfected a plan for supplying the best kind of a safety razor for 25 cents, and made a permanent income for himself and family. He wrote a good circular letter, in which he asked the reader to send in his old safety razor, no matter what its make or condition, together with 25 cents, and said that upon its receipt, wit

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PLAN No. 36. LISTS OF NAMES FOR ADVERTISERS

Supplying reliable lists of names to magazine advertisers and others would not at first be regarded as a very profitable business, but here is the experience of an Illinois man who made it pay well: Studying the advertisements in the magazines, he thought of how much these advertisers could save if they were only brought into direct contact with the class of people each one was trying to reach at so great an outlay as magazine space involves. He thought of a way in which it could be done. He had

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PLAN No. 37. AUTO INSPECTION SERVICE

“I was a fair auto mechanic, familiar with the mechanism of every machine on the market,” said a man who is now a prosperous dealer in a western city. “But I was out of work, and could not get the kind of job I wanted, so I decided to make one for myself. And I did. “I called upon some twenty well-to-do owners of cars who did their own driving, but who were not able to locate or remedy many of the little troubles that are certain to happen to all machines, and told them that for $1 per week I wo

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PLAN No. 38. A 5c AND 10c GROCERY STORE

Of course, everybody knows all about the 5- and 10-cent notion stores that have made millionaires of their owners, but who ever heard, until now, of a 5- and 10-cent grocery store? One man, who lives in a good-sized western city, had never heard of such a thing, but one day the idea came to him, and he tried it out—and made it win. He rented a small but neat store room in a good location, on a well traveled street, put up shelves on both sides and set a nice show case in the center. There were n

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PLAN No. 39. STORING SCREENS

It would hardly seem that the mere storing of door and window screens during the winter season, when they are not needed and are in the way, would prove profitable, but an old gentleman in a West Virginia town earns many good dollars through that plan, and others might follow his example with profit. Plan No. 39. Work that Anyone can do A spare room, or a barn loft, where there is no leakage from the roof, is all that is required to get into the business. This man has about 300 customers, for wh

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PLAN No. 40. BUTTON-HOLE MAKING

A lady living in a city of the Middle West had by long practice become an expert button-hole maker, and so great was her skill that she had more calls for her special work than she could fill. Dressmakers, tailors, department stores, housewives who made their own dresses, all were anxious to secure her services in this particular line, and she derived a very comfortable income from this specialty. Recently she has organized several classes of young ladies to whom she is teaching the art, as she

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PLAN No. 41. TYPEWRITING AT HOME

A young lady typist who was obliged to give up her position, in order to take care of her invalid mother, arranged with a business man to write his letters in payment for the use of his type-writing machine. Then she addressed letters to a number of other business men, offering to do their stenographic work and typewriting at her home, and in a short time had work that brought her better returns than her former salary had been, besides being able to look after her sick mother....

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PLAN No. 42. RAISING ANGORA CATS

An ambitious mother, who very much desired to send her daughter to college, decided upon cat culture as a source of raising the necessary funds. She paid $25 for a pair of pure-bred Angora kittens, gave them the best of care and in three years these kittens and their progeny have netted her more than $1,000. But her resourcefulness in providing charming surroundings assists her greatly in the important matter of sales. She enclosed the back yard of her home with chicken wire, and divided it into

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PLAN No. 43. MANAGEMENT OF SOCIAL FUNCTIONS

A young lady who found herself dependent upon a married sister, decided that she would create a profession of her own and be under no obligations to anyone. She distributed a number of her business cards among the society leaders of her town, announcing that she would take complete charge of parties and other social events, whether for grown people or children, and relieve the hostess of all anxiety concerning the success of the affair, besides saving considerable sums in the outlay for the occa

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PLAN No. 44. NEW WAY TO SELL SHEET MUSIC

A young lady in Ohio, who recently graduated from a music school, has originated a novel and profitable method of selling sheet music. Realizing from her own experience that the surest way to cause anyone to want a particular piece of music is to let them hear it properly played, so she arranged with a leading music dealer to allow her a rather liberal commission on all sales she might make. She then selects a number of the best pieces, and ringing the bell at the first house she approaches, and

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PLAN No. 45. SUPPLYING CLEAN TOWELS

Here is a plan which is good for a town where there are a large number of offices. A young woman who lived in a town of this kind made it pay. She visited the various offices in the place and contracted to furnish each one with a clean, fresh towel every day for $1.50 a month, or two towels per day for $2.50 a month, two deliveries to be made each week. She secured contracts enough to bring in $47.00 a month. She then bought $25.00 worth of good towels, hired a colored woman to come twice a week

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PLAN No. 46. TAKING CHILDREN’S PICTURES

Getting the children interested, and working on your side of a proposition, is the surest way to reach the pocketbooks of the parents. An Iowa man, who was out of work and money, evolved a plan that worked so well that he has been at it ever since. He owned a good camera, and understood how to use it, and having tried soliciting orders from house to house, without success, he hit upon the plan of borrowing a team of goats and a small cart from a boy friend, and started out. Whenever he saw a chi

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PLAN No. 47. TAUGHT CARE OF THE HAIR

Most people have hair troubles of some kind, and most of them have used the widely advertised hair tonics, restorers, etc., with but little appreciable benefit, as some simple home preparation usually produces the best results. Now, you have read in scores of household magazines, and elsewhere of ways without number in which the hair can be beautified and its growth and lustre wonderfully promoted, without the risk of injuring it in any way. A widow lady in an eastern city collected all the form

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PLAN No. 48. MAKING HARNESS DRESSING

Every farmer will buy a good, reliable waterproof harness dressing, and if you know how to make it, you can sell it rapidly. A young man who had spent most of his life on the farm found himself stranded in the city, and when a friend gave him the recipe for such a dressing, he bought the materials with his last few pennies and began selling it to the farmers. He realized such a good profit from his first sales that he was soon able to make it on a much more extensive scale, and started on a trip

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PLAN No. 49. BOOK THAT COSTS NOTHING SELLS FOR 98 CENTS

This man clothed an old idea in a new dress, greatly improved upon it, and made it a permanent, paying business. He got twenty merchants, in different lines, to pay him $5.00 each for a page ad. in a book, and spent the $100 thus received in having 2,000 copies of it printed. Then he sold the 2,000 copies for 98 cents each, or a total of $1,960. But who is going to buy a book with nothing in it except twenty pages of ads, do you ask? Answer: 2,000 people. Why? Every advertiser in that book has a

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PLAN No. 50. TYPEWRITING SHORT STORIES BY MAIL

In these days of an ever-increasing demand for short stories by hundreds of old and new magazines, when thousands of aspiring young authors are reaching out for fame and fortune, it is but natural to assume that but few of them are familiar with the form in which manuscripts are required to be submitted. In practically all cases manuscripts must be typewritten, and young people all over the country who do not own typewriters, and could not use them if they did, are always glad to have this done

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PLAN No. 51. OPENING A GIFT SHOP

A widow, who was left with some very good furnishings and about $200 in cash, resolved to make an opportunity of her own and improved it to such excellent advantage that she made a satisfactory living by following a definite plan and the exercise of an unusual amount of good taste. Renting a small but attractive down-town store room, she fitted it up with the furnishings of her home, imparting to the place a decidedly cozy effect, and she printed some 500 cards, which she sent out by mail, payin

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PLAN No. 52. COUPONS TO AID SALES

“A friend of mine,” said a successful merchant, not long ago, “was making and selling—or trying to sell—three preparations of great merit, but with such indifferent success that he decided to give it up. “I knew the value of his preparations, and concluded that his failure was due to himself rather than to them. I, therefore, outlined a plan for him that I thought would bring success, and loaned him the money with which to make another try at it. “I had 1,000 circulars printed, to each of which

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PLAN No. 53. WOMAN PACKS TRUNKS

A woman left totally unprovided for by her husband, a commercial traveler who died suddenly, had to provide for herself and family. Discussing with her friends what she could do to make a living, one suggested that she pack trunks for people who did not know how. She had always packed her husband’s trunks. She acted on this suggestion, and made arrangements with a large hotel to pack trunks for its guests. She furnished bonds to amply protect guests against loss. Plan No. 53. Her Husband was a T

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PLAN No. 54. VEGETABLES BY PARCEL POST

Our friend the suburban gardener, lives several miles from the city, where he has about three acres of ground in cultivation, and knows how to make it pay—via parcel post. He knows that the city man likes nice, fresh, crisp vegetables, right from the soil the day he gets them, and that he will pay a good price for them, besides saving the unwilling tribute he pays the city middleman for dried up, shriveled and often spoiled market stuff, that may be a week old. And the gardener gets more for his

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PLAN No. 55. FARMERS’ SUPPLY BUREAU

This young man lived in a city of about 7,000 inhabitants, where there were several wholesale houses, as well as a large number of up-to-date retail stores. The town was in the midst of a prosperous farming community, where the farmers were kept busy at home looking after their crops, and had but little time for coming to town. One day this enterprising young man had an idea, which proved to be a good one, for it enabled him to make a good living. He secured the name of every farmer living on ev

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PLAN No. 56. A SUPERB TABLE RELISH

The very best table relish it is possible to make is prepared from the following formula by a woman living in the country, who has created for it a demand far greater than she can supply. Here are the ingredients: Ripe tomatoes, 9 pounds; onions, 2 pounds; cider vinegar, 3 pints; cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoonfuls; black pepper, 4 ounces; brown sugar, 6 ounces. She mashes the tomatoes thoroughly, peels and grinds the onions in a vegetable grinder, then places all the ingredients in a porcelain vesse

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PLAN No. 57. MONEY FROM A STEREO CAMERA

A newly married couple decided to spend their honeymoon in a small Ohio town surrounded by beautiful scenery, and having a stereoscopic camera among their possessions, took it along, as it might come in handy. And it did. They happened to know that they could obtain from a Chicago firm, for 80 cents per hundred, any number of the colored views shown in stereoscopes, and which agents usually sell for $1.50 to $2.00 per dozen, and they ordered twenty sets of 100 each, paying $16.00 for the lot. Th

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PLAN No. 58. A RENTING BULLETIN

A young man made use of the following plan to get started in business: Living in a western town of about 10,000 inhabitants, he noted the various cards of “For Sale,” “For Rent,” “Furnished rooms,” “Board and Rooms,” etc., and decided he could help these people get what they wanted, and at the same time make a little sum for himself. He called at each of the places where cards were displayed, explained that he was about to begin the publication of a renting and business bulletin, and would inser

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PLAN No. 59. MAKING HENS LAY IN WINTER

That grasshoppers, which have been the scourge of many sections of the country for many years, can really be made to serve a useful purpose, and so utilized as to pay at least a part of the damage they do, was proven by the experience of a Kansan woman who had found great difficulty in making her hens lay during the winter months. The grasshopper pest had been unusually active in her part of the country that year, having destroyed practically every growing thing within reach, and her hens were a

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PLAN No. 60. MAKING POLISHING CLOTHS

A polishing cloth would seem an insignificant thing in itself, and it is, but often it is the little things that make good profit and a man in a western city, who understood this fact, made thousands of dollars by giving it practical application. He bought a bolt of outing flannel of the cheaper grade, and from this he cut a few hundred small pieces of the proper size for samples. These he immersed in a solution which he had made, as follows: One-half pound of castile soap, shaved fine and melte

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PLAN No. 61. SELLING LISTS OF NAMES

We know of a man who averaged $40.00 per day through the sale of mailing lists to advertisers all over the country. But they were good, reliable lists of live people, who for years had not been flooded with a tidal wave of advertising circulars. These names he procured from county, town, and other officials, from certain directories, and from private individuals in different parts of the country. In some cases he advertised in country papers, asking for replies from those willing to furnish list

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PLAN No. 62. THE PROFESSIONAL MAN SHOPPER

An elderly man who lived in a small eastern town had formerly been a merchant in the city, but had failed through the dishonesty of a partner, and was obliged to make a humble living by any legitimate means. Being familiar with all the details of buying and selling, as well as with the quality of various kinds of merchandise, he decided to become a professional shopper, and succeeded beyond his expectations. He distributed cards throughout the little town and its vicinity announcing that he woul

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PLAN No. 63. A THERMOMETER PLAN THAT PAID

The vagaries of the weather have never been regarded as affording a living for anyone except the “local forecaster,” but here is the experience of a man in Iowa who thought otherwise, and made money out of the plan. He paid $40 for a large thermometer, all complete, the same being about six feet high, mounted on a frame 3x8 feet, and containing space for fourteen advertisements. These he readily sold to merchants of the town, at $15 for each space, bringing his receipts up to $210, or $170 after

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PLAN No. 64. LETTUCE GROWING, $100,000 A YEAR

Some ten years ago two brothers went to a North Carolina town, in the fall of the year, rented a piece of ground near the outskirts, carefully laid it out in large beds, and planted it in lettuce, to be sold to northern markets during the winter months. The inhabitants of the town ridiculed the idea, declaring that the lettuce would freeze when the weather got cold, and even if it grew, it could not be sold at a profit, but the brothers said nothing, for they knew what they were doing. The lettu

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PLAN No. 65. A FUTURE IN SALAD DRESSING

An enterprising woman in a western state has made money in home-made salad dressing and peanut butter. She started demonstrating the superior quality of her products in a little corner grocery. She now owns a large building on a prominent street in a city, and sells her produce all over the Northwest. She not only knows all about making the very best salad dressing and peanut butter that anyone could possibly imagine or wish for, but she insists upon a high degree of cleanliness and care in the

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PLAN No. 66. COUNTRY PAPER ADVERTISING

A young newspaper man perfected a plan under which he took over the advertising of all the weekly papers published within a radius of 100 miles or more from his home town, including those having “patent insides” supplied by the branch of a prominent newspaper union in his town. Arranging these various publications in groups of forty or more, he established a rate for each group that not only offered the advertiser a very great reduction from what it would cost him to deal with all these papers s

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PLAN No. 67. WORKED HER WAY THROUGH COLLEGE

It isn’t every girl who feels competent to work her way through college, when her people are not able to pay the expenses of her course, but this one did, and proved it by paying all her bills and having something left besides. Being very proficient in embroidery work, she organized a class of fifty of her fellow-students, to whom she gave a course of twenty embroidery lessons, at $5.00 each for the course, while several of the girls who wished instruction in difficult stitches were each charged

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PLAN No. 68. $4,800 FOR FIVE CALVES

The old saying that “pigs is pigs,” might with equal propriety be applied to calves, particularly if they are of Holstein-Friesian stock, if one is to judge from the experience of a breeder of blooded stock in New York state. From one cow, nine years old, this man has sold five calves for $4,800, has another for which he has refused $500, and still another of her progeny is owned by a man who wouldn’t sell it at any price. This man started as a poor boy, who was obliged to work as a hired hand o

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PLAN No. 69. NIGHT PATROLMAN IN SMALL TOWN

A husky young Irishman, who lived in a town too small to maintain a regular police officer, and too large to be entirely without protection from hold-ups, burglars and fires, especially at night, called upon the principal merchants of the place and arranged to give such service as was needed, on a basis of 25 cents a night from each one. Fifteen merchants readily agreed to these terms, and, by remaining on duty every night including Sundays, he was able to earn $26.25 a week. The third night he

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PLAN No. 70. HE RAISED DUCKS AND GEESE

A small farmer, living a few miles from a city, derived a very handsome income from the raising of ducks and geese. From a long and careful study of various domestic fowls, he had learned that, while ducks and geese are much more rare than chickens, and that many people prefer them as table birds, they eat much less than hens, and the feathers of the geese are always in demand, at top prices. Both ducks and geese are much more hardy than chickens, and not nearly so liable to disease, therefore t

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PLAN No. 71. COLLECTION AGENCY

That a smile, a pleasant word and a liberal amount of good humor will succeed better in the collection of accounts than the bullying method, was the idea of a young friend of ours who decided to make Collections a regular business. About all he had with which to make a beginning was a desk, three chairs, a small rug, a second-hand typewriter, and $50 for some printed matter and a month’s office rent. He had arranged with a young lawyer friend of his to attend to whatever litigation might be nece

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PLAN No. 72. MAKING AND SELLING RAG RUGS

You probably have no idea how many people would pay for rag rugs, to be used in their bathrooms, bedrooms, dining rooms and elsewhere if only some one would make them and sell them from house to house. An old lady in Illinois, who knew all about making rag rugs, as well as rag carpets, and who needed a little money very badly, concluded to use her knowledge of rug making and make a few dollars in the only way she could think of. Her only available resources were a quantity of clean bits of cloth

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PLAN No. 73. PHOTOS AT 39 CENTS A DOZEN

It seemed impossible, but here’s the story of a man who did it, and made a good living out of it, also kept four men on the road working at this novel but legitimate plan: He had been a traveling salesman for several years, and on one of his trips had gone into a grocery store, but found another traveling man ahead of him. This man was showing the grocer the details of a plan whereby he could have a photo enlarged for anyone buying a $5 punch-ticket, good for that amount in merchandise, and payi

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PLAN No. 74. REAL “FRESH ROASTED COFFEE”

Everybody loves the aroma of fresh roasted coffee, but it is so seldom they have an opportunity to inhale it when it is fresh, that, when they do, it comes as a most delightful sensation, and makes them want coffee—real, genuine, fresh roasted coffee. A coffee-roasting machine, almost automatic in its action, has been perfected to such a degree that it retains all the aroma and flavor of the coffee, and places it, freshly roasted, in the hands of the consumer, who thus “gets all the good out of

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PLAN No. 75. COLLEGE LAUNDRY AGENCY

A young man, attending college in a small town, secured the agency for a leading laundry in a near-by city, and in that way made enough to pay for his entire course. The laundry company paid him 40 percent for all the work he sent in, and one-half of the express charges besides, so that he was at practically no expense in conducting the business. He soon demonstrated that he was representing a laundry that did good work and made prompt deliveries, and it was an easy matter to secure orders from

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PLAN No. 76. CO-OPERATIVE STORE

A former merchant in a small town, who had lost his entire stock by fire, and had been unable to collect the insurance, conceived the idea of starting a co-operative store, without capital, and the plan worked so well that in a few years he was in a better condition financially than before the fire. Fully realizing that the average store in the small town charges higher prices for inferior goods than the city stores ask for the better grades, and knowing the people of his community would be glad

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PLAN No. 77. STARTING A HOSPITAL IN A SMALL TOWN

It was a doctor’s wife who, with a husband broken in health and purse, originated a plan that was successful and put the couple financially “on their feet”. The husband, an able physician and surgeon, in a western city, with failing health, decided to move to a country town. His finances were at a low ebb, it soon became necessary for him to resume his practice in this rural community. But he was not physically able to make calls at long distances from town, especially at night and in bad weathe

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PLAN No. 78. MAKING A SODA FOUNTAIN PAY

She was a druggist’s wife, and had some excellent ideas of her own, besides, she knew how to put them to practical use. While the prescription business of the store was large and profitable, the soda fountain, a fine large one with every modern feature of equipment, was not making good, and there were seven other soda fountains in the town of some 2,000 inhabitants. Here was the wife’s opportunity. The drug store was a large and attractive place and she decided upon the following plan of action:

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PLAN No. 79. MOTION PICTURE THEATERS

A husband and wife had lost their money and all they had left was $500 in cash, a moving-picture camera, and a good supply of courage. Selecting a location in a prosperous residence district they opened a moving-picture theater with a seating capacity of 400 people. The city every year had a local fiesta or carnival, lasting about two weeks, and the wife suggested the idea of taking daily motion pictures of the parades and showing them on the screen as an additional attraction. This greatly incr

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PLAN No. 80. FROM CLERK TO SUPERINTENDENT

Every man who is a clerk would be very glad to be promoted to superintendent. But it isn’t every clerk who has a wife with the energy and the initiative to assist him. With the arrival of the second baby, the husband began to realize that he must have more money, but how to obtain it was the question. He could not ask for more salary, because he was already the best-paid shipping clerk in the establishment. Although without practical experience in the conduct of a large business, his wife intuit

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PLAN No. 81. MAKING OVER OLD HOUSES

A lawyer in a western city had only a small practice but his wife possessed good business judgment. They had just cash enough to purchase a small house, with a good-sized lot, in a modest side street occupied mainly by the homes of working men. This lady possessed good taste in the matter of furnishings and decorations, and exercised her talent in this direction by turning this property into an attractive little home. By a most skillful arrangement of the furniture, and not having too much of it

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PLAN No. 82. CULTIVATING OTHER PEOPLE’S BACK YARDS

Thousands of men and women who complain of “hard times” and bemoan the fact that they “can’t get anything to do,” could live comfortably by following the plan which an almost invalid husband and his wife so successfully carried out, at a time when everything looked very dark. They were in debt, through the illness of the husband, a mill worker, whom the doctors had told to get into some line of work that would give him plenty of outdoor exercise. In the residential section of the city, near by,

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PLAN No. 83. FROM CLERK TO HYDRAULIC ENGINEER

The husband in this case was a combination of stock-keeper and shipping clerk in a large machinery house, knew the details of the business thoroughly, and uncomplainingly shouldered the constantly increasing burdens and responsibilities that were placed upon him, with no intimation of a corresponding increase in salary. Finally he rebelled, and said to his wife that if he had a certain amount of capital he would go into business for himself. His wife remarked that he did not need any capital, if

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PLAN No. 84. PROGRAMS FOR “MOVIE” THEATERS

A man who had considerable experience in theatre-program advertising decided that if some money could be made from publishing one program a great deal more could be made with several programs. The following experience proved his reasoning was right: Visiting the managers of five leading motion-picture houses, he offered to furnish each with an attractive program twice a week, free of charge, provided he could have the bill three or four days in advance. He was to have all the money received from

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PLAN No. 85. MESSENGER SERVICE

It was a woman who originated the plan of establishing a messenger service to meet the needs of a large number of people who are not regular patrons of the larger messenger agencies and who often have special messages or articles requiring prompt and trustworthy delivery. At a total cost of less than $30, she fitted up her kitchen as an office and as headquarters for the boys whom she engaged for this service, circulated a few hundreds cards, with her address and telephone number, among the clas

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PLAN No. 86. WATCH FOBS FOR 5 CENTS EACH AT COLLEGE

Selling watch fobs for 5 cents each, and yet realizing a profit of $1.50 from the sale yourself, looks like one of those things that “can’t be done” and yet it is easily accomplished. This plan helped pay part of his college expenses. He procures a quantity of ribbon representing the colors of the local football or baseball team and bearing a small nickel or silver-plated ornament, such as a horseshoe or football, and the one who gets the fob was entitled to have his name or any design engraved

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PLAN No. 87. STARTED SHORTHAND SCHOOL

A man who was state agent for a concern that failed, was left without money, and there were no positions open for him. In earlier life he had been a stenographer, while his wife had taught school for a number of years before their marriage. As a traveling man he had noted the incompetency of many stenographers, especially their ignorance of business principles, and often commented on this to his wife. In their dilemma, the wife suggested the establishment of a shorthand and business school combi

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PLAN No. 88. OPENING A MENDING SHOP

A young woman in an eastern city, being in poor health and having an invalid mother to support, decided to open a shop for mending and fine sewing, as she was very skillful in the use of the needle. She rented a small ground floor apartment in a good location, and put out a neat sign announcing the opening of a “Mending and Darning Shop. Fine sewing of all kinds.” She made a specialty of fine damask, hemming table cloths and napkins and darning old ones, and did her work so neatly that her servi

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PLAN No. 89. HOME WALL-PAPER AGENCY

A California man who had formerly been in the wall-paper business and found himself entirely wiped out by a fire, decided to make another start by using his home as the basis of operations for supplying his patrons with wall paper at very much less than the usual prices, the profit in that community being sufficiently large to permit great reductions in even the best grades. A large manufacturer gladly sent him a book of samples of all kinds of wall paper, and with this he visited hundreds of ho

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PLAN No. 90. CATERING FOR LODGE PEOPLE

A young woman living in a town of a few thousand inhabitants, where there were many fraternal societies, all having large memberships, found she had an opportunity to make a good income by catering to these societies. She was not only a very skillful cook, but had excellent taste in the preparation and arrangement of repasts, and at the same time possessed an exceptionally pleasing personality. She distributed among the officers and members of all the lodges in her town a number of handsomely de

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PLAN No. 91. GROWING MUSHROOMS

If you have a cellar that is not in use, you have the foundation for a good living in the growing of mushrooms. Dig up the space you desire to use for this purpose, digging it deep, and pulverize the earth thoroughly. Then add a quantity of fine, black dirt, rich in phosphates, with a liberal amount of some good fertilizer. Then water the prepared bed thoroughly, and put in the spawn, which you can buy very cheaply almost anywhere. Your mushrooms, when well started, will produce a crop every mon

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PLAN No. 92. BASKET MAKING

Basket making is one of these simple, easily-learned, easily-operated and profitable occupations, so well adapted to women, that it is a wonder more of them do not engage in it. The country women at Aitken, S. C., make thousands of pretty and useful baskets from pine needles, and sell them at good prices. A lady who was visiting there learned the art of making these baskets, and later her sister moved out west, where she learned how the Indians made the baskets for which they are so famous. Some

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PLAN No. 93. POTATO CHIPS AND DOUGHNUTS

With a husband who was sick and without money, a new England woman, living in a small city, found it incumbent upon herself to do some planning to supply the family with food. Having an intimate knowledge and special aptitude for making exceptionally fine potato chips and doughnuts, she decided that if she could once succeed in getting people to try her products she would be assured of a ready sale for them, and immediately went to work to prepare a small quantity of each, put up in her own styl

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PLAN No. 94. POULTRY RAISING FOR A BOY

As a means of educating a boy regarding business principles, and teaching him practical ways of making money, nothing is better than the raising of poultry in a small way, but according to correct methods. A man in Ogden, Utah, gave his 10-year-old boy $5.00 and told him to invest it in whatever enterprise best suited him, and what promised the best returns upon the investment. The boy, who was healthy, energetic and enthusiastic, bought a young rooster and two pullets, all pure-bred fowls, and

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PLAN No. 95. WATCH INSURANCE

You may think you have heard of all kinds of insurance, but have you ever heard of watch insurance? This Pittsburgh man never had, but he figured out a plan of insuring watches against breakage, loss or theft, and thought it out with such perfect precision and detail, that he soon had a profitable and permanent business of his own. In the policy he issues he agrees that in case the watch insured is broken, he makes complete repairs by sending it to some jeweler, to be selected by the assured, up

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PLAN No. 96. COLLECTING OLD WITNESS FEES

In the office of clerks of the court in the United States are thousands of dollars in unclaimed witness fees, and this offers an opportunity for thousands of men all over the country to collect them for the parties on a large percentage basis——say, one-half the amounts collected. A man living in a county seat in a western state made a small fortune in this manner, because he hit upon the right plan. All public records are open to the inspection of any person, and his method was to make a thoroug

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PLAN No. 97. DOUBLING THE BUSINESS OF HOTELS

A young man who owned a small printing office, had a reputation for the skillful and artistic manner in which he did the work that came to him, dropped into a hotel that ran a café in connection, and said to the proprietor: “Would you like to have me double your business for you, at but very little cost?” “I certainly would,” replied the hotel man, “and if you can do that you are the very man I am looking for.” “All right,” said the printer, “I am ready to show you.” He went into the café, secur

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PLAN No. 98. A CHURCH PAPER

That churches, as well as commercial and other enterprises, could derive great benefits from the publication of a weekly paper devoted to the interests of all the churches in a community, was the firm conviction of a young man living in a western city, and having had considerable newspaper experience, he concluded to try it and see if it would prove a success. He attended a meeting of the ministerial association and submitted the plan to them. Every one of the ministers, representing all the var

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PLAN No. 99. PHOTOGRAPHING ANIMALS FOR SALE

Next to having a prospective purchaser come to your place to see any animal you may have for sale, the best means of giving him a good idea of it is to take a good photograph of the animal, properly posed, and send it to him by mail, or use it in advertising. A farmer’s wife, who had bought a camera for pleasure, soon learned to adapt it to business purposes and made many sales of valuable animals through this means alone. This lady had three pure-bred collie dogs, from which she sold about $400

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PLAN No. 100. HOME-MADE STICK CANDY

Well knowing the predilection of most people for sweet things, her first efforts were directed toward making and selling a very superior grade of stick candy, according to the following formula: Over a hot fire place a kettle containing a quart of water, ten pounds of white sugar and one teaspoonful cream tartar. Let it boil until it will snap, then put it into cold water and pour out on marble slab or tin cooler, well greased. As it cools, turn outer edge to center, and when cool enough to hand

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PLAN No. 101. HOME-MADE TAFFY CANDY

This taffy candy, which proved an excellent seller, yielding large profits, she made as follows: White sugar, 10 pounds; water, 3 pints; cream tartar, one teaspoonful, and when nearly cooked add one-fourth pound of butter. Add any kind of flavor preferred, by pouring it on while rolling. This candy should be cooked to the snapping point, but do not stir while cooking, or the sugar will granulate....

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PLAN No. 102. HOME-MADE MAPLE CREAM CANDY

This was one of her most popular products, and was made as follows: white sugar, 5 pounds; best maple syrup, one pint; water, one pint; butter, 1 tablespoonful; cream tartar, 1 ⁄ 4 teaspoonful. Cook same as in making above described taffy candy, and put in one teaspoonful extract of vanilla while pulling....

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PLAN No. 103. HOME-MADE PEANUT CRISP

This was also a great favorite with the children, and she sold a great deal of it, as well as her other candies, by visiting the different schools during the noon hour or at recess, on certain days of each week. The peanut crisp she made as follows: White sugar, 5 pounds; water, 1 1 ⁄ 2 pints; cream tartar, one-half teaspoonful. When nearly cooked, add one pound parched, hulled peanuts and one tablespoonful soda. Cook until it will snap. She employed many ways of selling the above and other spec

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PLAN No. 104. EXTRACTING ATTAR OF ROSES, ETC.

In addition to her candy-making enterprise, this lady likewise engaged in the making of perfumes, and so well did she succeed that her income was more than doubled. She developed a method of extracting the attar of roses and other flowers, which enabled her to make a great variety of the most delightful as well as lasting perfumes, and the ladies soon came to know of their exquisite fragrance. To extract the attar of any flower she procured a quantity of the petals, which she placed on thin laye

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PLAN No. 105. A CHEAP HOME-MADE COLOGNE

Many people who cannot afford the high-priced perfumes are very well satisfied with some cheaper kind, and to meet this demand, the lady put up a home-made cologne that gave very good satisfaction. This she made as follows: To one gallon spirits of wine, add a teaspoonful each of the oils of lemon, orange and bergamot; with 40 drops of extract of vanilla. Shake until the oils are well cut, then add one and one-half pints of soft water. This made a very fair grade of perfume, and, though it could

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PLAN No. 106. MAKING ROSE JARS

Very few are the boudoir accessories that are dearer to the feminine heart than a rose jar, properly made, and most women will pay almost any price for one of that kind. This lady knew exactly how to make a perfect rose jar, and added this to the already long list of her profitable industries. She dried rose petals in salt for two weeks, then cleansed the salt from the petals and put them in a jar. She would leave the jar open for a few days, then put in 2 tablespoonfuls each of cloves, allspice

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PLAN No. 107. MAKING ALMOND PASTE

This preparation she found in great demand by the ladies, as it proved a wonderful beautifier of the complexion, and a fine remedy for chapped hands, rough skin, etc. This is the formula she used for preparing it: To 4 ounces of blanched almonds she added the white of one egg, after beating the almonds to a smooth paste in a mortar, then add enough rose water, mixed with its weight in alcohol, to give it the proper consistency. She put it up in 2-ounce jars, pasted on a fancy label, and sold it

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PLAN No. 108. HOME WORK THAT PAYS

Having suffered her full share of the losses and disappointments that fall to the lot of so many victims of the fraudulent “home-work” schemes through which many become well-to-do at the expense of poor women who are seeking to make an honest living a California woman perfected a really meritorious as well as profitable plan that can be carried out by other women with as great profit as it brought to her. Instead of dealing with that class of utility articles which can be purchased ready made fo

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PLAN No. 109. SHARP SAWS FOR BUTCHERS

An enterprising young man in San Francisco, who knew that the saw blades used by butchers require frequent sharpening and also knew that it costs the average butcher about $3.00 a month to keep them sharpened, figured out a way to save more than half that expense, and make a good thing for himself at the same time. He heard of a firm in New York that manufactured a machine for automatically sharpening hand- and meat-saws, at the rate of two hundred and fifty blades a day. He ordered one of these

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PLAN No. 110. SELLING FLAGS BY MAIL

A patriotic young lady in the East, realizing that many people do not have a flag, when every home should possess one or more of these emblems of liberty, decided upon a plan by which she believed she could supply this need, and do so at a neat profit to herself, especially as there are national holidays requiring the flying of the colors almost every month in the year. She wrote an eastern manufacturer, asking the lowest wholesale prices on flags of all sizes and materials, together with collap

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PLAN No. 111. FREE MOVIES FOR CHILDREN

Nothing else you can offer a child appeals so strongly as does a free ticket to a motion picture theatre, and when you offer a dozen or more of these free tickets for a few hours’ work children will almost go through fire and water to get them. A Portland man who had been a boy himself—long before the day of the movies—having made up a large amount of an exceptionally good silver polish, for which he had not found a very ready sale, concluded to let the boys and girls of the smaller towns sell i

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PLAN No. 112. LIVE ALLIGATORS FOR BOY AGENTS

A young man in Salt Lake City made money by giving away live alligators. A certain man in Florida where alligators of a hardy and harmless kind are numerous captures these young alligators by the hundreds and sells them at 40 cents each, in lots of a dozen or more. This young fellow was making and selling—or trying to sell—a number of small articles, such as sheet bluing, silver polish, and some other things, but his sales were slow, and he realized that he must do something to boost his busines

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PLAN No. 113. DESK ROOM IN A CITY OFFICE

A New York man who had a nicely equipped office was asked one day by a western customer how much he would charge for the privilege of having some of his mail come to his address, as he wished to place on his stationery the words, “New York office, No . . . . Building.” He thought it would add prestige to his business standing. The New York man named a small amount, and then this idea came to him: Why not make the same arrangement with a lot of other out-of-town people, none of whom would be in t

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PLAN No. 114. READY-TO-MAKE DRESSES, ETC.

“Knock-down” furniture and picture frames are an old story, but “knock-down,” or ready-to-make wearing apparel is “a new one” to most people. A Chicago woman who was an expert cutter, and who knew that most women and girls would like to make their own clothes if they could only be assured of a perfect fit, saw an opportunity here to not only save these women at least half on the cost of their apparel, but to make money as well, out of the business of supplying their needs. She arranged with a po

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PLAN No. 115. BECAME A SECRETARY-BY-MAIL

Being a secretary by mail is a man’s-size job, and few there are who can fill a position so exacting and often so delicate in the performance of its manifold duties. However, a Denver young man, of literary tastes and a lot of good business sense, felt that he could do it, and found that he could. He began by catering to the mail-order merchants who wish to keep posted on new advertisements and schemes, and answered all such ads. for his clients, sending them the replies received. He wrote attra

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PLAN No. 116. FREE MOTION-PICTURE TICKETS

A Seattle man worked out the following plan. He called upon the managers of half a dozen or more of the 5 cent motion-picture houses and told them if they would sell him tickets at one-half the regular price, to be paid for in cash, in lots of 500 or more, he could greatly increase the attendance at their theatres, as the tickets would not cost the holders anything, and everybody who had free tickets would be sure to come. Practically all of those approached accepted this offer, and then he had

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PLAN No. 117. SWEET POTATO SLIPS BY MAIL

“I had always believed that only a resident of a big city could engage in mail order business,” said a successful Eastern Washington farmer, the other day, “but I have learned from my own experience that this is not true. “Last spring I began to realize what a great demand there is for sweet potato slips, and believed there would be money in supplying this need, so, in February, I bought and “bedded” 100 bushels of sweet potatoes, and in May the first lot of slips was ready for the market. Betwe

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PLAN No. 118. DESIGNER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 119. ELECTROTYPES FOR COUNTRY MERCHANTS

A mail-order man back east hit upon a new plan of making money, and received $321 during the first three weeks. From an electrotype company he purchased 200 mounted electrotypes of different subjects, all suitable for advertising in weekly newspapers, for 10 cents each. Then he had printed 2,500 circulars, 24x36, showing the 200 cuts, and mailed the circulars to that number of country merchants whose names he had obtained by sending for sample copies of weekly newspapers within a radius of 250 m

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PLAN No. 120. GREASE AND OIL REMOVER

A young Denver widow, whose husband had been a druggist, but had left her practically destitute at his death, decided that a formula she had successfully used herself for quickly removing grease, paint and oil spots from wearing apparel, carpets, silks, laces, woodwork, etc., besides being an unequaled shampoo for the hair, could be made a source of considerable revenue if properly presented to the public. The formula for making this magic annihilator is as follows: For making one gross of 8-oun

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PLAN No. 121. DINNERS FROM COUNTRY BY PARCEL POST

A man who had held a good position in the city decided to move to the country and raise chickens. He bought a small home, besides a number of hens, and started in business. But the hen project was a failure, and he was about to return to his old place in the city. But he had a bright, enterprising wife, who had some ideas of her own, and she vetoed the plan of going back to the old drudgery of a clerk’s position, which had almost ruined her husband’s health. Having read a good deal concerning th

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PLAN No. 122. LUNCHES FOR FACTORY WORKERS

A widow lady who lived near a large factory, and who had done some sewing for the wife and daughters of the superintendent, was told by that official that she could make considerable money by bringing small box lunches to the factory doors at noon every day, and that if she cared to try out the plan she could have the exclusive privilege of doing so. She thought the matter over carefully and decided there might be something in it, so she procured a hundred small, cheap, paper boxes, and filled t

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PLAN No. 123. A CURRANT FARM

An Indiana farmer devoted six acres of his land to currant culture and in a year or two began to realize that he had quite an undertaking on his hands. From these six acres he usually picks 1,000 crates which sell at $1.35 per crate, and it is necessary for him to hire a large number of boys and girls to do the picking. To these he pays good prices, and after all expenses are paid, he generally comes out about $600 ahead. As this is much more than can be produced by any other crop, he has about

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PLAN No. 124. SHOPPING FOR FRIENDS

Many women dread the shopping it is necessary for them to do every little while, for to them it is the hardest kind of work, and most of these women would be glad to pay someone to do it for them. But here was a woman who positively delighted in shopping. She loved it for the variety, the excitement and the adventure it afforded. She called first at the homes of a number of the women whom she knew could not afford to spend much time in shopping, being thoroughly occupied with the numerous duties

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PLAN No. 126. COURSE No. 1. THE BUTTERMILK DIET

“In order to restore the digestive and assimilating processes to a condition whereby they can perform their functions properly, the first requisite is to give the stomach a complete rest, by providing it with food that will not tax the stomach and digestive organs, yet will nourish the body. “Scientists have discovered that Buttermilk, used to the exclusion of all other foods for a stated time, is the ideal food for that purpose as it contains all the elements of nourishment, and is free from in

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PLAN No. 127. THE MILK DIET

“Because people are inclined to eat more for the pleasure it affords them than for the necessary nourishment of the body, they usually eat too much, and suffer from stomach disorders and derangements in consequence. Especially is this true in the United States, where high living is the rule, rather than the exception, and it is here that so many thousands are suffering untold agonies from various forms of stomach and intestinal complaints. “But Nature herself has placed within easy reach of all

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PLAN No. 128. PICKLED PEACHES AND PEARS

There are few things that have a more delicious taste than pickled peaches or pears, especially when pickled the way this farmer’s wife pickled them. Take one-half cup of vinegar and one-half pound of sugar to a little over a pound of the fruit. Place the sugar and vinegar over the fire until it comes to a boil. Add a layer of fruit, and cook until soft enough to run fork through it; then remove the fruit and fill the same way until all are done. The syrup needs no more cooking. Stick cloves in

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PLAN No. 129. PICKLED APPLES

Apples, especially those of the choicest varieties, are very good without pickling, but a great deal more so when they are pickled the way the farmer’s wife prepared them, as follows: Take ripe, hard, sweet apples. Peel evenly, and if the apples are perfect, leave them whole, otherwise cut in quarters. To a peck of apples, take about two quarts of vinegar and four pounds of sugar, half an ounce of mace, half an ounce of cloves, and the same amount of allspice, all unground; one teaspoonful of mu

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PLAN No. 130. PICKLED CHERRIES

The cherry trees were full that year, and she made good use of cherries by using this recipe: To every quart of cherries, allow a cupful of vinegar, one-half cupful of sugar, one dozen whole cloves, half a dozen blades of mace. Put the vinegar and sugar on to heat, with the spices, boil five minutes, turn out into a covered stoneware vessel and let it get perfectly cool. Strain out the spices, fill small jar three-fourths full of cherries, then fill up with cold vinegar. Cork or seal tightly. Le

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PLAN No. 131. PICKLED PLUMS

It would hardly seem possible to make a plum any better than it is when ripe and right off the tree, but this Iowa woman did so as follows: To seven pounds of plums, take four pounds of sugar and two ounces each of stick cinnamon and cloves, one quart of vinegar and a little mace. Put in the jar first a layer of plums, then a layer of spices; scald the vinegar and sugar together, and pour over the plums, and when the jar is full, scald all together. They are then ready for use at once. But she d

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PLAN No. 132. SWEET CUCUMBER PICKLES

People like cucumber pickles, so this woman catered to their taste as follows: Take ripe cucumbers, cut in two, scrape out the seeds, cut into strips and soak over night in salt water. To every quart of vinegar add one pound of sugar; boil and skim. Boil the strips in vinegar until tender and quite transparent. Take out the pickles, strain the vinegar, put it over the fire with a small muslin bag of mixed spices, boil two hours, pour over the pickles, cover and put away. She sold these pickles a

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PLAN No. 133. INDIAN CHUTNEY MAKE

This will be something new to many people, but it is so good that almost any woman could derive a good living from making and selling this and nothing else. Here is the way the Iowa lady made it: Pare, core and chop in small squares pieces half a pound of sour apples, and to them add half a pound each of tomatoes, brown sugar, stoned raisins and salt, a quarter of a pound each of cayenne pepper and powdered ginger, two ounces each of onions and garlic, one quart of lemon juice and three quarts o

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PLAN No. 134. SPICED CURRANTS

Any one should be able to obtain any quantity of currants desired in their season, and make extra money by spicing them as this Iowa lady did, as follows: Three pounds of white sugar, five pounds of ripe currants, one tablespoonful each of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. Boil currants one hour, then add sugar, spices and one-half pint of vinegar and boil one-half hour longer. This was one of the best sellers she put up....

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PLAN No. 135. TOMATO PRESERVES

With tomatoes as plentiful and cheap as they are almost every year, and with so many people who like them, it is a wonder that thousands of women do not make a living by preserving, according to the following recipe, which this lady used: Peel the tomatoes, and to each pound add a pound of sugar and let stand over night. Take the tomatoes out of the sugar, and boil the syrup, removing the scum. Put in the tomatoes and boil gently twenty minutes. Remove the fruit again, and boil until the syrup t

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PLAN No. 136. CRAB APPLE JELLY

While thousands of bushels of crab apples are allowed to go to waste every year, and cost nothing but the picking, hundreds of women could be earning considerable money by gathering them, as they make the best jelly in the world, and it can be sold at almost any price one may ask. This Iowa lady used her surplus stock of crab apples as follows: Wash the fruit clean, put in a kettle, cover with water, and boil until thoroughly cooked. Then pour into a sieve and let it drain. Do not press it throu

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PLAN No. 137. GLASS POLISHING PASTE

Nothing affords the housewife more pleasure or pride than to have her glassware, mirrors, window panes, etc., show that brilliancy and lustre so universally admired, but it is difficult to obtain. A young man in San Diego, California, who had the formula for one of the best of these polishes, but very little else, anchored his hopes of making a living on supplying all the homes he possibly could with the means of keeping their glass surfaces shiny and clean. Therefore he made up as much of the p

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PLAN No. 138. HAIR DRESSING AS A PROFESSION

A young lady in Denver, the possessor of a pleasing manner, neat and attractive, felt the need of making some money to help support her invalid mother. She had been employed in a hair-dressing establishment for some time, and had learned all the secrets of the business, so she put her knowledge of the business into practical form and made a success of it. She was personally acquainted with a number of women in her section of the city, who, though not regular patrons of the leading hair-dressers,

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PLAN No. 139. CLIPPING BUREAU

There are clipping bureaus, big and little, in all the cities and towns in America, but a short time ago there was one town of 6,000 people, in a western state, where there was no clipping bureau, so an enterprising citizen of the place started one. He was on a friendly basis with the newspaper men of the town and was allowed the use of exchange papers. Next he interviewed a number of contractors, builders, architects, supply houses, manufacturers, men prominent socially and politically, and man

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PLAN No. 140. STARTED A HOME STORE

This couple lived in a small western city of about 25,000 inhabitants, some of whom were well-to-do, and it occurred to her that by utilizing her large front room and opening a little store in which all the articles offered for sale were made at home, she could keep it stocked with many articles which she could make herself, and soon build up a profitable business. Possessing extraordinary taste and skill, by odd jobs she earned some money to be used as working capital for the store. First, she

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PLAN No. 141. HAS A FLOWER BED

Never before had she realized the immense profit to be derived from a well-kept flower bed, but the insistent call for plants and cut flowers of all kinds gave her a new idea, and she turned this also to excellent account. Her own personal care of the flower bed was the only capital she found it necessary to invest, and she was pleased to learn that the large returns she received from this source represented just that much clear profit. The more common plants, such as pansies, geraniums, etc., w

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PLAN No. 142. HOME-MADE CHRISTMAS GIFTS

During her spare time she made a great variety of Christmas presents, such as sofa pillows, pin cushions and trays, jewel trays, lamp shades, chair cushions, tidies, book-marks, catch-bags, and work-baskets. The latter she made of a few cents’ worth of light drilling covered with ruffled net, and when made they were fully equipped with the necessary needles, thread, etc. Some cheap yet substantial material was used as a base for these baskets, and when tastefully adorned, as she so well knew how

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PLAN No. 143. HOME-MADE LACE

The prices which home-made lace commands in the cities would surprise those not familiar with this rare industry, but when it is known that $15 is considered cheap for a simple point lace handkerchief, some idea may be gained as to its possibilities. Of course, many cheaper articles can be made of lace, and sold readily at good profits, and procuring a book that gave complete instructions for the making of lace of all kinds, this lady devoted considerable time to making many things which she sol

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PLAN No. 144. SCHOOL CHILDREN’S NEEDS

As her little home store was near a school, she decided to make up a number of needed articles for the use of the pupils, and had no trouble in selling them. These articles consisted mainly of school-book bags made of stout linen, with fancy stitching and a strong linen strap; also pen-wipers, sleeve-protectors, school aprons, etc. These she made in pretty colors, with neat stitching, and they were very handsome as well as useful. Sometimes she arranged with a bright boy or girl to sell these in

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PLAN No. 145. ARTIFICIAL MAPLE SYRUP

The following plan was adopted by a farmers’ grocer who had located in a southern state for his wife’s health and it proved more profitable than had his former big store in a northern city. His plan was the making of artificial maple syrup, a healthful staple product that cost but little and brought excellent returns. He made the syrup as follows: Take one bushel of clean, fresh corn-cobs, place them in a large kettle, pour in five gallons of clear water and boil for two hours, or until it boils

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PLAN No. 146. CARBOLIC FACE CREAM

A young woman in Vancouver, B. C., who had noticed that most ladies gladly pay from 25 cents to $1.50 for a two-ounce jar or bottle of widely-heralded “face cream,” decided that she could make some just as good as the best of these, and realize a profit of 700 per cent. She took ten pounds of oatmeal and boiled it thoroughly in clear water, afterward straining it through a cheese cloth, squeezing the meal through the cloth with a motion like that of milking a cow. When well strained, she diluted

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PLAN No. 147. WOMAN DRESS AND STYLE ADVISER

A preacher’s daughter, thrown upon her own resources, and feeling that she could not enter any of the ordinary occupations, owing to the unreasonable opposition of her late father’s parishioners, decided to adopt the novel profession of toilet adviser to her lady friends. Having excellent taste in such matters, and having long been looked to for counsel in the matter of dress, she had no difficulty in securing a very considerable list of permanent patrons, who paid her reasonably well for the se

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PLAN No. 148. NURSES’ BUREAU

A middle-aged widow in St. Louis, who owned a large house and grounds in a good residential district, but who was short of ready money, evolved a plan for establishing a nurses’ bureau in her own home. From physicians, hospitals, city directories and friends, she obtained the names of nearly two hundred nurses, and from the greater part of these she secured permission to place their names upon her list, with their addresses, telephone numbers, wages asked per week, etc., and with the understandi

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PLAN No. 149. DRESS-CUTTING SCHOOL

Almost any woman who wants to learn dress-cutting can do so by using one of the numerous systems now on the market, and it is an easy matter to get one of the charts that give complete instructions. Some women learn quickly, while others are slow. But here is one who made a good living out of it. Having thoroughly mastered the chart, and being naturally gifted in matters pertaining to the fitting of garments, she proceeded to open a school for teaching the dress-cutting art to others who wished

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PLAN No. 150. ETIQUETTE AND DANCING SCHOOL

A young society woman in a western city had recently been reduced to comparative poverty by sudden reverses which overtook her father, and being of an energetic and resourceful nature, she started a class in dancing and deportment, to earn something with which to assist her now almost dependent father and mother. She sent out circulars to a long list of her acquaintances, announcing that her class would begin on a certain evening, and invited their patronage. She was so well known that she had n

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PLAN No. 151. WOMAN’S EXCHANGE

Women’s exchanges, as usually conducted, consist of a number of women who form a sort of syndicate, have a board of managers, rent a suitable building, employ the necessary help to carry on the work, and pay annual dues of a stated amount each. But an Omaha woman, who had only a very few dollars, and had a taste for that kind of work, concluded to start one all her own, and she made it a success. Lacking the capital with which to rent a store room she used her parlor for that purpose, and succee

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PLAN No. 152. SHOPPING AS A PROFESSION

A San Francisco woman who had excellent taste and judgment, and large experience in buying, decided to adopt shopping as a regular profession, and found it a most pleasant and profitable occupation. After making arrangements with several large stores in the city, carrying different lines of goods, for a straight commission of 10 per cent on all purchases she should make, she asked and obtained the consent of a number of well-known business men of her acquaintance to use their names as references

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PLAN No. 153. DRUGLESS TREATMENT FOR CONSTIPATION

A western man who was strongly opposed to the use of drugs, and who had cured himself of prolonged constipation by a process of self-massaging of the abdomen, was anxious that other sufferers might also receive the benefit of his experience, and felt that the information given them was worth paying for. He therefore had some circular letters printed, fully explaining the method, and advertised in a large number of papers, offering this drugless treatment upon receipt of 50 cents. The advertiseme

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PLAN No. 154. RAISE A FEW SHEEP

A city man who had inherited a 40-acre tract of pasture land from his father’s estate, and whose failing health rendered it necessary for him to get out into the country, concluded that about the only use he could make of this land was to raise a few sheep. He therefore built a cabin on the tract, together with a shed for sheltering the sheep, and bought twenty head of well-bred animals, which he placed in the pasture. This pasture was well seeded in grass, was all fenced and had a fine stream o

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PLAN No. 155. MAKING COZY CORNERS

Not one woman in ten thousand would ever have thought of the plan which this talented woman living in an eastern city thought out and adopted as a means of earning a very comfortable living, when confronted with the necessity for doing so. Possessing artistic tastes and tendencies, she began by arranging delightful cozy corners for people who were able to pay good prices for the charming effects she designed and produced, yet who lacked the originality to plan them with the delicacy and harmony

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PLAN No. 156. BRIEFING THE BRIEFS

A middle-aged man in a western city, who had practiced law for some years in the middle west, but later drifted into the newspaper business, for the double reason that he liked it better and was more adapted to it, finally took up general publicity work as a profession and soon became recognized as a leader in his line. Although he wrote a great many advertisements for commercial houses, medical specialists, dentists, etc., all of which were rendered usually attractive through their originality

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PLAN No. 157. MAGAZINE CIRCULATING LIBRARY

A lady in a western state who had considerable literary ability, yet who had not been successful in having very many of her magazine articles accepted for publication on a cash basis, concluded to try another way of making a little money out of these same periodicals. She offered several of her manuscripts to various publishers in payment for subscription to their magazines, and these offers were as a rule gladly accepted, so that she was constantly in receipt of the latest publications. She had

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PLAN No. 158. MADE MONEY FROM MENDING

Capable seamstresses suffering for the lack of work are to be found almost anywhere, yet if they would do as these four western girls did, they could have all the work they wanted, and be well paid for it, too. Plan No. 158. A Stitch in Time Saves Nine All these girls were fine needlewomen, who could do all kinds of sewing and mending, on all classes of wearing apparel, yet each of them specialized in some particular line. One made a specialty of putting new facings and bindings on dress skirts;

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PLAN No. 159. BEAUTY BAGS FREE

A lady who knew how to make a simple, cheap yet very effective beauty bag, advertised in a number of papers that for 25 cents she would send complete information for making the same, and also send one of the beauty bags free. She received hundreds of answers, enclosing 25 cents each, and to these people she sent the following formula, together with one of the bags complete: Get a package of Quaker oats and a yard of cheesecloth; cut the cloth into pieces, 2 1 ⁄ 2 x5 inches, and with each of thes

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PLAN No. 160. DUSTLESS DUSTERS

A Seattle young woman built up a business of her own by making and selling dustless dusters, in two different styles both made of cheesecloth, as follows: One formula: White paraffin oil, 4 pints; cottonseed oil, 1 pint; a little oil of citronella to give it an agreeable odor. Saturate the cloths in this solution, and pass through a clothes wringer to take out the excess of the oil. Put in envelopes to fit. The other formula: One quart of gasoline; 8 ounces of whiting, or, what is better, cilica

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PLAN No. 161. COPYING PAD

The following directions for making a copying pad were sent out for 10 cents each by a young man in Chicago, to those remitting that amount to him, in answer to an ad. he inserted in a number of newspapers covering wide territory: Take white gelatine, 4 ounces; glycerine 20 ounces. Melt the gelatine in water, then add the glycerine, after warming it, and stir until well mixed. Pour into a pan 10x12 inches square and 1 ⁄ 2 inch deep. Write your copy on a sheet of paper with ink made of methyl vio

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PLAN No. 162. CLEANING COMPOUND POWDER

A compound that will thoroughly clean clothing, gloves, carpets, etc., and that can be sold at a profit for 10 cents a package, is something that everyone wants and that anyone can sell. A young man in Spokane, Washington, who had an excellent formula for a compound of this kind, tried it and found it successful. He put it up with the following ingredients, when making a small amount, and simply increased the amounts of each in proportion as larger quantities were required: Powdered castile soap

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PLAN No. 163. SEWING LESSONS FOR CHILDREN

Why shouldn’t the little girls begin to learn dressmaking as soon as they are able to use a needle and thread? That is what a Seattle lady thought, and she advertises in the daily papers that she will teach dressmaking to children on certain afternoons of each week for 25 cents a lesson. She already has a large number of pupils, is rapidly enrolling more, and says it is surprising the way the little misses show an interest in the work....

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PLAN No. 164. CUCUMBER CULTURE

A young Irishman, who had a wife and two children, was working as a motorman, at $2.00 a day, and his entire future seemed to be limited to that $14 a week, with no holidays or Sundays off, to allow him to get acquainted with his family. One particular locality on his route impressed him as an ideal place for raising cucumbers to supply the market a few miles away. The prospect looked good to him, but as he had only about $500 in cash, and it would require at least $1,000 to build a greenhouse,

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PLAN No. 165. PALMISTRY BY MAIL

There are thousands of people who don’t believe—or at least pretend they don’t—in palmistry as a means of learning what the future has in store, but almost anyone is willing to pay for having the palm of the hand read, either through confidence or curiosity, for “there may be something in it, after all.” Anyway, a lady in a southern city decided it was worth trying, so she sent 50 cents to a New York publisher for a book that revealed about all there is to be known of that science, and made a ca

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PLAN No. 166. STARTING A WEEKLY PAPER

The journalistic graveyards are full of monuments to the misdirected energy and zeal of aspiring “newspaper men” who had plenty of enthusiasm but lacked experience, or resourcefulness in the matter of ideas. The young fellow, however, of whom we are going to speak had ideas and knew how to put them to practical use. He knew very well that a new weekly newspaper that did not have something besides its own merits to amuse and keep up a local interest would be but a short-lived affair in any commun

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PLAN No. 167. MARKETING A PREPARATION

By a carefully considered plan of furnishing a number of drug stores with free wrappers for their bottles, boxes, combs, brushes, and a host of other articles which every druggist sells, an enterprising young man who had the formula for a preparation of unusual merit, but with no money with which to push the sale of it, succeeded in getting it so thoroughly advertised in his home city that he was soon able to open a handsomely furnished office and employ a number of assistants to put it up. The

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PLAN No. 168. DEALING IN NUT MEATS

You would hardly think that cracking various kinds of nuts and selling the meats would be much of a business, yet a young lady found that it paid her very well, and brought in many dollars during certain seasons of the year. She lived in a section of country where nuts of all varieties were very plentiful, and had noticed the waste in shipping unshelled nuts in bulk to the market. She believed it would save considerable in the way of transportation costs if only the meats were shipped. Besides,

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PLAN No. 169. STARTED A LUNCHEON CLUB

Living near a large motion picture studio, a young married woman originated what she called a luncheon club for the purpose of serving the members of the company with a dainty luncheon every day at a moderate cost, yet one that yielded a fair profit to herself. Having obtained the names of the various players from the manager of the studio, she wrote a note to each of them, announcing her plans and inviting them to join her club. The members were to pay a stated price as weekly dues payable in a

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PLAN No. 170. TWO SISTERS SOLD SPECTACLES

Two sisters, both stenographers in down-town offices, were having their vacation, and being desirous of making some money at the same time they were resting from their regular work, they were induced, through the advice of a well-informed friend, to take up the selling of spectacles, especially after he had assured them that this was a line in which the receipts were practically all profit. Their friend informed them where they could buy spectacles for about 18 cents a pair, which they could rea

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PLAN No. 171. KEEPING BROOD SOWS

“Even $50 to $90 seems a rather big price to pay for a single brood sow,” said an old farmer who had made a success of hog raising, “but let me tell you a little story: “One spring two of my sows farrowed twelve pigs each, and we raised twenty-three of the twenty-four. When they were eight months old, those shoats brought $494.71, but at war-time prices they would have brought a very large sum. “Suppose a young sow produces seventy-five pigs during her life-time, and she may do even better than

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PLAN No. 173. HOME-MADE CHRISTMAS CANDY

Early in December she made up a lot of nice candy at home, which sold as fast as she could make it for 25 cents a pound, delivered. She made many kinds, and realized a good profit on all of them....

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PLAN No. 174. GROWING TOMATO PLANTS

This she found to be a profitable source of income. She raised the plants from seed, starting to plant about the middle of March, and each 4-cent package of seed produced plants that sold for $4.00....

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PLAN No. 175. BAKING FOR BUSY PEOPLE

Most farm women are very busy, and often find it convenient to have some one do their baking, especially when they have company. This lady would either go to different houses, and do the baking for the families, who furnished their own material, for which she charged 35 cents per hour, or would do the baking at home, using her own materials, and sell the bread, cakes and pies she baked, at good prices to those too busy to do their own baking....

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PLAN No. 176. TAKING ORDERS FOR DRESS GOODS

She arranged with reliable firms in the city to send her samples of all the new dress goods they received each season, and she showed these to the various women in the neighborhood, taking a great many orders for different patterns, on all of which she was paid a commission that amounted to a considerable sum each year....

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PLAN No. 177. TAKING ORDERS FOR EXTRACTS

She makes considerable money each year taking orders for various kinds of extracts, as well as for a popular summer drink, which comes in boxes selling at 25 cents each. The drink is made by dissolving the preparation in water and adding a little sugar. It is a delicious drink, made in a minute....

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PLAN No. 178. PICKING CRANBERRIES ON SHARES

As she lives in the country where cranberries grow in great quantities, she earns many dollars each season by picking cranberries on shares, and her share always sells readily at good prices....

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PLAN No. 179. GATHERING CHESTNUTS

In the fall of the year she gathers chestnuts, which are plentiful in that vicinity, and these she sells at surprisingly high prices, for everybody wants them....

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PLAN No. 180. PLAYS, AND TEACHES PIANO PUPILS

Along with her other accomplishments she is a good pianist. She plays for dances and other gatherings, and gives music lessons to a number of pupils....

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PLAN No. 181. PRESERVES FLAGROOT

Flagroot preserves bring high prices in the cities, and she adds many dollars to her income by gathering, preserving and selling this....

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PLAN No. 182. MAKING AND SELLING MAY BASKETS

Although May Day “comes but once a year,” she manages to turn this anniversary to good account by making and selling the baskets that are a requisite for its observance....

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PLAN No. 183. RAISING AND SELLING POULTRY

But her greatest source of pleasure and profit is poultry raising, her selection and care of birds enabling her to keep only those that produce the most money. The wife of a farmer living in the middle west has worked out several plans for making money at home, and finds that they all pay her very well. One plan is to make shades for lamps and electric light globes, of rice and crepe paper, decorating them with water colors, pressed leaves, flowers, holly, etc., and these she sells to her neighb

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PLAN No. 185. CROCHET AND OTHER PATTERNS

She designs pretty patterns in crochet edgings, insertions, medallions and initials, and these she sells at six for 50 cents, through ads. in the local and city papers, delivering them by mail in most cases....

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PLAN No. 186. HANDKERCHIEFS, COLLARS, CUFFS, ETC.

These she makes with rolled hem and crochet edge, and sells them at 25 cents to $1 each. Pop-corn balls rolled in clear syrup she sells at two for 5 cents, while her potato chips bring 5 cents for a small bag. She makes braided or woven rag rugs, white or in colors, with woven or stenciled borders, and sells them for $1.25 and up, while hand-made place cards, favors, etc., bring $1 per dozen....

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PLAN No. 187. ANNUAL SALES IN PARLOR AND HALL

Every year she holds sales in her front room and large hall, and sells pies, cakes, rolls, bread, cookies, doughnuts, plum puddings, fruit cakes, jams, jellies, canned fruits, vegetables, etc., besides her needle-work products, and always clears a handsome sum from these sales. She also takes orders for roast ducks, geese, turkeys, chickens and squabs, and finds a ready sale for all these from all classes of people, at special prices. Many of these are delivered by parcel post, and prove a good

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PLAN No. 188. OPENED A BEAUTY PARLOR

A talented young woman, living in a small western city, wanted to open a beauty parlor, but realizing that she was not familiar with the necessary details of the business, went to a city some distance away and took a course of lessons from a dermatologist in the approved methods of removing wrinkles, moles, birthmarks, freckles, tan, superfluous hair, etc. The course cost her $25. Before leaving the city, however, she also paid $15 for instructions in manicuring, and $10 for the necessary instru

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PLAN No. 189. MADE A HAND LAUNDRY PAY

A man who had some experience in a steam laundry in a city moved to a small town of 2,500 inhabitants and established a hand laundry that in a short time became a paying concern. He had but a few hundred dollars in cash, but found he did not need a great deal. Before leaving the city, he had bought a light collar-and-cuff ironing machine that cost him $50, while $25 more paid for a few little accessories he knew he would need. He rented a store room some distance from the business center, hired

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PLAN No. 190. MAKING INKS AND MUCILAGE

Everybody uses ink, and most people need mucilage at one time or another, so that the making and selling of these necessary articles afforded a man in a small western town a very good money-making opportunity, which he improved with considerable profit. Books of formulas for making these things can be procured from a number of sources, but the formula for preparing indelible marking ink proved to be one of the most profitable of them all. This ink is made by taking equal parts of green vitriol a

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PLAN No. 191. NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENT

In every town, large or small, there are always news items of more or less interest, mainly local, but often of national importance, and the man or woman who can collect these items, put them in readable shape, and send them to the newspapers in the neighborhood cities, or larger towns, can always derive something of an income from this source. The editor of one of the largest and most influential of western dailies thus relates how he began his newspaper career in this manner: “I lived in a tow

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PLAN No. 192. AN EXCHANGE MART

How a man with original ideas established an “exchange mart”—something he had never heard of before—and built up a good business along a novel line, is told by himself as follows: “Knowing the tendency of people to sell what they have and buy or trade for something they haven’t, it occurred to me that I could supply the wants of both classes, and make some money for myself at the same time. “I rented a store room and bought two blank books, one of which I marked “buyers” and the other one “selle

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PLAN No. 193. AUTO AND CARRIAGE POLISH

Of the many thousands of automobiles in use a great many of them have the varnish worn off or scratched, through carelessness and hard usage, and this fact gave an enterprising young Portland man an idea. He made up a considerable quantity of a fine polish from the following formula: Orange shellac, 30 ounces; Venice turpentine, one ounce; castor oil, one ounce; gum sandarac, one ounce; nigrosine, one ounce; wood alcohol, 9 pints and 6 ounces. These he mixed, and shook them until thoroughly diss

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PLAN No. 194. SINGING SONGS THROUGH A MEGAPHONE

With a strong, melodious voice, a megaphone, a hand organ in a covered wagon, and a few hundred copies of a popular song, a young man in New York City earned a good living. This young man, standing up in the front part of the wagon, would stop the horse at a crowded corner, place the megaphone to his mouth and, giving a sign to the man manipulating the hand organ in the covered wagon, would commence to sing one of the latest songs of the day. When the crowd became interested, as it always did, h

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PLAN No. 195. A SUBSCRIPTION AGENCY

Most magazines, as well as daily and weekly newspapers, are always glad to pay a liberal commission for subscriptions, and some of them offer bonuses besides for good lists of subscribers. A young man in an inland city of the Pacific Northwest, who had a few hundred dollars, fitted up a neat little down-town office—after securing a subscription agency for a number of leading periodicals, made a list of the same in alphabetical order, with columns for the regular price and the price at which he c

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PLAN No. 196. PUBLISHING PROGRAMS

There is always more or less money to be made in a good advertising plan, and here is one way an elderly newspaper man turned his knowledge of printers ink to good account. Whenever a church or social organization in his town proposed to give an affair or other form of entertainment he would offer to get out a good program for it free of cost to the parties planning the affair, and this offer was always gladly accepted. Sometimes he even offered a percentage of the proceeds for the privilege, an

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PLAN No. 197. CHURCH POST CARDS

Any plan that will help to raise money for a church is always gladly welcomed, but a plan that will do this, and at the same time make a fair profit for the originator, must be a “good one.” A young printer in an eastern city inserted the following ad. in a number of religious papers all over the country: “To raise money for your church, send us a photograph of your church or your pastor, and we will send you 500 high-grade post cards, with photo on each card. Sell these at 10 cents each, send u

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PLAN No. 198. MAKING SACHET POWDERS PAYS WOMAN’S COLLEGE EXPENSES

A young lady, who wanted to make some money to help pay for a college course, proceeded to make the money by making sachet powder, her first “batch” amounting to fifty pounds. As a basis for the formula, she used, at various times, powdered starch, fine sawdust, oatmeal, and corn meal, and colored the completed preparation with a small quantity of analine. The powder itself she made as follows: Wheat starch, 6 parts; orris root, 2 parts. Reduce starch to a very fine powder, and mix well with the

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PLAN No. 199. MAKING CARPET CLEANER

A married man, who had endured the horrors of house-cleaning time so often that he knew how that ordeal was dreaded by housewives and husbands alike, felt that he could bring a feeling of peace to thousands of homes, and also bring himself a good income as well, by removing the most formidable of the house-cleaning nightmare, the taking up and cleaning of carpets. Therefore, having a very fair idea of what would be a good thing to use for the purpose, he proceeded to make a carpet cleaning compo

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PLAN No. 200. THEY PICKED BERRIES

Owing to the failing health of the husband, a man and his wife went camping in the mountains, just about the time berries were ripe and plentiful, and seeing an opportunity for healthful exercise as well as considerable financial profit, they began an extensive berry-picking campaign. They had taken their bedding, some canvas cots, a stove, and a small tent to use in case of bad weather. They camped near several cool springs, and a mountain stream, from which they caught a great many trout. Impr

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PLAN No. 201. WROTE A CHURCH HISTORY

A former newspaper man, living in a western town of 10,000 people, became impressed with the importance of a well written church history, and suggested the idea to the pastors of several of the local churches. They approved the plan and promised him their support and co-operation. Selecting one of the leading churches he interviewed the members, and from them obtained information concerning the history of the organization, past and present, with a complete list of the membership, as well as the

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PLAN No. 202. A LIQUID GLYCERINE SOAP

He was a $10-a-week drug clerk, in a small Nebraska town, but he had ideas and formulas of much merit, and one of the latter was that for making a superior liquid glycerine soap, as follows: Best soft soap, 7 1 ⁄ 2 ounces; tincture of soap bark, 3 1 ⁄ 2 ounces; glycerine, 1 ounce. Put into a vessel and warm gently until dissolved, then add a dash of some selected perfume. Then strain and make up to 12 fluid ounces by adding the necessary amount of warm distilled water. The soap used in compoundi

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PLAN No. 203. MAKING AIR PENCILS

Air-pencils used in writing show cards and for other purposes can be made at home very cheaply, and sold at considerably less than the kind one buys at paint stores, and elsewhere, at the same time yielding a good profit, and a young man, who did card-writing for a Minneapolis department store, figured out a way to make them. At a drug store he bought a white rubber syringe bulb, No. 3 size, open at one end only, and cut off the neck down to the bulb part. Then he got a small oil can, of the siz

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PLAN No. 204. PROFIT FROM AN AIR-PENCIL

A young card writer in Los Angeles, who had bought an air-pencil for doing his work, after becoming thoroughly familiar with its use, concluded to take orders for various kinds of work from the city merchants, and follow this as a special line. Aside from lettering show cards and the like, he also did considerable work in objects, done in relief with leaves, flowers, scrolls and other designs. He also did considerable work in home decorations, such as vases, flower pots, panels, picture frames,

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PLAN No. 205. A HOME-MADE WATER FILTER

An old gentleman living in a western town of 5,000 people, unable to do hard work, but obliged to earn his own living, hit upon a plan that brought him a small income upon which he could live with comfort. His plan was to make a simple water filter; and, as the local water supply was not of the best, he sold all he could make. Taking a small wooden pail, not painted on the inside, he bored a hole in the bottom and covered the bottom of the pail with flannel. Then he put in a layer of coarsely po

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PLAN No. 206. CONDENSED MILK

A poor widow, living in a small southern city, was practically dependent upon a splendid cow, which gave more milk than she and her few customers could use. She therefore conceived the idea of converting this surplus into condensed milk that would keep for an indefinite period, and bring good prices when shipped to city customers by parcel post. Taking 10,000 parts of fresh milk, 50 parts of white sugar, and 2 parts of carbonate of soda, she placed all in a porcelain vessel, and with constant st

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PLAN No. 207. A NEWSPAPER MAN’S PLAN

He published a weekly newspaper in a field that was covered by one of the papers of a large city about thirty miles away, and he was very desirous of showing a special service to the people in his community. He made it a point to find out the people who came into the city, and to ascertain this early. So each morning he went to the Water Department of his city and obtained the names and addresses of parties who had water turned on, and from this information, made a statement in his paper concern

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PLAN No. 208. PERFUMED BAGS FOR THE BATH

The delights of the bath are increased 100 per cent by the use of a perfumed bath bag, which a druggist friend made up as follows: Fine oatmeal, 4 pounds; bran, 1 pound; powdered castile soap, 1 pound; powdered orris, 1 ⁄ 2 pound. Mix well together and tie up in muslin bags, of any desired tint, and fasten with ribbon or silk. Each bag contained about one pound of the mixture, and sold readily at 25 cents each. Anyone can make considerable money by making and selling these....

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PLAN No. 209. VINEGAR MADE PROM STRAWBERRIES

Thoroughly mash a quantity of ripe strawberries into a paste, and let stand for 24 hours. Then press out the juice and let it stand for a few days, to ferment and to allow the slimy contents to separate. Then filter the juice and put into clean, well-closed bottles, and put in a cool place, where it will keep a long time. Added to good cider vinegar, when ready to use, it makes an excellent flavoring. It was cheap and easy to make, and profitable to sell....

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PLAN No. 210. CANNED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

While Mr. Farmer devoted his time and attention to the larger operations of general farming, his wife made a profitable side issue of such subsidiary lines as the orchard, the garden and the poultry yard, in all of which the products were of the highest order. Buying Mason jars in large quantities, at a practically wholesale price, she utilized these in the canning of fruits, berries and vegetables, as they keep longer and look better when put up in this way, and bring much higher prices. While

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PLAN No. 211. PICKLES AND RELISHES PRESERVED

She made immense quantities of the most delicious pickles and relishes. She made these from the very best recipes she could procure anywhere, and the product was so excellent that she was proud to have it known that it was due to her own skill in making everything just right. The pickles and relishes she made of green tomatoes, and the profit on them even at her reasonable prices were great. Pickled cucumbers, cabbage, celery, onions, cauliflower, beets, beans, and a score of other garden growth

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PLAN No. 212. HER POULTRY PLAN

An Ohio farm woman had learned, through experience, that there is no profit in scrubby poultry; that these birds eat as much as the high grade, and bring only the lowest prices in the market. She therefore weeded out the mongrels and substituted pure-breds. Instead of selling common eggs at the corner grocery for 20 cents a dozen, she was soon selling settings at $2.50 to $6, and had a fine lot of high-grade cockerels which not only matured early but showed greater size and bulk, and brought mor

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PLAN No. 213. SELLS FLOWERS AND GARDEN SEEDS

This enterprising woman would never plant a seed of any kind except the very choicest variety, and the result was seen in the superior products of her orchard and garden. Not content with even this showing, she was continually experimenting in the cross-breeding of the most select specimens of plants, flowers, vegetables and fruits. For instance, through these methods she developed a climbing tomato vine. This vine was a thing of beauty and a wonderful producer, and she received big prices for a

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PLAN No. 214. BEE-KEEPING

One would think this farmer’s wife would be busy enough without adding to her long list of home industries, but she realized that real honey is a luxury, for which people will pay good prices, so she installed a few colonies of bees and, with her usual thoroughness in all matters pertaining to the productiveness of the farm, she gave them that degree of care which is necessary in order to secure the best results. That orchard and garden proved a veritable paradise for the bees, and they well rep

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PLAN No. 215. PICKLED PLUMS

Having a number of plum trees in the orchard that were loaded with fruit, she sold 800 or 1,000 pounds of them at good prices, and still having more of them than she could use, she pickled them, as follows: To every 7 pounds of plums, add 4 pounds of sugar and 2 ounces each of cinnamon stick and cloves, 1 quart vinegar and a little mace. Scald the vinegar and sugar together and pour over the plums. When the jar is full, scald all together, and they are then ready for use. One taste of these alwa

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PLAN No. 216. HOME-MADE FIRELESS COOKERS

Only those who have used fireless cookers can have any adequate conception of their practical value, or realize the manifold advantages their use affords. But fireless cookers, as they are made and sold today, are prohibitive in price to many people, costing, as they do, from $12 to $30 each, according to the number of “burners,” and thousands who would be glad to have them are obliged to go without. It was an intimate knowledge of this condition that prompted an enterprising citizen in Californ

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Scope of the Civil Service Law

For the following valuable information we are indebted to the Federal Board for Vocational Education. This article was prepared by Herbert E. Morgan, of the United States Civil Service Commission, at the request of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. The adoption of a career is always a matter of great importance. To the discharged soldier,

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The Government a Large Employer

Our government is the largest employer in the world. The limits of its activities are those of the field of human endeavor. Before the United States entered the war nearly 500,000 persons were employed in the Federal civil service, about 300,000 of whom occupied positions classified under the civil-service law and rules. Of course the service was greatly expanded to meet the demands of war conditions. In a normal year about 40,000 appointments are made in the classified civil service. About one-

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Character of Examinations

Where, in the opinion of the Civil Service Commission, such an examination is practicable and desirable, applicants are assembled in examination rooms in certain specified places, conveniently located throughout the country, for written scholastic tests. In many cases, however, the competitors are not required to assemble for a written examination, but are graded upon their training and experience and, where necessary, upon their physical condition. These so-called nonassembled examinations are

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Number and Diversity of Examinations Held

The vast range of the activities of the Government requires employees in many parts of the country and with widely differing qualifications. Examinations are held by the Civil Service Commission for all kinds and classes of positions, from mere unskilled laborer to the highest grades of technical, professional, and scientific positions. It is not practicable to name in this publication all of the hundreds of occupations which exist in the Federal civil service, but the list of positions for whic

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Definite Information Concerning Pending Examinations

There is seldom a time when examinations of less than 100 different kinds are open. Definite information as to the kinds, dates, and places of current examinations may be obtained from any representative of the Civil Service Commission or by writing to “The United States Civil Service Commission, Washington, D. C.” In any request for information made by mail the inquirer should state in general terms his desire and qualifications in order that his inquiry may be answered intelligently. The organ

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Mechanical Trades Positions

Local boards of examiners for certain branches of the service receive applications for some positions, principally mechanical trades and similar positions and positions of unskilled laborer. Local boards of this class are located at navy yards and naval stations, at ordnance plants, at district headquarters of the Engineer Department of the Army, at headquarters of lighthouse districts, at projects of the Indian Irrigation and Allotment Service, and at projects of the Reclamation Service. Inform

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Physical Requirements

The civil service regulations specify certain physical defects which will debar from all examinations and other defects which will debar from certain examinations. These regulations are based upon the requirements of the service as established by the several departmental heads. The general regulations provide that the following defects will debar persons from any examination: Insanity, tuberculosis; paralysis; epilepsy; seriously defective sight of both eyes which can not be corrected by glasses

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Preference in Appointment

An act of Congress, approved March 3, 1919, provides as follows: “That hereafter in making appointments to clerical and other positions in the executive departments and independent governmental establishments preference shall be given to honorably discharged soldiers, sailors, and marines, and widows of such, if they are qualified to hold such positions.” The foregoing provision applies only to appointments in the departmental service at Washington, D. C. Section 1754 of the Revised Statutes pro

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Restoration to Eligible Registers

An act of Congress, approved March 1, 1919, provides as follows: “That the period of time during which soldiers, sailors, and marines, both enlisted and drafted men, who, prior to entering the service of their country, had a civil service status, and whose names appear upon the eligible list of the Civil Service Commission, shall not be counted against them in the determination of their eligibility for appointment under the law, rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission now in effect

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Reinstatement in Civil Service of Men Who Left to Bear Arms

An Executive order of July 18, 1918, provides as follows: “A person leaving the classified civil service to engage in the military or naval service of the Government during the present war with Germany and who has been honorably discharged, may be reinstated in the civil service at any time within five years after his discharge, provided that at the time of reinstatement he has the required fitness to perform the duties of the position to which reinstatement is sought.” An act of Congress, appro

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Some Men Who Have Made Good

In the Government service, as in private employ, unusual ability is rewarded by more rapid promotion. As indicating that opportunity is not lacking in Government offices for those who possess brains and ambition, a few examples, selected from a large number of similar cases, may be mentioned: In the Department of Labor an employee now receiving a salary of $3,000 a year entered the Government service as a compositor in the Government Printing Office at $3.20 a day. Another, in the same departmen

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Partial List of Examinations Held for the Federal Civil Service

The following list of positions for which examinations have recently been held by the Civil Service Commission will serve to illustrate the great number and variety of the occupations existing in the Federal civil service. No attempt has been made to give a complete list, for it would not be feasible to do so in this publication. Practically every occupation is represented in the offices, laboratories, and workshops of the Government. It should not be understood that examinations are now open fo

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PLAN No. 218. WAYSIDE TEA HOUSE

A young woman, living in a big city, wished to live in the country, and induced her parents to buy a farm of thirty acres some distance away. But the farm didn’t pay, and the question of making a living became a serious one. Several young people of the neighborhood had remarked to the young lady in question upon the large number of motorists who had stopped at their house and inquired for refreshments, or for overnight accommodations. This gave the young lady from the city her idea. She had a lo

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Selecting the Breed

In the selection of a breed or variety of poultry care should be taken to obtain healthy, vigorous stock. Beginners are urged to keep but one variety of a breed of fowls. There is no best breed of poultry. Select the breed that suits your purpose best. Mongrel male. Standard-bred male. Be sure that the male bird at the head of the flock is standard-bred. A standard-bred male at the head of a mongrel flock will improve the quality of the stock materially. A mongrel male will produce no improvem

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The General-Purpose Breeds

The general-purpose breeds are best suited to most farms where the production of both eggs and meat is desired. The four most popular representatives of this class are the Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Orpington and Rhode Island Red. Plymouth Rock. Wyandotte. Orpington. Rhode Island Red. All these breeds, with the exception of the Orpington, are of American origin. They are characterized by having yellow skin and legs, and lay brown-shelled eggs. The Orpington is of English origin, has a white ski

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The Egg Breeds

The Mediterranean or egg breeds are best suited for the production of white-shelled eggs. Representatives of this class are bred largely for the production of eggs rather than for meat production. Among the popular breeds of this class are: Leghorn, Minorca, Ancona, and Andalusian. Leghorn. Minorca. Ancona. Andalusian. One of the outstanding characteristics of the egg breeds is the fact that they are classed as nonsitters; that is, as a rule they do not become broody and hatch their eggs. When

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The Meat Breeds

The meat breeds of poultry are primarily kept for the production of meat rather than for the production of eggs in large quantities. Representatives of this class are: Langshan, Brahma, Cochin, and Cornish. Langshan. Brahma. Cochin. Cornish. Although classed as meat breeds representatives of this class are sometimes kept as general-purpose fowls. Each of these breeds is heavier and larger in size than the egg breeds or those of the general-purpose class, and lay brown-shelled eggs. For further

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Breeding

Fowls for breeding purposes should be strong, healthy, vigorous birds. The comb, face, and wattles should be of a bright-red color, eyes bright and fairly prominent, head comparatively broad and short and not long or crow-shaped, legs set well apart and straight, plumage clean and smooth. Females showing high and low vitality. The latter to be avoided when selecting females for breeding. A knock-kneed fowl. The kind to be avoided as a breeder. Defects of the kind shown here should be avoided in

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Artificial and Natural Incubation and Brooding

Have everything ready beforehand and start your hatching operations early in the year. In sections where the climate is temperate, February, March, and April are the best months for hatching. The early hatched pullet is the one that begins to lay early in the fall and continues to lay when eggs are high in price. A good hatch. Dust the hen thoroughly with a good lice powder before placing her on the nest. Select uniform, fairly large sized eggs for hatching. Operate the incubator according to th

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Poultry Houses and Fixtures

Select a location for the poultry house that has natural drainage away from the building. A dry, porous soil, such as sand or gravelly loam, is preferable to a clay soil. OLD STYLE HEN HOUSE NO LIGHT—NO VENTILATION POOR RESULTS SHED EXCELLENT MATERIAL FOR POULTRY HOUSE OPEN FRONT HEN HOUSE SHED BOARDED UP IN FRONT POULTRY NETTING WINDOWS SIDE VIEW OF HOUSE CONSTRUCTED FROM OLD SHED INTERIOR OF SAME HOUSE GOOD SUNLIGHT CONDITIONS. 1 MOVABLE ROOSTS 2 DROPPING BOARD 3 NESTS NESTS OPEN FROM FRONT HE

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Trap Nests

A trap nest is a laying nest so arranged that after a hen enters it she is confined until released by the attendant. The trap nest shown in the accompanying illustration is used with good results on the Government poultry farm and is very similar to the nest used at the Connecticut State experiment station. It is very simple and may be built at a small cost. Trap nests enable the poultryman to distinguish between the layers and the drones. When possible it is advisable to trap-nest the layers fo

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Feeding for Egg Production

Classification of Poultry Feeds A homemade dry-mash hopper. Oats in the process of sprouting. In order to obtain an abundance of eggs it is necessary to have healthy, vigorous stock, properly fed. The following are good grain mixtures for the laying stock, the proportions being by weight: A choice of any one of these rations should be scattered in the litter twice daily, morning and evening. Average amount of feed consumed by a laying hen and eggs produced. Either of the following suggested dry-

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Marketing the Product

The hen’s greatest egg-producing periods are the first, second, and third years, depending upon the breed. The heavier breeds, such as Plymouth Rocks, may be profitably kept for two years; the lighter breeds, such as Leghorns, three years. Market white-shelled and brown-shelled eggs in separate packages. Eggs irregular in shape, those which are unusually long or thin-shelled, or which have shells otherwise defective, should be kept by the producer for home use, so that breakage in transit may be

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Caponizing

A capon is an unsexed male bird, which when mature is of larger size and more desirable for eating than cockerels or cocks. A Buff Orpington cock. A Buff Orpington capon. By following directions and with a little practice, poultrymen will find caponizing a simple operation. For detailed information on caponizing, request Farmers’ Bulletin 849. Boys caponizing a cockerel....

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Lice and Mites

The free use of an effective lice powder is always advisable. A dust bath, consisting of road dust and wood ashes, is essential in ridding fowls of lice. Sodium fluorid, a white powder which can be obtained from druggists, is also effective. Apply a pinch of the powder at the base of the feathers on the head, neck, back, breast, below the vent, base of tail, both thighs, and on the underside of each wing. An effective remedy for lice on chicks is a small quantity of melted lard rubbed under the

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Common Diseases and Treatment

All diseased birds should be isolated. Colds and roup.—Disinfect the drinking water as follows: To each gallon of water add one tablespoonful of sodium sulphite or as much potassium permanganate as will remain on the surface of a dime. Chicken pox. Chicken pox.—Put a touch of iodin on each sore and apply carbolated vaseline. Gapes.—Fresh ground and vigorous cultivation will often remedy this trouble, which is caused by small gapeworms that live in the soil and attach themselves to the inside of

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Nine Essential Features for Profitable Poultry Keeping

1. KEEP BETTER POULTRY: Standard-bred poultry increases production and improves the quality. 2. SELECT VIGOROUS BREEDERS: Healthy, vigorous breeders produce strong chicks. 3. HATCH THE CHICKS EARLY: Early hatched pullets produce fall and winter eggs. 4. PRESERVE EGGS FOR HOME USE: Preserve when cheap for use when high in price. 5. PRODUCE INFERTILE EGGS: They keep better. Fertile eggs are necessary for hatching only. 6. CULL THE FLOCKS: Eliminate unprofitable producers and reduce the feed bill.

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PLAN No. 221. RAISING CANARIES

A Philadelphia lady who was fond of canaries, and was an adept in their breeding and care, netted over $1,000 every year by raising these beautiful songsters and selling them to people of wealth in various parts of that city. But to make a success of this venture, one must thoroughly understand canaries from every point of view....

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PLAN No. 222. LAUNDERING LINGERIE

A Chicago woman, made a comfortable living by laundering and mending lace and other fine articles of women’s wear, which could not be entrusted to a washer woman. She went among the wealthy people and solicited this work....

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PLAN No. 223. SMALL-TOWN MANICURING

A young lady, in a Western Washington town, too small to support a professional manicurist, made a good living by studying up on the treatment and care of the nails and hands, and offering her services to the well-to-do people of her town. They were greatly pleased that they could have this service performed for them without going to the city, and kept the young lady busy, at a compensation that afforded her an excellent living....

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PLAN No. 224. SHAMPOOING AND HAIR DRESSING

A woman who lived in a small town some distance from a city, where there were many families of wealth, found field for her talents in shampooing and dressing the hair of women and children. Possessing a pleasing personality, she called upon the leading ladies of the place and offered to come to their homes at stated intervals, for the purpose of caring for the hair of the ladies and their daughters, at a stipulated sum per hour, assuring them of satisfactory service. Her offer was accepted by mo

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Summary of Results of Experimental Shipments

Four hundred and sixty-six shipments were made in the experiments. They comprised a total of 760 11 ⁄ 12 dozens, or 9,131 eggs, in lots of from 1 dozen to 10 dozen each. The number of eggs broken was 327, or slightly less than 3.6 per cent of the whole number. Of these, 209 eggs, or slightly less than 2.3 per cent, were broken too badly to use; the remaining 118 were usable. If 91 eggs broken in parcels known to have received violent usage be eliminated, the breakage resulting in loss is less th

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The Eggs

The successful use of the parcel post for marketing eggs imposes the need of great care on the producer. Only such eggs should be shipped as are produced by healthy fowls kept under proper sanitary conditions and supplied with sound, wholesome feed. If possible, only infertile eggs should be produced for market; fertile eggs deteriorate rapidly and are the cause of much loss. A broody hen on the nest, or exposure to a temperature from other sources sufficient to start incubation, causes all such

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Preserving Eggs in Water Glass

In the spring, when they are plentiful, eggs may be preserved for home use in a solution of water glass, so that those laid during the fall and winter season may be available for marketing. A standard grade of water glass can be obtained at drug stores for 75 cents per gallon, if bought in moderately large quantities. Each quart of water glass should be diluted with 10 quarts of water which has been boiled and cooled. Only strictly fresh, newly laid, clean eggs should be placed in the solution.

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Containers

Experience has shown that frequently parcels are mailed in containers not sufficiently strong and inadequately prepared and protected. These are a cause of complaint. While the containers often can be secured more easily by the consumer, the producer should make it a point to secure, through his local dealer or otherwise, such containers or carriers as meet the requirements of the postal authorities and such as will carry the particular product in a satisfactory manner, so that he may have unifo

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Packing Eggs for Shipment

The eggs for packing, if the trade requires it or if it can be done without any disadvantage, should be assorted as to size and color. Eggs irregular in shape, those which are unusually long or thin-shelled, or which have shells otherwise defective, should be kept by the producer for home use, so that breakage in transit may be reduced as much as possible. Regardless of the particular style or design of the container used, each egg should be wrapped according to parcel-post requirements, so that

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Unpacking Eggs When Received

The person receiving the eggs should unpack them immediately to see if any have been broken. It may be desirable to have instructions printed on the outside of the container, and the following are suggested: “Please unpack and examine at once to see condition and to give proper attention.” Whether or not this is printed on the container, the shipper should have a distinct understanding with the consumer that this is to be done with every parcel received, so that information as to any unsatisfact

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Returning Empty Containers

Many shippers will doubtless find it desirable and economical to have the customer save the containers and return them after a sufficient number have accumulated. When so returned the postage on empty cases still in usable condition is less than the cost of new ones. The consumer should receive credit for the postage required to return them. Many of the containers are made in “knocked-down” style, i. e., to take apart and fold so they can be made into a much smaller package or parcel. Containers

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Method of Bringing Producer and Consumer Together

One of the problems to the average farmer is how to secure customers who desire eggs direct from the farm. In other words, the question is, “How shall I come in contact with the person who wants my product?” An occasional contact may be secured through acquaintance in the city or town where a parcel-post market is sought. Contact might also be secured by a small advertisement in a city or town paper, stating the number of eggs available per week. The postmasters in a number of large cities have

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Fixing Fair Prices

As the object of parcel-post dealing is to get slightly increased prices for the producer and better products at the same price, or the same class of products at lower prices, for the consumer, the question of arriving at prices fair to both is important. It is also difficult. It is not likely, at least not for some time to come, that eggs will be marketed so largely by parcel post that the ordinary marketing quotations can not be depended upon in arriving at prices. It ought to be a comparative

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Contracts or Agreements Between Producer and Consumer

The nature of the agreement between the producer and the consumer, whether reduced to writing or not, should be made to suit the circumstances and must be fair to both. Perhaps the first agreement made should be in writing; but later, if mutual confidence and trust have been thoroughly established, the contract may be verbal. The matter of frequency and method of payment can be arranged in various ways. For the first agreement term, which may be a year or less, cash in advance might be satisfact

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Parcel Post Zones

The United States is divided into “units,” each one of which is numbered, as illustrated by the accompanying section of map. (See fig. 6 .) The center of each unit constitutes the center of the zones for all post offices within that unit. The first zone consists of any given unit together with all the adjoining units, even though they but touch at the corner. The second zone embraces all those units within a radius of 150 miles from the center of any given unit, and the whole of any unit, any pa

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Practicability and Utility of the Parcel Post in Egg Marketing

Under the present method the general farmer, or in most cases the farmer’s wife, sells the surplus eggs to the local storekeeper, taking their value out in trade. The parcel post offers an opportunity for a cash outlet at better prices. It should prove a valuable help, especially to those farms that are located unfavorably in regard to a consuming market. It is not too much to say that shipping by parcel post has been demonstrated as a practical proposition when properly conducted. To send a 2-d

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Disadvantages or Difficulties in Marketing Eggs by Parcel Post

If it is kept in mind that it takes a few days for eggs to reach the consumer, a regular supply of eggs can be had for use at all times. The possibility of broken eggs and the consequent adjustment of payment may seem to be a disadvantage, but if properly provided for in the agreement it need not be. The matter of arriving at equitable prices may seem to be difficult, but ought not be a drawback. Some farmers may be so situated that they already have a satisfactory market for their eggs. Others

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Direct Marketing of Larger Quantities of Eggs Than Private Families Require

The foregoing discussion applies especially to shipments of eggs for family consumption. It is likely that many producers will desire a larger outlet than is afforded by private families. These shippers may use containers such as are described in the postal regulations. They must come within the weight and measurement limits, however. The present 30-dozen commercial case exceeds the weight limits and would have to be forwarded by express. The express companies are now paying special attention to

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Opportunity of Extension of Parcel-Post Marketing to Other Products

It is quite possible that once having secured a parcel-post market for eggs many farmers having other commodities not readily salable at home may open up markets for them in the same way. Methods of arriving at prices would be the same, the producer advising the consumer as to the commodities, quantity, and price. By this means a market may be found for many products which are not now being marketed, mainly for the reason that they are in the nature of by-products or small surpluses over the fam

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Summary

(1) In the experiments conducted in this study 760 11 ⁄ 12 dozens, or 9,131 eggs, were sent through the mails in 466 shipments of from 1 to 10 dozens each. The total breakage was 327 eggs; of these, 118 were only cracked or slightly broken and were usable, and 209 (or 2.3 per cent) were broken beyond use. Ninety-one eggs were broken because the parcels containing them were handled contrary to postal rules and regulations. Subtracting these, the loss was only 1.3 per cent. This shows the possibil

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Publications of the Department of Agriculture of Interest to Poultry Raisers

Further suggestions along this line may be found in Farmers’ Bulletin 703, Suggestions for Parcel-Post Marketing, which may be obtained on request from the Division of Publication, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C....

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PLAN No. 226. DRESSING CHRISTMAS DOLLS

Having observed that of the thousands of dolls which are sold during the holidays very few of them are dressed to suit the tastes of buyers, this woman felt certain she could make a good living by dressing these dolls. She therefore prepared a circular letter which she sent to hundreds of selected homes in her city, asking to be allowed the privilege of dressing the children’s dolls according to her own taste, or that of the mothers of the little girls, and received invitations to call at the ho

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PLAN No. 227. PAPER COVERS FOR SCHOOL BOOKS ASSIST IN PUTTING MAN THROUGH COLLEGE

A young man in an eastern Washington town, who was obliged to work his way through the agricultural college, adopted, as one of his numerous plans for making money, that of providing substantial yet inexpensive manilla covers for school books. He bought from a wholesale paper store, a quantity of the best manilla paper at 4 cents a pound and, at a cost of 15 cents additional, had it cut into different sizes and the corners cut off on a regular paper cutter. The ends he cut off himself with a pai

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PLAN No. 228. MAKING PAN-LIFTERS

A woman in Lincoln, Nebraska, who knew the difficulties and dangers involved in lifting hot pans that have to be handled often, figured out a plan to make this work both safe and convenient. She made a belt to fasten around the waist, and on each side of the front she fastened a strip that came down nearly to the knees. On the ends of these strips she sewed small quilted pads about six inches square. These were always ready to use, and proved great time-savers and made the lifting easy. She was

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PLAN No. 229. MONEY IN WINTER BULBS

In late October or early November every year, a Massachusetts woman buys some plain glass dishes, about five inches wide and two or three inches deep. She then collects pebbles and places them in each dish, and on top of them, so they will not touch each other, she places fine narcissus bulbs, filling in around them with more pebbles, until the dish is quite full. Then adding water enough to fill to the top, she sets the dishes on the cellar floor and leaves them there until they are full of roo

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PLAN No. 230. SELLING HICKORY NUTS

A country woman with a grove of hickory trees on her farm, made $30 in one month gathering hickory nuts, which she sent to a friend in the city, who bought them at $1.50 per bushel. That was only twenty bushels, and people who live in localities where these nuts are plentiful could multiply that number many times by gathering them on a more extensive scale....

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PLAN No. 231. THUMBLESS MITTENS FOR CHILDREN

What mother has ever been able to get a baby’s thumb into a mitten? And how long would it stay if she did? Then why have thumbs on baby’s mittens at all? These are questions a Canadian mother asked herself many times, and learned that there was but one answer: make the mittens without thumbs. And she did so. In fact, she found that no matter how many pair she made, the baby-outfitters gladly took all she could knit, sold them for 40 cents a pair, and charged her only a small commission for selli

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PLAN No. 232. TAILORED HATS

Here is the story of a Montana woman who discovered that she could make a better tailored hat for girls, and sell it for 50 cents, than the millinery stores ask $2 for, and she not only made one for her own little girl, but for a hundred or more other small misses, and realized a profit on every one she made. The material cost but little, while the work on the hats was no trouble at all, so she kept it up until she had supplied everybody of her acquaintance with the prettiest hats to be seen any

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PLAN No. 233. SELLING POTTED PLANTS

A southern woman who was extremely fond of flowers lived in a town of 5,000 inhabitants in which there was no regular florist, so she began supplying the needs of the flower-loving people there by engaging in the business on a small scale herself, specializing on potted plants and cut flowers. She bought small plants, repotted them, and easily doubled her money on them. In their season she buys tomato and pansy plants and scarlet sage, as well as bulbs and roots, and holds regular flower sales a

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PLAN No. 234. BASKET MAKING

A downeast woman learned basket making in the young people’s society of her church, and made it a regular business. She specializes in market and scrap baskets, but makes fancy reed ones to order. Her main sales are made through the woman’s exchange, though sometimes direct to customers, and her earnings are sufficient to support her very comfortably. This line of work is not overcrowded, and there is plenty of opportunity in it for many other women....

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PLAN No. 235. GROWING MUSHROOMS

There are many methods of growing mushrooms, but the one adopted by this Michigan woman is perhaps as easy and profitable as any of them. First, providing a sufficient quantity of fresh manure and black dirt, she carefully prepares the beds and buys the spawn, and with but little care thereafter they produce a good crop every month in the year. In one bed 7 feet long by 2 feet wide, made from an old trunk lid and two soap boxes, she placed three bricks of spawn early in October, and eight weeks

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PLAN No. 236. LUNCHES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN

A woman in Minnesota, whose income was very limited, was asked by the parent-teachers’ association to provide noon lunches for the pupils in the basement of a school building, the profit or loss to be her own. She had two long tables made of rough boards, covered with white oilcloth, and on these she spreads sandwiches made of minced ham, peanut butter, chipped beef and cheese, at 3 cents each; cake at 2 cents a slice, with milk, cocoa, soup, etc., at very low prices, yet which pay her a profit.

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PLAN No. 237. DESICCATED VEGETABLES

An eastern woman, anxious to help her husband lift the mortgage from their farm, had been told of the possibilities of desiccated vegetables, and decided to try out the plan herself. By way of experiment, she desiccated some vegetables and dried them in the sun. These she soaked for an hour in cold water, poured off the water, and put the vegetables in with some meat she was stewing. In half an hour she had a fine Irish stew ready for the table. Calling in some of her neighbors, they formed a lo

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PLAN No. 238. A PROFITABLE ADVERTISING PLAN

A young man left Chicago some time ago and went to the Northwest for the purpose of increasing his earning power. Having first provided himself with twelve cartoon plates, with a strong home-trade argument under each cartoon, which a big newspaper syndicate had made for him, he stopped at a town of some 5,000 inhabitants and called upon the publisher of the leading newspaper. To him he made the following proposition: To obtain for his paper one or two pages of local advertisements to run every w

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Advantages of Home Poultry

The keeping of a small flock of laying hens on a town or village lot or in a city back yard is an important branch of poultry keeping. Though the value of the product from each flock is small of itself the aggregate is large. The product of such a flock, both in the form of eggs and fowls for the table, may be produced at a relatively low cost, because of the possibility of utilizing table scraps and kitchen waste which would otherwise be thrown away. A small flock of hens, even as few as six or

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Overcoming Objections to Keeping Poultry in the City

Objection is frequently raised to the keeping of poultry in towns and cities because of the odor which may result and also because of the noise which is made by roosters crowing, particularly in the early morning. In some cases city regulations have been formulated to prevent or to control poultry keeping. Where there are city regulations it is necessary to find out their provisions and to conform to them. There is no necessity for the poultry flock to become a nuisance to neighbors. If the drop

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Kind of Fowls to Keep

Householders usually desire not only eggs for the table and for cooking, but also an occasional chicken to eat. For this reason one of the general-purpose breeds, such as the Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, or Orpington, is preferable to the smaller egg breeds, such as the Leghorns. Not only do the mature fowls of these breeds, because of their larger size, make better table fowls than the Leghorns, but the young chickens for the same reason make better friers and roasters, whereas c

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Size of Flock

The size of the flock which can be most efficiently kept will depend first of all upon the space available and, secondly, upon the amount of table scraps or other waste which is available for feed. It is a mistake to try to overstock the available space. Better results will be obtained from a few hens in a small yard than from a larger number. The back-yard poultry flock rarely will consist of over 20 or 25 hens and in many cases of not more than 8 or 10, or occasionally of only 3 or 4. For a fl

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Procuring Stock

The best way for the city poultry keeper to procure hens is to purchase them in the fall. An effort should be made to obtain pullets rather than older hens, and the pullets selected should be well matured, so that they will begin to lay before the cold weather sets in. Evidences of the maturity of pullets are the development and red color of the comb and a size and growth which are good for the breed or variety. Hens will lay little or no eggs during the fall and early winter, while they are mol

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Housing

The flock should be comfortably but not expensively housed. A house which provides a floor space of 3 or 4 square feet per bird is ample for the purpose, and fowls are often successfully kept with an allowance no greater then 2 1 ⁄ 2 to 3 square feet. Houses must be dry and free from draft, but must allow ventilation. Often there is an unused shed or small building on the place which can easily be converted into a chicken house (see fig. 3 ). The front of the poultry house should be faced toward

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The Yard

The yard should be inclosed by a board or wire fence. Wire fencing is preferable, as it is cheaper and the hens are less likely to fly over it. If cats prove troublesome, where one is raising young chickens, it may be necessary to cover the top of the yard with wire also. A board should not be used at the top of a wire fence, as this gives the hens a visible place to alight and tends to teach them to fly over. A 5-foot fence is high enough for most conditions, but if the hens show a tendency to

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Feeding

In feeding the city flock an effort should be made to do so as cheaply as possible, consistent with the production of eggs. To accomplish this, all table scraps, kitchen waste, etc., should be utilized. Scraps of meat or left-over vegetables which can not be utilized in any other way make excellent feed. There are also many other waste products, such as beet tops, turnip tops, carrot tops, potato parings, onion tops, watermelon and cantaloup rinds, the outside leaves of cabbages, waste lettuce l

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Lice and Mites

If the best results are to be expected from the flock, the hens must not be allowed to become overrun with lice or the house with mites. Usually there will be a place in the yard where the hens can dust themselves in the dry dirt. If such a place is not available, a box large enough (about 2 feet square) for the hens to get into it should be provided in the house and a quantity of dust such as ordinary road dust or fine dirt placed in it to allow the hens a place to dust themselves. A dust bath

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Hatching and Raising Chicks

Often it is inadvisable to attempt to renew the city poultry flock by hatching and rearing chicks or buying and rearing day-old chicks. Previous experience in the raising of chickens often increases the chances of success. However, the land available is usually small in area, and no attempt should be made to raise chicks unless a plot can be provided separate from that to which the hens have access and upon which there is grass, or a supply of green feed can be furnished. Where these conditions

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Culling the Hens

In any flock some hens will be found to be much better producers than others. Often there are a few hens which are such poor producers that they are unprofitable. Where the flock is comparatively small, the owner is often able to determine by observation which are the poor producing hens. Needless to say, these should be the ones to kill and eat as fowls are desired for the table. All hens molt in the fall and early winter. During this molting season, which usually takes about three months, the

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Preserving Eggs

A small flock of hens, even five or six, may produce enough eggs during the greater part of the year to supply the needs of a medium-sized family. Where a larger flock is kept, there will be a time during the spring and early summer when more eggs are produced than are used. These surplus eggs can either be sold or, what is perhaps more desirable, preserved in the spring for home use during the fall and early winter, when eggs are high in price and much more difficult to obtain from the flock. T

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Practical Pointers

Keep the hens confined to your own land. Don’t keep a male bird. Hens lay just as well without a male. Don’t overstock your land. Purchase well-matured pullets rather than hens. Don’t expect great success in hatching and raising chicks unless you have had some experience and have a grass plot separate from the yard for the hens. Build a cheap house or shelter. Make the house dry and free from drafts, but allow for ventilation. Fowls stand cold better than dampness. Keep house and yard clean. Pro

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Publications of the United States Department of Agriculture Relating to the Care of Poultry

Available for Free Distribution by the Department. Standard Varieties of Chickens. (Farmers’ Bulletin 51.) Poultry Management. (Farmers’ Bulletin 287.) Successful Dairy and Poultry Farm. (Farmers’ Bulletin 355.) Hints to Poultry Raisers. (Farmers’ Bulletin 528.) Important Poultry Diseases. (Farmers’ Bulletin 530.) Boys and Girls Poultry Clubs. (Farmers’ Bulletin 562.) Poultry House Construction. (Farmers’ Bulletin 574.) Natural and Artificial Incubation of Hens’ Eggs. (Farmers’ Bulletin 585.) Na

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For Sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C.

Refrigeration of Dressed Poultry in Transit. (Department Bulletin 17.) Price, 10c. Commercial Fattening of Poultry. (Department Bulletin 21.) Price. 10c. Lessons on Poultry for Rural Schools. (Department Bulletin 464.) Price, 10c. Food Value and Uses of Poultry. (Department Bulletin 467.) Price, 5c. Eggs and Their Value as Food. (Department Bulletin 471.) Price, 5c. Improvement of Farm Eggs. (Bureau of Animal Industry Bulletin 141.) Price, 10c. Contribution from the Bureau of Animal Industry, A.

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Description and Characteristics of the Capon

What is a capon? A capon is an altered or castrated male chicken, bearing the same relation to a cockerel that a steer does to a bull, a barrow to a boar, or a wether to a ram. As with other male animals so altered, the disposition of the capon differs materially from that of the cockerel. He no longer shows any disposition to fight, is much more quiet and sluggish, and is more docile and easy to keep within bounds. The true capon seldom crows. Along with this change in disposition there is a ch

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Selection of Breeds

In selecting the breed best suited for caponizing several factors must be taken into consideration. Large capons bring the best prices. Consequently the breed should be large. It does not pay to caponize small fowls. Yellow legs and skin, as in other classes of poultry, are most popular. The Plymouth Rocks, Light Brahmas, Cochins, Indian Games, Langshans, and Wyandottes are all recommended by different producers, as are also various crosses of these. The Orpington also makes fine capons, but the

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Time to Caponize

In so far as the effects of the operation and the rapidity and ease of healing are concerned, the time of year when the operation is performed is of little importance. The capons seem to recover and do well at any time. Certain other considerations, however, do influence the time. The age and size of the cockerel are very important. As soon as the cockerels weigh 1 1 ⁄ 2 to 2 1 ⁄ 2 pounds, or when 2 to 4 months old, they should be operated upon. The lower age and weight limits apply particularly

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Caponizing Instruments

There are several sets of instruments for performing the operation. These differ principally in the type of instrument used in getting hold of and removing the testicle. One type is the cannula ( fig. 1 , a ). This consists of a hollow tube, the lower end of which is compressed and closed except for two small holes through which to run the horse hair or wire comprising the other part of the instrument. This type requires two hands to operate. Another type is the twisting scoop ( fig. 1 , b ). Th

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The Operation of Caponizing

Fig. 3.—Method of securing fowl in position for the operation on top of a barrel. Fig. 4.—Feathers plucked away to make ready for incision. Before beginning the operation two conditions are absolutely essential. If these are not favorable, do not attempt to operate. The first of these is that the intestines of the fowl should be completely empty, so that they will fall away and expose the testicle to view. This can be accomplished by shutting up the fowls and withholding all food and water for 2

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Methods of Holding the Fowl

When ready to operate, catch the bird and pass a noose of strong string about the legs. Do the same with both wings close to the shoulder joints. To the other end of the string are attached weights of sufficient size to hold down and stretch out the bird when placed upon the head of a barrel or box of convenient height, which is to serve as operating table. These weights are allowed to hang on opposite sides of the barrel or box (see fig. 3 ). A table, if so desired, may be arranged by boring ho

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Details of the Operation

Having fastened the fowl, be sure that all the instruments are at hand. It is also well, though not necessary, to have ready some absorbent cotton and a dish of water to which have been added a few drops of carbolic acid or some other antiseptic. Having once started, carry the operation through as quickly as possible. Moisten and remove the feathers from a small area over the last two ribs just in front of the thigh (see fig. 4 ). With the left hand slide the skin and flesh down toward the thigh

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Losses Due to Caponizing

Even experts are sure to kill some birds, but the loss is small, seldom exceeding 5 per cent where any considerable number are caponized, and usually not more than 2 or 3 per cent. With beginners, of course, the percentage is much larger, but with a little practice and care this is soon overcome. Any fowls which may be killed in this way are perfectly good to eat and are therefore not wasted. A great deal of practice is required to become expert enough to operate rapidly. Consequently it is quit

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Slips

Many times, particularly with beginners, while the operation seems to be entirely satisfactory, the bird will turn out to be what is known as a “slip.” A “slip” is neither cockerel nor capon, but is between the two, possessing the mischievous disposition and the appearance of an ordinary cockerel, but, as a rule, being unable to reproduce. This condition is due to the fact that a small piece of the testicle is left in the body. This piece often grows to a considerable size. As the “slips” posses

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Care of Fowls After the Operation

Upon being released from the operating table the capons are usually put in a closed yard where they can find shelter, food, and water and can be kept quiet. No roosts are provided, as the less flying and jumping they do the sooner will the wound heal. The capons seem to be very little inconvenienced by the operation, and water and soft feed mixed with sweet skim milk can be given immediately. Some feeders give this in unlimited quantity, while others feed more sparingly for a time. Some growers

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Feeding Capons

Capons are usually kept till they are about 10 months old. At this time the market is at its best and the birds have made their most profitable gains. The feeds used and the methods of feeding vary greatly, so much so, indeed, that it is futile to try to give specific directions. For several months after the operation a good growing ration and not a fattening ration is required. It may consist of whole grains, ground grains, or a combination of the two, as each feeder finds most profitable and b

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Killing and Dressing Capons for Market

The capons selected for killing should be confined for 24 hours without feed or water to completely empty their crops. The usual method of killing is known as the sticking method. The fowl is hung up by the feet, the head held in the left hand, and the whole body stretched to full length. The mouth is forced open, and by means of a sharp, narrow-bladed knife held in the right hand the blood vessels at the back of the throat are severed with a single sweep. The knife is then turned and the point

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Profits

Fig. 10.—Capons dressed for market. These illustrations show appearance after picking, but do not show fowls in perfect condition of flesh. It is extremely difficult to make any general statement concerning the profits yielded by capons. That they do yield a profit in practically all cases is undoubtedly true, but whether the profit is sufficient to give up to them the time and room they require is a question which must be settled by each man’s experience and by local conditions. Many poultrymen

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PLAN No. 241. LIQUID CARPET CLEANER

One of the very best carpet cleaners ever placed on the market is that put up in liquid form by a man living in a western town of 5,000 people, where there was no steam cleaning establishment. He used the following formula: Solution soap, 120 ounces; ammonia water (10%), 60 ounces; gasoline, 120 ounces; chloroform, the cheap kind, 20 ounces; saltpetre, 10 ounces; commercial oil of wintergreen, or other perfume, sufficient to give an agreeable scent. (The solution soap named is made of cheap oliv

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PLAN No. 242. A WHITE SHOE DRESSING

The only objection to white shoes is that they soil so easily, but those who use the following formula will find their troubles on that score are over. Precipitated chalk, 4 ounces; zinc oxide, 6 ounces; whiting, 8 ounces; pipe clay, 16 ounces; have all thoroughly dry and in fine powder, mix together very thoroughly and pass through a fine sieve. Now is where one of the tricks of the trade comes in. If the powder should have any yellowish tinge, as it most likely will, or does not seem to be jus

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PLAN No. 243. A TRAVELING TYPIST

A young man who had been clerking in a men’s furnishing store for $10 a week got an idea one day that turned out to be the means of giving him a good-paying business. He noticed that there were many public stenographers located in the various office buildings of the city, and figuring that all their patrons had to come to them when wanting work done, why wouldn’t it be a good thing to call at the different stores and offices of these patrons and do their type-writing. He therefore bought a light

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PLAN No. 244. MAKING HENS LAY ALL THE YEAR

This is something that all poultry raisers would give a good deal to know: On every alternate day, mix cayenne pepper with soft food, at the rate of one teaspoonful of pepper to each dozen hens. Take good care to see that each hen obtains her share. In winter give each hen a half ounce of fresh meat each day, and see that they have plenty of water, grain, gravel and lime. K. J. MATHESON AND F. R. CAMMACK, of the Dairy Division. Contribution from the Bureau of Animal Industry. Acknowledgment is d

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A Desirable Food Easily Prepared

Cottage cheese, a most palatable and nutritious product, is one of the few varieties of cheese which can be manufactured on a small scale. It furnishes a convenient and economical means for using skim milk as a human food, and supplies, more cheaply than meat, the protein or body-building part of the diet. In fact, pound for pound, it contains 25 per cent more protein than a medium-fat side of beef and costs about half as much. The haphazard methods used in the making of this product, together w

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Quality and Its Requisites

Cottage cheese is judged by its flavor and texture. A high-quality cheese should have a clean, mild, acid flavor and a texture smooth, free from lumps, and uniform or homogeneous throughout. The undesirable flavors commonly found are described as unclean, tasteless, too acid, and sometimes even bitter. Flavor can be controlled by the use of clean, sweet skim milk and a good “starter,” but texture depends largely upon careful manipulation during the making process. Good, clean skim milk, clean ut

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A Simple Way to Make Small Quantities for Home Use

One gallon of skim milk will make about 1 1 ⁄ 2 pounds of cheese. If the milk is sweet it should be placed in a pan and allowed to remain in a clean, warm place at a temperature of about 75° F. until it clabbers. The clabbered milk should have a clean, sour flavor. Ordinarily this will take about 30 hours, but when it is desirable to hasten the process a small quantity of clean-flavored sour milk may be mixed with the sweet milk. As soon as the milk has thickened or firmly clabbered it should be

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The Use of Starters

The first step in the making of cottage cheese is to sour or ripen the milk. If care has been used in the production and handling of milk, a good grade of cheese may be made by allowing the milk to sour naturally. Uncertainty of results and lack of uniformity in the cheese, however, have caused many to resort to a more definite means of controlling fermentation or souring by the use of starters. Some of the dangers and disadvantages of natural souring are— 1. Slow coagulation or curdling. 2. Gla

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Pasteurization

While for small-scale operations the pasteurization of milk may not always be practicable, it permits a better control of the fermentations, increases the yield of cheese, and renders the product safe from disease-producing organisms. If milk is pasteurized it is absolutely necessary to use a vigorous starter for ripening. Otherwise, great difficulty is found in draining the curd, and as a result the cheese probably is spoiled. Skim milk is pasteurized for making cottage cheese by heating it in

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Making the Cheese on a Larger Scale

To make cottage cheese in considerable quantities and of good, uniform quality, especially if it is to be sold, it is desirable to follow a more exact method than that described for making small quantities for home use. For natural souring without starter, fresh skim milk is placed in a clean pail or a “shotgun” can, covered, warmed to 75° F., and allowed to stand at that temperature until curdled. The temperature can be controlled by keeping the pail or can of milk in a tub, sink, or other vess

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Making the Cheese with Rennet or Pepsin

Several advantages are found in making cottage cheese with rennet or pepsin, as follows: 1. A finer-textured and more uniform cheese results. 2. Making requires less time and attention. 3. Losses of curd in the whey are reduced. Rennet is a substance which causes milk to coagulate and may be obtained either as commercial liquid rennet or as junket tablets. The former may be purchased from a dairy-supply house, while the latter may be obtained from grocery and drug stores. If commercial rennet is

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Adding Cream and Peppers

A small quantity of sweet or sour cream added after salting, especially if the curd is a little dry, will improve greatly the quality and palatability of cottage cheese made by either process. Usually cream is added at the rate of half a pint to 10 pounds of curd. Finely ground pimento peppers also add much to the appearance, taste, and attractiveness of the product, especially to the finer textured, rennet-made cheese. Peppers when used are added at the rate of 1 pound to 20 of curd. If the pro

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Yield of Cheese

The yield of cottage cheese depends upon the quality of the milk and the method of manufacture. Yields of from 12 to 22 pounds of cheese per 100 pounds of skim milk represent the limits, while a normal yield of from 16 to 18 pounds produces best results. A gallon of skim milk usually yields about 1 1 ⁄ 2 pounds of cottage cheese....

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Marketing the Product

Although often marketed in bulk and sold by the pound, cottage cheese may be marketed best in single-service containers holding from 10 to 12 ounces. This makes a neat and convenient package which commonly retails for about 10 cents. These cartons are made of wood pulp treated with paraffin. For interstate shipping it is necessary to put the net weight of the cheese on the package, and it is desirable, for advertising purposes, to place on it the name and address of the maker. While the product

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Equipment for Making Cottage Cheese

Little equipment is needed for making cottage cheese, and for the most part it may be found in any home. When the cheese is made in large quantities a small outlay for equipment is warranted as a matter of convenience and satisfaction. In most homes, however, satisfactory substitutes may be found for some of the utensils mentioned here. Fig. 6.—Equipment used in first stages of making cottage cheese. Starter bottles. —Quart milk bottles and tumblers are needed for holding the starter. Quart frui

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Summary of Ordinary Process

The process of making cottage cheese without rennet or pepsin, on the basis of 30 pounds or about 3 1 ⁄ 2 gallons of milk, which will yield about 5 1 ⁄ 4 pounds of cheese, may be summarized as follows: Obtain clean, fresh milk. If starter is not used, warm the milk to 75° F. and hold it at about that temperature until curdled. If starter is to be used, add 1 to 5 per cent, or about 1 pint of starter to 30 pounds of milk, stir, and set away at 75° F. to curdle. If it is desired to pasteurize, hea

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Summary of Rennet or Pepsin Process

The following is an outline of the process with rennet or pepsin on the basis of 30 pounds or 3 1 ⁄ 2 gallons of milk, which will yield about 5 1 ⁄ 4 pounds of cheese: Obtain clean, fresh milk. When a starter is not used, after adding rennet or pepsin, warm the milk to 75° F. and hold it at about that temperature until curdled. If starter is to be used, add 1 to 5 per cent, or about 1 pint of starter to 30 pounds of milk, and set away at 75° F. to curdle. If it is desired to pasteurize, heat to

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Experimental Parcel-Post Shipments of Butter

Shipments of butter aggregating more than 10,000 pounds have been made by the Bureau of Markets, under various conditions and in packages carrying from 1 to 10 pounds, over both long and short distances, in order to test various kinds of shipping containers, methods of packing, and the possibilities of parcel-post shipping of butter during the summer and other seasons. These experimental shipments consisted of (1) shipments of fresh butter from four creameries to this bureau, and (2) shipments o

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Quality and Condition of Butter

As parcel-post shipments of butter are likely to be subjected to conditions, especially during the summer, which may cause deterioration and injure the quality of the butter, it is highly desirable that every possible precaution be taken before shipment. Particularly is this true of farm-made butter, because conditions affecting its quality and condition usually can not be controlled as easily on farms as in creameries. However, farm-made butter should be marketed just as satisfactorily as cream

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Preparation of Butter for Parcel-Post Shipping

The methods used in preparing butter for parcel-post shipping depend largely upon the local conditions and the style of package used. To insure delivery in the best possible condition, butter, after being packed or printed and placed in cartons, should be chilled or hardened thoroughly before it is shipped. One of the most satisfactory ways of preparing butter for shipment is in the form of regular 1-pound prints. The standard print measures 2 1 ⁄ 2 by 2 1 ⁄ 2 by 4 5 ⁄ 8 inches. A hand butter pr

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Shipping Containers for Butter

Corrugated fiber board shipping containers of various sizes may be obtained for shipping 1-pound prints of butter. (See fig. 2 .) These boxes or containers practically insulate the butter and furnish much protection against heat. Further protection may be obtained by wrapping the container in stout wrapping paper. The whole should be tied securely with a strong cord. In tying the twine, it should be drawn tightly around the package so as to insure its proper carriage. Not infrequently packages a

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Examples of Successful Marketing of Butter by Parcel Post

A few of the many instances which have come to the attention of the bureau will indicate with what success butter may be marketed by parcel post. A farmer’s wife who was making a good quality of butter was securing but little more than half retail price a pound for it when a trial shipment was made by parcel post to a consumer in a large city. [7] As the result of this shipment, a demand was developed and customers obtained for the entire product at an advance in price to the farmer’s wife and w

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Essentials for Success in Marketing Butter by Parcel Post

Successful parcel-post marketing of butter requires that extreme care be taken to insure the delivery of a satisfactory product to the customers. The following are a few of the important considerations to be observed to market butter successfully by parcel post: 1. A uniformly high-quality product should be produced. 2. It should be properly packed in neat and attractive packages. 3. The shipping container used should amply protect the butter from deterioration and damage. 4. The packages should

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Varieties and Styles of Cheese

Most varieties of cheese, being firm and not so subject to damage by high temperature as butter, may be shipped any distance by parcel post without difficulty. (See fig. 4 .) The two important varieties of cheese produced on farms are cottage cheese and American (full cream or whole milk) cheese. Cottage cheese is soft and quickly perishable, therefore it is consumed while fresh. When made rather dry and packed in moisture-proof packages it may be shipped to points where delivery may be made wit

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The Packaging of Cheese for Parcel-Post Shipping

General care should be exercised in the packaging of cheese for shipment by parcel post. The surface of the cheese should be clean and, if necessary, paraffined. As a protection to the cheese it should be wrapped in several layers of paper, preferably with a waxed paper next to the cheese. Corrugated or other fiber-board containers or wooden boxes may be used as shipping containers. (See figure 6 .) When rather weak fiber board or wooden boxes are used they should be wrapped with several sheets

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Addressing and Mailing Parcel-Post Packages

Parcel-post packages, like other mail matter, should be carefully addressed, including the street number of the person to receive the parcel. In the upper left-hand corner the name and address of the sender should be plainly written. It is preferable to place all addresses on the package itself rather than on a tag tied to the package, for if the tag becomes detached the addresses of both the sender and receiver are lost. A rubber stamp for butter shipments bearing the statement: “Butter—keep aw

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Postal Requirements

Postal regulations provide that— When it (butter) is so packed or wrapped as to prevent damage to other mail, it will be accepted for local delivery either at the office of mailing or on any rural route starting therefrom. Butter will be accepted for mailing to all offices to which in the ordinary course of mail it can be sent without spoiling when suitably wrapped or inclosed or when packed in crates, boxes, or other suitable containers to prevent the escape of anything from the package, and so

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PLAN No. 247. MADE SHIRTS FOR MEN

A woman had heard her friend’s husband complain of the poor-fitting quality of ready-made shirts, and tried her hand at making him some. She carefully took his measure, bought a good shirt pattern and made him two. He was so well pleased that he ordered six more, and after that she had all she could do in making shirts for men, charging a price depending upon the style of shirt. This insured her a good living each year. There are other men who want shirts made, and other women who can make them—

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PLAN No. 248. SECRET OF SHOWING SAMPLES—COMPANY AGENT BECOMES A WELCOME SALESMAN

While other canvassers were complaining that they did not get a chance to show their goods or samples at every house they visited, many doors being shut in their faces, an English brush company thought of a good plan. They furnish their salesmen with post cards saying: “Dear Madam: This card entitles you to one of our 15-cent sink brushes, which our agent will deliver to you at your home tomorrow. You don’t have to buy a thing—just let him show you our full line of brushes.” The next day after m

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PLAN No. 249. ASSIST MUSICAL COMPOSERS

This plan, which was successfully operated by a Chicago man, not only brought many struggling authors of musical compositions into considerable prominence, but proved a profitable business for himself. He was engaged in publishing sheet music, and was in close touch with musical people all over the country. He inserted an ad. in the classified columns of the big city dailies, addressed to composers who had failed as their own publishers, the ad. asking them to write for a proposition. Hundreds o

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PLAN No. 250. HONING RAZORS BY MAIL

A Seattle man who carried a line of barbers’ supplies, decided to increase his mail-order business by making it an object for men in the country and small towns to have their old-style razors honed, at no cost if not satisfactory. He inserted an ad. in some country newspapers, offering to make “dull razors sharp or no pay,” to return the razor, post paid, in twenty-four hours, and if the customer was satisfied, he was to send him 25 cents. A lot of them came in, all were sharpened and returned,

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PLAN No. 251. SUCCESSFUL SALE, YET DIDN’T ADVERTISE

It isn’t often we hear of anyone who succeeds in selling a product without newspaper advertising, but here is the case of a young man in a small city who did. This young man was putting up a very good cough remedy, and the first he made he left with the druggists to sell. They liked it, and sold it rapidly. Then he watched for the country merchants at the court house, the hotels, and other places, and many of them agreed to carry his remedy and push it, which made a great many more sales. In a f

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PLAN No. 252. LOCAL VIEW CALENDERS

A young printer in Los Angeles made money by getting a number of excellent photographs of local views, and printing calendars for city merchants, with these views as the prominent feature of each calendar....

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PLAN No. 253. AMATEUR PRINTER AND HAND PRESS

A very young man who had worked in a printing office for a couple of years decided to go into business for himself on a small scale, so he bought a small hand press that could be carried from place to place, and visited country fairs, picnics, summer resorts, and other places where people gather for recreation, and did a nice business printing calling cards and other small jobs. When he had a little leisure, he went among the smaller merchants in out-of-the-way sections of the country and printe

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PLAN No. 254. MAKING CUSHIONS, PILLOWS, ETC.

A Chicago man, who has good taste in designing pillows and cushions earns a living by making artistic cushions, pillows, etc., for use in cosy corners. He goes to the homes of wealthy people, shows them his samples, and almost invariably receives an order for a number of these articles. His prices are rather high, but his work is so artistically done that it is well worth all it costs....

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PLAN No. 255. BATHROOM EXCLUSIVELY FOR WOMEN

In a northern city of 10,000 inhabitants, a woman fitted up a neat, tasty and well equipped bathroom exclusively for women. It became very popular. Women who had no bathroom of their own, disliked going to one patronized by men, at once became her regular customers. ANDREW S. WEIANT Scientific Assistant in Poultry Investigations Animal Husbandry Division. Contribution from the Bureau of Animal Industry A. D. Melvin , Chief For the following plan we are indebted to the U. S. Dept, of Agriculture,

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Demand for Guinea Fowl in the United States

The value of the guinea fowl as a substitute for game birds such as grouse, partridge, quail, and pheasant is becoming more and more recognized by those who are fond of this class of meat and the demand for these fowls is increasing steadily. Many hotels and restaurants in the large cities are eager to secure prime young guineas, and often they are served at banquets and club dinners as a special delicacy. When well cooked, guineas are attractive in appearance, although darker than common fowls,

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Price of Guinea Fowl

The highest prices for guinea fowl are paid in the large eastern markets. Guinea raisers, who are near these markets, or who have developed a trade among private customers receive prices that make this industry very profitable. One poultryman located near a New England summer resort has raised as many as 400 guineas in one season, selling them in August, when they weigh about 1 pound each, at $1.25 per pair. Wholesale prices in New York usually range from 75 cents to $1 per pair for dressed spri

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Breeding Stock and Eggs for Hatching

The demand for guinea fowls as breeding stock is considerable, most of them being sold in pairs and trios. Breeders of the purebred Pearl, White, or Lavender varieties who have a reputation for high-class birds usually have little difficulty in disposing of surplus stock at prices ranging from $2 to $3.50 a pair and from $3 to $5 a trio. The demand for eggs for hatching is greater than for breeding stock. From 75 cents to $1 for 15 eggs from pure-bred birds is an ordinary price. During the last

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Varieties of Guinea Fowl

Several species of wild birds known as guinea fowl are found in Africa, and derive their name from Guinea, which is situated on the West Coast of that continent. From one of these wild species ( Numida meleagris ) the common domesticated guineas are descended. They have long been domesticated, having been raised as table birds by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and were introduced into this country by the early settlers. In Africa, where there are still many wild flocks, they are highly prized by

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Distinguishing Sex

The male and the female guinea fowl differ so little in appearance that many persons have considerable difficulty in making a distinction. Indeed, it often happens that those who are inexperienced in raising these fowl will unknowingly keep all males or all females as breeding stock. Usually the males can be distinguished by their larger helmet and wattles and coarser head ( fig. 3 ), but to be positive one should listen to the cry made by each bird. That of the female resembles “buckwheat, buck

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Breeding

Like quail and most other wild birds, guinea fowls in their wild state mate in pairs, and this tendency prevails among domesticated guineas also, provided the males and females are equal in number. As the breeding season approaches, one pair after another separates from the remainder of the flock and ranges off in the fields in search of a suitable nesting place. Once mated in this way, the male usually remains with his mate throughout the laying season, standing guard somewhere near the nest wh

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Guinea Eggs

As profitable egg producers guinea hens can not compete with ordinary hens, but during the latter part of the spring and throughout the summer they are persistent layers. The eggs are smaller than hen eggs, weighing about 1.4 ounces each, while eggs of the common fowl average about 2 ounces each; consequently guinea eggs sell at a somewhat lower price. There is no special market for guinea eggs and they are usually graded by dealers as small hen eggs. Owing to the natural tendency of the guinea

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Laying

Guinea hens usually begin laying in April or May, those in the South laying earlier than those in the North. A short time before the opening of the laying period the hens with their mates begin searching for suitable nesting places among the weeds and brush along the fences or in the fields. In this search the male takes as active an interest as his mate, and when a suitable location is found both help to dig out the nest and make it into a suitable shape. Each day as the hen goes to the nest to

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Gathering the Eggs

The wild nature of the guinea hen asserts itself in her nesting habits. Instinct demands that the nest be well hidden from all enemies, such as crows, dogs, skunks, opossums, rats, foxes, coyotes, and other predatory animals. If the hen becomes frightened by the intrusion of some enemy, or if her eggs are removed from the nest, more than likely she will change her nesting place to a safer location. For this reason she should not be disturbed while she is on the nest, and the eggs should not be r

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Incubation

Ordinary hens are used commonly to incubate guinea eggs, but guinea hens, turkey hens, and incubators also can be employed successfully. The usual sitting for a guinea hen is about 14 eggs, for a hen of one of the general-purpose breeds such as a Plymouth Rock, 18 eggs, and for a turkey hen, about 24 eggs. The incubation period for guinea eggs is 28 days, although frequently they start hatching on the twenty-sixth day and are all hatched by the end of the twenty-seventh day. If the nest in which

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Artificial Incubation and Brooding

Incubators are used as successfully in hatching guinea eggs as in hatching hen eggs. They are operated in exactly the same way for either kind, except that the thermometer is lowered sufficiently to make its relative position above the guinea eggs similar to its former position above the hen eggs. Little has been done in the way of brooding guinea chicks artificially. They are naturally of a wild nature and require free range to grow into strong, vigorous birds. Nevertheless in one case a New En

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Natural Brooding of Guinea Chicks

Ordinary hens make the best mothers for guinea chicks. Given warm, dry weather and plenty of range, turkey and guinea hens can be used successfully, but should a rain or heavy dew occur, the mother turkey or guinea hen is apt to drag the chicks through the wet grass and many are lost from becoming wet and chilled. Neither turkey nor guinea hens can be induced to seek the shelter of a coop at night and during storms, but will remain out in the fields to hover their broods wherever they happen to

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Lice

Hens to be used in brooding guinea chicks should first be completely freed from lice. This can be done by dusting them with some good lice powder at the time they are set and repeating once a week during the period of incubation. Guineas are less likely to have lice than common fowl, but when they are raised with hens care should be taken to keep them from becoming infested. Examine the young chicks about the head and along the wing bar at the base of the quill feathers, and if lice are found gr

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Feeding

Guineas are fed in much the same way as chickens, but they require less feed, as they are natural rangers and can be trusted to find enough seeds of weeds and grasses, buds, insects, and green vegetation in the fields to supply much of their living. For the first 36 hours after hatching no feed is required, as the sustenance from the egg is sufficient to nourish them for this period. The first meal may consist of a little hard-boiled egg mixed with bread crumbs, or bread may be soaked in milk, s

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Roosting

When guinea fowl are from 6 to 8 weeks old they will leave their coop and start roosting in some near-by tree or other roost that may be provided for them. They prefer roosting in the open, but if they have been raised with a hen they can be induced to follow her inside a poultry house and roost there. It is advisable to have them become accustomed to going in a house or shed of some sort, for otherwise it is almost impossible to catch them when they are wanted for the market. Guineas, even afte

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Marketing

The marketing season for guinea fowl is during the latter part of the summer and throughout the fall. At this time the demand in the city markets is for young birds weighing from 1 to 2 pounds each. At about 2 1 ⁄ 2 months of age guineas weigh from 1 to 1 1 ⁄ 2 pounds, and at this size they begin reaching the markets in August. As the season advances the demand is for heavier birds. During the fall of 1916 New York wholesale quotations for dressed guineas were as follows: The usual practice in m

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PLAN No. 257. SOUVENIR POST CARDS

A Spokane man, whose total capital was $75, perfected a plan for making money out of post cards, and realized a profit of about 90 per cent. He bought 9,000 post cards of different designs, including embossed floral, birthday greetings, best wishes, air-brush embossed fruit and flowers, live series, embossed and family mottoes, cards for all the holidays and seasons, etc. These he bought at $4.00 per 1,000 for $36. To send out these cards in registered packages of 100 each, cost $14.50, a total

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PLAN No. 258. NOVEL CANVASSING METHOD

An enterprising agent who had secured several formulas, had them printed separately on good paper, with the selling price marked at 50 cents each. He made up a small quantity of each article mentioned, for demonstration purposes, and bought a gross of cheap silverene sugar spoons at a cost of less than 5 cents each, to be used as premiums, and started out on a house-to-house canvassing expedition. He would call at a house and ask the lady if she had any clothing that was soiled with grease or pa

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PLAN No. 259. A CIRCULATING LIBRARY IN SMALL TOWN

There are several ways of establishing circulating libraries, but probably the best plan yet devised is one worked out by a young man living in a middle-western city. Going into a town of not less than 800 or 1,000 people, he first arranges with some trustworthy merchant, usually the local druggist, to handle the books and make his place the library headquarters. The druggist is glad to do this without charge, as it will bring many people to his store who have not been coming there before, and p

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PLAN No. 260. A NEW WAY TO SELL MEMORIALS

A young man living in a southern city originated a plan by which he was able to sell thousands of memorials all over the country, while not appearing to be selling anything. Supplying himself with an impressive looking blank book, in which long lists of names could be written, he called at every house in the territory he was canvassing, and informed the lady at each place that he was compiling a list of the deaths in the county for statistical purposes. In those cases where deaths had occurred i

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PLAN No. 261. GROWING AND SELLING POTTED PLANTS

An Illinois woman, wishing to earn a little money for herself, obtained catalogs from various seed firms, and sent 50 cents to one of them for geranium seeds. She planted them in shallow boxes, and got more than 200 plants from them. She shifted these plants from the boxes to small tin cans, and sold them to her neighbors for 10 cents each, thus receiving $20 for her 50-cent investment. Succeeding so well in her first venture, she sent for more seeds, some plants and thumb pots, and bought colle

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PLAN No. 262. MONEY FROM GEESE

Very few people seem to know that although geese pay greater profits than any other domestic bird, they cost much less to raise than other species of fowl. But a farmer’s wife in Kansas knew this, and she utilized her knowledge in a very profitable way. She realized that the market for live goose feathers never could become glutted, and that dressed geese for Thanksgiving and Christmas time brought enormous prices. She began early in the summer as she knew they were expensive to keep over winter

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PLAN No. 263. STARTED WITH THE LIBRARY COLUMN IN NEWSPAPER

A literary woman in a small city, realizing the inability of many people to make proper selections of books from the public library, in conjunction with the librarian, induced the editor of the local daily paper to let her establish a “library column” in the Saturday issue, in which she sought to instruct the public regarding the choice of books, the use of the card catalog, the consultation of shop lists, the periodical index, and various reference works. She was to be paid $5.00 a week, if she

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PLAN No. 264. CANNING FOR CITY PEOPLE

A farmer’s wife, who had plenty of fruits, small fruits, berries, vegetables, etc., but had very few jars in which to put them up, arranged with a number of families in the city to have them furnish the jars, while she would furnish the fruits and the sugar, and do the canning, for 20 cents per jar. As the fruit thus put up was worth at least 50 cents per quart jar, the city people obtained it cheaply enough, while the farmer’s wife made $80 by putting up 400 jars during the season. This made it

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PLAN No. 265. “LANDSCAPING” CITY LOTS

Two landscape gardeners, who lived in a residence part of the city where scant attention was paid by the owners to the appearance of their lawns and parking strips, undertook to change the looks of the neighborhood, and create a good business for themselves. Selecting ten blocks on a graded street, along which were good houses and many trees, most of them sadly neglected, they proposed to the owners of the various houses on both sides of the street to give it the careful and skillful attention t

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PLAN No. 266. BOSSING OTHER PEOPLE’S GARDENS, OR GARDEN MANAGEMENT

A suburban resident who knew all about gardens and gardening, yet realized the utter ignorance of the average suburbanite regarding the planting and care of gardens, the prevention and extermination of insect pests, and a lot of other things necessary to know, decided one spring that he would not raise a garden that year, but would make a good living by taking care of other people’s gardens, not doing the work himself, but taking general supervision of it and telling the owners just how it shoul

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PLAN No. 267. REPAIRING LAWN MOWERS

One would scarcely think there could be much of a living in simply traveling around and repairing lawn mowers, but a man in a western city, who is “handy with tools,” and has a taste for machinery, makes a good living for himself and a large family. The mechanism of a lawn mower is easily learned by carefully studying its construction, finding out what each particular piece is for, how it gets out of order, how to repair it, in short, to become a master of the machine. He not only covers a large

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PLAN No. 268. MONEY FROM SMALL LUNCHES

That “many a mickle makes a muckle,” is pretty well exemplified in the case of a young man living in Buffalo, who has built up a very good business of his own through supplying soda water counters, small lunch rooms, tourists, school houses, factories, etc., with what he calls “nut sandwiches.” These he makes from shredded wheat “triscuits” by cutting them in two and spreading peanut butter between the two sides. He puts these up in wax paper and retails them at a low price, yet one that enables

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PLAN No. 269. A NOVEL LUNCH PLAN

There is a concern in a southern city that puts up and delivers lunches in any part of town, to those who cannot go home to their mid-day meal. A lunch they sell and deliver for a comparatively small sum, which includes two ham sandwiches, one cheese sandwich, a piece of pie and a piece of cake, packed in a paper box, with paper napkin, toothpicks, etc. Less elaborate lunches are sold for 10 cents, and more complete ones for a higher price, and deliveries are made by boys on bicycles, who are hi

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PLAN No. 270. OLD STREET-CAR BECOMES DINING ROOM

A lady in southern California motored to a little tourist town up the mountain side to look at some property she thought of buying. Noticing an abandoned street car in the rear of a gift shop, she leased it from the owner and converted it into a “dining car.” Taking out the seats, she put in adjustable tables and chairs, electric lights and pretty cretonne hangings. The tables she painted buff, with black enamel tops; the dishes were in conventional designs of the same coloring, while quaint bir

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PLAN No. 271. FRUIT PRESERVED AND MARKETED BY A WOMAN

To help her husband rise from a $10-a-week clerkship to a factory of his own, where he is making more money in a day than he formerly made in a month as a “hired man,” is what a New York woman accomplished by a little idea that came to her one day. Having made a practice of visiting the large markets late in the evening, and buying over-ripe fruit for a small price, as much of it would not keep over night, she suggested to her husband that, as he quit his work at 5 o’clock every day and had a ha

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PLAN No. 272. A WOMAN LANDSCAPE ARTIST ASSISTED AN ARCHITECT

An architect living in a western city has a wife who possesses excellent taste and marked talent in the matter of planning surroundings for homes, and her own little cottage is an example of what a woman with excellent taste can do. Her husband had designed many houses in a good residence district, but as the owners lacked the taste necessary to add attractive surroundings, they did not present a pleasing appearance. In order to assist her husband she volunteered to furnish plans for laying out

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PLAN No. 273. A WOMAN MADE HUCKLEBERRY PIE

Just because she knew that almost every man on earth likes huckleberry pie, a woman started out on a capital of one dollar to help her husband to rise from a job in a cotton mill to a business of his own. The husband went for a two-weeks, much needed, vacation and rest in the mountains, and on that very morning a colored boy came to the door with two pails, one filled with huckleberries, the other with blackberries, both of which he offered to sell for 25 cents. She wanted the berries, but she c

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PLAN No. 274. LITTLE GIRLS’ COOKING SCHOOL

Establish a school in which, for a small weekly sum, you can teach little girls the art of cooking. Vacation is the best time to start this, when teachers and pupils are both at leisure. A large class should be easily formed for this purpose....

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PLAN No. 275. GIRLS’ SEWING SCHOOL

Those who cannot combine the teaching of cooking and sewing in the same school, will find a separate school a profitable occupation, or both together could be turned into a domestic housework school....

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PLAN No. 276. A HOME STORE

Anyone who has a house with a window fronting on the street, or near it, can start a little store in which most of the goods are home-made, and so show a large profit and make a good deal of money. It all depends on the enterprise of the storekeeper....

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PLAN No. 277. COLLECTING AND SELLING NAMES

For one who lives in the country there is a profitable business in collecting names and addresses of residents in each rural community and selling them to the publishers of farm journals. They will pay well for these names. In the city it is an easy matter to find a market for the names....

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PLAN No. 278. A MAILING BUREAU

Operating a folding, addressing and mailing bureau is a pleasant and profitable home business that will grow and make money for the person who owns it....

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PLAN No. 279. CARDBOARD KITCHEN LIST

Print on a good, strong piece of cardboard a list of articles needed in the home from day to day, with the heading, “Lest We Forget,”—the housewife is to stick a pin in each article wanted on the list, which begins with apples and ends with yeastcake. All around the sides of this list have spaces for ads. which the merchants will gladly pay for, as the list is consulted several times every day, and the names of advertisers become familiar to the entire household. Distribute free of charge the ca

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Type and Location of the City Garden

There are three general types of city vegetable gardens: Back-yard gardens, vacant-lot gardens, and community gardens. In locating the home garden the back yard or the ground surrounding the dwelling should be given first consideration, because of the convenience both in working the garden and in gathering the products as wanted for use. If the grounds around the dwelling are too small or too densely shaded or if the soil is of such a character that vegetables can not be grown successfully upon

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Preparation of the Soil

With the location of the garden settled, the first step is the preparation of the soil. First, remove anything that would interfere with the plowing or spading of the soil. If the location is the home back yard it is assumed that the ground is free from débris and ready to be broken up. If the garden is to be located on a vacant lot it is probable that there will be stones, broken bricks, tin cans, and other trash to be gotten rid of. If the quantity of trash is not too great it should be hauled

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Tools

Elaborate or expensive tools are not necessary for the cultivation of a small garden; in fact, a spade or spading fork, a hoe, a steel rake, and a line with two stakes to fasten it to are all that are required. A garden trowel and a watering can may be added to advantage but are not absolutely necessary. A wheelbarrow, wheel cultivator, and seed drill are desirable for the larger gardens and might be procured and used jointly by several gardeners in a neighborhood. After the soil is broken and i

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Seeds

A comparatively small quantity of seeds is required for planting the average city garden, but these should be procured in ample time and should be of the highest quality obtainable. The best are the cheapest in the long run. Garden seeds should not be wasted; only enough should be planted to insure a perfect stand. Any seeds that are left over should be stored in a ventilated tin or glass container, to protect them from mice until needed for later planting. The particular variety of any crop to

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Starting Early Plants

Half the pleasure and profit of a garden is derived from having something to use just as early in the spring as possible. In many cities and towns last year the local greenhouse men grew thousands of plants which were sold to home gardeners at very reasonable prices. It often happens, however, that home gardeners do not have the opportunity to purchase well-grown plants, so they must start their own supply of early plants in the house or in a hotbed if they desire to have their crops mature earl

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Planting Zones

The accompanying planting tables, together with the frost-zone maps (figs. 9 and 10), are based upon records of the United States Weather Bureau covering a period of 20 years and are intended to serve as a guide for determining the earliest dates that the various garden crops may be planted in the spring; also the latest dates that it will be safe to plant certain crops and have them mature before the first killing frost in the autumn. It should be borne in mind that there is a difference of sev

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General Care of the Garden

A garden bears close acquaintance, and the successful gardener is the one who keeps in close contact with his crops throughout the entire growing season. A visit to the garden during the early morning while the dew hangs heavily upon every plant will reveal the happenings of the night. Perhaps some insect attack has started or some injury has occurred which requires immediate attention. A garden requires a little attention almost every day and responds in direct proportion to the care bestowed u

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Crops for the City Home Garden

As a rule not more than 10 or 12 different kinds of vegetables should be grown in the city home garden. These should be chosen from the standpoint of securing the greatest food value from a limited area. Certain of the very important food crops, such as Irish potatoes, peas, and sweet corn, require too much space for the small city garden, but should be included wherever the available space will permit. Owing to the extreme variation of local conditions, no definite plan can be given for the cit

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PLAN No. 281. MAKING CLOTHING FIREPROOF

To make clothing fireproof, and thus save hundreds of precious lives, dissolve one pound of ammonium phosphate in one gallon of cold water, and in this soak for five minutes the fabric to be fireproofed. Then dry, and it will not burn. It does not harm the material. It sells for about 25 cents a pound in the drug stores. Make it up and sell it at $1 per gallon. But when the cloth is washed it is no longer fireproof, until treated with this solution again....

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PLAN No. 282. MAKING PULLETS PAY

Buy pullets in the fall, give them good feed and care, and they will lay eggs all winter, making you a profit of several dollars per pullet. Sell them as hens the next spring and they will bring good prices for setting purposes, or as a table bird....

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PLAN No. 283. PUMPKINS IN POWDER FORM

Don’t can pumpkins. Slice thin, dry in the sun, then in an oven, and grind up in powder form. Put in cartons for sale. It makes more pies per pound than canned pumpkin. Have a good recipe tried out with your powdered pumpkin. Put the directions for use on your carton. Retail one-half pound cartons for 10 cents, or more, and it will make twice the number of pies that a 10-cent can of pumpkin will. Get local customers first, and later deal with a jobber or wholesaler....

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PLAN No. 284. MONEY IN HORSE-RADISH

Horse radish has made money for live men. Simply grate the horse radish and sell it when nice and fresh to the grocer, hotelkeeper, or to individual users. Horse radish is perennial and needs little or no care. A half-acre will produce a great amount of horse radish. To start it take whole ones, cut them in small pieces, and plant like potatoes....

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PLAN No. 285. PROFITABLE PLAIN SEWING

Women who used to spend hours and days in doing fancy but useless needle-work, now believe in doing the plain kind of sewing and getting paid for it. Making aprons, handkerchiefs, underskirts, and many similar articles, is a much more valuable use of spare time, which most women have. Lace-trimmed or monogramed handkerchiefs bring good prices....

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PLAN No. 286. PICKLING DANDELIONS

Gather dandelions by the ton, put them down in brine just as you would cucumber pickles. Retail them in the winter by the quart. This will make you extra money....

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PLAN No. 287. PLANTING ENDIVE FOR PICKLING

Plant endive on a city lot. This article can be treated in brine and cannot be told from fresh dandelion greens. Get regular customers for the entire winter. Supply stores, restaurants, etc....

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PLAN No. 288. EARLY CUCUMBERS

Very early cucumbers bring $1.00 per dozen. Start your cucumber plants early in strawberry boxes in the house. When they have four leaves on them, transplant, early in April, and you will have your cucumbers in the market before your neighbors have planted theirs. You could sell cucumber plants to your neighbors and to the stores also....

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PLAN No. 289. RAISING SWEET PEAS

Raise sweet peas. One ounce of seed will produce 10,000 blossoms, and florists pay around $3.00 per 1,000 for them. On an acre thirty ounces could be planted, or even on a city lot three ounces of seed can be raised and make you money....

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PLAN No. 290. A NOTION STORE AT HOME

A poor woman living in a Chicago suburb made a good living by laying in a small but well selected stock of notions at her home, which was a long distance from a store of any kind. She got these at wholesale prices, and sold them at regular retail rates, so she made sufficient profit to support herself in comfort, as the ladies in the neighborhood bought practically all their little notions from her....

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PLAN No. 291. MAKING COTTAGE CHEESE

Few foods are more palatable, more healthful or more economical than cottage cheese, when properly made. A California farmer’s wife makes hers from milk that is not too old, and often sours sweet milk by adding a little buttermilk to it. She cooks it in 5-gallon “shotgun” cans. As soon as the milk sets into a firm clabber she puts the cans into a 30-gallon tank of boiling water, connected with the kitchen stove by pipes and the usual waterback in the firebox, stirring the milk a little, and cutt

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PLAN No. 292. DEVELOPING AND PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHS

A city woman, fond of photography, made her spare time profitable by developing and printing photographs for others, and by taking orders for that class of work, and having it done by a local dealer, paying him 20 per cent of her earnings. As she purchased all her material from this dealer, it helped increase his sales also....

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PLAN No. 293. “CITRONETTE” CUCUMBERS

Raise cucumbers, and when ripe place on the market “citronette.” This is better than “sugared citron” and much cheaper. Recipe: Pick cucumbers when ripe; split in half; scrape out pulp. Put in salt brine for one or two days, then draw off brine and add one pound of sugar to each pound of cucumber rind; let stand over night for juice to draw, then place on back of stove and allow to simmer until translucent and most of the water has evaporated. Turn occasionally to keep from burning. When the wat

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PLAN No. 294. CANNING VEGETABLES, ETC.

Can vegetables, peas, beans, sweet corn, also fruit, and pickles. From a good farm paper select an advertiser offering “home-canning outfits,” and get his circulars. Buy an outfit. Get customers by placing a tempting ad. in your local paper, and by getting out attractive placards to be used by grocers who handle your goods. You can raise your own vegetables and fruit, or buy them from a farmer wholesale very reasonably....

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PLAN No. 295. SMALL-TOWN CATERING

A young lady who lives in a small city where there are many social functions, has found catering on these occasions quite profitable, and she thus relates her plan of operations: “I have furnished refreshments and acted as hostess for a social club of young men—usually thirty plates at fifty cents each. I serve fruit punch during the card game, and either a fruit salad or a meat salad, with crackers, ice cream or sherbet, cake and nuts, or mints. My profit is between five and six dollars. I also

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PLAN No. 296. PERFUME FOR A SICK ROOM

The following makes a very pleasant antiseptic perfume for a sick-room, imparting the odor of the pine woods, and is very grateful and refreshing to an invalid: Oil of bergamot, 6 drams; oil of orange, 1 dram; oil of rosemary, 1 dram; eucalyptol, 2 drams; bornyl acetate, 1 ⁄ 2 dram; tincture benzoin, 4 drams; water, 2 1 ⁄ 2 parts; alcohol to make one gallon. Mix and spray about the room whenever the air begins to indicate the necessity for freshening it....

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PLAN No. 297. RAISING CAPONS

One poultry man in a Kansas town got so much more for his young roosters than was paid to any other person in the same place for apparently similar stock, that several of them came to him to find out why this was the case. He replied that there was no secret about it, that he simply caponized the male birds at about four months of age; that this process not only made them grow much faster and larger, but gave their flesh a flavor no other bird possessed, and that when people had once tasted a yo

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PLAN No. 298. A LOSING GROCERY BUSINESS MADE A SUCCESS

Near a good-sized Texas town a man and his wife were trying to farm a piece of sun-baked land, and were making a failure of it, when the wife proposed that they start a small grocery. They had a few hundred dollars, and borrowed a little more, and with this they bought a small stock of groceries, but the growth of the business was so slow as to be disheartening. On her way down to their store one afternoon the woman noticed that trade was brisk in those places that presented a cleanly appearance

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PLAN No. 299. BRINGING WOMEN TO A STORE

It was a woman’s idea that brought scores of women to a store, where her husband was a clerk, who had never been in the place before, and coming in once, usually became regular customers. Her idea was very simple, but it worked splendidly. It was merely to have the management of the store put up a free bulletin board in a prominent place just inside the entrance, upon which women in need of maids, domestics, or help of any kind, could pin up a short notice of the place offered, the wages paid, s

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PLAN No. 300. A TRAVELING GROCERY

A southern woman’s husband was 30 years old, and a grocery clerk at $50 a month. Both were hoping for something better, when a good idea came to the wife. It was to start something new—a grocery on wheels! She had saved a few hundred dollars before her marriage, but had never told her husband, as she intended to surprise him with it when the proper time came—and that time had arrived. With this money to start with, she drew a plan for a wagon arranged with shelves and compartments for holding ca

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PLAN No. 301. SALES MANAGER BECOMES REALTY OWNER

The sales manager for a large Chicago concern was married, had three children, and was getting further and further behind every year, with debts that constantly increased. Then the wife thought out a plan that she hoped would bring a betterment in conditions, and decided to make it win. She began by selling their grand piano for $800 and buying a second-hand up-right for $185. Then she sold her buffet, china closet, two extra bedroom suites, four good rugs, several sets of silverware, some china

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PLAN No. 302. HOT SOUPS FOR BUSINESS GIRLS

A practical and profitable idea came to a woman in an eastern city when she thought of the large number of business girls and girls in government employ who so earnestly long for the taste of home-cooked foods, which they never get. Instantly she had formed her plan to put up ready-to-serve, homemade soups, potpies, beans, clam and fish chowders, and other things, to be delivered in glass jars, just at dinner time, to those girls who would love to have a hot meal at home, if they had anyone to c

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PLAN No. 303. BREAD AND CAKE BAKING SOLD TO WOMAN EXCHANGE

A married woman in New York, who had formerly been a stenographer but could not return to that work on account of her household duties, which included the care of two children, yet who was anxious to help in enlarging the family income, decided to bake cakes and sell them through various woman’s exchanges. Her sales were very good, but often there would be cakes left over, and, to avoid this, she changed her selling method so as to supply a certain number of families with bread and cakes. Her en

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PLAN No. 304. MAKING USE OF SURPLUS APPLES

In some sections of the country thousands of bushels of fine apples are allowed to go to waste every year, simply because there is no one to gather them and make practical use of them. A man in eastern Ohio, where the supply of apples is largely in excess of the demand, made profitable use of this apple surplus by a new method of concentrating cider, through freezing and centrifugal motion. This method consists of first freezing the raw cider until it is solid, by placing it in shallow trays and

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PLAN No. 305. SELLING EGGS AT A HIGH PRICE

Even in those times when eggs were selling to the middle man for 20 cents per dozen, a man who lived in the suburbs of an eastern city, and kept hens that laid large, rich-looking, golden brown eggs, worth twice as much as the tiny white ones in the dealers’ stalls, always sold every egg he could produce for 60 cents per dozen, or a nickel each. The way he did it was to advertise in the city papers that he would send eggs by parcel post the very day they were laid, and guaranteed them to be stri

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PLAN No. 306. FREE RECIPE BOOKS TO FARMERS

In order to interest city merchants in the possibilities open to them for country trade through the parcel post, and to interest the farmers in the goods carried by the city merchants, an advertising man in a western city thought out a plan that would do both. First, he secured the name of every farmer within fifty miles of the city in which he lived. Then he got up a little 16-inch page booklet, with an attractive cover, and filled one-half of every page with interesting and useful information

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PLAN No. 307. TRUST PLAN WORKED LOCALLY

A mail-order man back east decided to work trust plan by which he could keep in close touch with those selling the goods, and have settlements where necessary. From a catalog issued by a reliable house carrying a line of novelties adapted to the trust plan, he selected a few attractive ones which any child could sell at 10 cents each, and which cost him about $1.50 per gross, and these he advertised in the local papers, offering a premium to anyone selling a certain number of them. He was thus e

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PLAN No. 308. ICE WOOL SHAWLS BY PARCEL POST

Another good parcel-post idea was worked out with success by a mail-order man, as follows: He bought a quantity of ice wool shawls from a Chicago supply house, at a price which allowed him to retail them at 98 cents each, and still make a good profit. He secured the names of all the farmers’ wives within 150 miles, wrote a neat circular describing the beauty and stylishness of ice-wool shawls, and, wrapping one of these around each shawl, he sent them by parcel post, stating that if they wanted

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PLAN No. 309. CIGARS FOR FARMERS

A cigar man in Denver made up a special brand of cigars, placed two of them in a neat little case, and sent them by parcel post to several hundred farmers, with a note saying they were presented with the cigar maker’s compliments. He also enclosed a coupon, good for a certain premium with each box of cigars ordered. The cigars were good, and many of the samples sent out brought orders for a full box, at the regular price....

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PLAN No. 310. A NEW TRUST PLAN

Instead of that disagreeable method of selling goods—house to house canvassing—an agent in an Illinois city made use of the parcel post, with good results. Selecting the article he wished to sell, he prepared a strong circular fully describing it, and wrapped the article in this circular, ready to send out by parcel post. From the city directory he obtained a list of householders in various parts of the city, and mailed the article to them, with the statement that it was sent for inspection, and

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PLAN No. 311. A GOOD COUPON IDEA

A Chicago man who knew the truth of the saying, “a woman loves a bargain,” made a practical application of that principle to his own profit. From the catalog of a supply house he selected an article that could be bought for a few cents, in considerable quantities, and yet would be a good value when retailed at, say, 26 cents. In a local paper he placed an ad. descriptive of the article, with a coupon at the bottom, saying: “We have only a few of these on hand. If you wish one, send this coupon a

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PLAN No. 312. SELL GOODS ON INSTALLMENTS BY PARCEL POST

A Seattle man originated the plan of selling goods on the installment plan by parcel post, and made it succeed. Running an ad. in the local papers, describing the article for sale, he attached a coupon upon receipt of which the goods would be sent by parcel post for inspection. If approved and desired, the first installment was to be remitted at once, the others at stated intervals, but in all cases the names of two references were required. He sold quantities of goods, sustained no losses, and

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PLAN No. 313. MEDICAL VEGETABLE GARDEN

A San Francisco man, who knew something of the medical and other properties of Cannabis Americana , commonly known as hemp, experimented with it and found that it would grow in this country as well as in India, and decided it was a good thing. He procured enough seed to sow one acre of land, sewing it broadcast the same as oats or buckwheat. He kept the weeds down until it had obtained a good start, and, as it then grew fast as the weeds, it needed no further attention. In the fall he cut it, cu

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PLAN No. 314. IMPROVING A MARKET

A market-man’s wife, who wished to make her husband’s place of business the most popular in that part of the city, did so by planning the meals for about forty of their regular customers. She charged nothing for her services, kept well within the weekly limit of each family, and relieved the housewives of all anxiety in the matter of deciding what the menu for each day should consist of. It not only made them permanent customers, but enabled the storeman to order only what he knew would be sold

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PLAN No. 315. BOOSTED HUBBY’S BAKERY

A woman in California, who was impressed with the waste of gas and other fuels by women who devoted long hours to cooking “little dabs”, of oatmeal and other foods for their children, concluded to make that an unpopular and unprofitable pastime for these women, by having such things all cooked in her husband’s bakery, where there would be no waste, while it saved hundreds of mothers many anxious hours and tedious toil that were wholly unnecessary. Her husband agreed with her that it would be a g

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PLAN No. 316. MAKING STOCKING PATTERNS

A lady in Reno, Nevada, who had long deplored the woeful waste involved in the throwing away of women’s stockings as soon as a small hole appears in the foot, hit upon an excellent plan for effecting a great saving in this regard, and one that at the same time brought her a good income. Her plan was to make patterns for stocking feet, as the material in one pair of women’s hose will re-foot three or four pairs, and thus save the cost of a new pair when all that needs replacing is the small foot

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PLAN No. 317. A RHUBARB BED THAT PAID

A grocer’s wife, with only a few square feet in the back yard of a city lot, cultivated a rhubarb bed that paid for itself hundreds of times over, and required but little care from the time it was started. She obtained several pieces of old root stock from a variety she knew to be of the very best, and in the spring had the ground spaded up and pulverized until it was almost like powder, then she added some good fertilizer, and set out the roots in hills four feet apart each way, leaving the top

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PLAN No. 318. PUREBRED POULTRY

An Eastern Washington farmer, who had raised scrub poultry for years, without ever being able to decide whether or not they were really worth their keep, finally decided to raise pure-breds, and now feels justified in making the change, as the returns from his high-grade fowls have been large. He simply selected the breed he liked best, and gave them the care to which birds of high degree are entitled, and they have repaid him many times over for his efforts. He now finds he can get more for a s

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PLAN No. 319. SORTING AND SELLING

A preacher’s wife, living in Michigan, has had to support the family for the last fifteen years, and this she has accomplished by cultivating a truck farm a few miles from the city in that state. From this she derives an income adequate for all immediate needs. Her good judgment and experience in the selection, sorting and selling of farm and garden products have made her an expert. Her services command a high figure and she earns a good living each year through this skill....

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PLAN No. 320. ARCHITECT—SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 321. DUSTLESS DUSTERS AND OIL MOPS

A woman in a New Mexico city, where dust is one of the most plentiful of products, earned a good living by making and selling dustless dusters and oil mops to the people of her town. To make a dustless duster, mix—out of doors, of course—1 quart of gasoline, 1 ⁄ 2 pint of turpentine, 1 ⁄ 2 pound of whiting and 1 ⁄ 2 ounce oxalic acid. Mix in a 2-quart fruit jar. Shake the cloths well, then dip into the mixture, and hang out on the line to dry. The above amount is enough for making several dustle

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PLAN No. 322. WHAT A BUSY COUNTRY GIRL DID

A little farmer girl, who is not a bit afraid of work, earns enough to clothe her nicely every year, and here are some of the ways she does it: Picks strawberries in June, at 2 cents a box; earns five dollars. Picks huckleberries and blackberries in July and August; makes from eighteen to twenty dollars. Gathers wild grapes in September, and sells them at $1 per bushel or 50 cents for a peach basket full. Gathers hickory nuts in October, and sells them from Thanksgiving to Christmas at $2.25 to

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PLAN No. 323. A WIFE WHO BOUGHT A STORE

A street-car conductor on a Massachusetts street-car line, some twenty years, would probably be a conductor still if it hadn’t been for his wife, who took the initiative in launching an enterprise that finally robbed him of his $16-a-week job and gave him one as joint owner, with his better-half, of six prosperous stores, any one of which would make a good living for an ordinary family, besides a fine home in the country. The long hours and close attention of his position as conductor was wearin

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PLAN No. 324. CLEANED AND REPAIRED CISTERNS

A man who made his living by doing odd jobs found the cleaning and repairing of cisterns about the most profitable work he could find to do. Using a hand-pump to remove the water, he would go down into the cistern and scrub the walls clean with a broom, then dip up and remove the dirty water and debris from the bottom. Then he would throw in several buckets of clean water to wash down any particles of dirt remaining, dip this all out, and the cistern was clean. But repairing was necessary in mos

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PLAN No. 325. GREASE-ERADICATING TABLETS

A very convenient grease-spot remover, made in tablet or stick form, was put up and sold in large quantities by a traveling man, who realized how easy it would be to use it while on the road. This is the formula he used: Soft soap, 2 pounds; powdered Fullers earth, 2 pounds; turpentine, 6 fluid ounces. Mix the soap with the earth, gradually working in the turpentine, and give a dash of cheap scent, such as nitro benzol or even lemon oil. Then fashion into sticks or cakes. The spot or stain is fi

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PLAN No. 326. A SOCIAL REGISTER

The society reporter of a leading daily newspaper in a middle western city, who enjoyed an extensive acquaintance among the prominent people of the place, devoted her vacation to accumulating the material for a “social register” in addition to the knowledge she already possessed regarding the foremost families of the city. She was on intimate terms with most of the society leaders, and therefore had but little difficulty in inducing them to pay her $2 each for including the family name in the re

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PLAN No. 327. CHARACTER READING FROM PHOTOGRAPHS

There are comparatively few persons who are really qualified to make a success of this work, but once in a while some person is found who can give a very close analysis of the individual character. A young lady in Indianapolis, who possessed this gift, made a great success of this work, and not only gave satisfaction to those who sent photos for her reading, but derived a good living from it. She advertised in the “personal” columns of several widely circulated newspapers that she would describe

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PLAN No. 328. SELLING ICE CREAM, BANANAS, ETC., IN THE COUNTRY

A city man, who had formerly lived in the country realized how welcome would be the sight of a covered express wagon, containing a sign, “Ice Cream, Pop Corn and Bananas,” coming up the road toward a farm house on a long lonesome Sunday afternoon. Why, everybody would be customers, and that gave him an idea. He owned just the kind of rig that would serve this purpose, and all he needed was a neatly printed canvas sign tacked on each side of the frame that supported the cover. A sign painter soon

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PLAN No. 329. MOLASSES CANDY

White sugar, 2 pounds; sugarhouse syrup, 1 pint; best molasses, 1 pint. Boil until a little of it hardens when dropped into cold water, then work in the usual manner. This enjoyed a tremendous popularity, and yielded an immense profit....

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PLAN No. 330. PEPPERMINT CREAMS

White sugar, 1 pound; essence of peppermint, 1 teaspoonful; add sufficient water to work into a stiff paste, roll into thick sheets, and cut out with a round stamp of the required size. Profit enough in this to support an entire family....

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PLAN No. 331. CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Boil a quart of best molasses until it darkens, then put in water. Before removing from the fire, add 4 ounces of fine chocolate. Pour a thin layer into tin trays slightly greased, and when it hardens a little cut into small squares. His customers never seemed to get enough of these....

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PLAN No. 332. A FINE NUT CANDY

Nut candies are always in demand, and those he made as follows were particularly delicious: Put the meats of walnuts, hickory nuts, peanuts, or any other kind desired, to the depth of half an inch, on the bottom of tins previously greased. Boil together 2 pounds of brown sugar, 1 pint of water, and 1 gill of molasses, until a portion of it hardens when cool. Pour the hot syrup on the meats, and allow it to remain until hard, then break it into small chunks. This was one of his biggest money-make

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PLAN No. 333. FIG PASTE

Chop a pound of figs fine, and boil in a pint of water until reduced to a soft pulp. Strain through a fine sieve, add 8 pounds of sugar, and evaporate over boiling water until the paste becomes quite stiff. Form the paste into thick sheets, and divide into small pieces with a thin-bladed knife. Roll the pieces in powdered sugar, and pack in wooden boxes. A delicious and healthful confection that proved its popularity all the year round....

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PLAN No. 334. SUPERB CHEWING GUM

No matter how great the supply of chewing gum becomes, the demand for it always exceeds the supply. There is none better than the following, which was one of his biggest sellers: Chicle, 7 pounds; paraffin wax, 2 pounds, Tolu balsam, 4 ounces; Peru balsam, 2 ounces. Dissolve the gum in as much water as it will take up, melt the paraffine and mix all together. Now take finely granulated sugar, 20 pounds; glucose, 8 pounds; water 6 pints. Put the sugar and glucose into the water, dissolve and boil

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PLAN No. 335. SPRUCE CHEWING GUM

Spruce gum, 20 parts; chicle, 20 parts; powdered sugar, 20 parts. Melt the gum separately, mix while hot, and immediately add the sugar, a small portion at a time, kneading it thoroughly on a hot slab. When thoroughly mixed, roll and cut into sticks. One of the most popular and profitable chewing gums made....

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PLAN No. 336. CLERKS FOR U. S. GOVERNMENT. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 337. DISTRIBUTING CIRCULARS

Even in a large city, where bill-board and distributing agencies are already operating, there is still room for an energetic man to make a good living by working independently. A man in a western city did this: By giving honest service at reasonable prices, he worked up a nice, paying business, all his own, inside of a year’s time. He not only obtained work by personal solicitation among the home merchants, but mailed neat circular letters to large advertisers in other towns, and advertised occa

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PLAN No. 338. GENERAL HOUSE-REPAIRING

When an Omaha man had lost all his property, and began to think he was “down and out,” he suddenly remembered that he was a regular “jack of all trades”; that he could do almost anything around a house, and that there was a good living for him in making use of his talents. With a few dollars he had left after the collapse of his business, he rented a small shop in a central location, and had some circulars printed stating that he would do all sorts of repair work needed around residences, such a

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PLAN No. 339. BUYING OLD BARRELS

An old man in a western city makes a profit of $25 or more a week by buying used barrels from grocers and others and selling them to manufacturers for about twice what he pays for them. There are several firms in his city that buy all the barrels they can get, and those that have been used answer the purpose just as well as new ones. He first makes contracts with these firms to deliver so many barrels per week at a certain price. Then he drives around in a little wagon to all the groceries and o

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PLAN No. 340. SELLING POPPED WILD RICE

Selling popped corn is an old story, but selling popped wild rice is decidedly new. A man in San Francisco has done this for some time, and made good money out of it. Wild rice is a complete food in itself, is used largely by Northwestern Indians, and costs about 20 cents a pound, in 100-pound lots, while it retails readily at 60 to 75 cents a pound, as it is put in smaller packages than popcorn. When popped, it swells and breaks open, and is very brittle and delicious. He also sells the whole r

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PLAN No. 341. RENEWING TYPEWRITER RIBBONS

A Chicago man paid $6.50 for a machine for making, renewing and re-inking typewriter ribbons, and built up a good, paying business in a very few months. With this machine new ribbons can be made for about one-fourth the present prices, and it renews worn ones at a cost of one cent each. It is very simple and easily operated. He had 1,000 cards printed, saying: “Don’t throw away your worn typewriter ribbons. I will pay you 2 cents each for them.” These cards he distributed in business offices, an

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PLAN No. 342. RAN A PADDLE-WHEEL

Two boys at a popular eastern resort made a living by operating a paddle-wheel—one of the simplest yet most profitable enterprises one could find. The wheel was a small wooden affair, something like the wheel of an old-style baby carriage, and in the front side of the rim were driven twelve wire nails, an equal distance apart, which stuck out about an inch and a half, and the spaces between the nails were numbered from one to twelve, with about 1-inch figures (clipped from a calendar, pasted on

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PLAN No. 343. MONEY IN POTATO CHIPS

An Illinois woman who wanted to help out in meeting the insurance premium on her husband’s life policy, realized a good profit from making and selling potato chips, which in nine weeks netted her $80, besides selling $100 worth of home-baked doughnuts at a good profit. Make the chips slice very thin, with a slicer. Have ready a pot or two of real boiling hot grease. After the slices have soaked about two hours in real cold water, fill a wire basket full of sliced potato and let drain a short tim

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PLAN No. 344. BLIND MAN MAKES MONEY

A blind soldier, at a soldiers’ home in Illinois, earns money by making fancy articles and ornaments of different colored beads. The number of notches on each box designated the color of the beads therein, and he very seldom makes a mistake. These ornaments are very pretty, and visitors, as well as people in the town, buy many of them at good prices. That poor old blind soldier is not complaining of hard times, no matter how many younger people with good eyesight complain....

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PLAN No. 345. ASSAYER-ASSISTANT. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 346. SUPPLYING HOUSE NUMBERS

Making and placing house numbers is the kind of work a Washington man follows with profit. His method is to first determine on the height of the figure—3 inches high being about right. Then cut a set of plain block figure stencils, from 0 to 9, and mark the outline of the figure on a plate of zinc of suitable size. Then trace the figure with white enamel and, when dry, scrape off any enamel that overlaps the outline of the figures. The background is then painted with bicycle enamel. When dry, pu

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PLAN No. 347. POST CARD SERIES

A New York lady who had accompanied her husband on his vacation in the mountains became, by accident, the originator of a pleasing and profitable idea. She had promised several friends to write them often concerning the many experiences of the trip, but found her time so taken up that all she could find time to write was a few post cards. Even then, she was interrupted while writing the first one by her husband calling her to hurry up, as they were to go to a certain lake at a certain hour, so s

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PLAN No. 348. GETTING MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS BY MAIL

An eastern lady of considerable literary talent and business ability, who could not canvass figured out the following plan: Securing the agency for several of the most popular magazines, she made a list of her friends, and at odd hours she wrote them, mentioning the fact that she was agent for certain magazines, and calling particular attention to some special feature in which she knew each lady to be interested. She concluded by assuring them that she should regard it as a personal favor if the

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PLAN No. 349. MAKING RUBBER STAMPS

That there is good money in the making of rubber stamps, is proven by the experience of a 20-year-old youngster who started in business for himself in a western town of 8,000 inhabitants. He bought a complete outfit, consisting of a vulcanizer, screw-press, assorted type, etc., for $25, and as he had learned to set type in the office of the local weekly paper, the business was easily learned. Here is the way he started: Set up the desired name and address in common type, oil the type and place a

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PLAN No. 350. PICTURE FRAMING

In a small Illinois town, where there was no competition from the big city concerns that claim to do this work for practically nothing, an elderly gentleman who had formerly been employed by a big picture-framing house in Chicago built up a nice little business by framing pictures and doing his work reasonably. He rented space in the rear of a news depot, and bought a well selected assortment of mouldings from his old firm at wholesale prices. He purchased a mitre box, saw, hammer, glue-pot and

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PLAN No. 351. SELLING POPCORN

While some people, who do not know any better, may smile at the man engaged in so small a business as selling popcorn and peanuts, the persons who do the selling know there is money in it if properly conducted. A man in an eastern city spent his last few dollars in buying a two-wheeled cart, fitted with a glass case on top, bought a gasoline lamp, a popper and a few pounds of popcorn and started out to make a living. His profits the first day were $2.25, but that was the smallest day’s business

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PLAN No. 352. DRESSING FOR CARRIAGE OR AUTOMOBILE TOPS

An automobile salesman in an eastern city experimented with various kinds of dressings for leather tops on carriages or automobiles, until he finally struck the right combination, and found such a demand for it that he resigned his position in order to manufacture it. Here are the ingredients used and their various proportions: Orange shellac, 30 ounces; Venice turpentine, 1 ounce; castor oil, 1 ounce; gum sandrac, 1 ounce; nigrosin, 1 ounce; wood alcohol, 9 pints and 6 ounces. Mix all together

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PLAN No. 353. OPENED A NEWS DEPOT

On a capital of $25, a 19-year-old boy in a western town of 1,000 people opened a news depot in a small way, yet made it pay him a profit of $900 the first year, and it now pays several times that amount. An eastern news bureau supplies him, through its agency in the nearest city, with all the paper-bound books, magazines, weekly and monthly periodicals for which there is a demand, and takes back the copies unsold. He also added a small line of cigars and tobacco, secured the agency for a steam

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PLAN No. 354. ATTORNEY FOR INTERSTATE COMMERCE. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 355. HE SOLD BUTTERMILK

A young farmer lad who wanted to live in the city, found a way in which that could be done, without any danger of his going hungry, or of being obliged to look for a job. Knowing the value of buttermilk as a food and a drink, he decided to go into the business of selling it. There was a large creamery near the city in which he had chosen to cast his fortune and he visited the manager to learn the lowest price at which he could be supplied with fresh buttermilk every day in quantities of not less

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PLAN No. 356. NEWSPAPER OBTAINED BUSINESS BY LONG DISTANCE PHONE

The owner of one of the leading papers in Cheyenne, Wyoming, during the oil boom found that the Denver papers were obtaining all the advertising while his paper, which was in the oil district, was not receiving any business. He knew it would be difficult, if not impossible, to send a salesman to Denver and obtain this business. The matter was discussed pro and con in his office as to how this business could be obtained. He told his advertising man about a plan of getting business by day-letter—u

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PLAN No. 357. CLUB PLAN FOR HOUSEHOLD GOODS

A man who had been in several suit clubs, where each member pays in $1 a week for a certain number of weeks, and a suit is drawn every week, thus getting it for whatever he had paid in, be it $1, $10, or $40, wondered why the same plan wouldn’t work just as well with sewing machines, stoves, ranges, carpets, rugs, etc., as with suits. After thinking it over he concluded it would. Then he started to work out a plan. Having about $500 of his own, he rented a small store on a side street, fitted it

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PLAN No. 358. STREET CAR TIME CARD ON CLOCK

A wide-awake advertising man in the Middle West worked out a plan that was good, inasmuch as it gave accurate information every hour of the day or night as to the exact leaving time of all the street cars. He obtained a dozen good sized clocks, set up in different parts of the city, and the Clock Co. kept them in perfect time for 50 cents per week each. A large board, neatly painted, and lettered, was made the background of the clock, and on this was shown the exact time at which all street cars

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PLAN No. 359. MAKING HAIR CHAINS

A lady in Illinois, has for years earned considerable money by making chains from human hair, and selling them to both men and women. Chains for men are from 9 to 10 inches long, and sell for $1 to $5 each. Those for women are about 22 inches in length and the charge for making these ranges from $3 to $10 each. She has been at this work so long that she has developed great speed in making the chains, and she has no difficulty in finding a market for her products. She has a comfortable and steady

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PLAN No. 360. NEWSPAPER MAN OBTAINED BUSINESS WHEN SICK

He was the owner of a daily paper in a town, which had secured a stock convention. This convention was to take place in a week and here he was sick in bed and unable to secure business from his advertisers. Thinking the situation over one day the idea came to him, why not prepare their advertisements from the copy they had previously used and then send a day letter and make a bid for their business. This idea he acted on at once. He fortunately found a copy of a paper carrying advertisements for

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PLAN No. 361. EYE SPECIALIST

Perhaps one of the neatest and best conducted businesses I ever visited was run by an eye specialist in a city of the Northwest. I have known personally many specialists but few could compare with this man. No matter how full the office was one received prompt attention when he entered. As soon as I entered his office I was met by a good, wholesome looking girl, card in hand, asking my name, address, phone and business; stated the doctor was very busy but that she would make a preliminary inquir

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PLAN No. 362. OUTSIDE HOUSE-CLEANING

Everybody, of course, is more or less familiar with the ordinary kind of house-cleaning, but it remained for an enterprising young fellow in Nevada, to introduce an entirely new style of the industry. His work was the cleaning, not of the inside but of the outside of houses. There is plenty of it left for other men to do, in thousands of towns in this country. Plan No. 362. Diligence is the Mother of Good Luck In his town many of the houses are frame, and he had noticed many of the more pretenti

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PLAN No. 363. ADVERTISING ON FLY PAPER

Most advertising men think they have brought out all possible forms of publicity, but one of them in San Francisco thought of an entirely new idea, and worked it to perfection. His plan was to make and distribute fly paper free, containing advertisements which were also printed upon it free of charge. You can’t see how he could make anything out of that? Well, he saw a way. He cut thin manilla paper into sheets 10x16 inches, upon which he had printed six ads., each 4x4 inches, and covered these

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PLAN No. 364. THE APPLES AND THE PARCEL POST

A woman who lived in a section where there were but few good orchards, one of which was on the farm she and her husband owned, several miles from a city, made money from carefully selected apples, three dozen in a box, which she sent to the city by parcel post, and sold for 50 cents a box. The apples, of a choice variety, were so plentiful in this particular orchard, that many of them would have gone to waste but for her foresight in advertising them to be delivered at that rate by parcel post,

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PLAN No. 365. FROM CHINA PAINTING TO SAUSAGE MAKING

Making sausage—even the very best of sausage—may not seem quite so romantic and “genteel” as china painting, but a very sensible and talented woman, who had tried both, concluded to stick to the sausage making, mainly for the greater revenues it produced. To begin with, she had always been noted for the extra fine quality of her home-made sausage, so she was not obliged to learn the business. She informed her friends and neighbors that she was prepared to fill all orders, and the orders came qui

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PLAN No. 366. WHAT A TEACHER DID “ON THE SIDE”

A teacher in Iowa improved her vacation by stenciling various designs, such as coats of arms, family crests, etc., on sofa pillows and various other articles of household and personal adornment. This occupation, while very fascinating, was so novel as to attract wide attention and create an unusual demand for that class of work, and the teacher who introduced it into society circles in her home town was soon in receipt of many orders. She later gave up her school work, to take up stenciling, as

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PLAN No. 367. MADE MONEY IN SALTED PEANUTS

Preparing salted peanuts is an art, yet one that is easily learned, and yields large profits. A young man in a western city of 12,000 to 15,000 inhabitants learned how to do it, and made it a profitable business on a small capital. The new method he employed was as follows: Take a suitable amount of the shelled peanuts and boil in oil until well done, after which remove them from the oil and spread thinly over a tin-covered table; then sprinkle the desired quantity of fine salt over them immedia

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PLAN No. 368. SELLING POWDER WITH A PREMIUM

To offer a premium as a means of inducing people to buy even an inferior article sometimes succeeds, but here is the case of a Denver man who not only offered an article of superior merit, but also gave a useful premium with each sale, and it won him a patronage that was permanent and profitable. The article he had for sale was a lustre powder for cleaning any kind of metal, paint or woodwork, and, although it consisted only of pure common whiting, with a little oil of lavender to perfume it, it

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PLAN No. 369. LAWYER WHO ATTENDS TO BUSINESS

The average lawyer admittedly is a poor business man, because of his neglect to study the ordinary methods of business. When he takes your case he often proceeds to handle many details you know nothing about which takes up his time and often much skill on his part. All these steps, as a matter of fact, should be known to you so that you may give him credit for his time and energy he has put in on your behalf. His failure to call such matter to your attention means if he charges you for the time

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PLAN No. 370. WASHINGTON MAN GOES THROUGH EASTERN UNIVERSITY

He knew he must have the same opportunity to make good as other men and he also knew if he was to be a lawyer he must study law. He worked for one year but did not obtain one cent for his labor and during the summer of that year he decided to enter an eastern university. He felt somehow that he must go, and he decided that, money or no money, he would. For $15 he had a tailor friend of his fix up two old suits and a light top-coat of his brother’s, and with these clothes which would last him for

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PLAN No. 371. THE WAY A BOY FROM INDIANA WENT THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

He was full of energy and not afraid to use it. He had no money, but he felt it was necessary for him to take an engineering course. How could this be done without money? He was half convinced that there was a way, and one day there were two men from the University of Michigan selling books in his home town. He became acquainted with them and found that they had no money and were spending their vacation in his town raising money to complete their courses. It was too late for him to go to work wi

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PLAN No. 372. A STUDENT’S WAY THROUGH COLLEGE

He was a quiet going young fellow and always had a smile but had very little to say—as a matter of fact he had no gift as a talker. I remember he had a very pretty girl at school and she had one wish and that was, for Charlie to talk more. But when it came to class work, Charlie always hit the “bull’s eye.” He knew bluff and enthusiasm did not count there but the right answer went a long way. Charlie was without funds and could not sell, so his case seemed hopeless, but he found work which just

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PLAN No. 373. HE WENT THROUGH THE LAW COLLEGE AT WASHINGTON, D. C.

His father was always active in politics and raised his son on the plan to depend on himself. When his son finished high school, the question was, how to finance his college course. He wanted to be a lawyer and he desired as broad a training as possible. His father’s answer to his inquiry about the college expense was, “I know my son has ability sufficient to finance himself through college.” The father was right but, nevertheless, he helped the boy to an appointment in one of the departments at

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PLAN No. 374. FARMER IN A MINING DISTRICT

He was a good natured bachelor of good habits who felt he might as well live in the country with plenty as to work hard to live in the city and submit to the inconvenience of having ordinary food and poor neighbors. So in 1907 he went to Grand Forks, B. C., and there took up a homestead on the Washington side, which cost but a few dollars. This was a simple thing to do, as many men do the same in the northwest, but he immediately cultivated thirty-two acres, built a log house and out buildings.

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PLAN No. 375. AN INK THAT STANDS ALL TESTS

An eastern state recently adopted the following formula for its official black ink, after learning through the severest tests that it stands exposure to the sun for three months; exposure to all sorts of out door weather for six months; exposure to water, and soaking in water and alcohol. A man who knew what the formula was, desiring to make a business of selling an ink so reliable, made it up in large quantities, and found it to be just as good as claimed. This is the formula: Tannic acid, 1 ⁄

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PLAN No. 376. BAKER—INDIAN SERVICE U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 377. A CEMENT STICK THAT STICKS

A Virginia man found that by investing 85 cents in the materials required for making cement sticks he could get back $25, when sold at retail. This is the way he makes it. Common glue, and from 1 ⁄ 4 to 1 ⁄ 2 as much cheap sugar; melt them together in a glue pot, then pour in pans 1 ⁄ 4 an inch deep. As it cools cut in strips 1 inch wide and 4 inches long, pointing one end in the shape of a chisel. Have a label printed to cover about one-half the stick, giving the name and uses of the stick, wit

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PLAN No. 378. ICELESS REFRIGERATOR

Especially during the hot summer months does the refrigerator become an imperative necessity, yet there are thousands of homes to which the prices of the ordinary kinds are beyond their means, and thousands more, especially in the country, where ice is unobtainable. A man living in a western city, who had learned the secret as well as the value of the water bag, while traveling across the desert, applied his knowledge of evaporation to the construction of an iceless refrigerator in his own home,

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PLAN No. 379. RAISING BELGIAN HARES

Few people realize the profits to be derived from raising Belgian hares, when the small amount of capital and labor involved is considered. But a 16 year-old boy in the northwestern part of the state of Washington had a very good idea as to what could be made in this small industry, and he went to work in a systematic way that his seniors might well imitate. Starting with one male and three does, he was surprised to learn that under ordinary circumstances a doe will produce six litters in a year

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PLAN No. 380. LIQUID GLASS—THREE IN ONE

Of course you’ve heard of liquid glass as an egg preservative; but did you ever know it has no equal as a paste for making labels stick to tin cans, or that it is the principal ingredient in the best glue on the market for mending china, crockery, glassware, etc.? A bright young fellow, who had a small drug store in a western town, knew all these things, and also knew where liquid glass could be bought, in quantities, as low as 20 cents per gallon. He bought five barrels of it, just as a starter

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PLAN No. 381. SHARPENING RAZOR BLADES

It isn’t every machine made for sharpening safety razor blades, or every person operating even a good machine, that can do this work as it should be done. In fact, most of the blade sharpening now being done is very poor, and only a few really know how to do it. A Seattle woman, who had merely a little room between two buildings on a prominent street, not only knew exactly how to perform this delicate task, but also had procured one of the very best makes of machines for that purpose. The regula

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PLAN No. 382. FUMIGATING HEN-HOUSE STRIPS

A chicken fancier in a small western town, who had used fumigating nest eggs to good purpose, was aware that the roost was fully as favorable to the propagation of chicken-lice as is the nest, and concluded that a fumigating strip along the top of each roost would destroy or rout the vermin from there also. The composition of which these fumigating strips are made is much more lasting and effective than either liquid or powder preparations, and therefore less expensive. The formula is as follows

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PLAN No. 383. SELLING LIMES BY MAIL

Fully as delicious and healthful as lemons, if not more so, limes are not nearly so well known or in such general use as they should be. Dispensers of fancy drinks, however, know their value, and will pay good prices for them. A Seattle man who knew considerably about the prices charged by wholesale and commission houses for limes, and the dilatory manner in which they filled small orders, wrote to a New York importer of limes asking their lowest quotation on limes in barrel lots, and was surpri

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PLAN No. 384. TRAINING SCHOOL FOR OFFICE BOYS

Not that office boys are scarce, by any means. It is only the good ones who are scarce, and it was for the purpose of making all office boys good ones, that a former professor in a prominent Chicago business college took up the idea of an office boys’ training school. A year or two ago he interviewed a number of leading business men in Chicago on the subject, and found them enthusiastic in their support of the plan, as they had suffered many inconveniences through the tendency of office boys in

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PLAN No. 385. GAVE TALKING MACHINES AWAY

It isn’t every one who believes he could make a very large sum on an investment of $100, but here is the story of a man in Los Angeles who thought he knew of a way in which it could be done. From a New York firm, he purchased twenty small but good talking-machines, including disc records, for $2.50 each. He prepared a very fine silver polish, put up in one-ounce envelopes, to be sold at 10 cents each. He next had printed a number of attractive showcards for windows, and several thousand merchand

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PLAN No. 386. CIRCULATING MUSIC LIBRARY

We will call him John Smith—partly because that was not his name, but mainly because it is short and easy to remember. John’s father had been a piano tuner, and also sold phonographs, records and small musical accessories, but he didn’t advertise, and his business fell off so that at his death there was nothing left except his little music store and the humble home—both of which, however, were paid for. The son tried to revive the business through the mail-order route, but failed, and was trying

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PLAN No. 387. “KNOCK-DOWN” PICTURE FRAMES

In every home in the land are many valuable pictures that are lying around loose, with excellent prospects of being soiled, torn or lost, simply because the owners of them to do not feel able to pay the high prices asked for frames already made, or made to order. A Kansas City man, who thoroughly understood this condition, decided upon a plan by which thousands of these pictures could be enclosed in handsome and appropriate frames at comparatively little cost. Being handy with tools, and having

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PLAN No. 388. SANITARY HANDKERCHIEFS

An observing young woman who had noticed how often many people find themselves without a clean, dry handkerchief, under certain critical conditions, and how greatly they would appreciate an opportunity to secure one, evolved a plan by which they could be conveniently and economically supplied. This is how she did it! Visiting a wholesale house, she learned that she could purchase a soft laundered handkerchief of fairly good quality, in lots of 1,000 or more, for 3 cents each. She also arranged f

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PLAN No. 389. A PARCEL-POST EXCHANGE

A young farmer in Illinois, who knew only too well that the city dealer always sets the price upon the farmers’ products, as well as upon his own goods, thought he saw an opportunity to help the producer get more for what he had to sell, pay less for what he had to buy, and make some money for himself besides. He had about $1,000 in cash, and, removing to the city, he rented a small store and got in touch with a large mail-order house that agreed to sell him certain articles, especially for the

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PLAN No. 390. GROUP-CIRCULARIZING

A wide-awake advertising man in a western city employed a plan for sending out circulars that not only reached every farmer in his county, and brought a large volume of trade to certain merchants in his own city and surrounding towns, but netted him a regular income of over $2,000 a year. And it cost him less than $250 to get the business started. He traveled by automobile to each township in the county, and calling upon the various township clerks he secured the name of every farmer, with his c

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PLAN No. 391. MADE COMMON PICTURES LOOK LIKE OIL PAINTINGS

Here is the way a man, who knew very little about drawing or painting, made any ordinary picture look like an expensive oil painting, and made a living by doing this work. He did it according to the following instructions: “Take common window-glass the size of your picture and clean it well; take 6 ounces balsam of fir and 3 ounces turpentine; put them in a bottle and shake well together until thoroughly mixed. Now give one side of the glass a heavy coat of the mixture, then place the picture on

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PLAN No. 392. SOLD ANOTHER MAN’S SOAP

An agent who had been very successful as a house-to-house canvasser, but was temporarily without a line of goods to handle, decided to try a new plan with soap, and found it so profitable that he adopted it permanently. Visiting a large factory in his city, where special brands of soap were made to order, he arranged to have made for him a first-class toilet soap of the usual size, each cake to be neatly wrapped in a fancy printed wrapper bearing the name of the soap and a company name he had ad

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PLAN No. 393. MAKING RAISED-LETTER SIGNS

A young man in Detroit, with an invalid mother and two small sisters to support, found it difficult to earn sufficient to meet necessary expenses, until a friend of the family told him of the opportunity afforded for good returns through the making of raised-letter signs by means of an air-pencil outfit. He even loaned the young man $2.50 with which to purchase one of the outfits, and assured him he needed no experience, as a little practice would enable him to become proficient in the work. The

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PLAN No. 394. MONEY IN CEREAL COFFEE

Through making a cereal coffee from pure ingredients, which proved an excellent substitute for ordinary coffee, and was free from the injurious alkaloid of the coffee of commerce, a young married woman in St. Louis built up a modest yet ample business for herself, and earned the praise of thousands of customers besides. The cereal coffee she made was prepared as follows: Rye, 12 pounds; horse beans, 1 pound. Roast in a big oven pan over a quick fire, greasing the pan with a little butter. When r

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PLAN No. 395. GIRL EARNED A COLLEGE EDUCATION

How a young lady entered Oberlin College with $60, and came out at the end of three years with a good education and $50 besides. She earned her board, tuition and incidental expenses by canvassing, working in a dining-room, clerking in a store, assisting at class receptions, doing housework, tutoring, and working in the college library....

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PLAN No. 396. WOMAN OBTAINS MUSICAL EDUCATION ON $45

A young lady who wished to become a music teacher went through College nicely on $45 cash—and a lot of hard work to make up the deficit. Registering at a well known conservatory of music in an eastern city, she secured work in the dining hall connected with the home department. This paid for her room and board, piano rent, medical attention and $15 tuition in any study she might select. She added to this by accompanying voice pupils while practicing, and by playing accompaniments at receptions,

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PLAN No. 397. A WOMAN GETS AN EDUCATION AND $500

Very few girls can expect to go to a university with $50 in their pockets and come out not only with the education they were seeking and $500 in cash besides. But there was one girl who did this. Being a good stenographer and typist, she soon had plenty of work. She took up mimeographing, which paid well, and later was engaged to help one of the professors prepare the matter for a book he was writing. This gave her a desk of her own in the economics department, where she helped to complete the b

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PLAN No. 398. RAISING GOLD FISH

Two women, living together, built in their yard a shallow pond of rocks, cemented together so as to hold water, surrounding this with a second row of rocks, not cemented, and filled the space between with earth, in which were set mosses and delicate plants, thus giving the pond a broad rim of dainty growing things. Then they bought six goldfish—the pretty, dumpy sort, with long flowing tails—and placed them in the pond which was about two feet deep in the center. This was in the spring, and in t

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PLAN No. 399. WOMAN GRADUATED WITH $400 DEBTS PAID

A girl who entered an eastern university on $400, borrowed money, made $120 the first year as an accompanist in an orchestra; $160 by giving piano lessons; $45 by reading aloud in French to two old ladies; $400 by tutoring; earning $735 in all during her sophomore year. She easily paid back the $400 she had borrowed, paid all her expenses, including tuition, and was just even with the world when she graduated at the end of the third year....

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PLAN No. 400. TAUGHT DANCING IN SPARE TIME

A young man in a New York town, who had become an expert dancer, while attending college was asked to take the place of the local dancing master in his town during a temporary illness. Not feeling quite equal to the task, he went to the city, attended a first-class dancing school, learned all the intricate details, the system, etc., and came back to his home town ready to accept the position tendered. When he showed his pupils the superiority of his methods over those of the local teacher, they

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PLAN No. 401. MONEY IN TOY BALLOONS

A man who had for years been a clown in a circus, but desired to change to something more dignified and more profitable, chose toy balloons as his source of revenue, and the results proved he had made a wise choice. Being fully aware of the passion children have for toy balloons, he decided to follow along with the same old circus, for a while, and laid in a stock of non-inflated toy balloons, which cost him $20 per thousand, or 2 cents apiece. With the air out of them, they took up but little r

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PLAN No. 402. MOTION PICTURES IN SMALL TOWN CHURCHES

A former motion-picture operator, who had moved to a small Iowa town for the benefit of his wife’s health, believed the churches of the place would be glad to have films of religious subjects shown in their church buildings on weekday evenings and, having secured the consent of the trustees of one of the leading denominations, he put up his outfit, which he had brought with him, and gave movie shows three evenings a week, paying a small sum for the use of the church on these occasions. The other

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PLAN No. 403. A CHAFING DISH ANNEX

A young lady who had graduated from college was compelled to find a way to support herself and sister. She was a good cook, and finally decided to open up a chafing-dish annex in her own home. In her front room she displayed angel food, raisin tarts, fudge, cake, warm sugared crullers, and puddings. She put out posters informing the public that warm biscuits, muffins, roast chicken, meat loaf and salads would be prepared to order. She was successful in establishing a first-class, paying bakeshop

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PLAN No. 404. CRYSTALLIZED FRUITS AND NUTS

Nothing is more delicious or more profitable to put up for sale than crystallized fruits and nuts, and a young woman in California, who went into the business on an extensive scale, had that discovery fully confirmed. Her recipe for the crystallization of dainties was as follows: Put in an iron kettle 1 teacupful of granulated sugar, 1 tablespoonful or less of butter, 3 tablespoonfuls of water. Boil until it syrups and becomes brittle. The fruits and nuts treated with this were put into the shel

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PLAN No. 405. SHELLING AND SELLING NUTS

A Texas man makes an excellent living by gathering pecans and nuts of all kinds that grow in immense quantities in his neighborhood, and shelling them with a machine invented for that purpose. A bushel of the nuts, when shelled, make fourteen or fifteen pounds of the meats or kernels, and he sells them to people in the city at prices that net him between $5 and $6 per bushel. And considering that he handles several hundred bushels of the nuts in a single season, one may judge as to the amount of

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PLAN No. 406. SPIT-FIRE BOTTLE

A young man who thought he could afford amusement for many people at a good profit to himself, went to a wholesale drug store and bought a pound of metallic sodium. This he removed from the can and soaked it in lamp oil until soft, then dried it on a glass surface, and with a piece of lead pipe rolled it out into sheets about 1 ⁄ 8 of an inch thick. These he cut into sticks 3 inches long, and 3 1 ⁄ 2 inches wide, and put two sticks into a dram glass vial, labeled “Spit-Fire.” Moistening causes i

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PLAN No. 407. HOME SCENES FOR CALENDARS

A Spokane young man, who owned a good 5x7 camera, and knew how to use it, got the lowest quotations from publishing houses, on medium-size calendars of artistic designs, and from the samples sent him selected a line well adapted to the purpose for which he intended to use them. Next, he took pictures of all the prominent business houses in the city, showing the names of the merchants occupying the ground floors, as well as the signs on some of the upper windows, with names and business of the oc

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PLAN No. 408. BRICKMAKER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 409. A MEDICAL GARDEN

Garden vegetable products having medical properties made a large income for a widow with several small children, and though it required considerable care, the returns were more than satisfactory, for the druggists bought all she could raise, at high prices. Larkspur, for instance, the seed of which brings $1.50 to $2 per pound, was one of her successes. This she planted in rows about 18 inches apart, and, when 4 to 5 inches high, she thinned it to 5 inches apart in the rows, and harvested it lik

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PLAN No. 410. AUTO-BUILDER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 411. SILVER FOX SKINS

When it is known that a silver fox skin is worth $2,500 in London, it will be seen that some capital is required to begin the raising of the animals. A western man, who knew something of the business, organized a small company with which to purchase two or three female foxes and one male. The bureau of animal industry, at Washington, D. C., sent full information, free, on request, concerning this particular industry, and following the instructions received from that source the company made a rem

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PLAN No. 412. PERCENTAGE COLLECTIONS

A couple of young fellows in Salt Lake City started a collection agency by first opening a small office and calling upon all the merchants for their old, outlawed or hopeless accounts, on a commission basis ranging from 25 to 50 per cent of the amounts collected. By arranging with a good local reporting company, so as to learn the standing and financial condition of debtors, and associating an active attorney with them, they were able to write a form of letter that brought good returns. The repo

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PLAN No. 413. COLLECTING ON A SALARY

A young man in Ogden, Utah, who had a particularly winning way in approaching people, employed this talent to excellent advantage by doing the collecting for a number of firms at so much per month from each. His tact and agreeable manner won in countless cases where bluffing or threats would have been unavailing. He had made the discovery that “politeness pays” to the extent of $200 a month, or more....

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PLAN No. 414. RAISING PANSIES FOR THE MARKET

That pansies can be raised with profit, and made a regular business during a certain part of the year, was proven by a young woman in a middle-west city, who possessed a great love for flowers, and had more time than money. She started her seed bed in the latter part of July, and in September she set the plants in rows five inches apart. These plants she protected with coarse straw until almost the first of April, when she uncovered the bed. Then she replanted in 2-quart wooden baskets, eight to

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PLAN No. 415. MEMBERSHIP COLLECTION AGENCY

A number of merchants in a western city were induced by a young man of that city to organize themselves into a mercantile collection agency, the membership fee to be $30 a year and to entitle them to have all their accounts collected free, even though litigation should become necessary to enforce the collections. When collections were made for those not members, the charges were 20 per cent on all amounts under $40; 15 per cent on all accounts from $40 to $100; and 10 per cent on accounts over $

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PLAN No. 416. RAISED RHUBARB IN HER CELLAR

A Chicago woman raised rhubarb in boxes of rich dirt in her cellar during the winter months. It required but little attention, aside from irrigating it frequently with luke-warm water. In January, when everybody was longing for fresh green garden sauce, she sold it for 25 cents per pound, and made many dollars in that way. And rhubarb, besides being exceedingly healthful, is practically all profit....

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PLAN No. 417. CABBAGE AND TOMATO PLANTS

Raising cabbage and tomato plants in boxes indoors during the late winter and very early spring, and later transplanting to beds out of doors, covering them from frost, and using good, rich soil, enabled a Kansas City woman to sell thousands of these plants for 10 cents per dozen, at a time when others were just beginning to sow the seed. Her receipts from this source alone amounted to $150 or $200 every spring....

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PLAN No. 418. SWEET POTATO PLANTS

The raising and selling of sweet potato plants alone, in boxes of highly fertilized dirt, enabled an Ohio woman to send her daughter to business college from the proceeds, even though she received but 25 cents per hundred. But the thousands of plants she raised brought a very handsome sum in the aggregate....

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PLAN No. 419. MADE APPLE BUTTER

A Missouri woman, in whose orchard hundreds of bushels of fine apples were going to waste, made several hundred dollars each fall by converting them into apple butter, of which the storekeepers never could get enough to supply the demand, for she had apple butter reduced to the finest kind of a domestic science, and her product brought the highest prices. This is how she made it: Cider, 30 gallons; apples, 10 bucketfuls; sugar, 20 pounds; ground cinnamon, 10 cents’ worth. Add sugar about an hour

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PLAN No. 420. ATTORNEY TOOK EQUITIES FOR $400 FEE AND MADE $7,875

A young lawyer in a northwestern city had a client who owed him a fee of $400 for legal services. The client had no cash, but held equities in certain properties which he turned over as full payment for the fee. These included a 5-room house with a $600 encumbrance; an 8-room house, with $2,250 encumbrance; a clear lot in British Columbia and three clear lots in a small Montana town, which he was glad to throw in for good measure, as the equities in the other properties were of no value to him,

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PLAN No. 421. ADS. IN COUNTRY WEEKLIES

An advertising man in a western city made $1,000 within a few months by purchasing a certain amount of space in the “patent insides” of a number of weekly papers supplied by a newspaper union, at 3 cents per inch, and selling it to city merchants and other advertisers at 5 cents per line. By signing up contracts for three or six months or a year, and filling the space with the ads. so contracted for, he derived a regular income from this source that enabled him to live well. This plan required s

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PLAN No. 422. SPECIAL DIRECTORIES IN “PATENT INSIDES”

A Middle-Western man, with some newspaper experience, arranged with a newspaper union supplying “patent insides” to handle a certain amount of space in a stated number of weekly papers using their ready-print sheets, at a rate of 3 cents per inch. Then he had illustrated two-column heads made for several lines of business, such as: “Where to Eat When in Town,” followed by a list of restaurants, cafes, etc., each occupying two inches of space; “Where to Stop When in Town,” for hotels, rooming-hou

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PLAN No. 423. BOOSTING HOME INDUSTRIES

A special writer in a northwestern daily introduced a novel feature for the paper, upon which he was working on a commission basis, by conducting a manufacturers’ page, to appear on a certain day each week. He had a zinc etching made, showing a large manufacturing plant, with heavy, black smoke pouring from several tall chimneys, and with every indication of great activity about the place. Under this cut, in heavy, black type, were the words: “Buy Home Manufactured Goods.” Below this appeared wr

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PLAN No. 424. COPYING ADDRESSES

In the offices of the leading public stenographers in almost every city are thousands of names and addresses to be copied for the use of advertisers or other patrons and a Seattle young lady who was an expert typist, besides owning a first-class typewriter, secured all the work in this line she could do, by keeping in close touch with the public stenographers, directory publishers, and others. This work paid her well, and there was always plenty of it for her to do....

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PLAN No. 425. ADS. ON BARBERS’ MIRRORS

A regular patron of a barber shop, while having his hair cut one day, conceived an idea. He proposed to the boss barber to install a row of mirrors, 2 1 ⁄ 2 feet wide, along the wall of the shop, about four feet above the floor. These mirrors he would put in free, with the understanding that he was to reserve the lower left-hand corner of each for advertising purposes. As the mirrors then in the shop were rather dingy and old-fashioned, the barber was glad to make this arrangement, and the new m

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PLAN No. 426. MADE STOVE POLISH

Making a self-shining stove polish of finely powdered graphite, at a cost of 2 cents for a 2-ounce box, and selling it for 5 cents a box, was the way a hustling youngster at Bellingham, Washington, “got his start.” This polish he called “Lusterine,” and put on each box a label saying it was “Best and cheapest. No mussy mixing. Makes old stoves look like new in two minutes. Produces an instantaneous polish that will not burn off. Apply with a damp woolen rag, then go over the stove with a dry clo

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PLAN No. 427. PEANUT VENDING MACHINE

A Baker City, Oregon, young man made a nice living and a surplus by buying several peanut-vending machines and placing them on prominent corners of his town, as near the moving-picture shows as possible. The machines were of the penny-in-the-slot order, and yielded a small handful of peanuts when a cent was inserted and a button pressed. Of course, others in his town also sold peanuts, but he had a novel way of treating his, and soon secured the peanut trade. He bought his peanuts in considerabl

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PLAN No. 428. MAKING HOLIDAY AND BIRTHDAY PRESENTS

An old lady in an Illinois town, who had always been very skilful in the use of the needle, was able to earn a very comfortable living by making sofa pillows, pin cushions, jewel trays, lamp shades, book-marks, waste and work baskets, catch-bags, etc., and selling them to people who wanted to make Christmas or birthday presents of them, yet could not do the work. After the holiday season was over, she would insert a small ad. in the local paper, saying she was prepared to make appropriate presen

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PLAN No. 429. KEEPING A FLOWER BED

For several months in the year, an energetic woman in a northern city paid the family grocery bills from the proceeds of a small flower bed in the back yard of her home. She took especial care of this flower bed, as she realized that most of her neighbors were negligent in such matters, and would be glad of an opportunity to buy flowers from her later in the season. And she guessed right, for they were soon coming from all directions to buy her flowers. She had all varieties, which showed the ef

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PLAN No. 430. REPRESENTING COUNTRY WEEKLIES

An advertising man in the Pacific Northwest recently called upon the publishers of forty weekly newspapers, within a radius of 200 miles of the city in which he lived, and entered into contracts with each of them whereby he was to solicit advertising for them in the city and elsewhere, on a basis of 25 per cent, after receiving $100 worth of advertising space in each paper as a bonus. This $4,000 worth of space he sold at regular advertising rates, and in addition was paid 25 per cent on the bus

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PLAN No. 431. BAND LEADER M. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 432. GATHERING OLD MAGAZINES FOR SALE

Living in a city where a great many magazines were taken, an old gentleman, who had no regular means of making a living, made a business of his own by gathering up old magazines from a large number of homes, and selling them at good prices to dealers. By calling regularly at the homes, he was given many of these magazines, mostly in good condition, and carried them to his home in a little cart. When he had accumulated enough for a good load, he got a friend of his with an express wagon to haul t

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PLAN No. 433. A HOT-BED FOR PLANTS

A country woman who had constructed a hot-bed out of some second-hand material she had gathered from time to time, made quite a neat profit by raising plants and selling them to her neighbors, as well as sending them to a market in the city, when it was too early in the season to obtain these in the regular way. Tomato, pepper, cauliflower, cabbage, egg plant, celery, and all sorts of flowers, were given a good start in the hot-bed, and brought good prices for all she could raise....

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PLAN No. 434. MARKETING EGGS, BUTTER AND MILK

Of all the numerous opportunities afforded the country woman for making money, none present so many possibilities as do the supplying of many real luxuries to people who need and want fresh eggs, butter and milk. A farmer’s wife, who lived near a large city in Illinois, saw in these unsatisfied wants her opportunity for mutual benefits, and having a large number of chickens and milk cows on the farm, she set about utilizing these products in a way that meant a great deal for scores of city peopl

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PLAN No. 435. A FARMER’S WIFE AND HER CHICKENS

The wife of a Nebraska farmer, who knew how to raise chickens with profit, made this industry pay by adhering to a few simple rules. First, she weeded out all the “scrub” poultry on the place, and kept only the best specimens of the best breeds, as they eat no more than common stock, and bring much better returns. Then she insisted on keeping her poultry yard absolutely clean, free from vermin and rats, and giving the fowls proper food in sufficient quantity to keep them in good condition. She r

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PLAN No. 436. JAMS AND JELLIES

A farmer’s wife, who lived more than ten miles from the city, and realizing that it was not possible for her to market her strawberries, and other garden products by driving that distance, only to find the market over supplied for that day, resolved upon another plan for handling these berries profitably. She knew that by putting them up in the form of delicious jellies and jams, home-made she could get good prices for them long after the fresh berry season was over, so she obtained a large numb

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PLAN No. 437. BEE HANDLER—U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 438. KEEPING PIANO KEYS WHITE

This is a woman’s discovery, and a valuable one, too, for it not only kept the keys of the piano white, but made her a good profit. She introduced it by asking her friends to try it on their piano. She made it of the following ingredients, the proportions given being enough to make 96 4-ounce bottles of the preparation, and as a cleaner and whitener of piano keys it has no equal. The entire cost of making it, bottle, label and all, is only about 5 cents per bottle, and it sells rapidly at 50 cen

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PLAN No. 439. MENDING BROKEN CHINA

A young lady in a western town of 25,000 people, where there were several studios for decorating china, was surprised to learn of the large number of beautiful and expensive pieces that were broken, through carelessness or accident, and decided to try her hand as a mender of this broken ware. Having the formula for making a mending glue to be found in this book , she called at one of the studios and asked for permission to take one or two of the cheaper broken pieces home with her, to see what s

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PLAN No. 440. BIOCHEMICAL—U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 441. PURE COUNTRY TOMATO SAUCE

To make a small quantity of real country tomato sauce, to be used as a sample, a farmer’s wife in a section of country noted for its highly flavored fruits and vegetables, used the following ingredients: Four pounds of ripe tomatoes; 2 pounds of peeled onions; 5 ounces light brown sugar; 4 ounces of salt; 2 1 ⁄ 2 pints cider vinegar; 1 teaspoonful black ground pepper; and 3 teaspoonfuls red pepper. She ground the tomatoes through a grinder, and then added the onions by running them through the g

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PLAN No. 442. BIOLOGIST—U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 443. BLACKSMITH FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 444. BOILERMAKER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 445. BOOKBINDER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 446. BOOKKEEPER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 447. A SIMPLE DANDELION DESTROYER

Having discovered a simple yet effective method of destroying dandelions without digging up the roots, injuring the grass or otherwise disfiguring the lawns, a middle-aged landscape gardener in an eastern city made a great deal of money by taking contracts to destroy these perennial pests in hundreds of lawns, being frequently offered $100 by a wealthy householder if he would successfully eradicate them from the premises. All he used for this purpose was sulphate of copper, which he bought by th

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PLAN No. 448. MADE FEATHER COMFORTERS

The wife of a Norwegian farmer, living in northern Minnesota, where the winters are very cold, had brought with her from the old country many excellent ideas of real comfort, and among these was the idea of feather comforters. They had a large flock of geese and ducks, and thus the raw material for making these wonderfully comfortable comforters was easily available and plentiful. But she did not make them bunchy and unwieldy, but light in weight, neat, pretty—and extremely comfortable. The foll

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PLAN No. 449. BOTANIST FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 450. MAKING GAS MANTLES PAY

In an eastern town, where gas is still used for lighting stores, a little lame old man is said to make from $60 to $75 a week by taking contracts to keep gaslights in stores and offices supplied with mantles, which he makes himself, and by cleaning and polishing the fixtures. His charge is 50 cents a month per light, and he has many hundreds of these to look after, sometimes having as high as forty or fifty in a single store....

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PLAN No. 451. BUSINESS MGR. FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 452. ONE GOOD SELLING PLAN

Mail-order people have many different selling plans, most of which bring good returns, but an agent in Ohio made quite a success of the plan briefly outlined as follows: Selecting from the articles offered by a mail-order supply house one that usually retailed at 15 cents, but which cost him 8 cents, including postage, etc., he had a neat circular letter printed describing the article in detail, its uses and advantages, and offering it at 9 cents, if ordered within a certain time. These letters

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PLAN No. 453. EARNED HIS WAY THROUGH COLLEGE

Two young men in a northwestern city wanted to be lawyers, and both wanted to go to Ann Arbor, Michigan. One had some money, the other had not. The one with money loaned his friend $100 and with $50 saved he had a total capital of $150. By the time Ann Arbor was reached and the preliminary expenses defrayed, there was just $15 left of the $150, and the young man who had it realized the importance of adding to that as speedily as possible. Therefore, during his vacation, he devoted his time to se

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PLAN No. 454. A COMMERCIAL ART BUREAU

A young artist and a salesman joined forces and established an art bureau, along commercial lines, and made it a success. The artist could not have secured business by personal solicitation had his life depended upon it, but he could draw—anything—anywhere. The hustler made no pretensions of being an artist, but he could get business whenever there was any, and very often where there wasn’t any, to a casual observer. Therefore, they made a strong team. Their first specialty was the drawing of de

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PLAN No. 455. A GOOD COLLECTION SYSTEM

There have been many forms of collection agencies designed, some being good, some bad and some indifferent, but the system planned and worked by a man in a northwestern city is certainly novel in its every detail. It “gets the money,” and nets its promoter from $12,000 to $15,000 a year. So the idea must be good. This agency, incorporated, has the creditors sign a contract assigning to it all the accounts, judgments and notes listed underneath, in consideration of the services to be performed by

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PLAN No. 456. MADE AND SOLD SHOES

A Boston young man, some years ago, was traveling salesman for his father, a wholesale dealer in shoes. His experience on the road proved how hard it was to get dealers to push the sales of shoes of any make, and he decided to go into the business of making shoes on an extensive scale and selling them in his own stores. At that time he had no stores, and all the large manufacturers ridiculed his idea, but he went ahead, just the same, secured models of the most expensive shoes made, opened a lit

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PLAN No. 457. SELLING HAIR TONIC

Never mind what kind of hair tonic it was. There are many ways of making various kinds, and those who wish to go into the business of selling hair tonic can select the one that suits him best. But it’s the selling idea you are after, and here is how one young man did it: To avoid the necessity of sending a 12-ounce bottle by express, at a cost to the buyer of 40 to 50 cents, he got a hair specialist to condense it into one ounce, so he could send it in a common mailing case for less than 5 cents

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PLAN No. 458. BOUGHT HIS BRIDE A BUNGALOW

An Indiana man and his bride were returning in their automobile from a trip to the country, and passed a beautiful rural bungalow on a small farm, which the bride greatly admired. She told her husband she would like to own that place. Arriving in the city, he left his wife at her mother’s and drove to his office. Hastily glancing over the letters on his desk, he turned to the want ads. of the daily paper, and scanned them carefully until he found one which announced that a man about to establish

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PLAN No. 459. SELLING WATCHES ON INSTALLMENTS

An experienced salesman in an eastern city, having an idea that if other kinds of goods could be sold on the installment plan watches could also be sold that way, decided to try it out and see. Beginning with a capital of less than $100, he first arranged with a watch factory that turns out a fairly good timekeeper at a low price, to supply him with a certain number of watches at from $3 to $12 each, to be delivered to him in small lots at first, as he could pay for them; and having expended the

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PLAN No. 460. DID DISTRIBUTING

An Illinois man, living in a city of 25,000 people, had noticed that much of the distributing done in his town was very poorly executed. He had seen boys entrusted with expensive and valuable literature, chuck great masses of it under culverts, into sewers and other out-of-the-way places, and then collect as though having done honest work. He knew of several druggists, and retailers in various lines, who let tons of advertising matter, sent them by manufacturers and wholesalers for distribution,

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PLAN No. 461. A SUCCESSFUL SELLING PLAN

Many of the readers of this book will select one or more of the plans herein set forth, and no doubt some of them will require local canvassing to make a success. But a great many people, after having an article ready for sale, will not know just how to start selling. In order to aid these people in disposing of what they have for sale, we give herewith the selling plan employed by a very successful salesman in Buffalo: He was selling a fine massage cream, nicely put up in a dainty jar, and bear

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PLAN No. 462. COLLECTION AGENCY SOLICITING

Elsewhere in this book is an account of a party in a northwestern city who made from $12,000 to $15,000 a year through establishing a successful plan of collecting old accounts, mainly by means of letters. Practically every merchant doing business anywhere has a large number of accounts which he has been unable to collect, and it is from these accounts that the solicitor can earn a good living. Calling upon the merchants of his home-city first, he asked to be allowed to take over these accounts,

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PLAN No. 463. OPENED A “SURPLUS” MARKET

A man and his wife, who lived in a city surrounded by a good fruit and agricultural country, and whose only possession was a horse and light wagon, and less than $100 in cash, concluded to open what they called a “surplus” market, where they disposed of a great deal of farm and orchard products that would otherwise have gone to waste. They rented a small stall in one of the city markets, and the wife took charge of that, while the husband drove several miles into the country each day looking for

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PLAN No. 464. BOOSTED HIS HOME TOWN BY BOOKLET

A northwestern young man, who believed that more factories and other valuable enterprises could be brought to his home city through stronger literature than was being sent out by the local chamber of commerce, prepared a brief summary of resources, supplies of raw materials of all kinds, marketing conditions, power costs, and everything that could possibly interest a manufacturer looking for a new location. This matter was contained in an attractive booklet, concise and forcible in style, and de

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PLAN No. 465. A HOME-INDUSTRY PAGE

When a new daily paper was established in a northwestern city a few years ago, a young man who was an untiring hustler for business, and who had had a great deal of experience in soliciting ads., proposed to the publisher to conduct a page devoted to home manufactures, and make it an important feature of the paper, on a commission basis of 40 per cent. The publisher agreed to this, as he was confronted with very strong competition, and every new feature he could add to his paper was just that mu

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PLAN No. 466. REFRESHMENTS FOR SHOPPERS

A woman in Denver, who had often felt the need of some refreshments while out for an afternoon’s shopping, and yet did not care to pay the fancy prices asked at most of the swell cafés where it was “all style and nothing to eat,” evolved a plan that she believed would be gladly welcomed by the women, and at the same time yield her a good income. Not having sufficient means to rent a choice store on the leading street, or convenient to the shopping district, she went to the proprietor of one of t

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PLAN No. 467. LAW AND FARMING IN THE NORTHWEST

A young law graduate was without funds so decided to go back to his early work, teaching school. His work was not very profitable and, besides, he wanted to marry, so he borrowed $150 to wed the girl he loved and took her to Northwestern Canada. There he went into the real estate business and formed a partnership with a man who thought playing pool was his business. In February he decided to go by himself. In Canada a book is issued giving the legal description of land for sale, price asked and

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PLAN No. 468. COLLECTING BRASS TEAKETTLES

A woman made a comfortable living by collecting old brass teakettles and old furniture from the homes of well-to-do people, second-hand dealers, etc., and advertising them as antique wares. One room in her home was used for displaying these articles, and many persons called to see them, with the result that they were rapidly disposed of at a good profit....

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PLAN No. 469. TAKING ORDERS FOR WALL PAPER

One woman, who has good taste in the matter of decorations, derives a good income from taking orders for wall paper from the home-owners of her community. She visits a home, notes the furniture, finishings, etc., and shows samples harmonizing with the same. The effect is usually so pleasing that she is generally given an order for wall paper or wall stains, of which she also carries samples supplied by a reliable company, and every order means a handsome profit to her. She often visits neighbori

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PLAN No. 470. CABINET MAKER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217. PLAN No. 471. TINSELLING POST CARDS

It was a mere boy who worked out this little plan of making money during his spare time, and found it paid exceptionally well for the small amount of time, labor and capital involved. Possessing some artistic talent, he sent for a tinselling outfit, that was advertised, and inserted a few small ads. in the local papers, to the effect that he would tinsel post cards for 3 cents each, or ten for 25 cents, and do better work than could be obtained in the stores selling the cards. Many orders were r

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PLAN No. 472. GETTING A START WITH INK POWDERS

A young man whose ambition was to build up a permanent business from a small beginning, as he was practically without capital, concluded to start on one item at first, and gradually add others as he could afford it, so he chose inks—not one, but several kinds of inks. These inks he purposed to put up in the form of powders, leaving only the hot water to be added by the customer. But the different formulas were all so good that from anyone of them an enterprising man could work into a good-paying

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PLAN No. 473. BLUE INK POWDER

Many people prefer blue ink, and for them he made powders of an excellent quality as follows: Water-blue anilin, 1 dram; dextrin, 5 drams; or according to the following formula: Soluble Prussian blue, 1 dram; dextrin, 2 drams. Dissolve the powder in hot water, varying the intensity of the blue shade as desired, by using more or less powder. This was a popular and profitable seller....

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PLAN No. 474. GREEN INK POWDER

Green ink is a novelty, and for that reason many people like to use it. He made the powders for green ink as follows: Green anilin, 1 dram; dextrin, 4 drams. To use, dissolve in hot water, using more or less of the powder as darker or lighter shades of the green are desired. Very easy and cheap to make; very easy and profitable to sell....

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PLAN No. 475. RED INK POWDER

Red ink is always in demand, but many of the red inks on sale at stationery and other stores are of a very inferior quality. Red ink made from the following formula, as this man made it, gives universal satisfaction in all cases where red ink is required: Red anilin, 1 dram; dextrin, 1 dram. To use, dissolve the powder in hot water. These various ink powders are usually put up in packages of a sufficient quantity to make a pint of ink, and this requires from a teaspoonful to a tablespoonful of t

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PLAN No. 476. CANCELED POSTAGE STAMPS

One boy went to the large business houses and collected all the canceled stamps he could find on envelopes received through the mails. Many of these were from foreign countries and brought good prices when offered to dealers or boys making stamp collections, while the domestic stamps he sold for 25 cents per thousand. During the vacation period that year he made over $50....

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PLAN No. 477. BOUGHT A PRINTING PRESS

Another boy induced his father to help him buy a small printing press, and cards of various sizes. He then took orders for the printing of these cards for other boys and for men needing the cheaper grade, charging 75 cents per hundred and cleared up nearly $40 above expenses, besides paying for his printing press....

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PLAN No. 478. PARLOR MAGIC

The next boy with a taste for entertaining, and being clever at sleight-of-hand tricks, bought a book on parlor magic, and gave entertainments at his own home and the homes of other boys, charging 10 cents admission. He performed these tricks so well that everyone felt that he or she had received full value for the dime paid at the door, and the youthful entertainer realized a net profit of almost $60 during the three months of his summer vacation....

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PLAN No. 479. DID SCROLL-SAW WORK

The fourth boy, being of a mechanical turn of mind, bought a scroll-saw, with which he made a great variety of very pretty things, and for these the neighbors were glad to pay good prices, especially where he made any special design to order. He was very skilful in his work, and was kept busy most of the time, so that his net earnings during vacation were $37....

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PLAN No. 480. A LEMONADE STAND

The fifth boy had a taste for merchandising, and set up a lemonade stand in the front yard of his home, where many people passed every day. He had various-sized glasses in which he put his lemonade, properly made and tastefully displayed, and sold his product at 1 to 5 cents a glass, according to size. He also had some very good ice cream which he sold in small dishes at 2 to 5 cents a dish. Children were his principal customers, but even at these low prices, he made a good profit on his sales,

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PLAN No. 481. DOING ODD JOBS

The sixth boy did odd jobs wherever he could find them, such as carrying satchels or parcels from stores, or to and from trains, pushing baby carriages in the parks, running errands for neighbors, and anything else that came handy. He was always on the lookout for work and was very seldom idle. His earnings were $23.75, and he was very well satisfied with that....

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PLAN No. 482. COLLECTING OLD MAGAZINES FOR SALE

The seventh boy went from house to house, collecting all the old magazines that people were willing to give away, and sold these to dealers at a good price per pound, as anything made of paper was in good demand. This boy was more successful and his earnings were $70 during that three months of vacation....

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SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING PLANS

A few of the following plans, are mere outlines containing suggestions which may be worked out in more detail by those who wish to make use of them. New features may be added as they suggest themselves to each person adopting one or more of the plans as a means of making a living. In giving so many under one heading, space will not permit a separate method for handling each plan. In order to determine the best selling plan, or the best method of profitably handling any of the ways outlined, it w

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PLAN No. 483. CADET OFFICER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 484. LITTLE “TINKERING” JOBS

Replenishing and replacing batteries for doorbells, mending kitchen-ware, and replacing various articles about the house will often give a very good income in a small place where experts from large establishments are not within reach. Many an elderly man, who could not do anything else, has made a comfortable living by doing these little “odd jobs.”...

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PLAN No. 485. CARPENTER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 486. DESIGNER-LANDSCAPE. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 487. THE “HOKEY-POKEY” SUMMER SELLER

One of the most delicious confections, and one that scores the largest number of sales during the summer season, is made as follows: One can condensed milk; 2 tablespoonfuls cornstarch; a little cold milk. Put the remainder of the milk in a double boiler, and when hot add the cornstarch. Cook five minutes, then add the condensed milk, and set aside to cool; then add the vanilla, and freeze. Cut into squares or sticks and pack closely in a wooden pail, and it will sell readily for 5 or 10 cents a

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PLAN No. 488. A SHOE POLISH IN POWDER FORM

Shoe polishes always sell, and it is only a question as to which is the best one. The following is not excelled: Take powdered gum arabic, 5 pounds; sugar, 1 1 ⁄ 4 pounds; analine black, 3 ounces. Powder these and mix well. Then divide into ten packets, each of which will produce a pint of polish, or into twenty packets that will make a half-pint each, though more may be made from, a packet, as it is rather thick, especially for kid or glaze leathers. It can be used with either water or vinegar,

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PLAN No. 489. LETTER CARRIERS FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 490. METAL POLISHING BLOCKS

These are made of precipitated chalk, 2 pounds; powdered tripoli, 1 ⁄ 2 pound; jewelers’ rouge, 1 ounce. Mix into a stiff paste, with 1 ounce of glycerine and a pint of water, previously mixed, and pour on just enough of the liquid to work the powders to the consistency of fresh dough. Then place in little wooden butter molds to shape them and set aside to dry, then force out and fill again. The blocks are used with a soft cloth and a few drops of water, which will give metal articles a fine pol

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PLAN No. 491. CEMENT WORKER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 492. CERAMICS FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 493. SOAP LEAVES FOR TRAVELERS’ USE

These are made by passing sheets of paper over rollers and through a hot solution of liquid soap, then passing it over drying cylinders, and cutting it into sheets of the desired size. They are so convenient and cheap that travelers will buy them and there is a good profit in making and selling them....

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PLAN No. 494. HAVING THE BUTTER YELLOW IN WINTER

Just a little secret, but it is worth a good deal to buttermakers and housewives who pride themselves upon the color of their butter, and will pay something to know just how to obtain it: Just before you finish churning, put the yolk of one or more eggs into the churn, and you’ll have just the color you desire—a rich yellow....

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PLAN No. 495. REMOVING FOUL AIR FROM WELLS

To determine whether or not the air at the bottom of the well is foul, place a lighted torch or lamp in a bucket and lower it into the well. If it continues to burn when the bucket rests on the water, it is safe to descend. If it is extinguished, the air is foul. To remove this, lower a pail filled with burning straw, or by dropping two or three quarts of freshly slaked lime down the well. But test with the light again before descending. Plenty of people who have wells would gladly pay a small s

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PLAN No. 496. A QUICK FATTENING FOR FOWLS

Fowls will quickly fatten if given a mixture of ground rice, well scalded with milk, to which some coarse sugar has been added, making it rather thick. Feed several times a day, but not too much at a time. An ad. in poultry journals, offering to tell how this is done, for 25 cents, should bring excellent results....

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PLAN No. 497. ARM AND BUST DEVELOPER

Regarding it as every woman’s duty to look her best at all times, a young lady in Denver prepared a most effective arm and bust developer from the following formula: Lanolin, 2 ounces; cocoa butter, 2 ounces; olive oil, 2 ounces. These she melted in a double boiler, and heat until cold, when it was ready to put up in 2-ounce jars that sold for 40 cents each, and proved so satisfactory that she received hundreds of orders each month, through a few ads. judiciously placed, besides having a good sa

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PLAN No. 498. REMEDY FOR BRITTLE NAILS

Women who are annoyed by having brittle nails are always glad to learn of some effective way to make and keep them soft. This prompted a young lady in St. Paul to utilize the following formula: White petroleum, 1 ounce; powdered castile soap, 1 dram; oil of bergamot, a few drops. This softens the nails, cures hang-nails and renders the cuticle around the nails soft and pliable, so that it can be easily removed with a towel or orange stick. One small ad. in a leading magazine brought a great many

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PLAN No. 499. BATH POWDER

The delights of the bath are greatly multiplied by adding a well prepared bath powder, and one of the very best of these was put up by this lady, as follows: Borax, 10 ounces; tartaric acid, 10 ounces; starch, 5 ounces. Mix the ingredients together, and perfume with lavender water. Two teaspoonfuls of the powder to a tub of water will soften and perfume the same making it at the same time more cleansing and delightful. She put this powder up in 8-ounce paper boxes, and sold it for 25 cents a box

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PLAN No. 500. SACHET POWDER

There are many kinds of sachet powder, but none are superior to the following, which this lady prepared and sold in immense quantities: Orris root, 10 pounds; lavender water, 16 ounces. Spread out the orris root in thin portions on a table, and sprinkle the lavender water over it. When dry, after the two have been well mixed, it is ready for packing. She put it up in envelopes containing one ounce each, and these she sold in large quantities for 10 cents each. Occasionally she would offer a pack

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PLAN No. 501. SIMPLE METHOD OF SILVER PLATING

A Dallas, Texas, man made a very good living by coating small metal articles with silver, without the use of a battery, as follows: First, he dipped the article to be silver-plated in a solution of common salt, then rubbed it with a mixture composed of one part of precipitated chloride of silver, two parts potassa alum, eight parts common salt, and eight parts cream of tartar. The article was then washed and dried with a soft rag, when it had all the appearance of silver. By calling at houses an

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PLAN No. 502. STOVE POLISH THAT ENAMELS

To make an excellent stove polish that was really an enamel, a Colorado man prepared the following: Mix two parts of black lead, 4 parts of copperas, and 2 parts of bone-black with water sufficient to form a creamy paste. The copperas produces a jet-black enamel, causing the black lead to adhere to the iron. The cost of making this was very slight, and when people saw what a fine polish it made it was easily sold....

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PLAN No. 503. BANISHING FLIES BY FUMIGATION

A western man who was interested in the swatting-the-flies idea, yet wished to do so without using the messy, sticky stuff you put on fly papers generally, or running the risk of poisons, invented a fumigating flypaper that is easy and clean to use, and gets rid of the flies in a hurry. He makes it as follows: Powdered quassia, 4-ounces; powdered chlorate of potash, 1 1 ⁄ 2 ounces; French oil of pennyroyal, 3 ⁄ 4 ounce. Mix these well, then add 3 ⁄ 4 pint of clear water and mix all together thor

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PLAN No. 504. CEREAL DISEASE—U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 505. SALE PLAN FOR ALMOND CREAM

Few of the accessories of women’s toilets are more highly esteemed than is a preparation known as almond cream, and a lady who was especially partial to this, put it up in the following manner: Distilled water, 90 fluid ounces; quince mucilage, 5 ounces; solution of soda, 1 1 ⁄ 2 ounces; boric acid, 1 ounce; cold cream, 1 ⁄ 2 ounce; sweet almond oil, 1 ⁄ 2 ounce; glycerine, 1 ⁄ 2 ounce. Stir cold cream, almond oil and solution of soda together until a uniform soapy cream is obtained. Dissolve th

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PLAN No. 506. SOLD PREPARATION TO ERADICATE PERSPIRATION ODOR

A physician in New York, who had made a specialty of preparing various toilet accessories for women, gave one of his patients the following formula for destroying the odor of perspiration, and she was so well pleased with its effects that she put it up for sale. She made a success of it, first through agents, then through the drug stores, and later through advertising it in a number of ladies’ magazines. To-day it is one of the standard preparations for women’s use, and is enjoying a large sale.

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PLAN No. 507. SOLD PREPARATION TO PREVENT OR REMOVE SUNBURN

An eastern woman, who was particularly susceptible to sunburn, prepared the following, which proved both a preventive and a cure: Orange flower water, 2 ounces; rosewater, 2 ounces; tincture of benzoin, 1 ⁄ 2 ounce; borax, 1 1 ⁄ 4 drams. By applying this before going out, it prevented the skin from becoming sunburned, while in those cases where the mischief had already been done, she bathed her face with it several times a day, until the sunburn was removed. This was so easy and inexpensive to m

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PLAN No. 512. CLERK FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 513. “TELLING THEM HOW”

A middle-aged man who had made a practice for many years of accumulating trade secrets, valuable formulas and various plans for making money out of little specialties not known to the public in general, was impressed with the belief that out of the itemized knowledge thus secured, he could render assistance to many people who were looking for something to do, and at the same time profit by largely himself. He therefore had 1,000 copies of each of these money-making ideas printed in separate form

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PLAN No. 514. ASSAYER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 515. COLLECTOR FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 516. ROASTING EARS IN WINTER

Green corn in the form of roasting ears is considered a delicacy even in its season, but to have the same thing in the winter time seems almost too good to be true. Yet a young farmer in Illinois did it, this way: He gathered his sweet corn with the husks on, and putting a layer of salt in the bottom of a clean barrel that would not leak, he proceeded to fill the barrel, first with a layer of salt, then a layer of the corn, and so on until the barrel was completely filled. Then he put on top a l

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PLAN No. 517. A QUICK FIRE KINDLER

A householder who had had much experience in building fires in the morning, and realized the difficulties and discomforts so often encountered in that necessary duty, experimented until he had perfected a kindling compound that could be relied upon. He melted one quart of tar and three pounds of rosin together, brought it to a cooling temperature, and mixed it with as much coarse sawdust as could be worked in, with a little charcoal added. This he spread upon a board, and when cold he broke it u

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PLAN No. 518. COMMUNITY ORGANIZER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 519. COPYING PATTERNS ON CLOTH

An invalid woman, who liked working pretty designs on cloth goods, yet found difficulty in obtaining patterns to her liking, discovered a way of copying her own drawings on cloth, so that they could be worked as though they were stamped. She mixed a quantity of finely powdered sealing wax with alcohol, until it was thoroughly dissolved. Then she dipped a clean pen in this liquid, and traced the desired pattern on tracing paper, and let it dry. She put this paper, marked side down, on the cloth o

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PLAN No. 520. MAKING FURNITURE POLISH

If you knew that furniture polish was largely all profit, the selling of it would look like a good business to engage in. A young Tacoma man thought so well of the plan that he adopted it, and made a good income from it. He compounded it from the following ingredients, and it did the work: He mixed equal parts of linseed oil, turpentine, vinegar and spirits of wine, shook them well, and applied to the furniture with a piece of linen cloth, afterwards polishing with a dry flannel cloth. It made o

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PLAN No. 521. FROM SHIPPING CLERK TO EMPLOYER

A Texas woman tells how she helped her husband rise from a poorly-paid shipping clerk to a business of his own where he became an employer instead of an employe. Discouraged with the small salary he received, and noticing that the agents of the same company from outside towns appeared well dressed and prosperous, she induced her husband to ask the manager to allow him a commission on such sales as he might be able to bring in. The company agreed to give him 5 per cent commission on all orders he

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PLAN No. 522. COMPUTER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 523. REFINISHING METHOD FOR FURNITURE REPAIRERS

A furniture repair man in Seattle discovered the following method of refinishing American or printed oak, a clever imitation of genuine quartered oak: Clean up the piece, whatever it may be; if it needs washing, give it a good scrubbing, and then an equally good opportunity to dry. If you want to replace the figure, and it is not generally worn off, mix some dry Van Dyke brown with stale beer or cider, and pencil in the flakes. This can be done with a long camel hair “striper,” or even with an a

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PLAN No. 524. HE JUST TRIMMED TREES

There was one man in Portland, Oregon, who was a competent and skilled tree trimmer. He knew all about shade trees, fruit trees, grape vines, shrubs, plants—everything that is worth saving and caring for in that line. He knew how and when they should be trimmed, and he obtained so much work that he was obliged to hire men to help him. But they had to be men who knew what they were about, or were willing to learn from him what they didn’t know, so that he soon had them trained to do the work as i

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PLAN No. 525. GEESE ON THE FARM

If farmers more generally realized the profits to be derived from the raising of geese, there would be many more in the country, and thousands of dollars more in the farmers’ pockets. The wife of an Illinois farmer, who did realize how easy and economical it is to raise geese, and the profits they pay, in both flesh and feathers, made a specialty of them, and as a result of her foresight and enterprise always had money, while the other farmers’ wives were continually complaining of the lack of p

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PLAN No. 526. CONDUCTOR—ELEVATOR FOR U. S. PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 527. CASH REBATE CARDS

A young man in Oakland, California, who was a good salesman worked out a little plan that brought him a good income. He secured a first-class printer to make him up 1,000 very rich looking cards in colors. Then he called upon five prominent merchants, in different lines, showing them the cards, stated he was about to place these in the hands of the ladies at the heads of families in the city; that these cards entitled the holders to trade at any one of the five different stores named, and receiv

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PLAN No. 528. CONSTRUCTION SUPT. FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 529. LOOKING UP OLD JUDGMENTS

Here is a plan that was very successfully operated by a young lawyer in a western city, and can be worked out just as well in every county-seat town in the United States: He employed a young lady to go carefully over the dockets of both the superior and justice courts, and make a complete list of all unsatisfied judgments rendered during the six years preceding, so that they were not barred by the statute of limitations. She made a careful note on a blank prepared for that purpose, of the number

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PLAN No. 530. A CATCH PHRASE CONTEST

A well known firm manufacturing bookcases in an eastern city wanted a new catch-phrase for their advertisements, and offered a cash prize of $50 for the best one submitted. A man submitted a phrase and won the $50. The firm, in sending him a check for the amount, announced that they would pay him a cash commission on all sales of their bookcases he might secure for them in his community, and being in that line himself, he was able to come in contact with many persons who wanted bookcases. As the

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PLAN No. 531. CANVASSING PLAN

To the canvasser or agent who has spent his life selling little 10 and 25-cent articles, shunning the homes of the wealthy through fear of being refused admittance, and wishes for something better, the following plan should appeal: A New York man got in close touch with several of the large importing and jobbing houses in eastern cities, and had become familiar with the better grades of imported laces, sold only by the best stores. He had acquired an intimate technical knowledge of these expensi

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PLAN No. 532. FURNITURE UPHOLSTERING AND REPAIRING

An Indianapolis man made a profitable and permanent business of repairing and upholstering furniture, and by doing first-class work, at prices considerably below those charged by furniture houses, he secured the regular work of a large number of householders and some of the stores in that city. The various materials used, and the voluminous instructions given for performing the work in all its details, are entirely too long to be given in this book, but any one with a taste for this work will ha

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PLAN No. 534. GOOD WHITE POLISHING POMADE

Girl No. 1 selected the following as the basis of her activity: Tripoli powder, 1 pound; whiting, 1 pound; pumice flour, 1 ⁄ 2 pound; crude oleic acid, 1 ⁄ 4 pound; kerosene, 3 fluid ounces. Mix together with sufficient petroleum jelly to form a paste, and add perfume, such as oil of lemon, cassia, or nitrobenzol (mirbane) which gives the usual almond odor. Making up a considerable quantity, in the above proportions, she canvassed a large part of the residence district in the city and took trips

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PLAN No. 535. A FIRST-CLASS FOOT POWDER

The third girl chose a foot powder to work upon, the formula being as follows: Finely powdered talc, 60 ounces; boric acid, 30 ounces; salicylic acid, 1 ounce; powdered alum, 1 ounce. Mix well, and scent as desired. The drug stores of the city told her they would take all of this she could make, as it was better and cheaper than powder widely advertised, and in the following six months her profits amounted to $287....

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PLAN No. 536. A GOOD AND CHEAP HAIR DYE

Girl No. 4 thought she saw in a formula for a hair dye the foundation of at least a small income, so she chose that: She gave samples to several elderly ladies of her acquaintance, and they were delighted with it. From these samples, indirectly, she sold several hundred bottles, and then a young lady friend of hers, a very successful canvasser, offered to sell all she could make of it, on a commission of 40 per cent. She accepted the offer and, began making it in large quantities, while the othe

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PLAN No. 537. INSECT POWDER

Girl No. 5 was rooming at a house where cockroaches were driving the landlady almost frantic, and gladly chose the following formula as her field of operations: Persian insect powder, 4 ounces; borax 30 ounces; starch, 4 ounces; sugar, 3 ounces; cocoa, 4 ounces; tartar emetic, 4 ounces. Reduce all to a fine powder and mix thoroughly. The landlady was her first customer, and soon dispelled the roaches. Then the girl visited all the rooming houses, hotels, bakeries, cafes, etc., in the city, and m

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PLAN No. 538. STARCH ENAMEL

There was but one of the formulas left, and the sixth girl took that one, determined to make it a success. The formula was as follows: Stearine, one powder; paraffin, 4 ounces; powdered ultramarine blue, 1 ⁄ 2 dram. Fortunately, this girl’s uncle was the owner of a large laundry in the city, and he offered to make a thorough test of her product in his own establishment. The result of that test was that he offered to furnish the money for making this starch enamel on a very extensive scale, and t

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PLAN No. 539. A DIABETIC GARDEN

A man who owned a small tract of fine garden and fruitland adjoining a western city, had suffered for years from diabetes, and all the ordinary forms of treatment had failed to improve his condition. At last he purchased a book written by a celebrated eastern physician who had long been a professor of medicine in a leading university, as well as being associated with hospitals in large cities, and was an authority on diabetes. This book outlined a course of treatment which this man followed. The

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PLAN No. 540. A NOVEL COLLECTION IDEA

An eastern man, who had made a special study of human nature and of business morals, evolved a novel plan which enabled him to establish a small collection agency, and expand the business so rapidly by means of his idea that in the course of six years he was the head of four large collection agencies in as many prominent cities, and was deriving a large income from it. His letter heads and stationery all bore his name as “attorney and counsellor at law.” His plan, though effective, was very simp

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PLAN No. 542. WROTE A BOOK ON SHOWCARD MAKING

A successful writer of showcards, employed by a large eastern retail house, felt that in helping others to become as proficient in that line as he was himself, he could make money thereby, and he decided to write a book explaining every detail of the work in so thorough a manner that even those of only medium ability could understand and apply the principles as taught by himself. He therefore prepared a book of seventeen chapters, treating exhaustively of every phase of showcard writing, includi

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PLAN No. 543. LAWYER TRADES FOR 80-ACRE FARM

A young lawyer, just out of college, located in a northwestern city of about 75,000 people, and, though his practice was not large during the first few years, he made a fair living. An old, dilapidated frame house, within a mile and a half of the business center, was offered at a low price, there being a mortgage on the place for $1,800. The owner being anxious to get rid of the mortgage, offered to sell his equity for $50, and the lawyer bought it. Then he mastered his pride, went to work and c

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PLAN No. 544. COTTON SERVICE—U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 545. KEEPING EGGS FRESH FOR A YEAR

Methods which are claimed to be infallible for keeping eggs fresh indefinitely are almost as numerous as the eggs themselves, yet many of these methods, while more or less expensive are far from reliable. However, a Denver poultry man, who had tried all the various ways of preserving eggs, finally adopted a method of his own, which has proved very successful. Placing a dozen or more strictly fresh eggs in a wire basket, he dipped them in boiling water, deep enough to cover every egg, and held th

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PLAN No. 546. CROP WORK FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 547. INCREASING THE SIZE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

If orchardists and gardeners were assured that they could almost double the size and greatly improve the flavor of fruits and vegetables, by a very simple and inexpensive plan, they would willingly pay almost any price for the information. A fruit grower in California discovered this method, used it with good results in promoting the growth of his own products, and made a large amount of money by selling the secret to thousands of others engaged in the same line. His method was to water his frui

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PLAN No. 548. MAKING A SUBSTITUTE FOR EGGS

When eggs are selling at 50 to 60 cents a dozen most people are glad to use a substitute, especially when the substitute, for many purposes, is superior to real eggs. A gardener in Los Angeles, who had experimented in many ways with vegetables of all kinds, discovered that carrots can be made a very satisfactory substitute for eggs. He boils, mashes and presses them through a coarse cloth or hair strainer, and uses them in making a pudding by introducing the pulp among the other ingredients of t

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PLAN No. 549. FATTENING HOGS ON HAY

How many farmers know that hogs can be fattened on hay? One farmer in eastern Washington knew it, and made profitable use of his knowledge, not only in fattening his own porkers at a small expense, but in supplying the information to other farmers. This is the secret of it: Providing himself with a cutting-box, he cut very green hay short, mixed it with bran, shorts or middlings, and fed it the same as other feed. Hogs soon become fond of this, especially when soaked in swill or other slops. In

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PLAN No. 550. MADE MONEY WITH VACUUM CLEANER

While everyone recognizes the value of a vacuum cleaner in the removal of dust and dirt from house furnishings, comparatively few people own them, as it requires considerable of an outlay to buy one, and more or less exertion to operate it. A young woman in a western city, who was in the habit of thinking matters over for herself, thought she saw an opportunity in this fact to make a little money for herself by relieving people of these expenditures, and she therefore bought one of the best make

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PLAN No. 551. MADE AD. SOLICITING PAY

A young man from Chicago, who had been connected for several years with the advertising department of one of the city’s big dailies, was obliged to go west on account of failing health, and decided to locate in a northwestern city of about 100,000 population. Here he found a number of weekly publications, all more or less lacking in advertising patronage, and, being an expert in that line, he saw an opportunity to build up a good business for himself, while adding greatly to the revenues of thos

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PLAN No. 552. TEACHING SCENARIO WRITING

A New York man, who had written many scenarios for motion picture companies, finally concluded to start a paper devoted to that industry, and adopted a novel means of securing subscriptions for it. He advertised in a number of magazines that for 25 cents he would send his paper for an entire year, and at the same time would mail each subscriber a sample scenario, showing how to construct the plot, together with a list of film manufacturers in the market for motion-picture plays, etc. By this mea

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PLAN No. 553. CHILDREN’S PHOTOGRAPH SPECIALIST

A young photographer in a northwestern city, who was very fond of children, and was unusually successful in making good photographs of the little ones, opened a studio in an exclusive residence section of the city, and fitted up the lawn in front as an attractive playground. There were many trees all around the place, and these greatly heightened the park-like effect he wished to produce. Rustic seats, swings, etc., were arranged among the trees in front of the house, and the children of the cit

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PLAN No. 554. CONDENSING GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

A former newspaper man who was incapacitated for active service on the city dailies, concluded that he could still make a comfortable living by turning his talents toward condensing the numerous publications issued by the department of agriculture, compiling their salient features into one volume, and selling the work to farmers, stock-raisers, gardeners and others who had either neglected to send for the government pamphlets, or did not know they could be secured free, or did not read them. He

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PLAN No. 555. BUSINESS ADVISER

A New York lawyer who had had a large experience in business matters, decided to remove to San Francisco, mainly for climatic reasons, and concluded to enlarge upon the scope of his former activities in the eastern metropolis. He therefore opened an office and announced that he would act as business adviser to all, and would superintend the organization of large corporations, keeping them advised as to all business as well as legal aspects of their undertakings, look after the intricate affairs

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PLAN No. 556. MEN’S APPAREL ADVISER

If we are to consult a doctor when we are sick, a dentist when we have a toothache, a carpenter when we want a house built, then why not consult a specialist in apparel when we want to be properly clothed? That’s what a Denver dealer in men’s clothing and furnishings asked himself, and forthwith proceeded to find the answer. Carrying an exceptionally fine and very complete line of the “best in men’s wear,” and possessing a taste in matters of dress that won the confidence of his patrons and the

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PLAN No. 557. ONE-MAN SALES COMPANY

A Seattle man who had had considerable experience in selling goods of various kinds, and had formerly been head buyer for a large department store, which gave him special knowledge of all classes of merchandise, as well as the retail prices of goods, decided to make use of his knowledge, so went into business for himself. He had a full line of good stationery printed, calling himself the “Blank Sales Company,” and used this in writing to manufacturers all over the country, asking to be quoted th

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PLAN No. 558. CANNING THE SURPLUS

A widow and her daughter, who lived in a rickety old house on a run-down farm in the Middle West, were greatly distressed by the lack of funds with which to improve the appearance and comfort of the old dwelling, but had never been able to accumulate the necessary funds to have it done. The farm was every year yielding a greater quantity of fruit, berries, and vegetables than they could possibly use, and this surplus was all going to waste for the want of care. Finally the widow said to her daug

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PLAN No. 559. SPECIALIZED IN FITTING CHILDREN’S SHOES

A young shoe clerk in Chicago developed so great a “knack” for correctly fitting children’s shoes, with special study of the habits as well as the feet of the children, that scores of mothers who brought their little ones into the store would allow no one else to wait upon them. No matter how busy he was—they would patiently wait their turn until he could attend to the delicate matter of fitting each child, regardless of its age or disposition. This is his method: For the active, outdoor boy he

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PLAN No. 560. KNEW THE SECRET OF HOME CANNING

Most of the housewives in America believe that home-canned vegetables nearly always spoil. That is because they do not understand the important part played by bacteria in the canning process. Vegetables contain a large amount of proteid, the favorite food of bacteria, and unless these bacteria are destroyed, vegetables canned in summer are almost certain to spoil. On the other hand, fruits—and these include tomatoes—contain but little proteid, but a great amount of acid, (which bacteria especial

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PLAN No. 561. RAISING HOMING PIGEONS

Both patriotism and profit are what prompted an Ohio man to raise homing pigeons for war purposes, and the business has proven a great success, from every point of view. From early boyhood pigeons have interested him more than anything else in the world, and he understood these remarkable birds very well. These pigeons are not the soft, cooing dove of fiction, but are beautiful in color and line, alert, strong, tight-feathered, athletic, gamebirds with bright, farseeing eyes and marvelous courag

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PLAN No. 562. RAISING SQUABS FOR PROFIT

A young married couple, who lived near a car line in the suburb of a western city, decided to engage in the raising of squabs, as the hotels and restaurants of the city afforded a permanent and profitable market for them. Having secured a few birds, together with a book giving complete instructions as to their care, feeding, marketing, etc., they constructed suitable quarters for them, and determined that, above all things, they would keep their nests and grounds absolutely clean; which is a ver

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PLAN No. 563. REVISING MANUSCRIPTS

A former newspaper man and publicity writer in a western city, who had written and revised many books, pamphlets, prospectuses, etc., became impressed with the fact that many persons who wished to become authors of short stories, serials, poetry and miscellaneous articles, were sadly lacking in the knowledge of how to prepare their manuscripts in such a way as to make them acceptable to publishers. He also realized that, even if they knew how to properly arrange their manuscripts, few, if any of

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PLAN No. 564. PUBLIC SCHOOL DIRECTORY

An experienced ad. solicitor in a California city, who wished to go into business for himself, conceived the idea of publishing a complete school directory, which would be without cost to the school board, and would net him a good profit. He therefore interviewed the members of the board, and said to them: “If you will furnish me with the school calendar for the coming year, the names and addresses, with telephone numbers, of the board of directors, the standing committees of the same, dates of

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PLAN No. 565. AN ADVERTISING SCHOOL

An advertisement writer in a western city, who had made a good success in that work, having enrolled practically all the leading merchants of his city in his list of patrons, decided to establish an advertising school, in order to teach others the art or profession in which he had become so proficient. He therefore advertised in the papers of his own and surrounding cities, offering a thorough course of instruction in the designing and writing of advertisements, which instructions would be sent

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PLAN No. 566. AN ALUMNI DIRECTORY

The former president of the alumni association of a high school in a prominent western city figured out a plan which brought a great deal of pleasure to all its members, and incidentally netted him a profit of $2,000 for about two months’ work. He accomplished this by interviewing the principal of the high school, who was able to supply him with the names and addresses of nearly 80 per cent of the alumni members, and the balance he secured by calling upon those in close touch with such as had lo

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PLAN No. 567. BIRD-BATHS FOR ORCHARDISTS

A successful orchardist and gardener of Spokane, Washington, attributes a part of the profits he has derived from his fruit and vegetable culture to the encouragement he has given birds to come to his place. Knowing a great deal about the habits and the needs of birds, he realized that ample bathing facilities for them are greatly appreciated and he at once proceeded to supply them with this luxury, for if there is anything a bird likes it is his daily bath. To encourage them to make his place t

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PLAN No. 568. BECAME A NURSE FOR DIABETICS

A New York young woman wanted to become a nurse, so she consulted a physician who was a specialist and recognized authority on diabetes, and asked him what he would advise as a distinctive specialty for her to follow. His answer was: “Become a nurse for diabetics. They are clean and easy cases to handle, involving no disagreeable duties, and as most of them are able to attend to their regular business every day, the nurse has an abundance of time for her own improvement. But she must know her bu

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PLAN No. 569. MOTION-PICTURE ADVERTISING

An advertising man in a western city successfully carried out a plan of advertising in the motion picture theaters of his own and thirty of the surrounding towns, and found it a profitable business. He arranged with the managers of all these houses for a certain amount of advertising matter to be thrown upon their screens once each week for a year, at a figure which was very low. They were also to show motion pictures of the various departments of the manufacturers who were his regular advertise

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PLAN No. 570. RAISING BLOODED DOGS

A man who was employed in a large stationery house in a northwestern city made extra money during his spare time by raising blooded dogs and selling them at good prices. No matter for what purpose a dog was desired, whether for a child’s companion, a watch dog or hunting dog, he knew exactly the sort of dog to supply, and had the very finest specimens of all breeds constantly on hand to meet the demand. His prices ranged from $5 and $10 for a young puppy to $25, and even $50, for one grown and w

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PLAN No. 571. A “TRADE-TIP” BUREAU

A Minneapolis man made money by organizing what he called a “trade-tip bureau,” which consisted entirely of himself. He contracted with 100 manufacturers, merchants and others to keep them fully informed with reference to all matters arising within a radius of 200 miles of his home city, and information which might prove beneficial to them, at so much from each firm per year. He then subscribed for all the newspapers in the territory named, and read them carefully. Whenever he found an item that

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PLAN No. 572. BOOKLET ON MAIL-ORDER BUYING

A Chicago man who had been engaged in the mail-order business for many years, and had become familiar with this work in all its phases, published a booklet of eighty pages, containing valuable information and suggestions to other mail-order agents in regard to buying goods to be used for that purpose. Following a brief introductory, relating the changes that have taken place in the mail-order business of late years, owing to the changing methods of both factories and stores, the work touched upo

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PLAN No. 573. MEMORY CULTIVATION

The following is the method employed with profit by a well known eastern man who teaches the cultivation and improvement of the memory. He inserts ads. in all the papers as follows: “Stop forgetting. It may cost you money. Memory can be perfected by my simple Home Method. Education not necessary. Easy to master. Sent prepaid for 50 cents. SEND NOW TO ——————” “ A good memory worth gold. Helps you succeed—is better than education. MY HOME METHOD easily and quickly applied; easy as reading a book.

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PLAN No. 574. CUSTODIAN FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 575. PICTORIAL BUSINESS MAGAZINE

A western advertising man induced a talented local cartoonist to join him in the publication of a pictorial magazine of purely local events of interest, and together they soon made it the most talked-of publication in the city which had a population of about 100,000. The magazine was well printed, on good paper, and contained items of interest to and concerning prominent people in all lines of business—merchants, lawyers, doctors, dentists, judges, politicians, and other well known people. The a

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PLAN No. 576. GEORGE MADE SOME TENTS

A young man and his girl were strolling on the beach, when a violent storm arose. He opened his umbrella, and spread his raincoat over it. Then he fastened a 5-foot stick into the umbrella frame, inserted the other end into the ground, and the raincoat provided the walls of a hastily-constructed tent which kept them dry as they sat on a log while the storm raged. This evidently gave the young man an idea, for he had a tentmaker construct 200 little tents for use on the beach, which he sold the p

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PLAN No. 577. BATHHOUSE CURTAINS FOR AUTOS

A lawyer living in a northern city, near which were a number of lakes, health resorts and bathing beaches, frequently took his family in an automobile to some of these places, and together they spent the day in bathing, playing golf, etc. As the charges for the use of the bathhouses were rather exorbitant, and the bathhouses inconvenient, the attorney rigged up a set of water-proof curtains, enclosing the back portion of the machine, and attached to the frame above by means of hooks, thus giving

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PLAN No. 578. PHOTOGRAPHED MINES

This photographer made himself familiar with photographing mines. For those who were operating mines and desired to sell stock and wanted pictures of the mines to interest investors, he had made a study of what kind of pictures would most interest prospective investors, and to those compiling prospectuses he made many valuable suggestions. He would make a fixed charge for the trip to the mine, and would spend several days at the property and do his work right or would not go at all. After he fin

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PLAN No. 579. DENTIST—INDIAN SERVICE—U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 580. THE FARMER WHO USED THE PARCEL POST

In many portions of the country not one farmer in a thousand realizes the importance of the parcel post in the marketing of his products at a profit, but allows untold quantities of the very choicest grades to go to waste. Some of these farmers don’t know, while thousands of others don’t care. There was one Wisconsin farmer, however, who did know and did care, and he made himself wealthy by utilizing the products that others wasted, and for which city people gladly paid good prices. He began by

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PLAN No. 581. PURE FRUIT PRESERVES AND JELLIES

The following ad. inserted just once in a Sunday paper published in a Michigan city, brought a near-by farmer’s wife so many orders that she was kept busy for months in filling them by parcel post, and brought her a profit of nearly $1,000. Encouraged by her success, she enlarged her scope of operations the next season, and every season since then, until she is now in good circumstances. Here are the ads. which brought the business: “ Pure Fruit Preserves— “Guaranteed made from fresh picked frui

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PLAN No. 582. HOW TO OBTAIN FULL INFORMATION OF PROPERTY FROM ADDRESS

The following plan netted better than $1,500 in 2 1 ⁄ 2 hours. This would seem to be impossible but, like anything else when explained, is simple. This man had moved from the country to live in the city, and having a large family it was important for him to obtain a house. He tried to find a place to rent but found that property was being purchased rapidly. Somewhat discouraged, he called upon his brother. One house in the most exclusive end of the city, appealed to him but this house the real e

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PLAN No. 583. CITY GARDENS

Very few people realize what can be done with their back yards. Many people who live in the city could solve the much-vexed question of the high cost of living if they would put their own lot of land to work. A high school teacher living in Spokane used the vacant lot next to him and put it in potatoes. The soil was gravel formation. Most people in Spokane believed it necessary to water their potatoes daily, but he put some nitrogen in the soil and kept the potatoes carefully cultivated and irri

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PLAN No. 584. LECTURES PREPARED AND SOLD EARNED WAY THROUGH COLLEGE

He was an excellent stenographer and owned a mimeograph outfit. He heard all the lectures in his course, and all other lectures he fancied in the college, and had many copies of these made up and sold to the students at a very low price. You will find many students in departments who are interested in lectures that take place in other departments, and when unable to attend such lectures, are very glad to buy them from one who has attended. This student also prepared questions that had been asked

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PLAN No. 585. RUNS BOARDING HOUSE—PAYS WAY THROUGH COLLEGE

Many young men who have had some experience in running a boarding house, put themselves through college, and often have a saving above their expenses at the end of their work. I remember particularly two young men who did this. One ran his house on a cheap plan. He furnished board at a very low price, with no style, while the other gave more service, a little more dessert and charged a higher price. These men employed students only who wished to earn their board in exchange for their services...

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PLAN No. 586. SHAVED HIS WAY THROUGH COLLEGE

There is no reason why a man who understands the barber trade should not have a university training. There is always a great demand for his services at the university. Six hours out of the twenty-four will enable him to pay his expenses. If he cannot get employment in a shop, he can run a student-shop of his own and employ only student barbers—each putting in a certain amount of time in the shop each day. The student body will patronize him in preference to anyone else....

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PLAN No. 587. OREGON MAN EARNS WAY THROUGH COLLEGE

He was known by all as “Bill” and he was from the West. Bill, from the very first was a politician and would not take a back seat. He was an excellent talker and possessed lots of courage and self confidence. He had a few dollars to run on the first year, but after that it was up to him. He made himself well known to all in the university. Anything that required talk or scheming—he was there. There was a big fair going on at St. Louis and Bill arranged to show the Oregon exhibit. He obtained thi

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PLAN No. 588. ASSISTANT TO TEACHER OF ELOCUTION

This young man was particularly interested in becoming a political speaker, so the first year of his university work he applied himself to the elocution course. He was studying law and saw its importance to the practicing lawyer. His interest was so marked that the professor became interested in him. The young man’s means were limited, so the professor made him a member of his own household, which settled the board and room question. He secured a small salary for his services, and soon the class

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PLAN No. 589. STUDIOUS MAN’S WAY OF EARNING HIS WAY THROUGH COLLEGE

He was a young man of few words, but always hit the mark when called upon in class. His strength lay in his scholarship. He was not a success as a salesman and had no ability as a speaker. So the ordinary methods for earning his way through college were closed. However, he followed his natural bent as a student, securing work as a briefer for one of the college professors who was working on a book on corporations. His first year’s work was so satisfactory that his whole college course was spent

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PLAN No. 590. HOW A WESTERN MAN EARNED HIS WAY THROUGH A UNIVERSITY

I well remember a young man from Salt Lake City, Utah, who arrived at the university filled with high hope for the future, but who possessed little money to accomplish it with. He was able by waiting on table to get through the first year, but was without money at the beginning of the first summer. He had a taste of one year’s life at the university and nothing could prevent his return the next year. He had never sold anything but he had precedent before him of what other men had done the year b

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PLAN No. 591. PAINTED AUTOMOBILES IN WINTER

He was a good painter, but during the winter he had very little work; yet by the following plan it became the most profitable and busy season of the year. During the early fall he saw some of the auto owners and made an arrangement to re-paint their cars during the winter. He made a study of auto painting and was able to furnish as high class a job as the auto owner desired. If the upholstering of the car was worn or of poor taste he made suggestions for adding greatly to the beauty of the car.

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PLAN No. 592. SUIT ORDERS PUT MAN THROUGH UNIVERSITY

He was one of the best dressed men in the university and knew what kind of clothes a man could wear. There is no time in a man’s life when he more desires to be well dressed than when he is in college. This young man was popular in the school, and a very good mixer. He took measurements for suits, and let every one know it. He not only put a good suit on one but gave good style. If the hat, shirt and shoes did not go with the suit, he did everything he could in a tactful way to show what should

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PLAN No. 593. Y. M. C. A.—Y. W. C. A. PUT THEM THROUGH UNIVERSITY

I knew a young fellow who worked at the Y. M. C. A. at the university. He was taking law. For his work in the association he was furnished with a good room and board and his work there did not conflict with his classes. He was an able assistant to the secretary and proved a very valuable man. This work qualified him to become a first-class secretary, after he completed his course, which work enabled him to make a saving before going into the practice and also made a host of friends, which is ess

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PLAN No. 594. WENT THROUGH UNIVERSITY BY APPOINTING AGENTS

Before his arrival John had married and was the head of a nice family of three. He possessed a bright mind but had his own way to earn as well as that of his family. This to most people is a barrier, but to John it was not, and here is the way he did it: Previous to entering the university he had sold books for a Chicago book company. He requested the company to finance him for one year by advancing $100 a month, for which he would secure and train agents during this period. The offer was accept

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PLAN No. 595. WESTERN MAN’S WAY OF GOING THROUGH UNIVERSITY

This man was about thirty-two before any opportunity presented itself for him to have a university education. He had finished high school, and from that time became a worker. His hobby was speaking and writing, and he had soon become the spokesman for the men he worked with. He was sincere and earnest and won a good reputation among his fellow-workmen. Several occasions presented themselves for him to champion their cause. The members of his association, knowing his desire to go through the law

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PLAN No. 596. BIBLES PUT HIM THROUGH UNIVERSITY

He was a man past middle age, had never had any special advantages, but had a remarkable will and was open and above board in his religious faith. He believed the Bible was one of the best books ever printed and he had a good understanding of it. So he met all students who were inclined toward religion and obtained as many agents as possible to go out with him to sell Topical Bibles. He put out a considerable number of agents, worked with them, and encouraged them, and at the end of each summer

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PLAN No. 597. INSURANCE PUTS MAN THROUGH UNIVERSITY

The second year of my course at the university I almost decided to sell insurance. Several of the boys, the summer before, had piled up profits as high as $800 net in that work. Some of my friends went out and received training for two months before the summer vacation. They sold insurance in communities where they were well known. One of the boys, for his summer’s work, netted more than $500. He sold exclusively to the farmers of Illinois. A man who goes out during the summer from the universit

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PLAN No. 598. SANG THEIR WAY THROUGH UNIVERSITY

Four young men made their way through the university in about as pleasant a way as possible—by singing their way through. This quartet was excellent. On Sundays they sang for the church, and at any college meeting they were always called upon. They put on several concerts during the year and on several occasions they organized entertainments in the near-by towns and were well rewarded by the receipts. During their third year they organized a number of singers and arranged for a trip to occupy se

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PLAN No. 599. ENTERTAINER PAYS WAY THROUGH UNIVERSITY

He could do sleight-of-hand tricks and was able to do some good hypnotic work. He understood how to arrange for and advertise his plays. He made it a point to give several entertainments each year in the near-by cities. During Christmas time, spring vacation and summer he was busy. The entertainments given at the university and the Saturday-night performances in some of the adjacent towns were sufficient to defray all his expenses....

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PLAN No. 600. SOLD ALUMINUM WARE SUMMERS AND PAID UNIVERSITY EXPENSES

A tall, slender chap, whom I at first thought to be a rich man’s son, told me that he had that summer made $550. On inquiring I found he sold aluminum ware during the summer in Illinois. He not only worked in the cities but in the country as well. He would find some housewife in the city who would permit him to give a demonstration of his aluminum ware cooking utensils. He would then get this lady to invite in a number of her friends to see the demonstration. For this he would make a gift of som

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PLAN No. 601. CHAMPIONING RELIGIOUS DOCTRINE PUT HIM THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY

There are a great many different religious sects in our country, and from our colleges and universities these sects obtain material that will assist their causes. Two of my friends at the university took a law and literary course covering a period of six years. They were good speakers and had very strong leaning toward certain religious beliefs. They made a very close study of same until they became very valuable exponents for their denominations. They were sent out on special lecturing trips an

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PLAN No. 602. COLLEGE ON STEREOSCOPIC VIEWS

Stereoscopic views are simple, but very important when one considers that by their aid a student may defray the expenses to his coveted goal the completing of his college course. Jim was a big raw-boned fellow from Indiana. He was a man of wonderful energy and enthusiasm. Life was new to him every minute. It seemed his difficulty was lack of new opportunities for him to show what he could do. He had no money after paying for his books, but by waiting on table and making himself generally useful

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PLAN No. 603. SMALL TOWN WEEKLY AND REAL ESTATE

He left his home in Iowa and dropped into a little western town of some 1,800 inhabitants. He had about $500 but that would not go very far. He liked newspaper work as a profession, so he started a weekly publication at which he worked hard and soon made it pay enough to provide himself and family with a living. But that did not give him a future, so he decided he would specialize in farm sales. He knew what a good farm was for he had made a study of farming. He obtained everything the governmen

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PLAN No. 604. THIS LAWYER MADE MONEY BY KEEPING A DAILY RECORD

It is safe to say that nine-tenths of the members of the bar do not keep daily records. This often determines whether or not the lawyer is a success or failure. When an estate is put into an attorney’s hands he should in these matters have a daily record, and his charge should be based on this record. But most attorneys go before the court, state generally how much time has been consumed, and ask for say, $500; but instead of such an allowance they usually get $100. The attorney might be entitle

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PLAN No. 605. LAWYER’S PLAN TO SAVE ON TYPEWRITING

A lawyer must have an office and a stenographer. Usually he can afford his office, and as far as books are concerned he can obtain them on time. But his stenographic help is always a problem as most of the time he cannot afford to have a stenographer. He may find that a large part of the time his stenographer is more of a nuisance than a help. He is compelled to pay her $80 a month when over half of the time she is without work. This attorney obtained a dictaphone and experimented with it for ab

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PLAN No. 606. LAWYER SELLS LAW BOOKS

This lawyer found that while our country was at war with Germany his practice dwindled down to almost nothing. He loved his profession and he had a professional pride that riveted him to his chair in the office. He loved his wife and family too, and when they had to do without any of the necessaries he felt it was up to him to move and move fast. He shook himself until he had a real circulation and determined he would take a trip into the northwest “for his health”—the real purpose being to sell

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PLAN No. 607. SHEEP ON SUMMER FALLOW

Here is what one farmer accomplished: “On September 1, 1913, I owned 123 head of sheep worth approximately $613. During the following year I fed them $50 worth of feed and pastured them on summer fallow. I figure they saved me $150 worth of labor in eating off the weeds. During the year I sold $375 worth of sheep and $125.80 worth of wool, and at the end of the year I still had 135 head worth $675. I therefore figure my net profit, exclusive of labor, $660.80. I cannot understand why more farmer

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PLAN No. 608. LIKES HOGS AND SHEEP

He made a living from stock, and here is his statement of what he did: “Recognizing the necessity for more modern methods in farming, I started in four years ago by fencing my 500-acre ranch with hog-tight woven-wire fence. I also purchased a bunch of hogs and went in debt for both the hogs and the fence. The first year I sold $1,400 worth of hogs and have averaged $2,000 per year since. I also purchased some sheep and found that by running them between harvest and summer fallow I was able to ke

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PLAN No. 609. GOOD MONEY IN COWS

Here is what a farmer did with a few head of stock in Western Wisconsin, and he gives an account of his work as follows: “On October 1st, 1913, I owned eighteen cows, eight heifers, four calves and one bull. The following year I fed $312 worth of pasture and $415 worth of feed, all of which, with the exception of $160 worth, was produced on my farm. During the year my sales of cattle and dairy products amounted to $1,200. At the end of the year I had remaining twenty-two cows, eight heifers, thr

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PLAN No. 610. HOGS ARE MONEY MAKERS

You will note that the following profit was made before we were thinking of war. Hogs are always profitable. Here is Mr. Farmer’s statement of what he did with a few hogs in Washington state. “On September 30th, 1913, I owned twenty cows, thirty barrows and gilts, and one boar, worth approximately $610. During the following year I fed $704 worth of pasture and grain, all of which were produced on my farm. On September 30th, 1914, I owned twenty cows, eighty gilts and barrows, two boars and 120 p

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PLAN No. 611. INTERESTING POULTRY FIGURES

To show what a hen paid before the war, here are a few figures which show the possibilities of the hen in the city. “According to your request, you will find below data on my poultry business: From Nov. 1, 1912 to Nov. 1, 1913: From Nov. 1, 1913 to Nov. 1, 1914: “One-half the hens for 1914 were the pullets of 1913 and were supposed to fall off in production 20 per cent. The balance were pullets.” The Department of Agriculture is back of you in any endeavor you may wish to make in farming. If you

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PLAN No. 612. BELIEVES IN SHEEP

Many town people have an idea that before the war farming was not a very profitable business, but that is not the case. Here is what one farmer has to say: “In 1913 I purchased 1,188 sheep, mostly lambs. In 1914 I clipped about one dollar’s worth of wool per head and then sold 300 head at $4.75 to $5.25 per hundred pounds. They were out nearly all winter at strawstacks and grazing, my only expense being thirty-five tons of alfalfa at $10 per ton. You can easily see that I have made a very nice p

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PLAN No. 613. REMARKABLE YIELD FROM TWENTY-THREE ACRES

The following figures taken from a 23-acre tract, near North Yakima, Washington, illustrates what can be accomplished in the irrigated valleys of the Inland Empire, when intensified farming methods are followed: Six thousand boxes of apples, 10 tons of cherries, 400 boxes of peaches, 700 boxes of pears, 100 crates of small fruit, 1,800 boxes tomatoes, 40 tons of wheat and alfalfa hay, 15 tons carrots and mangel-wurzels, 2 tons grain and vegetables, 50 bushels corn, 400 pounds butter, 14 pure bre

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PLAN No. 614. FOURTEEN HENS MAKE $3.33 EACH

Here is what a city man did, given in his own language: “January 1, 1914, I had on hand fourteen pullets, worth $8.40. During nine months I sold 12 1 ⁄ 2 dozens of eggs at 35c per dozen, a total of $49.87. I also sold $26.15 worth of chickens, and at the end of 9 months I had remaining a flock of 48 pullets, 6 cockerels and 8 hens—62 in all—worth 60 cents each or a total of $37.20. During the nine months I spent $7.50 for eggs for hatching and also $89.80 for feed. This makes me a profit of $57.

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PLAN No. 615. SHEEP MAKE MONEY FOR THIS MAN

Here is what this farmer has to say: “In January, 1913, I owned a flock of ninety sheep worth approximately $900. During the following year I purchased a buck for $32 and fed $50 worth of pasture and $80 worth of salable feed. I sold $225 worth of sheep and $210 worth of wool and on October 1, 1914, I had 125 head of sheep remaining, worth $1,250. I therefore figure my net profit, exclusive of labor, $623. However, the sheep made me more money than this, as I let them run on summer fallow and th

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PLAN No. 616. LIKES DAIRYING

This farmer makes the following statement: “January, 1913, I owned 12 cows, 1 heifer, 2 calves and 1 bull, worth approximately $916. During the following year I fed $135 worth of pasture and $365 worth of feed, all of which, with the exception of $120 worth, was produced on my farm. During the year I sold $1,100 worth of cattle and dairy products and on January 1, 1914, I had remaining 9 head of cows, 3 heifers, 5 calves and 1 bull, worth $870. My profits therefore, were $554, exclusive of labor

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PLAN No. 617. BEEF CATTLE IN FERRY COUNTY, WASHINGTON

This farmer gives his experience as follows: “According to my experience here in Ferry County, a herd of cattle doubles in three years, aside from keeping themselves. There is always a cash market at your door for anything you have to sell. I have 1,100 acres of land and keep about 100 head of stock through the winter; raise considerable small grain and feed up all my straw as well as what hay is necessary. I now have a nice start in pure bred Short Horn Durhams of milk strain, which gives me go

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PLAN No. 618. GOOD YIELDS OF WHEAT AND OATS

He made money before the war; what do you think he made during the war? He tells what his farm did in the following account: “I harvested 135 acres of wheat this year which furnished thirty-two bushels per acre, a total of 4,320 bushels. It cost me $459 to grow it, $200 for cutting and shocking, $345 for threshing. The interest on my investment in land at $80 per acre, and on horses and machinery for two years is $1,536. This leaves a net profit of $829 at 80c per bushel. My oats made a yield of

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PLAN No. 619. $1,000 A YEAR FROM POULTRY

Here is what a small farmer accomplished in Washington state with poultry in 1910, 1911 and 1912, when prices were much lower than now. He gives his experience as follows: “I will be glad to tell you the result from my poultry business. I began January 1, 1910, with 250 hens, 19 roosters, 12 ducks and 20 bantams, which I invoiced at $340. During the year 1910 I sold as follows: Market eggs, $542.50; hatching eggs, $437.15; market poultry, $210.30; breeding stock, $350.75; or a total of $1,541. T

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PLAN No. 620. BIG PROFITS IN TRUCK GARDENING

This man operates a truck garden with the following success. The figures given are before the war prices. The soil resembles gravel and is watered by pumps. Here is his account: “I have been truck gardening in the vicinity of Spokane for twenty-six years, and now have a small tract in the Spokane Valley and inside the city limits. Here I find I can produce all of the crops that will grow in this climate, but at present I am making a specialty of celery, cauliflower and asparagus. “Celery gives m

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PLAN No. 621. PROFIT ON 130 ACRES OF WHEAT

This man was farming in the Palouse country, south of Spokane, Washington. You can see what he was doing before the war, and you can figure out for yourself what he made after the war began. Here are his figures: “I raised 4,030 bushels of wheat this year from 130 acres, an average of thirty-one bushels per acre. It cost me $331.50 to raise the crop; $334 to harvest it, and $332.64 to thresh it. Sacks cost me an additional $175. I figure the interest on my investment in horses, machinery, and la

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PLAN No. 622. THREE CROPS IN ONE SEASON

He made a living on a small piece of land in the following manner: “I have six acres of ground on which I am making a specialty of growing cauliflower, celery and cabbage. I figure that I have cleared over $1,500 this year, above all expenses. From one little plot, about 14x20 feet, I have sold a crop of radishes, spinach and endive, bringing me a gross return of over $35.”...

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PLAN No. 623. BEEF CATTLE MONEY VELVET

The following is a little side money for the farmer. His statement is as follows: “On January 1, 1912, I owned ten head of beef cattle worth $500. During the year I fed $60 worth of pasture and $150 worth of feed, all of which was produced on my farm. During the year I sold $120 worth of cream and traded $90 worth of cattle for hogs. On December 31, 1912, I had nineteen head remaining worth $860. My profit for the year, exclusive of labor, was $360. While this is not a very large amount, yet at

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PLAN No. 624. PASTURES ALFALFA

This farmer makes a good living on his small farm. Profit based on prices before the war. “I have thirty-five acres of alfalfa from one to five years old. I cut two crops of hay each year, yielding from 2 1 ⁄ 2 to 3 tons per acre, and in addition pasture the third crop. I can sell all the hay I can raise at from $9 to $10 a ton unbaled. At this rate it is bringing big returns on $75 to $100 per acre land.”...

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PLAN No. 625. ALFALFA BRINGS GOOD RETURNS

This farmer does well with twenty-five acres based on prices before the war. “I have twenty-five acres of 4-year-old alfalfa on sub-irrigated land. I cut two crops a year, averaging three tons per acre, and use the third crop for pasture. I can sell my hay for from $10 to $14 per ton unbaled. While there is not a great deal of alfalfa raised here I am sure that it will do well and bring very good returns on the investment.”...

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PLAN No. 626. ALFALFA BETTER THAN WHEAT

Farmers in the Northwest country usually summer fallow, and many put in alfalfa, which is a good crop for summer fallow and is profitable. Here is what one man’s experience was whose profit is based on 1914 prices for alfalfa: “In 1913 I sowed sixty acres of non-irrigated land to alfalfa. I cut off of it the first year 1 1 ⁄ 4 tons per acre which I sold at $10 per ton, making $900 gross returns. Besides my hay crop I sowed a field for pasture during the fall, but cannot tell just what it was wor

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PLAN No. 627. FARMS TOO LARGE

Here is what a woman did in the State of Washington, and the following statement is in her own language. She must have made money on $2 wheat. “Twelve years ago I started in owing $2,500 on 320 acres. Since then I have purchased two more sections in Lincoln county, Washington, and two sections in Canada and have never had a mortgage on my home place. The money has all come from the ranch in Lincoln County. “This year I had 85 acres of barley, which yielded 50 bushels per acre, and 640 acres of w

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PLAN No. 628. LIKES THE WEST

Here is what he did with $3,000: “I came to the State of Washington twelve years ago from Central Illinois with about $4,500. I purchased 160 acres at $50 per acre, paying $3,000 down. I bought fourteen head of cows at a cost of $700, sowed most of my land to grass, alfalfa, timothy and clover. “The first five years I practiced dairying and mixed farming, selling the whole milk, hay, small grain and potatoes. I also have a one-acre orchard, which has produced an average of 200 boxes of apples pe

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PLAN No. 629. FINDS HOGS PROFITABLE

He handled hogs as a side line, and his results run as follows: “On October 1, 1913, I owned 11 sows, 90 gilts and barrows, 2 boars and 60 pigs, worth approximately $1,270. During the year following I purchased $60 worth of hogs and fed $1,310.21 of feed, all of which, with the exception of $310.90 was produced on my farm. During the same year my sale of hogs amounted to $2,316.33, and on October 1, 1914, I had 8 sows, 100 gilts and barrows, 2 boars and 8 pigs remaining, worth $856. I figure my

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PLAN No. 630. BEEF CATTLE PAY WELL

Here is a man that made money during the war. This is what he says: “In October, 1912, I owned three head of beef cows, worth $225. During the next two years I purchased $721 worth of cattle. I do not have a record of my feeding costs, but it would not be very much, as I pastured them on cheap pasture most of the year and fed only a small amount of hay for three months in the winter. During the same two years I sold $827 worth of butter and cattle, and on October 1, 1914, I had sixteen head rema

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PLAN No. 631. HE WANTED TO BE SECRETARY TO THE MAYOR

Every mayor’s office needs a secretary to look after the office and make his dates and appointments for him, as this saves a great deal of time. This kind of work calls for a man who has a neat appearance and is genteel and makes a good impression; a man who understands all methods of putting off callers whom the mayor does not care to see; who knows how to find out whether the people calling on the mayor have come to raise money, etc., ascertain the full nature of their business and make proper

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PLAN No. 632. BECAME COUNTY COMMISSIONER

I knew two men, one a secretary to the County Commissioner, and the other in the auditor’s office. They each desired some day to be commissioners for their county. They served in their respective capacities for five to six years. This gave them a good income, a chance to establish their homes, properly educate their family, and finally they came to the conclusion that they were sufficiently well acquainted, and capable of handling the office of county commissioner, and proceeded to announce them

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PLAN No. 633. A LAWYER BECOMES A JUDGE

To build up a political success one is invariably dependent upon his friends, and an aspirant for office will be very much surprised when he enters the race and finds how very few working friends he actually possesses. He may be well known in the community, and have a good reputation, but when he makes an attempt for public office, he will be fortunate if he finds ten men of the thousands of his friends who will come out and work conscientiously for him. This is especially true of the man who li

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PLAN No. 634. AN ATTORNEY BECAME MAYOR OF A CITY

When he first started to practice it was very discouraging, as he was limited in funds and had a family, and for that reason he took up work in the city clerk’s office. In that capacity he could serve, and soon he became the adviser of the city council. He was familiar with all of the details of the clerk’s office and the doings of the council, and could also advise them as well as the city attorney’s office. Often his suggestions to the corporation council’s office, were gratefully received. Fo

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PLAN No. 635. A LIVING OUT OF POLITICS

A great number of men and women in your community and state are making their living entirely on politics. If you are to choose this work for a living, it is necessary to bear in mind that you must be an adherent of some particular party and you must be enthusiastic for it from beginning to end, as leaving this party will be considered a breach of good faith on your part, and you will lose much of your friendship, which is essential to keep you in your position. Also bear in mind, you who hold po

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PLAN No. 636. AN ATTORNEY BECOMES SPECIAL COUNSEL FOR THE CITY

He had no political standing but he knew the employes of the different departments of the city, and thus he became aware of what could be done for the city in the way of collecting back assessments, supposedly-outlawed claims etc. He made a memorandum of these as best he could from a superficial examination, and took the matter up with the councilmen of the city. He had the support of the councilman of his district who furnished him a great deal of information. He then set about to become acquai

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PLAN No. 637. AN ATTORNEY BECOMES CHIEF JUSTICE IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

To win this position in twelve years would seem impossible but if you knew the man and the plan he pursued it would appear to you quite possible. In the university he developed himself in public speaking. He became a good speaker, and before his term had expired had won a reputation as an excellent debater. He was not of the argumentative type, but more of the persuasive turn of mind. He endeavored to win people to his convictions rather than to compel them to follow his ideas. He took an extra

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PLAN No. 638. A PHYSICIAN BECOMES CORONER

While at the university this young doctor learned something about politics. As soon as he got settled in the community he made investigations of the coroner’s office. When politics opened up he became a candidate and made an original campaign for the office. He could speak and tell stories far better than the average man, and he made a good impression in his addresses. The political party arranged dates for speakers, and being one of the best speakers he was called upon in a great many cases. He

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PLAN No. 639. A DEACON MAKES MONEY ON TAX DEEDS

I met this gentleman in connection with some old back taxes which the city claimed were against certain properties. He showed willingness to pay the back taxes at once without any argument, and after making his payment entered into a conversation with me relating how he had acquired this property and how much he had made. One rainy day, he said, he attended a sale at the courthouse, and there being no bidders present, for the property there offered for sale, except himself, that he acquired this

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PLAN No. 640. THE DOCTOR MADE MONEY

When I was a boy about ten years of age, I well remember the new doctor coming to the city. He received his furniture and appliances for office use, and showed them to us with great pride. He started in and worked very hard. His office was in a very unpretentious building in a small Iowa town, and, naturally, the first year his practice was limited, but everything he did he kept strict account, made his charges, and rendered his bills. He was not very insistent on pay at once, but he was anxious

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PLANS No. 641 to 649 SEE GOVERNMENT SERVICE—PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 650. HOW A DRUGLESS DOCTOR BUILT UP A PRACTICE

He and I were working together on a city newspaper as advertising solicitors when one day he told me that he was studying nights to become a chiropractic doctor. He said very little about it, because his wife did not favor it. However, he had put his time to this study. He continued his studies for six or seven months until he felt that he was able to launch out for himself. The question then was, where should he start. He had only a little cash and to stay in the city where he was once an adver

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PLAN No. 651. A LAWYER SPECIALIZES ON INSURANCE LAW

As soon as he had graduated he went into one of the leading law offices of an insurance company and there made a two years’ study of insurance law from the insurance company’s standpoint. He was given little opportunity to progress in the business, and found himself at the end of three years without any business of his own to depend on, so to get recognition from the company seemed hopeless. He did know “insurance law,” so he opened his law office. He saw the other attorneys and made it known th

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PLAN No. 652. HE BECAME A “TRIAL LAWYER”

No sooner had he graduated from law school, than he determined to become a “trial lawyer.” He studied law for two years with one of the leading Law firms in the city. His income was small, but he was patient. He realized that he must know a great deal about briefing, and this was a good way to obtain the knowledge. After this he went into business for himself. He had been in the practice only six months when an opportunity came to him to become an assistant to the corporation counsel. This he pr

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PLAN No. 653. AN ATTORNEY BECOMES A COURT CLERK

This attorney thought it was important to first serve as clerk for the court, so he worked in this capacity for a year. In that manner he became familiar with all the abilities of the men at the bar in that community. He watched and observed how they conducted cases, and discerned what abilities each possessed. He also became familiar with their standing before the judges of the court, as well as their standing before the bar. In other words, he learned many tricks of the trade, and also became

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PLAN No. 654. HE BECAME A LAWYER’S LAWYER

For years he had been a very successful trial lawyer, and because of that success he had been approached by many lawyers to take up their cases and put it through to a final success. He finally put his entire time at the disposal of the lawyers of his city. He found in the city in which he was practicing, had a population of about 400,000, that young lawyers who have been in the practice for years have but little experience in the trial court, and often have had but few cases and for that reason

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PLAN No. 655. A DOCTOR IN A SMALL TOWN MAKES A SPECIALTY OF SURGERY

Soon after his college course was completed he settled in a little town of about 2,500 population in the state of Iowa, in the midst of a great farming district. He liked the practice of medicine. At first he took up general practice in the town and made it a point to respond to all calls given him. He was business-like and gave people to understand that he was to receive pay for his calls and rendered bills accordingly. His genial manner won people’s confidence in his sincerity. Each year he de

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PLAN No. 656. HE BECOMES AN ATTORNEY IN A SMALL TOWN

He came from the West to the university and as soon as his course there was completed he at once returned, to one of the small towns, having a population not exceeding 1,000. In this town there was one attorney, and for that reason many men would not consider the place sufficiently large for two lawyers. However, he made up his mind that this was his opportunity. The town had a farming community around it which later proved to be good. The people of that community were very glad to have another

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PLAN No. 657. THIS LAWYER MADE MUNICIPAL LAW A SPECIALTY

He had been in the private practice of law for about five years and was not doing well. He concluded to get into the corporation counsel’s office and make municipal law his specialty. He was fortunate to get an appointment and soon developed into a first class lawyer for the city, and won a good reputation from his work done. The community in which he resided had a population of 350,000 to 400,000, and after about two years’ work for the city he went in practice for himself. He made a specialty

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PLAN No. 658. A LAWYER MAKES A SUCCESS IN A LARGE CITY

This young attorney located in a small town in Oregon and there, with the co-operation of one of the leading politicians of the state, was able to build up a good practice. His acquaintanceship and connection established him in the community of 15,000, in which he made his initial step, and soon he had a small, but substantial practice. His plan was eventually to go into the city of Portland. He possessed one excellent ability, and that was to make friends. He was quiet in manner, a fair speaker

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PLAN No. 659. THIS LAWYER WRITES FOR NEWSPAPERS

This lawyer says that one of the best ways of developing your abilities is to write, and he found time in the establishment of his early practice to write for the newspapers of his community. He lived in a large city, and certain columns of the newspapers were usually open for the discussion of public questions, and he took that opportunity to get acquainted with the community. However, he was very careful to see to it that he wrote only his own true convictions, and, when matters were thrown op

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PLAN No. 660. HIS INTEREST IN POLITICS MADE HIM MONEY

He was a young fellow full of ambition and energy and was interested in all subjects which came up for political discussion. He was especially interested in matters in which the temperance issue was involved. He was a “Progressive” and did not hesitate to tell people of his political convictions. He was a good speaker and had trained himself in this work. He could talk before any meeting or gathering and make a creditable impression. When I first saw him he was introduced as the “Boy Speaker” of

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PLAN No. 661. REPORTER LIVES FOUR YEARS IN WASHINGTON

This is undoubtedly a wonderful experience for any man. He was a reporter on one of the daily papers, and was acknowledged as one of the very best men in his profession. His income was small, but he counted among his friends many of the best men in the community. Some of these, of course, had ambition for public office. One in particular engaged his services, and to give him as much favorable publicity as he possibly could during his campaign for United States Congress. This is an opportunity th

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PLAN No. 662. CHEMIST FOR U. S. GOV. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 663. THROUGH COLLEGE ON CLASS HISTORY

It is often supposed that a man who is not a good speaker and does not show much enthusiasm will find it almost impossible to earn his way through college but such is not the case. This man was a good writer and a clear thinker. For each class that was about to graduate he prepared a class history. This volume became more valuable as the years went by, and he had no difficulty in placing it with each member at a reasonable profit. There are many classes graduating at a university and he derived

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PLAN No. 664. BOOSTER FOR BOARDING HOUSE PAID BOARD

He always managed to have fifteen or twenty boys who wanted to eat where he ate. With this following alone any boarding-house was glad to give him his board free. His board was two-thirds of his college expense, so he arranged with a boarding-house each year to bring at least twenty boarders to the house and keep up that average. This was a valuable help to the man running the boarding-house. Every business must have its booster or business-getter, so why not a college boarding-house?...

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PLAN No. 665. ATHLETIC ASSISTANT PAID UNIVERSITY EXPENSES

A man who takes an active interest in athletics can become a great help by assisting the coach or manager. Two men defrayed all their expenses at the university by acting as assistants in athletics. They enjoyed the opportunity of many side-trips, and after their course was completed received good offers through the coach and general manager. Often this field of service is overlooked by those who must earn their way through college. The opportunities for a good man to assist the coach are numero

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PLAN No. 666. HE RAN A SALES COMPANY

About ten years ago I met a young man who was possessed of exceptional energy and push. With him something must be done and the time to do it was to-day. He ran a little collection company, and if he couldn’t get prompt results he lost no time in bringing suit. The profits of the business did not develop fast enough for him, so one day he quit this work. He felt that selling was his life-work. He had experience as an auctioneer, but now he determined to become a real business doctor and give peo

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PLAN No. 667. ENTERTAINS CHILDREN.

A mother with a little 8-year-old girl was compelled to earn her own way. She had one asset—a home in a good neighborhood close to a school. She was a good entertainer and the idea came to her: “Why not give children’s parties four afternoons of the week?” She acted upon this idea and gave parties for children from 1 to 5 o’clock Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, when school was closed, and when school was in session she arranged for parties on Saturdays from 1 to 5 P. M. She would entert

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PLAN No. 668. RAISED CHICKENS

He resolved that chickens could be raised on a large scale. He devoted 80 acres to them in the following manner. He planted wheat, and immediately after doing so he put hundreds of young chickens on the eighty acres to make their own way. He arranged for water and made a large number of little houses on wheels wherein the chickens could roost and lay. Each day he collected his eggs. When it was necessary, he would move the houses about their length. When fall came he sold all chickens that were

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PLAN No. 669. ADVERTISING PLAN TO GET ACQUAINTED

I met a young man in the Middle west who made a specialty of introducing the men at the heads of business concerns to their customers. One at first thought, believes that the heads of a great store, lumber company or other business is known to all, but he is not known outside of fifty or sixty families. This young man has a contract with all the local weeklies in a district that supplied purchases to the city he was working in. He showed to merchants that he represented thirty or forty papers in

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PLAN No. 670. INFORMATION BUREAU

This man realized that the average merchant spends money in advertising to get customers, so he organized an information bureau to do all in his power to find customers for various merchants. He employed girls to read several hundred newspapers, as the daily and weekly papers contain much information which leads directly to business advantages. He obtained from the county auditors a list of farmers in each county, their names and addresses, the kind of farming they were engaged in. In fact, anyt

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PLAN No. 671. ATTORNEYS BUILD LAW PRACTICE ON COLLECTION

These two attorneys realized that in starting in the law practice in a city of 100,000 was a very difficult matter, and this is the way they did it: They opened offices and started in the collection business. They did not make it on a commission basis, but on a certain amount per week, which would enable them to know just what their income would be. They went among the cheaper stores of the community and secured their collections at very low rates. One took one side of the city in the morning an

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PLAN No. 672. WOMAN BECOMES ISOLATION HOSPITAL NURSE

This woman was thrown on her own resources and had to devise ways and means of making a living. The only field open to her at the time was to take care of “Flu” patients. She was not a trained nurse, but found that she could do this work very well. She worked hard for a few months, and word was brought to the health officer of the city concerning her work. They finally called upon her, and offered her a position in the Isolation Hospital, to take care of smallpox patients. She went into this wor

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PLAN No. 673. AN ATTORNEY REPRESENTS AN EXTREME POLITICAL PARTY

This man naturally was not content to follow the ordinary conservative lines of winning success. He thought it was for him to represent the extremest in politics, so immediately after graduation he associated with people of that kind. He was always present at their meetings and gave addresses. He championed their cause; and finally, when trouble arose, he was named as their attorney. He entered heart and soul into the fight, and made a reputation in this work. His ambition was to make his office

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PLAN No. 674. ATTORNEY RUNS FARM

This attorney was practicing in a city, but felt that, in order to be assured of a permanent success in that community, it was best for him to have a farm close to the city. He secured a farm and made it his home. It was on an electric line, and this made it easy for him to go to and from the city, to attend to his business. His farm guaranteed him a living each year, and during the time when wheat was up, he made big profits from the sale of it. His living expenses were defrayed by the farm, an

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PLAN No. 675. MANUFACTURING, ADVERTISING PLAN

In a city of about 125,000 inhabitants, a complete list of the names of the manufacturers, their addresses and the names of business managers and the telephone numbers was made, each on a card. These cards were arranged alphabetically and a man was put on the ’phone for about ten days inquiring of each firm what articles they manufactured, the trade name of the article being put on the back of the card. The result was that over 1,200 different kinds of articles were made by some 300 manufacturer

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PLAN No. 676. HIGH-SCHOOL BOY EARNS WAY

He was a hard working young fellow, and he called upon the neighborhoods in different parts of the city after his high school was out, and sold brushes of different kinds to be used in the homes. He had a fair introduction, and showed up the advantages of his brushes in a fair way. Night after night, week after week, he continued this work. Saturday was his best day, as he usually made three or four dollars on that day alone. He netted from this work something like $10 to $12 a week. It was hard

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PLAN No. 677. LAWYER GETS ON SCHOOL BOARD

After getting out of the law school he did not have sufficient funds to open an office, so he became a teacher in one of the high schools in the city in which he desired to make his home. After teaching for about two years, he determined that he would go into practice for himself. This he did. He felt that it would be an advantage to him to hold some kind of public office, and so he ran for and secured a membership on the school board. This position he was well qualified to fill, having taught f

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PLAN No. 678. HE WANTED TO BE A LAWYER

He went into a railway office as stenographer and studied law as he worked. He was a man of excellent appearance and untiring energy, and he worked until he had passed the bar examination for his state. He prepared to make himself a specialist on railway law, and continued study for three or four years. During that time he acted as assistant to the railway attorney, but instead of staying with the railway company for years, as most attorneys do, he identified himself with one of the best trial l

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PLAN No. 679. LAWYER BECOMES RAILWAY COUNSEL

After finishing at a law school, he obtained an appointment as assistant to the counsel for a railway. He studied for two or three years, in this capacity, and worked with the counsel of the railway until finally he won recognition for his services from the company. The railway counsel was changed, or left the service, and he became counsel for the railway at that point. This kind of work pays well, and he has an assistant or two under him, and enjoys a good reputation in his community....

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PLAN No. 680. NEWSPAPER MAN MAKES EXTRA MONEY

Reporters on newspapers make extra money by following the career of men who are public spirited. They become familiar with their aspirations and try to help them make good, by giving them all the newspaper support they possibly can. Of course, this cannot be done without compensation, and the reporter is paid extra for this work. It is valuable aid, for the man who desires to attain political prominence. The reporter, as a rule, is under-paid, and this enables him to increase his income consider

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PLAN No. 681. HE BECOMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SECRETARY

There is a large field for any man who has ambition for public work, in the chambers of commerce of the various cities of our country. He can identify himself as an assistant, or in some other capacity and win a good reputation as a man of value in this work. From time to time there are inquiries from this source for the right kind of men for the work. The salaries are good, ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 a year, and the work, itself, is extremely interesting. This really is a first-class advert

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PLAN No. 682. LAWYER BECAME STATE REPRESENTATIVE

He was always the champion of the issues that arose in his particular neighborhood club, and he finally decided that if he were a state representative, it would be a beneficial experience for him, as well as an avenue through which to become known in the state generally. So he went about increasing his friendship, becoming acquainted with everybody in his district, and finally announced himself as candidate for the state legislature, and he was very much surprised at the ease with which he won t

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PLAN No. 683. HE BECAME POLICE JUDGE

After winning an election as justice of the peace, it is always the ambition of the justice to become police judge of the city. To win this position does not only mean the increase of one hundred or more dollars a month in salary, but also gives a good opportunity for a lawyer to build up a reputation, which may lead to a judgeship in the superior court. Of course, the mayor and city council of a city determine which justice will be the police court judge, and a friendly standing with them will

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PLAN No. 684. ILLUSTRATOR FOR U. S. GOV. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 685. HE WANTED TO BECOME CITY COMMISSIONER

There were at least thirty persons aspiring for the $5,000-a-year job and he was but little known. Although he felt that he was strong enough to get the nomination, yet most of his friends advised him that they did not think that he could succeed, but they would do their best for him. He went in for all there was in it; he worked both night and day; he obtained the support of many young men in the city. He had stalwart friends in the police department and with their support and the support of th

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PLAN No. 686. HE RAN FOR JUSTICE OF THE PEACE

When he came into the community he was little known; in fact, up to the time he ran for the nomination on the Republican ticket, he was scarcely heard of, but prior to his nomination he billed the entire town. He had small boards placed at the various bridges and public places in the community with a large picture of himself, naming the office he desired to secure. He also had the telegraph poles tacked with large posters, bearing the same announcement. This publicity was so striking that it cau

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PLAN No. 687. HE FIRST BECAME COUNTY ASSESSOR

This attorney, from a financial standpoint, was not prepared to go into the practice of law, so he became an aspirant for the office of county assessor. He was not a good speaker, but he made up his mind to work strenuously for this office, and so he obtained the support of ten or twelve of his friends who worked for him, and, finally, he secured the office. Many of his friends could not understand why he wanted such an office, but when once nominated and elected he had many people to appoint wh

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PLAN No. 688. A MIDDLE-AGED LADY’S WAY OF MAKING A LIVING

The following is a plan that represents lots of hard work. This woman believed she could sell goods direct and obtain higher-class and better-grade goods by directly representing the factory. She made arrangements with a certain factory, and started in to sell. She made a specialty of women’s and children’s underwear, stockings, etc., and sold large quantities. In this house-to-house selling of these goods, she netted more than $70.00 a month. In her travels she also found opportunity to sell ot

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PLAN No. 689. A LAUNDRY PLAN THAT PAID

This man ran a laundry in a city of upwards of 150,000 inhabitants, and the population was increasing daily. He figured that if he could see the newcomers before the other laundries did that they would just as soon patronize him as the others, and yet he would like to know something about their reputations as to payment before obtaining their business. Therefore he got in touch with a first-class information bureau in his city and secured all the names of people who came from the smaller towns i

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PLAN No. 690. HOW HE BECAME A BANKER

When I knew him at college he was a man of wonderful and unusual strength and good nature. He was as democratic as a person could be, and was liked by all who knew him. If you were to pick out a banker in the crowd at school, he would be the last man, perhaps, that you would think would follow the banking business. After his college course he went into the stock business. He was well liked by all of the stockmen in the district in which he lived, and he had an acquaintance extending through the

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PLAN No. 691. WONDER COVERS

“Wonder covers” for rolling-pin and bread-board are the invention of a Maine woman, but anybody can make them. For the rolling-pin, the cover is of stockinette or any elastic knitted textile fabric, made to pull over the pin in a stretched-tight way, like a jersey sleeve, and tied at the open end. The other part of the equipment is a mere square of canvas (sailcloth), to lay upon the bread-board. Provided with these covers the housewife can manipulate the softest dough without any danger of its

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PLAN No. 692. CHICKEN CANNED

Down in Alabama a woman makes a living by taking orders for canned chicken and chicken by-products. She puts one pound of meat in a number 2 can, and the gravy adds from 4 to 8 ounces, and she receives 80 cents a can for it. She claims that at this price she makes good money and she does so by using the best of soup meat in soups and gumbo. One rooster by this method brought her $3.50. The above price might be increased, and a little advertising and personal sales work would develop a good busin

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PLAN No. 693. A GOOD FARMER USES OTHER PEOPLE’S FARMS

A young farmer was limited in capital and could not buy a good farm, so he purchased a few acres in a good district and went to work. He soon found that the farmers in his neighborhood did not understand their business. He took over a large neglected orchard for a crop arrangement and in a short time had contracted for land for two to three years that the farmers were neglecting, which gave him a large farm. He went to work and in several years not only made a good saving but was able to finance

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PLAN No. 694. STARTED A CLOTHING STORE

This young fellow was, from a business standpoint, about helpless. He was born and raised in the Old Country. When he made application to relatives who ran a department store for employment, he did not possess any qualities that they could use. They gave him work for two weeks, during which time he must find a position elsewhere. At the end of two weeks he managed to stay another four weeks. He realized he must do something. He had no capital, but he decided to rent a store building in the poor

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PLAN No. 695. CLOTHES CLINIC

She had a family of six and she was the sole support of the home. All six children were too young to work. The mother was ambitious for their education and determined to do all that was possible to give them all the educational advantages of other children. To begin with, she had some old clothes on hand, and she soon became very skilful in making them over into handsome suits for the boy and pretty dresses for the girls. In fact, her children were the best dressed of any in their school. Their

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PLAN No. 696. PROFIT FROM ONE PIG, $587

A Tennessee boy in May, 1918, invested $50 in a pure-bred gilt, and now figures his profits at $587.35. She farrowed seven pigs, part of which the boy sold for $133. With this money he purchased a boar of excellent breeding, which he exhibited at the East Tennessee Division Fair, winning the grand championship of the breed over all exhibits. He won $87 in prizes, $45 of it in competition with experienced farmers. His animals are now valued at $525. This, with the money from sales and prizes-winn

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PLAN No. 697. GIRL MAKES 3,000 GALLONS OF SYRUP

A home demonstrator, who a few years ago was a member of one of the canning clubs under the direction of the United States Department of Agriculture, in connection with the state college, now owns and operates an evaporator for the benefit of the farmers of New Kent County, Va. In the past season 3,000 gallons of canned syrup or sorghum have gone from her little plant. She says the turning out of thirty to forty gallons a day has been easy and pleasant work. Why not start this business in your c

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PLAN No. 698. THE BEST BEDBUG PREPARATION

The effectiveness of various exterminators of bedbugs is described in Bulletin 707, issued by the United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., embodying the results of experiments by the Bureau of Entomology. Hydrocarbon oil sprays (kerosene, gasoline, etc.) were found to be effective against bedbugs, killing, in most cases, 100 per cent within forty-eight hours; coal-tar creosote emulsions were effective, when used undiluted, but their effectiveness fell very rapidly when they we

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PLAN No. 699. BUILT HER HOME ON $40 SALARY

“How I paid for my home: As a girl, seven years ago, I built a seven-room modern house costing $3,500. My income at that time was $40 a month, as I worked as a maid in one of the best families. I built the house as a home for myself. When I started to build I had the lot paid for and $700 cash as first payment. The rest of the debt was paid at $35 or more per month. It never involved any hardships, and I was quite often praised for owning such a fine house. “When the house was finished I rented

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PLAN No. 700. RECEIVED $100 PER MONTH FOR 40 YEARS

An income of $100 a month is not out of the ordinary, but when that income has been steady and all saved for forty years, it means a great deal. He was a farmer, and never had the opportunity of a high school or college, but in spite of this handicap he made a success. He stayed with his father until he was 23, at which time he decided to go in for himself. So he took up a homestead in Minnesota. The first year he put up his shack, 12x16 feet, and broke forty acres of land. His brother took up a

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PLAN No. 701. DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A PLUMBER

My conception of a plumber has always been a husky, dirty-faced fellow who is full of independence and presenting an exorbitant bill for his services. But my impressions were changed when I met Bert. Before going into the plumbing and heating business he sold pumps and windmills. He came to the city, and this is the way he became a first-class plumber in one year without previous experience: He started a repair shop of his own, went out with a soldering iron and got the business. When he took a

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PLAN No. 702. REPRESENT LOCAL WEEKLIES

He represented a list of local weeklies, running from forty to sixty in number. Through the Type Foundry Association this space can be secured very cheap, something like 3 cents an inch per paper, costing to our man to run and advertisement in forty papers the sum of $1.20. He went over all the newspapers and publications that covered his immediate territory and clipped from them all the classified advertisements or display ads. that looked to have a prospect for business. This clipping was past

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PLAN No. 702B. WINDOW-WASHING AND HOUSE-CLEANING

When he came to city he “was down and out.” He was a capable fellow, but owing to domestic trouble he worried and drank a good deal. He was in this shape when I first met him. He got a job washing windows and kept at it. His employer knew nothing about window-washing or house-cleaning—he was a business-getter instead—and finally as he was unable to pay this man for his labor, he turned the business over to him in payment for his services. He quit drinking when the state went dry. He then saw gre

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PLAN No. 703. WHAT ONE GARDEN PAID

Records of the boys’ and girls’ club work of the United States Department of Agriculture are full of instances of boys and girls who grew more than enough vegetables for their home tables and who either canned the surplus or sold the remainder at a profit not to be sneezed at. For instance, Thomas Bresnan, of Springfield, Illinois, a lad of 15, made a net profit of $283 on a garden that was 310x410 feet. Thomas had a hard time with worms, but he learned how to fight them. His garden was so far a

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PLAN No. 704. FATHER LEARNS A NEW TRICK

Early frosts are the bane of the tomato grower. When a severe one seemed due one February night in Florida, both a little girl, who had one-tenth of an acre planted, and her father, who had three, got busy covering up their plants. “Father” put tomato baskets over the plants to protect them, and so did Anna, but she did not stop at that; she placed a handful of soil on top of each of her baskets. It required some time, but it was time well spent, for when the baskets were removed Anna’s plants w

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PLAN No. 705. GROWS THIRTY-ONE VEGETABLES IN HIS HOME GARDEN

Among the striking examples of individual achievement in home gardening that have been reported to the United State Department of Agriculture, is that of George A. Williams, an employe of the Government Pension Office in Washington. Despite the handicap caused by the loss of an arm, Mr. Williams last season grew thirty-one varieties of vegetables in his home garden of slightly less than one-fifth of an acre. He sold in his neighborhood vegetables worth $326, in addition to those used by his fami

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PLAN No. 706. WHAT A GIRL NEARLY BLIND DID

Of all the stories of girls’ efforts that have come to the United States Department of Agriculture, none tells of more devoted work than that of a Berkshire County, Massachusetts, girl, who is blind in one eye and losing the sight of the other. She raised a pig when the government called for more meat, and when the army called for fruit pits to make gas-masks, the number of stones she gathered was the second largest individual number in the country. And she cultivated a garden successfully when

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PLAN No. 707. SAVING EGGS IS PUBLIC SERVICE

The storing of eggs during the season of greatest production, when they are the cheapest in price, becomes a public service by making them available during the season of scarcity of fresh eggs. There are two approved processes for storage; the first is the water-glass method, and the second is the lime-water method. Water-glass Method: For 30 dozen eggs, use two 5-gallon crocks (capacity, 15 dozen eggs each.) Take 18 quarts of water that has been boiled and cooled. Mix it with 2 quarts of sodium

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PLAN No. 708. MONEY IN POULTRY

It is strange that the people generally do not avail themselves of the great opportunity the United States Government gives them in poultry. Write the Department of Agriculture at Washington, D. C., and tell them you want a catalog of all publications they have which will help you to raise chickens in town, city or country and you will be surprised at the great amount of information at once available to you. This information will save you several years’ unsuccessful experimenting and bring you t

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PLAN No. 709. WHAT ONE WOMAN DOES

To prove that there is profit in poultry raising, let me cite the case of Mrs. George L. Russell, of Missouri, whose husband had maintained all along that her hens were an expense instead of a profit. He was giving all his attention to some brood-mares in which he had invested $2,000. In defense of her hens Mrs. Russell kept a set of books for a year and proved by the actual figures that the money she had invested in poultry was paying a better dividend than the money her husband had invested in

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PLAN No. 710. ANOTHER CHICKEN RAISER

Mrs. H. A. Hume, of Tecumseh, Kansas, turned $150 worth of feed into $427.16 worth of chickens, at market prices, this year, besides the eggs she produced from 140 hens. She has demonstrated what can be done on a general farm with poultry as a side line. She breeds a good laying strain of White Leghorns....

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PLAN No. 711. MAKES GOOD PROFIT

A California woman states in a letter the following: “Last month I turned $275 worth of feed into $667 worth of eggs.” If it is possible for these people to do this, it is possible for you, or any other poultryman, to make good money out of your poultry if they are properly handled....

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PLAN No. 712. ARTICLES YOU CAN MAKE AND SELL

The following articles could be made by you and sold. They are necessary to the household and will appeal to the housewife. Each article is easily made up. Give a name to your article so that you may have the advantage of repeat orders. To commence with you will have to solicit your work. You will find that a neat pamphlet telling of the value of your article distributed two or three days before you call will be a great assistance to you....

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PLAN No. 713. SHOWER BATH

A very simple, convenient and cheap arrangement for a home-made shower bath has been built by a woman. Take a 2-gallon tin bucket, punch a hole in the bottom of it, and solder in the opening a piece of metal piping 2 inches long. Attach to the pipe a 4-foot length of rubber tube, with a sprayer from a garden watering-pot on the end. Tie to the handle of the bucket a piece of rope and run the latter through a staple driven into a wall at a suitable height, thus making a pulley by which the bucket

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PLAN No. 714. DUSTLESS MOP

Another of the conveniences showing a woman’s ingenuity is a dustless mop for painted or polished floors. The mop is made from old stocking legs cut into 12-inch lengths and slashed into strips an inch wide up to within 4 inches of the tops. For a handle cut the straw from a worn out broom. Take a large wooden button and cover it with several thicknesses of stocking, then fold the tops of the stockings so that they radiate from a common center and screw them to the end of the broom handle throug

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PLAN No. 715. SCRUBBING CHARIOT

Another woman’s invention is the scrubbing chariot, and it is one of the cleverest of labor-savers. This consists of a comfortable, padded frame on rollers, which enables the housewife, in wiping floors, to roll herself about and do her scrubbing with ease and comfort and save a great many steps. An ordinary soap box can be used for this by cutting down the sides to about five inches high and knocking out one side. Padding made of burlap will make it comfortable when kneeling, and the whole thin

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PLAN No. 716. ICELESS REFRIGERATOR

This iceless refrigerator was made by a woman, and its cost was practically nothing. It stands in a tub of water and on the top shelf is a pan of water. A canton flannel covering should be made and hung smooth side outward, tied closely at the bottom, buttoned securely down one side, and the top laid in the pan of water with a weight to hold it. Of course, with this arrangement the cloth keeps itself continually wet with water supplied from the pan on top and from the tub in which it stands. The

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PLAN No. 717. FOLDING IRONING-BOARD

This ironing-board is a step-saver. Being hinged to the wall, it is always ready and in place. It may be hooked up against the wall when not in use. The leg (braced) is hinged to the board and falls flat when the board is lifted. With it down and in use the leg is not in the way and skirts may be ironed without lifting or changing. The directions for making are as follows: The ironing-board is 57 inches long and rounded at the free end and should be made of thoroughly seasoned wood, 1 1 ⁄ 2 inch

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PLAN No. 718. SOLDERING KIT

An outfit for repair work by women in their homes is useful and will save considerable time and expense. The equipment includes a soldering iron, a small brush, a file, sandpaper or a brick to rub the iron clean and to clean the surfaces to be repaired, a porcelain or stoneware cup, and from the hardware store get 10 cents worth of muriatic acid, some zinc points, such as glaziers use, and some solder. Soldering flux is a solution of zinc in crude muriatic acid. To make it put half a teaspoonful

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PLAN No. 719. WOMEN MAKE GOOD COW-TESTERS

The twenty-seven women now employed as cow-testers by some of the 353 cow-testing associations in this country have not only done satisfactory work, but have achieved results above the average, according to dairy specialists of the United States Department of Agriculture. The main reason why women have begun to do this work is the scarcity of cow-testers. Most of the testers at work when the war began were young men, and many of them are now in military service. Because of the shortage of worker

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PLAN No. 720. SUPPORTS FAMILY BY HOME CANNING

The sale of her canned fruits and vegetables has enabled a woman in Albemarle County, Virginia, to feed and clothe her eight children the last two years. When war was declared her eldest son enlisted in the navy. In a few months the second son went into the army, and the mother was left to wrestle with the problem of providing three meals a day for the eight younger brothers and sisters. About this time the home-demonstration agent of the United States Agricultural College was teaching the women

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PLAN No. 721. GIRL MAKES $98 FROM NINE HATCHES

Little girls who have to help themselves to go through high school can often accomplish it by raising chickens. A little girl in Orange County, Virginia, borrowed money to buy nine settings of eggs. On this venture her first year’s work netted a profit of $98, and she has three roosters left. There is no reason why your little girl should not have a few chickens and help swell the family income....

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PLAN No. 722. MOUNTAINEER WOMAN CANS TO KEEP TEN CHILDREN IN SCHOOL

Knowledge of how to can products that will command a ready sale is enabling a mother in the hills of Virginia, to keep her ten children in school. Schoolbooks and clothes cost money, but this ambitious mother was determined that her children were to have schooling if it were possible. Late in the fall, with a 2-horse wagon loaded with her canned fruit and vegetables, this woman of the hills drove 20 miles to the home-demonstration agent’s headquarters. She brought 30 gallons of apple butter, 376

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PLAN No. 723. SUCCESS IN POULTRY WORK

All poultry raisers, especially girls should receive encouragement and inspiration from the record made by this girl. Her experience demonstrates the wide possibilities for poultry paying a girl’s way through school, making worth-while trips, purchasing their clothes, and having spending money for other purposes. With an original investment of $17.50 for a pen of Barred Plymouth Rocks, this girl in one season—her first year in poultry work—made a net profit of $370.50. According to her own story

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PLAN No. 724. BUSY BEES WITH BUSY BOYS OR GIRLS MEAN MUCH HONEY

Bee raising by boys or girls received special encouragement during the past year from the Department of Agriculture and the state agricultural colleges because the honey produced aided materially in relieving the sugar shortage. Plenty of cane sugar is now in sight, but the young people seem to have no intention of ceasing in their efforts to produce honey. They and their families have acquired a taste for the delicacy, and hot biscuits minus honey don’t taste the same any more. Then, too, there

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PLAN No. 725. LOST—A COMMON FACTORY-HAND; FOUND—A GOOD FOOD PRODUCER

Four years ago a boy in Massachusetts faced what would have seemed even to an adult a hard problem. Born in Italy, but thoroughly inoculated with American ideas of the necessity of education, James was told by his father while in the 8th grade that he could no longer be kept in school. His future path was to lie toward the near-by factory. Believing, because of his garden-club experience under the auspices of the local leader of the United States Department of Agriculture, that he could earn as

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PLAN No. 726. A BOY’S BIG PROFIT ON ONE PIG

From Blackwell, Texas, comes the report of the worth-while achievement of a 15-year-old boy, Kenneth Campbell. This little live-wire pig-raiser sent his pig to the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show. It turned out to be the grand champion barrow of the whole exhibit. It won $105 in prizes and sold for $115. The initial cost of this prize-winner was $5 and $34.60 was spent for feed; leaving a net profit of $180.40. It is a fine thing to teach your boy to-day, while you are with him, how to support himself

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Helped Plant 1,500 Fruit Trees

“I was born and raised in Salt Lake City. When I was eight years old my father moved to his farm in Pleasant Green near Utah Copper Mills and Garfield Smelter, Salt Lake County, Utah. It was covered with sage brush and rock, which had to me removed. “The following spring we cleared a part of the land and planted 1,500 fruit trees. We also engaged in truck farming that season. I, the oldest girl of a very large family, assisted my father in every way I could. He always enjoyed instructing me, and

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Plowed Sixty Acres Herself

“Last year I plowed, leveled and harrowed thirty acres and cut all father’s hay, put up 300 quarts of fruit and vegetables and had a war garden. This year I plowed sixty acres all myself, harrowed and leveled it—wheat, alfalfa and beets—and helped father plant and cut and irrigate. I have put up fruit and vegetables—600 quarts—besides drying fruit and vegetables, and have baked the bread, and on Saturday and after school I have to plow until the ground freezes up, and finish in the spring, 1919.

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Raised One Hundred Chickens

“I also raised 100 chickens this year. I joined the Soldiers of the Soil, and with $15 I borrowed in June I bought 105 baby chickens and raised 100 of them. In June, 1919, I will pay off my note. I am going to market all my roosters and keep the pullets. I could pay the note now, but I am going to lend it to Uncle Sam on the Fourth Liberty Bond for our boys over there. I have found time to knit socks for some of my cousins over on the firing line.”...

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PLAN No. 728. 33 ACRES, 23 PIGS, GIVE BOYS $2,255.64

Twenty-three boys under 16 years of age, in a Haywood County, Tennessee, pig club, each bought a pig. The average weight of the pigs was 78 pounds. Most of them were registered. In 180 days they attained a weight of 266 pounds each, at a cost for feed of 10 1 ⁄ 2 cents a pound. These pigs at the time of the local pig club show were worth 15 cents a pound, at market prices, making a profit of 4 1 ⁄ 2 cents a pound, averaging a net return to each boy of $11.97 over cost of all feed—a total gain fo

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PLAN No. 729. TEXAS BOYS MAKE MONEY FROM CALVES

“I have bought a $50 Liberty Bond and intend to use the balance to help in paying my expenses at the A. and M. College the coming term,” was the answer of a boy in Nolan County, Texas, when asked what he would do with the profit from the sale of his two prize-winning calves. This boy, a member of an agriculture club conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Texas A. and M. College, exhibited two calves at the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show. His steer calf, a little over a year

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PLAN No. 730. COW PROVIDES MUSIC LESSONS

In Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, lives a little girl who won in 1916 many prizes for farm club-work; enough in fact, to buy a calf. She sold the calf, which had grown into a cow, for $80. She plans to use the money for music lessons this winter while she is attending high school. She is proud that she is able to pay for the lessons by her own work. Plan No. 730. The Country Girl’s Friend...

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PLAN No. 731. REAL ESTATE MAN BUYS SNAP

This man was engaged in real estate for years and stated that his best profit was made from special propositions that he discovered during the year. Probably during the year he would find five or six different places that were exceptional purchases. He put but very little money in these investments as a rule, and would prepare them for early sale. He would paint the dwellings, arrange the yards, and put in trees, if needed, and if it was a farm he would wholly renovate the farm from one end to t

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PLAN No. 732. HE BOUGHT AND SOLD MERCHANDISE STORES IN THE COUNTRY TOWNS

When this man was in the university he took a literary course, but after finishing his college work, he took to business and enjoyed it thoroughly. He found quite an opportunity in the small country towns surrounding a northwestern city. He said the electric railway and railroads and automobile highways were becoming such a factor within a hundred miles of this city, and the advertising in the daily paper was practically putting out of existence the small town merchants. He said this was so mani

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PLAN No. 733. GIRL FROM SMALL COUNTRY TOWN EARNS HER WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL

She earned her way through high school by placing an ad. in the Sunday Newspaper, stating that she would be glad to exchange, for her work, room and board, as she desired to attend school and wanted to be with a respectable family. This method is followed by hundreds of girls from the country and when the summer vacation comes, she does certain farm work, whereby she is enabled to make some extra money, and in this way, makes enough money to pay her expenses while she is at high school. Families

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PLAN No. 734. GRAIN SUPERVISOR. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 735. ATTORNEY USES INFORMATION BUREAU IN HIS CITY

This attorney made up his mind when entering practice that he would use as much care as possible in bringing his suits, so when a case was brought to him, he always had a complete report concerning the party against whom the suit was brought. He made it a point to know the party’s standing in the community, whether he was good or poor pay, what property he had, if he had property, what incumbrances were against it,—in fact, he knew everything about his man before he started his suit and knew ver

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PLAN No. 736. DIVORCED WOMAN FARMS

This woman was left alone by the desertion of her husband and had two small children to take care of. She endeavored to secure a position in the city, but was unsuccessful, so she made arrangements to rent a farm two or three miles from the city, and near the electric line. It was an irrigated tract, and she went on the farm in the early spring and remained there until late in the fall. She had had very little farming experience prior to this time, but found that she could not only make a living

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PLAN No. 737. YOUNG LADY ON THE FARM BECAME AMBITIOUS

She became convinced that by making good cottage cheese there would be a ready sale for it, so she prepared to learn all that she could about cottage cheese making. She asked questions of all of those who made it, and she attended every meeting where she could make inquiries about making the cheese. She wrote to the Department of Agriculture for a bulletin of how to make cottage cheese on the farm. From these sources she gained much information and started making the cheese. She put it up in ver

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PLAN No. 738. BLUE PRINTS OF FURNITURE BECAME VERY POPULAR

This man made a specialty of making blue prints of different kinds of furniture that could be made at home. He exploited the fact that the ordinary farm conveniences could be made by the man on the farm and much money saved. If it was a kitchen cabinet, he drew the plan and made a blue print of it, which showed how to put it together. He also wrote a letter of instructions on “What to Do and How to Do It,” and approximately the cost of making the article. He had these blue prints and letters pre

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PLAN No. 739. RETIRED MAN GOES INTO POLITICS

This man had sold his farm and had been residing in the city for about two years without anything special to do. He became possessed of the idea that he could serve his country, city or state in some manner, so he saw one of the leading politicians of the town who gave him the following advice: That he go to one of the local attorneys and pay him a fee of, say, $25.00 and get a complete list of all of the various offices that were open to people in that county seat, giving the names of the towns

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PLAN No. 740. DOUGHNUTS EARN HER A HOME

She lived in a city of about 50,000 population and was absolutely dependent upon her own efforts. She chose, rather than go out to work, to earn her money from her own kitchen, if possible. She had always been complimented on the kind of doughnuts she made, and she thought that if people were as appreciative as those who had eaten her doughnuts, she would be able to make a very good income from making them. So she started making “Home-made Doughnuts;” real home-made doughnuts—no make-believe abo

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PLAN No. 741. HIDDEN COIN IN WINDOW

This is an old plan, but to those who have never seen it worked it might be suggestive of some idea. The merchant increased the value of his store windows by means of concealing a coin or some other object and awarding the person who finds the article, a certain prize. You would be surprised at the amount of interest this attracts to a display window, and it often brings many sales. At least, it has the effect of making the windows far better advertising mediums....

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PLAN No. 742. HE DREW PICTURES

If you wanted to illustrate certain subject matter in your book, this man would with his camera take an exact picture, so as to give you an idea of what his art work would be like. After taking these pictures, he would send them to a Chicago company which would put them through a process of enlarging to the desired size, leaving only the dim lines on the print, so from these he could make his drawing. This man understood art work and could lay in the lines with pen and ink in an excellent manner

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PLAN No. 743. THE WAY A YOUNG BOY PAID HIS EXPENSES WHILE GOING THROUGH THE GRADE AND HIGH SCHOOL

This young man lived in the Northwest country about twenty miles from a large city. At a very early age his mother died, leaving his father with seven or eight children. His father was very cruel, and he can remember how each child, when they became old enough to think for themselves, ran away. He had three sisters, and because of the cruel treatment they had to leave. His father refused to use any farm implements other than was made by his own hands. When it came to putting the wood up in the w

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PLAN No. 744. ELEVATOR BOY BECOMES ENGINEER

When I was in high school I knew a boy there who was engaged in the elevator work. His dress was very ordinary; he had no parents and had to look out for himself. One day he had a conversation with one boy in the class who was planning on becoming an engineer. This boy made it clear to him how important it was to know all about algebra, geometry, etc., and do his daily work in the best possible manner. He was much impressed with this conversation and made up his mind that he would become an engi

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PLAN No. 745. HE DEVELOPED AN AMUSEMENT PLACE AT THE LAKE

This lake lay about seventeen miles outside of a city of some 125,000 population. About three years prior to the time to which I refer, a real estate campaign was put on and a car line was built to this place, and advertisements were displayed showing the advantage of this lake as a future summer resort. After the real estate boom subsided the place did not materialize as a summer resort. One day a young fellow from an eastern city came to this place and noticed the great opportunity for an amus

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PLAN No. 746. RIDING TO COLLEGE ON BROOMS—HOME WORKERS IN SOUTH DOING IT

Broom-making in some of the southern states is being encouraged by home demonstration agents of the United States Department of Agriculture and the state colleges. The home clubs in Alabama rank first in this work, and the past year some especially good records have been made in the state. The crowd which attends one of these broom-making demonstrations is such as to make the passer-by think an auction is being held. Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, grows broomcorn, and brush and broom-making has bec

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PLAN No. 747. GIRLS RAISING MORE CHICKENS THAN BOYS IN FLORIDA CLUBS

Thousands of chickens were added to Florida’s supply of fowls last year by the efforts of the boys and girls under the supervision of the home-demonstration agents of the United States Department of Agriculture and the state colleges. The bronze medal for the best individual record made by a girl went to one in St. Johns County. She set 179 eggs and raised 152 chickens, valued at $264.24. The expenses for raising the flock were $56.95, leaving a net profit of $207.29. A boy in Baker County, won

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PLAN No. 748. POULTRY YIELDS $1.14 AN HOUR

A side line for the farmer’s wife which yields $1.14 for every hour she puts into it is worth the consideration of every farm woman. A Wabash County, Indiana, woman has demonstrated that this amount can be made by keeping chickens. Last year the local county agent interested this woman in keeping a farm poultry flock, and as a result she produced a net profit of $172.24. She kept an accurate account of her work and found at the end of the season that she had received $1.14 an hour for the time s

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PLAN No. 749. GIRLS HERD THEIR OWN SHEEP

“After paying all expenses, I cleared $1,240 from my sheep last year,” reports a girl member of a sheep club organized in Fremont County, Wyoming. Several years ago she bought the first of a flock and she has handled her sheep so successfully that they number 108 ewes. In 1918 her flock produced seventy-nine lambs, seventy-six of which she raised. These, with seven orphan lambs abandoned by sheep herders, constituted the year’s increase. All the care the sheep require is given them by their girl

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PLAN No. 750. CHAMPION DRAWS 80 CENTS AN HOUR FOR GARDEN WORK

Eighty cents an hour for working in his garden is what a man of Fillmore County, Minnesota, earned in his one-tenth-acre plot. He was awarded the state championship in garden work in Minnesota last year, and in his report to the state club leader of the boys’ and girls’ club work, he says: “For several seasons I had grown a garden with some success, and in 1919 I determined to secure even better results. I started my garden on three plots (all together comprising one-tenth-acre) differing widely

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PLAN No. 751. BOY BELIEVES IT’S WISE TO LEARN BY EXPERIENCE

Experience pays—that’s the belief of a boy of Montgomery County, Indiana, state champion in the sow-and-litter project in 1918. And because he wished to learn by doing from the start, this club member himself selected and bought the sow he entered in the contest. The hog was an immune, registered, big-type Poland China gilt, and at the time of purchase, in January, she weighed 279 pounds. In April, nine pigs were farrowed, all of which lived. The litter averaged forty-four pounds apiece at nine

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PLAN No. 752. SUCCESS INSPIRES

Here are the achievements of a Tennessee boy: Fifteen months ago he purchased a Duroc Jersey gilt, giving his note for twelve months to the local bank. This pig has farrowed twenty-seven pigs and has raised twenty-one of them. The boy sold three of the first litter at $25 each. Four of them now weigh 420 pounds and are worth $320. The seven pigs of the second litter are worth $175, and the seven of the third are worth $105, while the mother—the pig purchased when the boy entered the club—is valu

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PLAN No. 753. GIRL WINS POULTRY RECORD

The poultry record for the past year for West Virginia was made by a girl of the Harrison County Poultry Club. Her record for the year shows a profit of $111. She now has thirty-three year-old hens and twenty-seven pullets in her flock, and has been getting a dozen eggs a day, for which she has received 60 cents and more....

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PLAN No. 754. CLUB STARTS BOY ON ROAD TO SUCCESS AS POULTRYMAN

That organized agricultural club-work among boys and girls is something more than a contest which ends with the season, but a continuous, constructive piece of work that eventually leads the club members into the business of farming and home making is illustrated by the accomplishments of a poultry club member in Vermont. In 1912 a boy joined the Vermont Poultry Club, in spite of the opposition of the members of his own family, and, in a number of instances, discouraging words from friends and n

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PLAN No. 755. CLUB CALF BRINGS $1 A POUND AT MINNESOTA BABY BEEF SHOW

Sixteen counties in Minnesota were entitled to send forty-eight boy and girl club members, with their calves which had won prizes in their county, to the first baby-beef show held in that state. Owing to the influenza epidemic only twenty-nine were able to go to St. Paul in December and exhibit the baby beeves they had raised; but the crowd made up in enthusiasm what it lacked in numbers. The calves were sold at auction and brought an average of 20 cents a pound. The champion, owned by Irwin McK

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PLAN No. 756. ONE EWE GIVES BOY PROFIT OF ALMOST FIFTY DOLLARS

Late in the fall of 1917, a boy of Henry County, Indiana, and nine other boys in his neighborhood, organized a sheep club. A few interested stockmen and the local bank made it possible for each club boy to secure one breed ewe. Each boy gave his note to the bank for the purchase price of his sheep. In the summer of 1918, a boy presented the following statement of his work and investments: Investments paying 200 per cent were worth looking into, the farmers who lived in the locality of this club

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PLAN No. 757. BOYS’ YOUNG SOW MAKES NET PROFIT OF $385 IN LESS THAN 12 MONTHS

Three hundred and eighty-five dollars in less than a year—that’s the clear profit a young sow gave two boys who live in Harris County, Texas. Theorists in farm management and the like might figure up a pretty big bill of costs against the sow, to be deducted from the profit she has made, but the boys know that such figures would not tell the truth, because they’ve got the money in their pockets—or they did have it. The sow and her progeny did eat sixteen bushels of corn, worth $24, and they did

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PLAN No. 758. MONEY MADE IN PRESERVING EGGS

Two methods of preserving eggs are recommended by specialists of the United States Department of Agriculture, they follow: Water-Glass Method:—Use 1 quart of sodium silicate to 9 quarts of water that has been boiled and cooled. Place the mixture in a 5-gallon crock or jar. This will be sufficient to preserve 15 dozen eggs; and the quantity needed to preserve a larger number of eggs will be in proportion. First, select a 5-gallon crock or jar, and clean it thoroughly, after which it should be sca

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PLAN No. 759. PROTECTION AGAINST FRAUDULENT COURT ACTIONS

How often it happens after one has applied years of honest endeavor that worthless persons will compel him to go to court to defend his character and property against a charge of fraud. After the case has gone to the jury he still believes that it is impossible for such efforts against you to succeed—that the charges and statements cannot be believed. The jury goes to its room and decides the case. The members are tired and want to get home, so they compromise, which means that the defendant los

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PLAN No. 760. IMPROVED MILKING STOOL

It does not seem that a milking stool could need any improvements. Nevertheless, a party recently designed and made a very handy one for the farmer. The stool is strapped to the body of the milker, and when he rises from the task of milking one cow to go to the next, the stool, of course, goes with him, leaving his hands free. When the weight of the person is placed on the seat, the spring in the rod supporting the seat is compressed, and the rising of the occupant releases the weight, which ass

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PLAN No. 761. TRY TO FEED ALL THEY GROW

A farmer who lives in northern Idaho, says: “I came here five years ago from Montana, buying an 80-acre stump farm, with a small house and barn on it, and with a few acres of it cleaned up along Sand Creek. I paid $2,600 for this place, and it took all the money I had, except a little to buy a couple of cows and a team of horses. For the last five years my wife and I have made a living on this ranch, supporting five children, and have cleaned up the land, so that to-day we have thirty-five acres

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PLAN No. 762. FARMER IN THE WEST

This farmer tells of his success and satisfaction in Idaho, as follows: “I got very tired of the long severe winters of North Dakota and Minnesota, so I sold my stock and started west hunting for a better climate. My wife liked it in northern Idaho, and her health was a great deal better. So we purchased 160 acres of land. This land had been cut-over about fifteen years ago and the stock from the adjoining town had grazed over it and scattered clover and timothy seed so that the stumps were almo

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PLAN No. 763. A GOOD COUNTRY TO LIVE IN

This man came to northern Idaho, from Minnesota, regarding which he says: “Because we decided this was a good country to live in, I bought 120 acres of land from one of the lumber companies, cut-over land, and began preparations in October, 1914. By hard work I was able to get in a few acres for the crop the first spring, which cut me enough clover and wheat, hay and grain to feed a team of horses, two cows, some pigs and chickens. I have contracted clearing here at about $15 per acre. Off of th

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$300 an Acre From Dewberries

The following figures are quoted from this Opportunity farmer and is from his own experience with these crops: “Tomatoes will yield from ten to twenty-five tons to the acre. Grapes do well and sold for the table market. Have paid at the rate of $700 to the acre. Green corn for the market pays well.” He has taken from $150 to $200 worth of hubbard squashes off an acre. One acre of dewberries after the third year brought in an average of $300 a year. He has realized about the same from strawberrie

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PLAN No. 765. WEALTH PROM A GARDEN PATCH

Strawberries, raspberries, cabbage, cucumbers, currants, rhubarb, beans, cantaloupes, gooseberries, grapes, hubbard squash, summer squash, corn, green peppers, hot peppers, ground-cherries, watermelons, citron, egg plant, tomatoes, are some of the things grown on the irrigated farm of this man living near Spokane, Washington. And these are the side lines: The entire place of twenty-five acres is planted to fruit trees—apples and pears—now five and six years old. Their 1915 gross returns were abo

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PLAN No. 766. PROFIT FROM IRRIGATED LANDS

It is just a little difficult to tell the story of irrigated lands and not seem to be painting the picture too bright. The enormous crops that can be produced by intelligent use of the water are so large that it is hard to believe that so much value can be taken off an acre of ground. Alfalfa is perhaps the lowest in value per acre per year, and yet this same hay fed to cows and pigs and marketed as milk and hogs can be made to pay an annual return of from $125 to $250. The well-conducted apple

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PLAN No. 767. WHAT TEN ACRES DID

This farmer and his wife, living near Spokane, Washington, tell of the comfort and profit they get from their ten acres as follows: “From November 1, 1914, to November 1, 1915, we sold $300.00 worth of eggs and $60 worth of old hens, besides raising 350 chickens. We think that what we eat of eggs and chickens pays for their keep. From January 1 to September 1, 1915, I sold $90 worth of butter and sold a calf for $15, besides what butter, cream and milk we used. We raised a thoroughbred Jersey co

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PLAN No. 768. BEEF CATTLE PROFITABLE

A farmer of Davenport, Washington, says: “I am satisfied that I can make the beef cattle business pay me a nice profit. Starting with three head of beef cows worth $225 and buying $721 worth of cattle in two years, which I kept on cheap pasture most of the year and fed only a small amount of hay for three months in the winter, I sold $827 worth of butter and cattle in the two years and had stock remaining worth $1,360. My net profit in the two years, exclusive of labor and feed, was $1,241.” In

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PLAN No. 769. HOGS AS SIDE LINE

This farmer living near Ritzville, Washington, says: “My net profit, exclusive of labor, for handling hogs as a side line one year was $532.33.” This is a good illustration of what opportunities the average farmer has of developing more profit on his farm. It would take a pretty good business in the city to handle side lines that would produce such a profit on the first trial....

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PLAN No. 770. NORTHWEST FARMER BELIEVES IN DIVERSIFIED FARMING

In the Northwest much of the land is summer-fallowed every other year, and when the land can be put to profitable use those years it means much to the profit end of farming. Here is what a man did near Colfax, Washington. His statement is as follows: “Four years ago I fenced my ranch with hog-tight woven wire fence and purchased a bunch of hogs. The first year I sold $1,400 worth of hogs and have averaged $2,000 per year ever since. I also purchased some sheep and found that by running them betw

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PLAN No. 771. WHAT A FARMER DID FOR HIS LAND

Here is his statement: “It is my intention to abandon the practice of summer-fallow altogether here by growing peas and other crops that can be grown to advantage on the land. To-day, May 23rd, we are cultivating our peas, and after one more cultivation they will be ready to lay by until harvesting. A piece of wheat planted on ground cultivated to peas and hogged-off last fall, stands four inches higher than any other wheat on the place. I believe in alfalfa, clover and peas and the stock to con

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PLAN No. 772. WESTERN FARMER’S EXPERIENCE

He lives in the Palouse farming district in the State of Washington and makes the following statement: “In 1915, fifty acres of wheat planted on corn land gave me $1,000 after all expenses were paid. This was more than double the returns from fifty acres of land that had grown wheat continuously or been summer-fallowed. The same year fifty acres of corn brought me $600; that is, from corn, potatoes, beans, etc. I sold seed corn to neighbors, to poultry raisers and sold corn-fat hogs, and had lef

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PLAN No. 773. COWS RETURN $200 A YEAR

One of the best examples of what can be done with dairy cows in the Palouse country, State of Washington, is this farmer who started with $300: He built up a herd of Jerseys and mixed Holsteins and Jerseys, after paying for his land, a few years ago. After three years, an inventory of the stock, equipment and improvements showed a total gain of $13,425, which has accrued to him over and above his living expenses. One year’s crops from 140 acres of Palouse land were 200 tons of hay, 550 sacks of

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PLAN No. 774. COWS HELPED HIM

This farmer left North Dakota and located in the State of Washington. He states: “I bought sixty acres of white pine and cedar stump land adjoining the station of Matchwood, about six miles from Sandpoint, on a 10-year payment plan, and in February, 1915, we moved up and began work on our place. We bought two Jersey cows. The first year, with a few days work on the outside, we were able to make a living from our two cows and about 35 laying hens. We were able to put up about twelve tons of good

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PLAN No. 775. WOOL CLIP $1.00 PER HEAD

This man, living at Odessa, Washington, kept 1,200 sheep out nearly all winter at strawstacks and grazing, the only expense for feeding being thirty-five tons of alfalfa at $10.00 per ton. He clipped about a dollar’s worth of wool per head and sold 300 head at $4.75 to $5.25 per hundred weight. He says: “I made a very nice profit and believe that nearly all farmers should keep a band of sheep.” The dry atmosphere, combined with the absence of heavy dews, and the generally favorable climate, make

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PLAN No. 776. FARMER LIVES NEAR COLLEGE

Many farmers in the West will not trouble themselves with stock, but this man shows how expensive an idea this is. This farmer living near Pullman, Washington, has demonstrated that dairying pays in the Palouse country. He owns 240 acres of land two and one half miles from town that he values, with improvements, at $100 an acre. Because of the size of his farm he raises quantities of wheat and other products for the market, but his main income is from butter. He makes this on the farm and sells

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PLAN No. 777. CUT-OVER LAND FARMER

This farmer purchased a farm ten years ago near Newport, the county seat of Pend Oreille County, Washington. He bought 268 acres at $23 an acre. The farm is on the bench land where the soil is a sandy loam, particularly suited for growing vegetables and grass crops. Here is what he says: “After the cordwood has been removed, the slashing and burning of the rubbish and brush, leaving the ground free of everything except standing stumps, should not cost over $10.00 an acre. It is my own experience

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PLAN No. 778. TAUGHT HIS WAY THROUGH COLLEGE

This young man was a school teacher, but became convinced that he would study law and wished to make it his profession. He had no money, was an excellent speaker, and enrolled in the university for one year to complete this course. At the end of the year his money was gone, and the next year he taught, and he continued in this way until he finished his university course. While this is a hard method, every other year leaving the college and spending it teaching, yet he made his goal, and many a t

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PLAN No. 779. SOLD LAW BOOKS AND THUS PAID HIS UNIVERSITY EXPENSES

In every large university there is a good opportunity of purchasing books at a small price from the out-going classes, or the class at the end of each semester, and selling the books again to new students entering for the following semester. This young man started to make his expenses in that manner. He bought books at a very small price and sold them at a very large price, and thus was able to build up a large book business at the university. He now has several rooms filled with books for incom

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PLAN No. 780. THE WAY HE MADE GOOD IN THE ASSESSOR’S OFFICE

It is generally conceded that one of the hardest offices to fill, is the office of county assessor. No matter how hard you may try to please the public generally, on assessment of their property, you will find delegation after delegation appealing to you to make change in their assessment, and you will find many of your dear friends who really insist on being treated in a special manner and different than the rest of the other people, they want you to discriminate as to them. This young man had

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PLAN No. 781. THIS MAN BECAME COUNTY CLERK

He was a very likable man and had served in public office for a number of years at the court house, and he in this way became generally acquainted throughout the county. He decided to run for the office of county clerk, and was successful. As soon as he was elected he called together his assistants and made it clear to them that in this office application was one of the important parts of the service; that he wanted them to serve full time; that they were serving the public, and that nobody shou

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PLAN No. 782. ATTORNEY VISITS BROTHER-ATTORNEYS

After graduating from his college he called on attorneys, in the town where he was reared, and obtained the best possible advice from them. He inquired as far as he dared into what they did to make their practice a success. Oftentimes attorneys do not know the plan they have followed, but upon visiting with them you will soon discover that they have followed some general plan of action. If the plan is productive of good profits put it down as a lesson for yourself. This attorney continued this p

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PLAN No. 783. GIRL MAKES LIVING BY MAKING TABLE FAVORS AND DECORATIONS OF PAPER

She purchased several rolls of crêpe paper of different colors at 15 or 20 cents per roll, and this she experimented with until she became very proficient in the making of various table favors. And, as a matter of fact, she became expert in making all kinds of decorations for tables. The next thing for her to do was to get the business which would enable her to make profits and keep her busy week in and week out. She watched the papers very carefully, noting all of those who were giving parties

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PLAN No. 784. ARE YOU COMPETENT TO BE A PATENT ENGINEER, DRAFTSMAN, ETC?

At the present time, in the city in which I reside, there is a great opportunity for men skilled in this profession of patent engineering and drafting. They obtain all the way from $.75 to $1.00 an hour for their services. Men capable in this work should get in touch with patent attorneys....

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PLAN No. 785. A GOOD WAY TO START THE PRACTICE OF LAW

This attorney was educated in an eastern university, and after completing his course decided to start in a small town in the State of Vermont. This town was a county seat and had some 2,500 inhabitants. The first year he netted more than $2,000. He started in with a partner, and during his twenty-five years of practice always had a partner. He believes this is the best way, as a great deal of law is learned by such association. He says an attorney can obtain a start in a small town much earlier

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PLAN No. 786. WHY NOT BECOME A PATENT ATTORNEY

I have known this attorney for years, and my acquaintance and conversation with him has enabled me to learn much from the experience that he enjoyed as a patent attorney. It is a profitable field as well as an extremely interesting one. People generally realize that it is very difficult to get a patent through in the Department of Patents, but usually the examiner has many departments under him, and the various departmental heads go into all kinds of matters which would seem to the average perso

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PLAN No. 787. REAL ESTATE PUT THEM THROUGH COLLEGE

The university was close to a large city and these boys determined to get a legal education, so they went into the real estate business and developed a small business which would pay their expenses. One was in the office, while the other did the outside work. They finally made arrangements for a stenographer. Their business continued to grow until in a short time they both enrolled in the university and took up the study of law. They did not miss a class, and maintained a high standing throughou

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PLAN No. 788. FARMER WINS SUCCESS

This farmer, who lives in eastern Washington, tells an interesting story of making a profitable place of his twenty acres of logged-off land: “When I bought my land six years ago, I only had $15 to pay down, no team or anything to commence with, but I had faith in the land and I commenced to work. “The first year I did not do anything on the land except to build a house, and I had to work out to support my family. The next winter I slashed and cleared some land in addition to cutting wood for a

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PLAN No. 789. CURING A FARM OF THE CRAMPS

It seems a hopeless piece of work to try to bring back a farm when from over use its ability to produce is gone. The party in this article lived for years in the city and knew but little concerning soil until a real estate man sold him a farm of 42 acres. After his house was up and about one-half of his farm implements purchased he found that his land would not produce very much. His 20 acres of corn made about 8 bushel to the acre. His peas did fairly well. He had just enough to winter his stoc

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Candy and Chickens

A man who conducts a candy kitchen in a large city has 400 hens in a building back of his store. These hens are kept in this building on both the first and second floors. He devotes two hours daily to this flock and they bring him in an income of $1,000 a year. The egg yield is due to comfortable quarters and a special system of feeding. He gets much feed at a low cost in this large city. He buys stale bread and skim-milk from creameries at reduced prices. He buys lawn clippings from the town bo

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Get a Hobby

We need to open our ears for the jingle of coin which is in our back yards. Every man and every woman should have a hobby as a kind of recreation, occupation, something to enthuse over. Anyone with time hanging heavy on his hands is a misery to himself and a nuisance to other folks, and the best medicine for the disorder is a hobby. A hobby lends itself to the means of all, for just a few dollars invested by the humble amateur or as many hundreds by the wealthy man. You may not have an “acre of

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PLAN No. 793. BECOME WEIGHT AND MEASURE ASS’T. FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 794. ONE DOLLAR A DAY

During a recent vacation I saw a little girl seven years old sitting on a bench at the farthermost end of a golf course. By her side was a pail of water and a basket of red-cheeked apples. As the men playing golf passed this child, nearly all of them took an apple and a drink of water and placed upon the bench a nickel or sometimes a dime. I was told that the child often takes in a dollar a day for this service. How many families there are situated like this little girl who have not thought of m

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PLAN No. 795. HOW TO GET CUSTOMERS

This is a question that is most important to the farmer. All his profits depend on his ability to secure customers. The following experience will save much time as well as money to the farmer. Here is a successful method which has been followed by a group of farmers who joined forces to market their crops. The same plan can be used by the individual farmer as well. This group of farmers named one of their members to act as the Secretary Treasurer. This man attended to all soliciting by mail and

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PLAN No. 796. SHEEP PROFITABLE

A Kansas farmer made money in 1917 when the corn crop was unprofitable and here is how he succeeded. Four years before he visited a fair where there were sheep and these were the first sheep he had ever seen so he bought three. A few days later he traded one shote for another sheep and in a few more days he gave up his Jersey cow for seven five-year old ewes and eight lambs. Soon he had gathered a flock of 59 sheep, including ewes and lambs of all ages, sizes and shapes. His interest grew until

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PLAN No. 797. BECOME WEIGHT CLERK FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 798. WAREHOUSE INVESTIGATORS FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 799. BECOME WATCHMAN FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217 PLAN No. 800. WHAT SHE DID WITH CHICKENS

This lady in Spokane, Washington, kept an accurate account of the cost of her poultry and reports the following average results per year: This is what you can do if out of employment or want to make your back yard and shed produce profit. The above figures are reliable. The example of what other people have done is the best argument in the world that you can do as well. These people do not bear charmed lives, but they are people who do not take a little discouragement as a barrier. The governmen

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PLAN No. 801. SQUABS

Do you wish to raise squabs for a living? If so the first thing to do before you waste a cent is to gather all the information possible about this. Drop a letter to the United States Government and they will give all the information they possess about squabs. Read all you can find on this subject; also visit someone already in the business. When you begin it is best to start small, say 5, 10, or 20 pair which you should purchase from a reliable brooder who will guarantee that the pigeons are per

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PLAN No. 802. 52-ACRE MICHIGAN ORCHARD

Fourteen years ago the first of March, I purchased twenty-five acres one-half mile south of Bangor, Michigan, and two weeks later moved onto it from Illinois. Two years after moving onto this farm I set out an orchard of 500 trees, planting them twenty feet each way. This orchard was set to Duchess, Yellow Transparent, Wealthy, Grimes Golden, Snow and Jonathan. This orchard was cultivated each year until the first of August, then a cover crop was planted and turned under the following spring, un

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PLAN No. 804. BECOME TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANT FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217

Plan No. 805. Climbing with the Goats...

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PLAN No. 805. CLIMBING WITH THE GOATS

Two men, both traders of rare ability, one had land located in the Ozark Mountains, Douglas County, Missouri, and the other owned level but dry land in the West. Each thought his land so poor that he could not lose in the trade. The party whom we are most interested in took the Missouri land. When his taxes were due he visited his land and found he had received in this trade some very beautiful scenery. In places it was so rough that he had to hold on to the trees to keep on his land. The party

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Record of Sprays

Mr. Mason says that 10 per cent of the orchards in Missouri and Kansas produce 90 per cent of the apples of a marketable type. His aim from the start was to have as near a 100 per cent producing orchard as possible. “I sprayed first in the spring at cluster bud time,” he says, “when the first leaves were about the size of a mouse’s ear. That was primarily for scab. I used one-gallon of lime-sulphur solution to twenty-five gallons of water. “I sprayed the second time just as the blossoms were dro

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Cultivation and Pruning

Mr. Mason believes in cultivation for apple profits, since he has demonstrated that his section of the country demands this treatment. “Cultivation of an orchard is just as necessary as cultivating corn and other crops,” he says. “Moisture must be present in the ground and the weeds must be kept down to prevent drinking up the moisture and fertility the trees need. The surface must be thoroughly tilled, too, to permit the moisture to enter the ground. Fall plowing of orchards has many great adva

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Lease Covers

Owner can then hire such labor as is necessary to carry on business to end of year at which time lease will expire and tenant’s heirs or assignees would be paid their net share of the income due after expenses are paid. The renter likes the plan for the following reasons: The owner likes it for the following reasons: The best tenant is a young married man experienced, competent and who likes the farm and wants to own a farm himself some day....

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PLAN No. 810. BUILD AND SELL FARM HOME CONVENIENCES

The Agricultural Department of the United States put out a booklet in which are given the following ways of making Farm Home Conveniences. The farmer can by building these home articles save much money, but city people can also profit by doing the same. There is no reason why men who are handy at making such articles cannot follow these plans set forth and manufacture one or several of same and thereby derive a comfortable living by selling them. Large fortunes have been made from most of the ar

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PLAN No. 811. THE KITCHEN CABINET

For plans 811 to 828 inclusive we are indebted to the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture Contribution from the States Relations Service A. C. TRUE, Director A carpenter without his bench loses much time in getting the right tools and in putting them away. A chemist cannot do systematic laboratory work without a well-arranged desk. A kitchen cabinet is just as important to the housekeeper as the bench to the workman or the laboratory desk to the chemist. With it the housekeeper can sit comfortably down w

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PLAN No. 812. THE FIRELESS COOKER

Fireless cookers are now being made and used in hundreds of country homes. What is more pleasing to the farm woman than to put her dinner in the fireless cooker before she drives to town to market her products, and upon returning find it ready for serving? The fireless cooker offers several advantages. The first economy of time, as the housekeeper may leave the food cooking without worrying about the results while she is engaged in other household duties or visiting her friends. Some foods are i

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PLAN No. 813. SPONGE BOX OR BREAD RAISER

In making bread the housekeeper often finds it difficult to hold her sponge or dough at the right temperature so that it will rise in a shorter period of time. She will find a sponge box or bread raiser a great help in keeping the right temperature. Such a box can be made from an ordinary dry-goods packing box. Fig. 4.—Sponge box. A box 20x20 inches is a convenient size. About ten inches from the bottom of the box a shelf made of slats or strips of wood rests on cleats fastened to the sides of t

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PLAN No. 814. DISH DRAINER

Perhaps no time spent in housework is more begrudged by the housekeeper than that spent in washing and wiping dishes. A dish drainer not only saves time and labor but it does away with the too often insanitary dish towel. Fig. 5.—Dish drainer. A most satisfactory dish drainer can be made by using an ordinary bread or biscuit pan and racks made of soft No. 12 or 14 wire. By using a pair of pliers the wire can be bent into the proper shape for forming the racks. The racks fit into the pan and hold

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PLAN No. 815. HEIGHTS OF WORKING SURFACES

Kitchen tables and the bottom of sinks are usually too low for working surfaces when the housekeeper is standing. Low working surfaces are often responsible for tired backs and rounded shoulders because of the undue stooping and the strain on the arms and shoulders. The following figures show the proper level of working surfaces for the height of the housekeeper: The kitchen table should be raised to the proper height by the use of blocks of wood. Different types of blocks for raising the height

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PLAN No. 816. SERVING TRAY

The serving tray is a strength and time saver. The tray saves many trips between the dining room and kitchen, both in serving and clearing away meals, especially in a large household where many dishes must be handled. The top and shelf spaces are sufficient to remove all dishes to or from the table in one trip. It saves steps in serving refreshments at social occasions. It is invaluable to use as a bedside tray in the sick room. The tray when well made is attractive as well as useful and may ser

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PLAN No. 817. FOLDING IRONING BOARD

The ironing board can be fastened up against the wall and be put out of the way when not in use. It should be made of well-seasoned 1 or 1 1 ⁄ 4 inch material. A board of convenient size can be made by the following dimensions: 4 feet 8 inches long, 15 inches wide at the attached end, and 8 inches at the free end. About two inches from the attached end the board begins to taper gradually. The free end is rounded. Fig. 9.—Folding ironing board. A strip 1 1 ⁄ 4 by 4 inches by 15 inches is securely

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PLAN No. 818. RACK FOR THE PORTABLE IRONING BOARD

The ironing-board rack or holder may be attached to the wall or to the inside of a closet door to hold a portable ironing board when not in use. The upper part of the holder is made of 2 1 ⁄ 2 inch material and is 5 inches in depth. It is 12 inches across the top and is shaped to fit the contour of the smaller end of the ironing board. In the center is a button which holds the top of the board in place. The button is made of metal and so shaped as to give it a spring and to provide a finger hold

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PLAN No. 819. ICELESS REFRIGERATOR

A very useful convenience for the farmhouse, where ice is not obtainable, is the iceless refrigerator. It will keep meats, fruits, and vegetables cool, and will extend the period for keeping milk and butter. It can also serve as a cooler for drinking water. In homes where large quantities of milk and butter are to be kept, it would be well to have one refrigerator for milk and butter and another for other foods, as milk and butter readily absorb odors from other foods. It costs very little to bu

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PLAN No. 820. THE COLD BOX

For keeping food during cool weather, a cold box will be found very satisfactory. An ordinary light box can be used or one can be easily and cheaply made for this purpose. The box is fitted to the outside of the kitchen or pantry window. The north exposure is the coolest location. Raising the window gives access to the cold box. By this arrangement the light from the upper half of the window is still available. Fig. 13.—Cold box. The window sill is extended by a shelf which is supported by woode

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PLAN No. 821. EQUIPMENT FOR HOME BUTTER-MAKING

There is no secret in making good butter. With proper care and attention to details good butter can be made in any farm home. The quality of the butter is dependent upon the intelligent use of equipment rather than the kind, although suitable equipment is time-saving and labor-saving and can be purchased and made at a nominal cost. Fig. 14.—Equipment for home butter making. Milk vessels should be of high-grade tin with all joints and seams smoothly soldered so that there will be no crevices in w

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PLAN No. 822. CHEESE-MAKING EQUIPMENT

Cottage, Neufchatel, plain cream, and pimento cream cheese can be made in the farm home where a surplus supply of milk is available. Cheese is not only a very valuable food but if a first-class product is produced a good market can easily be found for it. The equipment for making cheese is very simple and most of it could be made at home. The rack for draining the cheese is 16 inches deep, 12 inches wide, and 24 inches long, and is made of pine. The bottom slats which hold the pan under the drai

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PLAN No. 823. THE SHOWER BATH

Better bathing facilities are often needed in homes where bathrooms are not found. A cheap and convenient shower bath can be easily made and used in the kitchen or on the back porch. The shower bath is especially useful in homes where there are children. A hole is cut in the bottom of a four gallon bucket and a piece of pipe 2 inches long soldered in the opening. Rubber tubing 4 to 6 feet long is attached to the pipe and a nozzle is fitted on the end of the rubber tubing. A sprinkler from a wate

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PLAN No. 824. WELL PROTECTION AND INEXPENSIVE WATERWORKS FOR A FARM KITCHEN

The three important principles to consider in the subject of water supply for the farm home are: (1) It is necessary to have clean water, (2) there should be convenient and serviceable equipment to furnish running water in the house, and (3) this convenient supply of safe water should be secured with economy. The first and most important consideration is to get a supply of clean water. By clean water is meant water which is both clear and pure. Good farm water supplies are usually obtained from

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PLAN No. 825. FLY TRAP

Fly control should begin at the breeding places. All refuse and other substances in which flies may breed should be disposed of immediately. Fly traps should be placed around the house and stable and in places frequented by flies, so as to catch them whenever they appear. It is necessary to use bait to attract the flies. After they are caught they may be destroyed by pouring hot water over the trap and then burning the flies. Any woman, without hammer or saw, can easily make a fly trap. The dime

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PLAN No. 826. WINDOW SCREENS

All outside doors and windows should be screened. It will be an economy to buy the screen doors. For both doors and windows use non-rustable screen wire. A very cheap, convenient and easily made window screen is shown in Fig. 23 . Any woman can make this screen fit any window. Often in old houses window frames have warped and it is hard to make screen frames fit the windows. Fig. 23.—Window screen. Heavy denim or jeans or any other heavy material, of dark color, is cut into strips 4 inches wide.

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PLAN No. 827. COOKSTOVE DRIER OR EVAPORATOR

Vegetables and fruits can be dried in an oven, in trays or racks over the kitchen stove, or in a specially constructed drier. There are small driers on the market which give satisfactory results. The small cookstove driers or evaporators are small oven-like structures, usually made of galvanized sheet iron, or of wood and galvanized iron. They are of such a size that they can be placed on the top of an ordinary wood or coal range, or a kerosene stove. These driers hold a series of small trays on

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PLAN No. 828. THE CLEANING CLOSET

Entrance of dust and dirt into a house is unavoidable, and the housekeeper is compelled to spend some of her time and energy in the daily cleaning. Through the use of better equipment and more systematic planning she is able to do the cleaning more easily and quickly. It is well to have a special place where cleaning utensils may be kept in the best condition and ready for instant use. Much time and energy is spent in collecting the utensils needed for cleaning. A closet, cupboard, or wardrobe,

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PLAN No. 829. BASKET BOARDERS

During the war people have been thrown upon their own resources and many methods of making a living have been attempted. Many suggestions have been given by the United States Department of Agriculture as to plans which would be feasible for making a living. One suggestion is a plan followed by a New York woman. She had a small income but it was not sufficient to care for herself and small child. She arranged to board and room 15 girls and boys from the farm. And this board and room was paid with

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DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

[10] It is provided that the Health Officer may, in his discretion, apportion this monthly salary between the steward and assistant, provided the aggregate salaries of both shall not exceed $135 per month....

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DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES

The Superintendent of Water Division may employ the following when needed:...

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County Government

In the County, Civil Service does not apply, but your selection is largely dependent upon your political standing. Become an active man in your party and if you are fortunate in supporting a winner you will have employment. The county officers run as follows: (Three in number at $3,000 per year.) (Five in number at $4,000 per year.) (Three in number at $1,800 each, per year, one of which is to be police judge, named by city and receives additional salary from city. Each justice names his own cle

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State Government

People generally are not aware of the great number of men and women employed by the State Government. The State of Washington is comparatively a young state and yet it employs at least two thousand people in its different departments. Abilities of every description are required. The Governor has great power, as most of the different department heads are appointed by him. In some cases the state law limits him as to a certain number of appointments, but as a rule, the Governor is allowed to make

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U. S. GOVERNMENT

If you are out of employment it is well for you to examine carefully the activities of the Government in your city or county, or any place in the state where it may have general offices. Any man who is out of work cannot say he has done his best to obtain employment when he has neglected looking up Government work. Because the Civil Service applies to certain positions, do not let this stand in the way. Go to the head of the department in whatever locality it is and ascertain whether there are a

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Civil Service

It often happens that a man who has occupied a position for years finds the work in which he is engaged is injuring his health, for example, the labor he is performing has an effect on his lungs, like marble working, or some similar trade, and he desires a change. Or perhaps he is in some service that is not suitable to him and he is unable to progress. For such a man it is well to run over the preceding list very carefully and ascertain what field of work appeals to him. He should also read car

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PLAN No. 908. HE NETTED BETTER THAN $5,000 A YEAR TAKING PICTURES

This man, for years, was unable to make much of a saving in his photographic work. His wife and he possessed ability in preparing photographs. He finally hit upon the following plan: He hired two men called spotters, who took the pictures and went into different communities picturing men in the offices and at work at their desks. These two spotters were able to take at least fifty pictures a day each, making better than one hundred pictures per day. These men he paid $25.00 to $30.00 per week an

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Acknowledgment

For the material of this monograph the Federal Board for Vocational Education is indebted to the J. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia, Pa., through its publication, “Training for the Newspaper Trade,” and the Collins Publicity Service, Philadelphia, Pa., through its publication, “Journalism,” School Edition, Teachers’ Auxiliary, of which this article is largely an abstract. This article was prepared by Dr. H. L. Smith under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Fe

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What is the Nature of the Work in Journalism?

The main purpose of a newspaper is to give the day’s news. Another purpose is that of making the meaning of this news clear to the readers. Moreover, newspapers often furnish their readers with advice and with useful information as well as with entertaining reading. There was a time when the purpose of a paper was thought to be that of simply stating conditions as they are. At the present there is a rapidly growing tendency to use the newspaper to state conditions as they should be. A newspaper

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What Physical and Personal Characteristics Are Necessary for Success in Journalism?

One must have good health to stand the hardships of long and irregular hours of work, under bad conditions, often long distances from the office and in all kinds of weather. There are also certain personal qualifications that one must have to succeed in the field of journalism. Chief among these personal qualifications is the ability to adapt one’s self to many different subjects and feel at home in each. Unlike writers in other fields, the reporter is a writer of matter which lives today and is

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What Training Is Necessary for Success in Journalism?

A college education is a help, of course, but it is not absolutely necessary in the journalistic profession. One who wishes to become a journalist may enter the newspaper field as a reporter at almost any time after he has had enough experience and general knowledge to make him well acquainted with a number of subjects and when, in addition to this, he has learned to write his thoughts in clear, forceful language. Certainly a grade education is necessary and some high school education is advisab

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How Much Income May One Reasonably Look Forward to, if Successful in the Field of Journalism?

In few vocations is there greater difference in salaries than in the field of journalism. So far there does not seem to be any general standard that all the papers of the country attempt to live up to. The managers of certain newspapers follow the practice of employing only experienced men, taking them wherever they can be found from the staffs of other newspapers. Such papers, of course, pay good salaries. Other publications are willing to take on a few, or even a large number of beginners. Suc

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What Are the Other Rewards to a Journalist, Aside from the Financial Rewards?

With many men in journalistic work, however, ideals mean more than money. The public good with such men means more than private gain. Another reward to the young man in this profession is that he comes in contact with mature people. He learns to know even personally many of the great men in business, in politics, in law. The newspaper is one of the very greatest educational agencies. What it does for the adult in an educational way is like what the public schools do for children in an educationa

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How Many Years Will It Take to Establish Myself in Journalistic Work?

The newspaper reporter does not have the experience of a young lawyer or doctor, who must pick up business slowly and wait sometimes for years before he is satisfactorily established. The reporter succeeds or fails from the outset. In fact reporting is the work of comparatively young men, and is especially liked by those of from 20 to 30 years of age. Those who have been successful in this period of life are generally picked for promotions, and less uncertain assignments in the later periods of

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How Great is the Demand for Men in the Journalistic Field?

There are in the United States and Canada at the present time approximately 25,000 newspapers and periodicals being published. Nearly 40 per cent of all such publications in the world are published in the United States and its outlying territories. In 1915 these publications in the United States gave employment to over 100,000 people, approximately 35,000 of whom were editors and reporters. The total circulation at that time aggregated 164,468,040. Moreover, newspapers are being circulated in la

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How Much Will It Cost to Prepare for Newspaper Work?

If you are a soldier or a sailor discharged from the service since October 6, 1917, with a disability for which the Bureau of War Risk Insurance will grant you compensation, your education will be furnished free by the Government. The Bureau of War-Risk Insurance, through its compensation, will meet a part of the expenses and the Federal Board for Vocational Education will supplement that amount to a minimum of $65 a month with the purpose of meeting all of your expenses for living, clothing, tr

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PLAN No. 910. LOGGING

The chief centers of the logging industry are in New England, the Lake States, the Southern Appalachians, the Southern pine region, the cypress swamps of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Inland Empire (Montana, Idaho, and Eastern Washington and Oregon), and the Pacific coast. The methods of logging and the opportunity for employment in this work present many different aspects in these regions. Animal logging prevails in the Northeast, the Lake States, and the Inland Empire, and power logging in

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PLAN No. 911. RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Men who have had experience with railroad construction or operation will find a promising field in the lumber industry, since on most large operations the logs are hauled from the forest to the mill over logging railroads. Locomotive engineers and firemen are in demand and command a fairly high wage. The hours are long because it is necessary to deliver a certain quantity of logs to the mill daily, and in case of delays in schedule, the crews must work until the necessary quantity of logs has be

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PLAN No. 912. SAWMILLING

The sawmill industry is scattered over a wide area in this country, but the chief centers of lumber manufacture are in or adjacent to the great forest areas of the country, in the southern pine region, which produces nearly one-third of all of our lumber cut, and in the Pacific Northwest, which produces about one-eighth of our total cut. The sawmill business includes plants ranging from the small mill, cutting a few thousand feet daily, up to the plant which turns out nearly one million feet of

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PLAN No. 913. CLASSIFICATION OF LABOR IN THE LUMBER INDUSTRY

Logging work as a rule requires a man of robust constitution who can stand up under hard physical labor performed in the open in all kinds of weather. Loggers must as a rule be skilled in the use of ax, crosscut saw, and like tools, or to be competent teamsters, although considerable unskilled labor is employed in each camp. Sawmill employees should in most instances be robust. They are not as a rule exposed to inclement weather to the same degree as loggers. A high degree of mechanical skill is

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Acknowledgment

This article was prepared by Edward D. Jones, Director of Course Materials, Employment Management Section of the War Industries Board, under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings of the Research Division for editorial assistance....

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The New Labor Problem

A great deal of thought is now being given, by American business men, to the subject of employment management. At one time the labor problem seemed to be solely a matter of the policies of organized labor and the methods of industrial warfare. It now shows itself to be chiefly a question of the intelligent handling of the human relations which result from the normal course of business, day by day. It has to do with a study of the requirements of each occupation, the careful selection of men for

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A Departure in Business Practice

Hitherto, executive control in business has been exercised through three main divisions of administration: (1) Finance—in charge of a treasurer or president. (2) Manufacturing—in charge of a general manager or general superintendent. (3) Sales—in charge of a sales manager. To these general divisions industrial enterprise is now adding a fourth, i. e., employment management or, as it is sometimes called, supervision of personnel. In the employment department of a business are gathered all those a

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Functions of the Employment Manager

The primary functions of an employment manager are to hire shop employees (and often office employees also), to superintend transfers and discharges, to assist in determining rates of pay, to study the causes of labor turnover and absenteeism and strive to reduce them, to adjust grievances, and to recommend changes in working conditions which will eliminate fatigue and accidents, or will improve the health and spirit of the force. In performing these functions the employment manager will need to

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The Employment Manager and the General Officers

The employment officer comes into a business organization as a staff man, to relieve the general executives. The general executive is a correlator. He is a balancer of claim against claim. His business is to define the general aims and to harmonize all lesser activities with them. To do this work well, he must be supplemented by specialists who do not have a wide range of functions, and so can concentrate upon some special phase and, upon demand, can furnish him with detailed knowledge and stand

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The Employment Manager and the Foreman

From the shoulders of the overloaded superintendent there have slipped down upon the foreman of the shops a mass of heterogenous functions. In establishments where the modern plan of functionalizing the foreman is unknown, each foreman is for his own shop a Jack-of-all-trades, endeavoring to deal directly with the details of a great variety of duties. The inefficiency of such methods has been amply revealed by the analyses of the exponents of scientific management. The remedy is specialization.

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Will Employment Managers Be Needed After the War?

The movement which is developing human engineering is not a temporary nor sporadic demand, but is in response to an underlying trend of our economic life. It has not been dominantly, nor even largely, a product of war conditions, except as the war has made men everywhere appreciate more keenly the social virtues, and has made them long more earnestly for a new justice and comradeship. After the war, the underlying economic forces, which are all based upon the urgency of human wants, will steadil

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Relations to the United States Employment Service

The United States Employment Service is a national system of recruiting bureaus operated by the Department of Labor of the United States Government, for the purpose of organizing the general relations of supply and demand on the labor market, and of distributing the available supply of wage earners as efficiently as possible to those localities and to those employers where they are in greatest demand. The employment manager is the representative of private business, which has the task of selecti

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A Permanent Demand

We have spoken of the underlying forces which are creating a demand for specialists to deal with the human factor in industry. It would be difficult to point to an industrial reform which is more clearly the converging point of a number of progressive movements. Employment management is a result of the evolution of cost accounting, of the idea of supplementing line executives by competent staff departments, and of the movement to specialize the work of foremen. It is an opportunity to apply voca

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Necessary Qualifications

The employment manager, who measures up to the new standards now being set, is a first-class executive, standing on a parity with the sales manager or the production engineer. He has the more need of talent because of the newness of his position; a circumference which emphasizes flexibility of ideas, the ability to conduct investigations, the courage to be a pioneer, and the power of commanding the confidence of others in his pioneering. Again, his position is difficult, because he stands betwee

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What a Maimed Man Can Do

Employment management is a thinking job—a matter of judgment, and organizing ability, and tact, and personality. If a man has lost an arm or leg, but still has a good head and a noble heart, he may become a success in this field. Without a leg, or even both legs, a man may still get about enough within a plant to keep in touch with his shops, and be known by the rank and file as something more than an armchair officer. If he has lost an arm, or even both arms, he may be able to work out, with hi

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Remuneration

The employment manager’s remuneration is salary and not wages. This signifies that its amount is fixed rather by an estimate of the standard of living of the class of persons with whom the employment manager should associate on terms of equality in the business world than by an effort to measure his exact contribution to the income of the company. At present the salaries of employment managers—the great majority of which probably fall between $2,000 and $5,000—are not equal to those commanded by

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Educational Agencies, Literature, etc.

It may be remarked concerning untrained candidates for an important position that those who are best qualified by nature and general education will usually possess a certain insight which gives them warning of future difficulties, and makes them willing to take preliminary training, and to work at first in subordinate positions. Those without this insight are likely to argue that training is unnecessary and that they are qualified to take at once responsible posts. Thus the line is illustrated,

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Acknowledgment

For the material of this monograph the Federal Board for Vocational Education is indebted to the J. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, Pa., through its publication “Training and Rewards of the Physician,” and the Collins Publicity Service, Philadelphia, Pa., through its publication “Medicine,” School Edition, Teachers’ Auxiliary, Number One, of which this pamphlet is largely an abstract. The monograph was prepared by Dr. H. L. Smith under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research

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Nature of the Physician’s Work

The work of the physician is twofold. It is his duty to cure those who are sick and to keep the well from becoming sick. Usually he is not called upon until there is illness, so that the bulk of his work is with the sick. There are two general fields of activity for a physician, that of the general practitioner, and that of the specialist. Physicians in rural communities and small towns and cities must be prepared to deal with any type of accident or disease. In cities the tendency is to special

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Physical Characteristics Essential to Success

Of all the professions the practice of medicine makes the greatest demands along the line of a good sound body. In some professions a man with even severe physical defects can, through careful living, be successful. Good health, however, is essential to the physician in order that he may successfully withstand the long periods of strain, the irregular hours for meals and sleep, the bad weather he is often forced to go out in, and the dangers of infection....

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Personal Characteristics Essential to Success

Not only must the physician be practically fit, he must have a natural aptitude and love for his profession. He should care more for medicine than for any other calling in life. By natural aptitude for medicine is meant certain foundation qualities which are essential. It goes without saying that the physician, because of his close relationship with his patients, must be of the highest moral character in order to gain and retain the confidence of his patients. A kindly and tactful manner are ess

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General Education Necessary as a Basis for a Course in Medicine

As a basis for a course in medicine one must have completed not only the eight grades of common-school work, but the four years of high school. Twenty-eight medical schools require two years of college work for entrance, and there is some tendency to require even four years of college work. This tendency, however, will probably not grow very fast. Certainly if the requirement is made it can not be a hard and fast rule, for the simple reason that it would raise the age of graduation from the medi

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The Length of the Medical Course Itself

At the present time one can not hope to get a satisfactory medical education without taking a full four-year course in the medical school. The course of study in American schools of medicine at present is definitely laid out, and one can know beforehand just what subjects will have to be taken. Even at the end of the four-year course in medicine it is not advisable to begin the practice of medicine immediately. Those who are looking for good positions in the profession should add to the theory g

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The Income That Can Reasonably be Expected in the Practice of Medicine

The practice of medicine does not hold out the hope of any great financial reward. There are some medical practitioners who have made small fortunes in their practice, but such cases are few. The ordinary practitioner can not count on much more than a comfortable living, in accordance with the living standards in the community in which he lives. Not only is the physician’s salary generally small, but it is uncertain as well. The following table gives the incomes of Harvard medical graduates, by

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Other Rewards Connected with the Practice of Medicine

The fact that the physician’s work has a great effect upon the length of life of the patient is in itself a great reward. During the past three centuries medical science has made so great an advance that the average working life of the English-speaking people has been almost doubled. The things that have added to this increased length of life are physical comfort, medicine, hygiene, and surgery. Aside from the satisfaction of seeing length of life increased, the worthy physician enjoys the satis

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The Length of Time It Will Take to Establish One’s Self in the Practice of Medicine

If one decides to establish one’s self as a general practitioner he must count upon at least a year of patience and hard work with little income. At the end of the year, however, if he has been fortunate in the choice of location, and if he has a good personality, he can reasonably hope soon to inspire confidence and come into public recognition. Often he can hasten this public recognition by giving his services, free of charge, to those whom he knows to be worthy of such assistance and consider

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The Extent of the Need for Physicians

It has been said that in America the number of doctors, in proportion to the number of people, is greater than in any other country. A recent study shows that there were in the United States 151,132 practicing physicians and surgeons, 16,920 students in medical schools, and 6,955 instructors in medical schools. Before the European war the supply of physicians in the United States was large—so large, in fact, that the income of physicians was being materially affected thereby. As a result of the

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How Much It Will Cost to Prepare for Practice of Medicine

If you are a soldier or a sailor discharged from the service since October 6, 1917, with a disability for which the Bureau of War-Risk Insurance will grant you compensation, and if a course in medicine is approved for you by the Federal Board, your education will be furnished free by the Government. The Bureau of War-Risk Insurance, through its compensation, will meet a part of the expense, and the Federal Board for Vocational Education will add to that amount to a minimum of $65 a month with th

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by J. Albert Robinson, Special Agent for Safety and Hygiene. Acknowledgment is due Mr. Jos. B. Finnegan, Professor of Fire Protection Engineering, Armour Institute of Technology; to Mr. R. M. Little, Director of the American Museum of Safety; and to Mr. F. M. Griswold for excerpts from his address entitled “The Inspector and the Insured.” For editorial assistance acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division of the Federal Board. You who have be

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Education

A high-school education or its equivalent is practically essential, and if this education has been secured in a technical high school it will have especial value. Men who have had more advanced training in technical schools, colleges, or universities stands a better chance than others of becoming leaders in the profession. A knowledge of the fundamentals of any of the other leading engineering professions is helpful in safety engineering as in fire protection engineering....

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Personal Qualifications

To become a good safety engineer one needs to have a clear mind, capable of analysis and of constructive thinking; a pleasing personality, and the qualities of leadership. Safety engineering has quite as much to do with the human element as it has with mechanics. In general, it is divided into two parts; Structural engineering and engineering revision; and mechanical safeguarding, coupled with safety organization in industrial plants and educational methods aiming to reach managers, superintende

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Nature of Work

Safety work proper is divided into two essential branches—safeguarding and education, both conducted under a well-planned scheme of organization. In the company and rating organization field the safety engineer will make careful inspections, reporting upon many details from which the risk is determined and the rate made. A careful study of working conditions, a painstaking analysis of accidents occurring under them, a searching inquiry into potential causes of accidents that may not have occurre

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Opportunities

The opportunities for well qualified men are many and constantly increasing. There is undoubtedly a future in safety engineering for those who are well trained for the work. The nature of the casualty insurance business is such that men with the technical training and skill of safety engineers are in more demand, in the actual details of the business, than perhaps are the fire insurance inspectors in the fire insurance field. There is a close connection between workmen’s compensation insurance a

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Physical Qualifications

A man with one eye, one arm, or one leg can be a good safety engineer. Likewise, a man with a weak heart or lungs may be a good safety engineer. Disabilities which disqualify men for many industrial pursuits do not disqualify but may partially qualify them for safety engineers. In other words, one does not need to be 100 per cent physically fit. In fact, men who have suffered the loss of members may precisely, on that account be more effective in teaching the principles, habits, and practices of

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Training

Men who have been disabled in the military or naval service of the Government and wish to be trained for safety engineers will be trained by the Federal Board for Vocational Education. The Board will make arrangements with the safety organizations of the country to give special courses for them. The teachers will be experienced safety engineers. Part of the work will be classroom lectures and assigned readings. The study of mechanical safeguards and hazards will be given in a well-equipped insti

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PLAN No. 918. FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERING

Fire protection engineering, or fire insurance engineering, is a well-established line of effort which has been raised to the dignity of a profession during the past 20 years of its development. The fire insurance inspector belongs to this profession, as do inspectors in municipal fire prevention bureaus such as the large cities are organizing as an auxiliary to their fire departments. There are certain institutions in which instruction is given, and ways whereby a disabled man discharged from t

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Acknowledgment.

This monograph was prepared by Eugene C. Graham, Special Agent for the Federal Board, under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings of the Research Division for editorial assistance....

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A Metal-working Age.

Nearly every industry depends to some extent, and most industries depend to a very great extent, upon metal working, either by employing metal workers directly in some processes, or by using metal products as raw materials in the manufacture of other products, or at least by using tools, implements, machines, and engines, which are products of metal-working trades and industries. And, in addition, these trades and industries produce a great variety of finished utensils and furniture ready for co

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Machine Work and Handwork.

Metals must be worked largely by machine processes, but they must be worked also in many instances by hand processes. All-round machinists and other metal workers must know how to operate machines, but they must also be skilled artisans capable of using a variety of hand tools. Bench hands, assemblers, and specialists in many lines are hand workers and only incidentally if at all machine operators. If you like machinery and tools, and working with durable materials—working with steel and other l

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Trade Training for Promotion.

Promotion comes to trained men who acquire dexterity in handling tools, in operating machines, in manipulating various metals. It comes easily to men trained broadly, who are able to deal intelligently with any problems that may arise in their line of work. If you decide to enter one of the metal-working trades, you should take training for the trade, rather than for some job in the trade. Learn the trade rather than simply how to operate some one machine, or how to do one simple task, and you c

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What Metal Workers Produce.

Everything in metal from a minute screw to a locomotive engine—from a tin can to a great gun casting. They produce machines to produce machines, and with tools and machines which they themselves produce, they produce every sort of metal product or metal part of a product, including machinery and equipment for the farm, the factory, and the home. Nearly every article of common use, whether made of metal or of other material, is more or less a machine product, and practically the whole machinery f

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Processes.

Molding, which is a basic operation in the metal industries, is a comparatively simple process especially when standardized parts are being cast, and it is not necessarily heavy work since castings in various metals, may be of any size and weight. Molten metal, pure or alloyed, is poured into a mold formed by a pattern in sand or loam. In many instances castings must be finished by machinery. When a part is to be subjected to hard usage or to severe strains and stresses, forging or hammering rat

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PLAN No. 920. MOLDERS

Foundry employments generally will not be found to be suitable for men who have suffered serious physical injuries, or for men whose physical strength has been seriously impaired by exposure or illness, and they are not generally employments for which any extended course of training is required. These employments are, however, more varied in character than they are commonly supposed to be, and some lines of molding and casting may very well be undertaken by men who have been disabled, especially

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PLAN No. 921. SHEET-METAL WORKERS

The sheet-metal worker is the survival in modern industry of the village tinner or tinsmith, and the demand for these workers is large and increasing. In the building trades, in ship building, in automobile and airplane construction, and in the manufacture of furniture, kitchen ware, heating and ventilating apparatus men of skill and experience in sheet-metal working are required. Workmen at the trade are mainly occupied in cutting out shapes or patterns, bending and forming these shapes on mach

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PLAN No. 922. FACTORY WORKERS

Factory production of articles made of sheetmetal implies that machines will be used where possible. Parts will be stamped out with dies and hollow ware drawn to shape in large presses. The hand operations, as a rule, will be confined to riveting, soldering, and assembling parts. Where disabled men can qualify it will not be difficult to place them on machines or at hand operations. While the pay will be lower than in the outdoor branch of the trade, work will be steadier and less dependent on w

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PLAN No. 923. MACHINISTS AND MACHINE OPERATORS

Previous training and experience in some of these metal-working employments will greatly help you if you elect to take up some related line of work. With a little training to overcome your handicap, you may be able to resume your old employment or one in which your previous training and experience will count. Machinists work with the following machines: Metal turning.—Speed lathes; screw-cutting lathes; engine lathes; turret lathes; shaft and wheel lathes; automatic lathes. Planing.—Planers; slo

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PLAN No. 924. BENCH HANDS

In the construction of machinery, including the repair of worn and broken parts, there are many operations which can not conveniently be done on machines. This work is done by hand at a bench, fitted with a vise for holding the work. The work done consists of chipping and filling to remove metal, the laying out of centers, circular arcs, lines and limits for the operator, and a variety of operations which require the use of hand tools. Examples of this work are: Fitting piston rings to grooves a

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PLAN No. 925. ASSEMBLERS AND ERECTORS

The parts which go to make up the finished machines come from the shop and after inspection are ready to be put together. Men who work at a bench in the assembling room or on the erecting floor fasten these parts together. Examples of heavy work are found in the assembling of locomotives, stationary and marine engines, mining and pumping machinery, printing presses, rolling mills, and sugar machinery; of medium work in the assembling of gas and gasoline engines, farm machinery, automobiles, and

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Acknowledgment

The material of this monograph was compiled by S. Reid Warren, editor of The Keystone Magazine of Optometry, assisted by several successful practicing optometrists, to whom acknowledgment is gratefully accorded. The monograph has been prepared under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. It is an indisputable fact that the effici

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What is an Optometrist?

An optometrist examines eyes for the detection and correction of visual or muscular defects not requiring medical attention. He uses no drugs; he does not treat diseases of the eye, nor does he practice surgery. To one not familiar with optical sciences it may be difficult to comprehend, then, what the work of the optometrist includes. Comparison of his work with two better known and somewhat related vocations—that of the oculist and that of the optician—will perhaps be the quickest method of ex

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Type of Man Required

The serious nature of the optometrist’s work—the care of human vision—makes it imperative that only men of good moral character and high ideals be admitted to the practice of optometry. An optometrist should be more interested in helping his patient than in making money; he should be tactful, and not only professionally competent, but of the type of personality that inspires confidence. He should realize that the completion of his course of technical instruction and the receipt of a license to p

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Length of Preparatory Training

As the optometrist takes up little in medical studies, his technical training requires a briefer time than that of the physician or oculist. The optometrist, of course, must be able to recognize the symptoms of eye diseases, but does not attempt to remedy them; he refers such cases to a physician. In view of the lesser scope of the work of the optometrist his course of technical training covers only two to four years, as against four to seven years for medical education. The practice of optometr

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The Optometrist’s Work

The word “optometry” is made up of two Greek words: optos, visible and metron, a measure, meaning the measurement of the visual powers. Examination for detection of visual deficiencies includes tests by the use of charts and of certain precise measuring instruments. For example: One instrument permits inspection of the interior of the eye; another, measurement of the curvature of the cornea; still another, the field of vision. With the data obtained by the intelligent use of all these instrument

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Indoor Work—Physical Requirements

An optometrist confines his practice to office work, there being no traveling or outdoor activity. If desired, his office may be established in his own home. As the work is all indoors, there is no great physical strain. While sound health and normal strength are always desirable, robustness is not a first requirement of this vocation; nor is possession of all the members essential. A man who has lost a hand, an arm, a leg, or even both legs could successfully practice the profession of optometr

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The Demand for Optometrists

No man taking up the study of optometry need fear a lack of opportunity when his course is completed. There is a scarcity of optometrists all over this broad land, and in thousands of optometrists’ offices to-day opportunities are open for assistants. As such, an optometrist can develop a following, and eventually start for himself. Moreover, the call of young men to the defence of their country cut down the number of students in this, as in all other vocations; hence the number of graduates fro

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Scope of a Course in Optometry

The curriculum of the course in applied optics in one of our leading universities will give a comprehensive survey of the branches of scientific knowledge forming the science of optometry. The following subjects are included in this course: Chemistry, anatomy, physics, physiology, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, bacteriology, optics, psychology, drawing, pathology, and English composition. Under theoretical and applied optics are of course grouped the chief subjects bearing upon the science and

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Possible Income

As in other professions, it usually requires a few years to build up a practice, but few men who have started under proper conditions and with fair qualifications have failed to achieve success. An income of $1,500 or $2,000 yearly is common, and many optometrists earn incomes of from $5,000 to $10,000. As an employee of another optometrist, a practitioner can earn from $30 to $50 a week, and even more. Optometry is not a means of earning a living with ease nor a haven for the indolent, but it d

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by Eugene C. Graham, special agent for the Federal Board for Vocational Education, under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Division of Research. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. The trades of the planing-mill operator, of the cabinetmaker, and the finisher are the outgrowth of the trades of the village carpenter and painter. Woodworking factory products are innumerable, and a choice of occu

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Some Products of These Trades

Factory woodworkers are employed in many industries in which the men carry on one or more of the lines of work specified above. Of these industries the principal products are the following: Products of Woodworking Industries...

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PLAN No. 929. THE PLANING MILL INDUSTRY

Much of the work formerly done by carpenters in the shop is now done to order in planing mills. This branch of the woodworking industry supplies lumber and building material at retail, and builds store and office fixtures, interior woodwork for dwelling houses, and a variety of special work which requires the use of machinery. Planing mill employees usually are able to do a variety of hand and machine work and usually receive therefrom somewhat higher wages than do factory workers. They rank wit

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PLAN No. 930. VEHICLE MANUFACTURING

Buggies, wagons, and auto and truck bodies are built in special shops. These have separate departments for wheel making, body making, and other processes, and often buy their stock partly finished....

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PLAN No. 931. OTHER MANUFACTURING

Musical instruments, such as pianos, organs, phonographs, and violins, are built in special factories, but the same processes are used here that are employed in the other woodworking occupations. Toys, games, gymnasium equipment, special wood products are made to a large extent by machine operations. The men employed are mostly machine hands, and women and boys do much of the assembling and finishing. Box, crate, barrel, and basket making are low-grade woodworking occupations. Much of the work d

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PLAN No. 932. SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISABLED MEN

In this field there are positions which will appeal to men with certain sorts of disabilities. Some of these occupations require a knowledge of materials and processes and the ability to direct men, but demand little in the way of mechanical training. Among these may be mentioned the following: Foreman of cabinetmakers and assemblers. Foreman of shipping room. Yard foreman, in charge of dry kiln and yard. Cost estimator for planing-mill. Salesman for factory-made products. Furniture designer and

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PLAN No. 933. QUALIFYING AS A TEACHER

There is a demand for teachers of woodwork and drawing in the schools. If a disabled man with previous experience in the trade has had a high-school education and wants to become an instructor he may find it more profitable to do so than to go back into the trade. His injuries may not prevent the simple movements necessary in demonstrating to a boy or to another man the principles involved in the use of the tools. But it must be understood that both teaching ability and a knowledge of the trade

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PLAN No. 934. MACHINE OPERATING

The machine operator needs no personal equipment of tools, and most workmen carry only a folding pocket rule and a pencil. He operates a variety of machines, of which the principal ones are listed below:...

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PLAN No. 935. DISABILITIES FOR MACHINE OPERATING

Such disabilities as slight deafness, blindness in one eye, hernia, or minor troubles of the heart, liver, kidneys, or digestion will not bar a man who can turn out fair work. Injuries to the fingers, hands, and arms have always been common in the woodworking industry and many of the best men have been disabled more than once. Some men have to change machines on account of injuries but not many lose out entirely. The loss of an arm or a leg would require intelligent placement on a particular mac

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PLAN No. 936. CABINETMAKERS

The work of the cabinetmaker, and of such other allied occupations as chair makers, assemblers, and box makers, is to use hand tools, and sometimes certain machines, in putting together furniture, interior woodwork, or manufactured articles of wood. In some factories he actually builds furniture or a completed product. In others he performs a few operations and passes the work on. Men who assemble furniture must apply glue to the joints, nail and screw parts together where necessary, and see tha

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PLAN No. 937. FINISHING

The men who apply stain, filler, varnish, and other finishes properly belong in a class by themselves in the woodworking trades. Many of these men can do all of the operations necessary in finishing a piece of woodwork. The same ability and skill is possessed by men in the painters’ trade, but some of the processes are different, and the occupation may be considered separately. The finisher of wood products may use any of the following materials; Oil stains, acid stains, water stains, liquid and

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PLAN No. 938. TECHNICAL AGRICULTURE AS A VOCATION

This monograph was prepared by Dr. Walter J. Quick, Special Agent for the Federal Board for Vocational Education, under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Division of Research. Acknowledgment is due A. C. True, Director, States Relation Service; E. W. Allen, Chief, Office of Experiment Stations; W. H. Beal, Chief, Editorial Division, and Edwy B. Reid, Chief, Division of Publications of the United States Department of Agriculture, for suggestions and data; to the Curtis Publishing

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PLAN No. 939. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE POSITIONS

The Federal Board for Vocational Education has completed arrangements with the State Agricultural Colleges for special technical and for regular courses, giving such training for the positions indicated below as seems most suitable, taking account of age and experience in each case. You should consult the nearest vocational officer, remembering that Uncle Sam is ready to train you free in a technical course and pay you while you are taking it, also to help you secure a permanent position after y

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PLAN No. 941. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION POSITIONS

Technical books have been in such exceptional demand by the wounded in the hospitals that the American Library Association could hardly fill the orders, it is noted, and that vocational education has received a big stimulus from the soldiers having acquired the vocational study idea which argues well for efficiency in their future undertakings. It is difficult to adequately comprehend the value of the soldier’s experience educationally. He has learned discipline and devotion to a cause and that

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PLAN No. 943. AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE POSITIONS

The recent war necessity for organization of agricultural forces exhibited the co-operative extension system through county agents, farm bureaus, and local organizations, as a very effective means of greatly increasing agricultural production. To the Agricultural Extension Service established by our Government in connection with the Department of Agriculture and the State agricultural colleges was due this agricultural co-operation enabling the American farmer in a great emergency to meet practi

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by Prof. David J. Cook, Demonstrator and Instructor, in the Bissell Colleges, at Effingham, Ill., under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. In the field of photography, photo-engraving, and three-color work you can succeed and re-establish yourself in civil life as an independent worker, in spite of

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PLAN No. 945. AIR BRUSH WORK

Air brush work pertains to the working-up of enlargements and contact prints in black and white, sepia, or color. Expert operation of the air brush is little less than magical in its delicate shading and color effects. Operators of the air brush command high salaries and are in great demand....

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PLAN No. 946. BROMIDE PRINTING

This is a trade in itself, and numerous houses make a specialty of bromide enlargements for the trade....

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PLAN No. 947. COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographing machinery, furniture, fixtures, fabrics, glassware, and manufactured products is a distinct branch of trade, and the commercial photographer often builds up an enviable business, conducted with but little overhead expense. He is moreover, much in the open, and he can choose practically his own time to do his work. Some commercial photography is commonly done also by the regular portrait photographer, and much of this work can be done in the studio under cover. But little equipment

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PLAN No. 948. COPYING, COLORING PHOTOGRAPHS AND LANTERN SLIDES, SLIDE MAKING, WORKING IN BACKGROUNDS, MOUNTING, SPOTTING AND FINISHING, RETOUCHING AND ETCHING

All of these special services are embraced in regular studio practice. Good workmen in any one of the lines indicated command good pay and steady employment. The demand for experts generally exceeds the supply, especially for retouchers and etchers, who can improve negatives artistically, and correct the seeming exaggerations of the camera. Good retouchers may establish retouch studios in the larger cities and secure work from local photographers at from 30 cents to $1 per negative, depending up

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PLAN No. 949. LANDSCAPE AND ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

This work takes one out into the open; is very healthful; and quite a body builder. One with a knowledge or liking for building and construction work may fairly expect to succeed well. Practically all railroads employ view photographers, and their work is exceedingly interesting on account of the travel from place to place....

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PLAN No. 950. PRESS PHOTOGRAPHY

The press photographer leads an exciting life and the man with a “nose” for news items finds himself ideally located at a good salary. Many of the best men recently engaged in war photography were formerly press photographers....

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PLAN No. 951. AMATEUR FINISHING

Amateur finishing offers a good field for profit, and many establishments in large cities, and even in smaller communities, provide amateur finishing in sufficient amount to keep a photographer busy long into the night in the busy season. The busy season may, in fact, be practically all the year around, as almost everyone now has a hand camera or kodak, and depends nearly altogether on the amateur finisher to develop and print films....

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PLAN No. 952. MAKING HOME PORTRAITS

The home portrait worker photographs his patrons in their own home surroundings. He need have no studio. Hence his expenses are light and his profits relatively large. Home portraiture is one of the most delightful branches of photography, and the highest prices are obtained for work in this line. Equipment will cost about $200; there is no overhead; and the worker may work either during the day, or at night by the aid of artificial lighting installations, such as flashlight or electric light...

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PLAN No. 953. MOTION PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Motion picture photography is becoming more and more popular, and appeals strongly to the man who has a liking for the stage and for things emotional. Good operators make perhaps the highest salaries paid photographers. Here again one can specialize as a camera man, a laboratory man, or a printer. The laboratory work is chiefly that of developing the negative and positive films....

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PLAN No. 954. PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

The portrait photographer must maintain more of an establishment than is required for some other lines of work, and may perhaps have to invest more money, since his place of business should be in some degree an art gallery. His is a busy and interesting life, and the maker of portraiture by photography should be a real artist, comparable with the artist who works with brushes and pigments. The artist-photographer’s work is just enough varied, in artistic lighting of the subject, development of t

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PLAN No. 955. PHOTO ENGRAVING AND THREE-COLOR WORK

Photo-engraving in halftone, line, and three-color work seems bound to take its place along with its great ally, the art of printing. All sorts of texts are being more profusely illustrated, and the demand for good photo-engravers keeps pace with the demand for good printers. The following subjects may be listed as indicating specialty branches in this field, each of which provides subject matter for a systematic course of training. Line operating. —Making the negative without the use of the scr

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PLAN No. 956. GENERAL INFORMATION—QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Q. What education is required to learn photography, photo-engraving, or three-color work?—A. Anyone with natural aptitude for the work who will make an earnest effort can succeed, whatever his previous education may have been. Q. At what age is it best to learn photography or photo-engraving?—A. Any age over 18. It is never to late to learn. Q. Can one learn to be a first-class up-to-date photographer by working in an ordinary studio?—A. Generally a student will learn more rapidly and acquire gr

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Acknowledgments.

This monograph was prepared by Miss Eleanor Adler, under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. The disabled soldier, sailor, or marine during the days of waiting in the hospital will naturally ask himself, “What is the best way for me to earn a living with my handicap?” He may find one of the many answers to that question in some

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PLAN No. 958. WORKING IN PLATINUM

Processes in the platinum jewelry trade—the hammering, drawing, and soldering of the precious metal—require skilled craftsmanship. The designer first makes the original picture or pattern of the brooch, necklace, or other piece, and if the details of the design and general character are approved he then makes an accurate pen-and-ink line drawing. He is paid from $35 to $75, possibly $100 a week. The modeler makes a model in wax in the same way that the designer makes the picture. His wages are t

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PLAN No. 959. WORKING IN GOLD

A factory that works with gold employs designers in the same way as does the platinum factory. The metal itself first goes to a melter and roller, who puts it into crucibles, then into the furnace, and then rolls it into ingots. The work is heavy, and necessitates standing and the use of both arms and feet. Wages are $25 per week. In the cheaper-grade factories the gold, instead of going to the engraver for piecework, goes directly to the press and stamping room, where it is pierced by machines,

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PLAN No. 960. AREA OF EMPLOYMENT

The area of employment in the trade is largely in the East, about 75 per cent in New York, Newark, and the cheaper-grade factories in New England. There are some jewelry factories in Chicago and other large cities in the West. The tools and machines used in the trade are chiefly the following: Drop hammer up to 200 pounds to a large degree power lifted. Punch and cutter presses. Lathes, machine and speed. Power, plate, and wire rolls. Power drawbenches. Welding and soldering outfits. Polishing l

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by Clarence E. Bonnett, under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Percy R. Todd, General Manager, Bangor &amp; Aroostook Railroad, Bangor, Me., and to Dr. John Cummings of the Research Division for editorial assistance....

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What Transportation Involves

In transportation men are concerned with the moving of persons and goods from one place to another. Transportation requires, however, many other operations than simply loading, hauling, and unloading passengers and freight. Charges must be determined and collected, records must be kept, movements of trains, cars, boats, and other vehicles must be directed, repairs to equipment must be made, and numerous other matters must be handled. These numerous operations call for hundreds of thousands of em

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Occupations Varied but of Great Responsibility

Thus in transportation there are so many different sorts of occupations that nearly any individual who likes responsibility can become interested in some part of the great field. There are occupations in which responsibility rests upon the employee for insuring the safety of property, and this responsibility is not by any means inconsiderable. In other occupations employees are responsible for lives as well as property, and risk their own lives in the service. There is office work for those who

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Disabilities and Retraining

If you were engaged in transportation before you were disabled, you are probably still interested in this work, and would return to it if you did not feel that your disabilities unfitted you for your old job. If you wish to go back into transportation and can not take up your old job or a new one in that field without retraining, you want to know how to get retraining and how retraining will help you. Retraining and devices may help you to get your old job again. Retraining ought to do more than

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Divisions of Transportation

In general, transportation is performed by steam railroads, by street railways, by wagons and automobiles, and by boats. Of these agencies, steam railroads employ the largest number of men in so far as regular occupations are concerned. We shall, therefore, consider first the occupations and trades connected with the operation of steam railroads....

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PLAN No. 962. PART I. STEAM RAILROADS

Railroading in the United States is a gigantic enterprise. In 1916, a prewar year, our railroads possessed about 65,000 locomotives, 2,342,000 freight cars, 55,000 passenger cars, and 98,000 company service cars. There were 259,000 miles of single track and enough of double track to raise this figure to 293,000 miles of main track. In addition there were 102,000 miles of sidings. Employees of railroads numbered 1,654,000 and were paid $1,403,968,000 as their compensation for the year 1916. Obvio

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PLAN No. 1004. PART II. URBAN TRANSPORTATION—ELECTRIC RAILWAYS

Street railway operation furnishes rather regular employment to men on the regular force. From this standpoint it is desirable for the disabled soldier or sailor. It is not seasonal to any marked degree, nor is it greatly affected by industrial depressions; and bad weather only increases the need for employees instead of lessening it as in many out-of-doors occupations. Few of the street railway employees are exposed to bad weather conditions, although the work is not so protected as in an indoo

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PLAN No. 1008. PART III. ROAD AND STREET TRANSPORTATION

In road and street transportation the main occupations are those of chauffeurs; proprietors and managers of taxicab concerns, livery stables, and transfer companies; foremen of livery and transfer companies; draymen; teamsters and expressmen; carriage and hack drivers; hostlers; and stable hands. The automobile is rapidly supplanting the horse and to such a degree as to affect the demand for labor in these several occupations, the demand declining in those dealing with the horse and increasing i

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PART IV. WATER TRANSPORTATION[21]

[21] In the preparation of this part the following publications have been utilized extensively: “United States Department of Labor Description of Occupations—Water Transportation,” Reisenberg’s “The Men on Deck,” and “United Spates Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation Hearings before the Committee on Commerce, United States Senate, 1918.” Water transportation may be considered from two standpoints, terminal and interterminal. Terminal transportation does not differ materially from transpor

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by Charles R. Allen, special agent of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. Perhaps you have been on a ship when she was in the yard. In that case you have some notion of the various jobs that are carried on. Perhaps you have seen in one part of the yard a ship under construction on the ways, and have seen and heard the riveters, bolters up, chippers, and calkers at w

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General Working Conditions

If you go to work in a navy-yard you get an eight-hour day, with Saturday half holidays from June 15 to September 15. You can be granted 30 working days leave of absence each year without loss of pay during such leave, but it would be lawful to allow you pro rata leave only after you have served 12 months or more. During the second year of service you could be allowed 60 days leave with pay, 30 days at any time during the year and 30 days at the rate of 2 1 ⁄ 2 days a month as earned from the be

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Stability of Employment

Of course, during the war navy-yard work has been rushed and a large number of extra men have been taken on, but under ordinary conditions, such as existed before the war and will exist after the war, navy-yard work is pretty steady, and if you are a good man when you are once employed you are likely to hold a steady job. Should you be laid off on account of lack of work, you can get your name on a furlough list for reinstatement. As a civil-service employee, you can not be discharged at the whi

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What Are The Health Conditions in Navy-Yard Employment?

The list of navy yard trades and occupations show you that the general health conditions in the different shop trades are about the same as in the same trades anywhere. Since most navy yards have been established for a good many years many of the shop buildings are not up to modern-shop standards, especially as regards lighting, but new buildings are constantly being erected that are much better than the old ones. The yard trades are mostly carried on in the open air, which might be a very desir

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Chances for Promotion

If you are employed as a laborer or at work that requires no mechanical skill or trade knowledge you can not be promoted, but you can, as can any one else enter open competitive examination for higher positions. With the trade and technical knowledge that you now have, or that you can secure through training with the help of the Federal Board for Vocational Education you will not have to take jobs of that kind. Without such knowledge and training, however, these are the only sort of jobs that yo

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How to Apply for Work in a Navy Yard

In applying for a job in a navy yard you do not “go to the gate” or to a superintendent or a boss, as you would if applying for work in a private concern. All employees in navy yards are employed under the civil service rules. Under these rules when there is a vacancy it is filled by offering the job to the individual whose name stands highest on what is called the eligible list. The way to get in line for a navy yard job is, therefore, to get on the eligible list with as high a rating as possib

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Getting on The Eligible List

For detailed official information as to just what your qualifications must be and just how you must proceed to secure a place on the eligible list for employment in navy yards you should secure a copy of Instructions to Applicants for Employment at Navy Yards and Naval Stations. Probably you can get a copy from your vocational adviser, or you can write to the United States Civil Service Commission, Washington, D. C. Probably you will want to get some explanations from your vocational adviser and

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How Previous Training, Experience, and Education Help

If you have already had some experience in a navy yard occupation that you wish to follow you are at a great advantage. For example, if you worked in a machine shop or in an office before you entered the service, the time that you would need for training for similar work in a navy yard would be greatly reduced—the more you know the more time you can save. If you learned something about the job during your service, this experience, also, will enable you to shorten your training. The more educatio

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Educational Requirements for Navy Yard Trades

You have some education and you will naturally be interested in knowing how much general education a good man must have in the different navy yard trades and occupations. Through your vocational adviser you can get a copy of Aids to Employment Managers and Interviewers on Shipyard Occupations with Descriptions of Such Occupations issued by the United States Shipping Board, Emergency Fleet Corporation, which will give you considerable information along this line. The following may give you some g

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How May Training for Navy Yard Occupations Be Secured?

Suppose that you have decided that navy yard work looks good to you and you intend to take training for some sort of navy yard work. You have consulted with your vocational adviser, have “taken stock” of yourself, and have selected the particular sort of work that you would like and think you can do best; and have your application approved. How can you secure the training that you need? There are several ways: 1. The Federal Board for Vocational Education can arrange for you to take your trainin

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What Training Can Do for You in Navy-Yard Occupations

If you wish to take up any navy-yard occupation you can, by taking advantage of the opportunities for taking training that are offered by the Federal Board for Vocational Education, decidedly better your chances of getting a job and of getting a better job. In the first place, if you are handicapped, you can, by taking special training, equip yourself so that you can hold down a great many navy-yard jobs that, without training you could not do at all. A great many jobs like those carried on in t

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Handicaps and how to Overcome Them

If you have a certain kind of disability, what is your chance in navy-yard occupations? Perhaps you have lost a leg or an arm or an eye; does this cut you out of any chance to work in a navy yard? It certainly does not. For example: if you have lost an arm, the number of jobs that you can do with one arm and an artificial arm are surprising; you can take training so that you can do almost any sort of clerical work or work in the drafting room. You can operate almost all machine tools in the mach

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What Sort of Work is Done in Navy Yards?

As a part of the work of the Navy, ships must be refitted, repaired, and overhauled, new ships must be built, and all sorts of material, equipment, and supplies must be manufactured and kept ready for use. To provide for this work Congress has established navy yards and naval stations at various points on the coast which are a part of the Navy and are operated under its control. These navy yards do a great many different sorts of work. Ships are sent to them for overhauling, alterations, and rep

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Occupations in Navy Yards

If you are interested in looking into opportunities for employment in navy yards, you naturally want to know about the different occupations and something about the conditions under which they are carried on. The following descriptions of the more important kinds of work will give you a general idea of the different jobs and if you wish to secure further details about any particular line of work you can get them through your vocational adviser. A navy yard operates a number of shops in which dif

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PLAN No. 1028. SHOP TRADES

Drawings and blue prints are prepared here. Drafting rooms are usually well lighted and heated. The work is carried on at drawing tables and men can either sit or stand. As a rule work in the drafting room does not require a great deal of walking or standing at the work. The force usually consists of draftsmen of various grades, tracers, detail draftsmen. A blue-print room is usually connected with the drafting room where attendants on the blue-printing machine are employed. A few stenographers

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PLAN No. 1029. POWER PLANT

Here steam and electrical power are developed for the general use of the yard. Work in a navy-yard power plant is no different from work in any power plant. Among the men employed are engineers of different grades, switchboard attendants, dynamo tenders, firemen, and water tenders. Engine and dynamo rooms are usually well lighted and heated and give comfortable working conditions. The fireroom is usually very hot, and the work is more or less hard and uncomfortable. Steam engineers are highly tr

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PLAN No. 1030. MACHINE SHOP

Here all sorts of metals are worked, largely with machine tools. Machine shops are generally closed in so that the workmen are protected from the weather and are usually more or less heated. Much of the work requires standing, though workmen can often sit down at intervals while watching a piece of work on the machine. Since most of the work is done on power-driven machines and shops are usually provided with lifting and handling devices for heavy parts, work in the machine shop requires skill a

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PLAN No. 1031. BOILER SHOP

Here such fittings as boilers, condensers, smokestacks, and feed, filter, and fresh-water tanks are constructed from plates of sheet steel riveted together. These plates are got out from patterns or templates. A boiler shop is usually closed in from the weather. Among the men employed are blacksmiths, acetylene and oxy-hydrogen operators, layout men, men to operate various special machines for bending and flanging the plates, machinists, riveters, shippers, and calkers, drillers and reamers. A g

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PLAN No. 1032. BLACKSMITH SHOP

Here all sorts of blacksmith work is carried on. The shop is usually inclosed, but owing to smoke from the forges is generally kept more or less open, so that it is not usually warmer than the weather outside. Among the tools used are steam or compressed air hammers, oil furnaces, large coal furnaces, forges (coal or gas), cranes for handling heavy work, dies, sledges, and hammers. Much of the work is generally carried on by angle smiths who work angle iron, usually from wooden patterns called t

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PLAN No. 1033. PATTERN SHOP

Here are constructed wooden patterns from which castings are to be made. Pattern shops are usually well protected from the weather and afford comfortable working conditions. The men employed are pattern makers and pattern makers’ helpers. As a rule, each pattern is completely made by one pattern maker. Much of the work is done with hand tools and often requires very fine and accurate work. A pattern maker must not only be able to do good work at the bench, but must be able to read blue prints an

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PLAN No. 1034. JOINER SHOP

In the joiner shop are constructed all sorts of high-grade wood fittings such as desks, instrument cases, and companion ladders. The work does not differ from that in any joiner shop. Employees include joiners and helpers. A good joiner must be able to read drawings and blue prints and when necessary he must be able to lay out his work on paper. Among the common machines used are planers, handsaws, circular saws, mortisers, and tenoners. As a rule the joiner shop is protected from the weather an

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PLAN No. 1035. PIPE SHOP

Here all plumbing and pipe-fitting work is done. The shop is usually inclosed and protected from the weather. The work requires considerable walking and standing, much bending, reaching, and stooping. In repair and construction work a great deal of work has to be done on the ship in all sorts of places and often under very difficult working conditions. Plumbers, pipe fitters, and helpers are employed. A good pipe fitter must be able to read blue prints and drawings and must know how to make vari

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PLAN No. 1036. FOUNDRY

All castings are made in the foundry. The shop is usually more or less open to the weather, and the work requires a good deal of walking and standing. Among the men employed are molders, who place the patterns in the sand, and make the sand molds into which the melted metal is poured; cupola furnace tenders, who operate the furnace in which the iron is melted; and foundry shippers, who clean up castings. In addition, helpers and laborers are employed....

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PLAN No. 1037. COPPER SHOP

All sorts of fittings made of sheet copper, as well as a great variety of copper pipes and connections are constructed in the copper shop. In much of the work the copper has to be shaped by hammering. There is also much work in the bending of copper pipes of all sizes. The shop is usually protected from the weather. In many cases men who work in this shop also install the fittings in the ship. Coppersmiths and helpers are employed. In some shops most of the work is done by hand and in others a n

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PLAN No. 1038. SHEET-METAL SHOP

Products of the sheet-metal shop include such articles made from sheet-iron as tanks, lockers, ventilating cowls, and wire work. The shop is usually well protected from the weather. The work requires considerable standing and walking. A number of machines are usually included in the equipment. Sheet-metal workers of different grades are employed and also helpers. A good sheet-metal man must be able to read blue prints and must be able to lay out all sorts of work....

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PLAN No. 1039. GALVANIZING SHOP

Metal fittings are covered with zinc to prevent rusting. As a rule but few skilled men are employed for this work which is done mostly by laborers. Work is practically carried on out of doors on account of fumes due to the acid used. It requires walking and standing....

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PLAN No. 1040. ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT

This department installs and repairs all electrically operated equipment, including light and power lines. It also installs and repairs the electrical equipment on the ships that are built or are under repair. The work must be done all over the yard and everywhere on the ship. It requires much walking and climbing, much of it exposed to weather conditions. Very few machines are used, practically all the work being done with hand tools. A good electrician must be able to read all sorts of drawing

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PLAN No. 1041. RIGGING LOFT

Here work on steel and manila rope and cables is carried on. Cables are spliced and all sorts of servings and fancy rope work are got out, such as man ropes, tiller ropes, and hammock clews. The rigging loft is usually protected from the weather. Much of the work, such as knotting and splicing, can be done sitting down. Practically all the work is done with hand tools....

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PLAN No. 1042. MOLD LOFT

Here the plans of a ship under construction are laid out from the blue prints and patterns and wooden patterns, or “templates” for bending, cutting, and punching the steel parts of the ship are prepared. It usually is an inclosed building with a special floor large enough to lay out any part of a ship full size. The work in the mold loft requires almost constant standing, and kneeling or sitting on the floor. Loftsmen of different grades are employed. Loftsmen must be able to read all sorts of d

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OUTSIDE TRADES, OFFICE WORK, AND MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS

In addition to the regular shop trades there are a number of trades carried on in the yards and on ships in the open air and other employments in navy yard supply departments and offices. These employments have to do mainly with the construction of ships, repair work on hulls, maintenance of the plant, distribution of supplies, and other miscellaneous services. Following is a brief description of the more important of these occupations. This includes the work of shaping and bending steel beams (

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by Clarence E. Bonnett, Special Agent of the Federal Board. Much of the material used herein was obtained from Bulletin No. 232 of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Wages and Hours of Labor in the Boot and Shoe Industry: 1907 to 1916.” Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance....

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PLAN No. 1051. SHOEMAKING

Modern shoemaking is practically a machine process. There are machines for cutting the various parts of the shoe, for sewing together the upper and the lining, for lasting the upper, for channeling the insole and the outsole, for sewing together the insole upper and welt, and for sewing the outsole to the welt. There are also machines for leveling the sole, for placing a smooth edge on the sole and heel, and for burnishing the sole, its edges and the heel. Many of these machines are leased out t

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PLAN No. 1052. OCCUPATIONS THAT PAY WELL REQUIRE TRAINING

There are two general classes of workers in shoe factories—one made up of machine workers, who must use judgment and skill in their work, and are therefore the better paid; and the other made up of machine tenders whose main requirement is speed in doing some routine task. Since we are concerned only with the occupations that require training and which pay more than the wages of unskilled workmen, we shall discuss only the skilled occupations. Workers in these occupations may be grouped into thr

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PLAN No. 1053. OPERATORS WHO SEW TOGETHER DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE SHOES

The Goodyear welter receives the shoe on the last; the upper has been tacked temporarily to the insole and trimmed smoothly, and the insole has been channeled or lipped for the stitches. He takes a long narrow strip of leather—the welt—and places the shoe in the welting machine so that the insole, upper, and welt are sewed through at one operation by means of a curved needle. The stitch is made almost horizontal to the bottom of the shoe, and the welt lies closely to the upper nearly all around

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PLAN No. 1054. OPERATORS WHO SKILLFULLY CUT THE LEATHER TO FORM

The rough rounder receives the shoe with the outsole cemented or tacked on to the upper part. He places the edge of the sole to the machine so that the edge of the outside and welt is cut to a uniform distance from the upper all round the outsole. In the same process his machine cuts an oblique channel in the outsole for the seam which is to bind the welt and outsole together. The work of the rough rounder requires strength and steady nerves, since he must hold the edge of the shoe against the c

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PLAN No. 1055. LASTING THE SHOE REQUIRES SKILL

The machine puller-over receives the assembled upper part of the shoe on the last. The insole, counter, and toe box are in place, but the edges of the upper have not been drawn over the insole and fastened. This is the operation that he must perform. He must watch that the upper is properly centered on the last, and that the machine pincers pull the leather in evenly over the last, and if not even, he must make adjustments by means of levers until it is even. Then he presses a foot lever that ca

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PLAN No. 1056. SHOE REPAIRING

In shoe repairing to-day we find all stages of development, from the purely hand methods to the factory methods. The shops that use the old hand methods are usually small and the owner is generally the only worker, although a few shops have two or three workmen. The shops that use machinery extensively are larger and frequently employ a number of workmen. Between the two extremes are shops of varying equipment and size. This variation of conditions makes it possible for a disabled man to fit int

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PLAN No. 1057. OTHER LEATHER-WORKING TRADES

Other articles than shoes are made of leather, but these are usually more simple than shoes, and require less skill in their making. Some of these articles are hand made, and others are machine made. A few of the processes necessitate both technical knowledge and skill, but the number of men employed in such occupations is comparatively small. In the making of leather itself, few if any of the occupations are suitable for a seriously disabled man, since work in the tannery is usually wet and hea

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by Dr. Walter J. Quick, Special Agent of the Federal Board for Vocational Education, under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board. Acknowledgment is due to E. H. Thomson, Acting Chief, and Dr. E. V. Wilcox, Agriculturist of the Office of Farm Management, United States Department of Agriculture, for suggestions and data, also to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. General farming is not in

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More Farmers Needed

Agriculture as developed in the United States gives employment directly to nearly 15,000,000 persons, who with their families more or less engaged in agricultural work make up a total agricultural population of from fifty to sixty million. But more farmers and better farming are urgently needed now. Even before the outbreak of the war agricultural production had not kept pace with the increase of our population, and immediately after war was declared men on American farms responded to the call f

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PLAN No. 1061. FARM OWNERSHIP POSSIBLE

Federal loans are now available on long time, and since the establishment of Farm Loan Banks by the Government, agriculturists have borrowed for use in farming about $140,000,000 in 18 months. Government farm loans can be secured for improvements and equipment as well as for aiding in buying land. Much is being planned for your encouragement and to assist you in your determination to overcome your physical handicap on the land which you may aspire to own. Even before the war, with no idea of pro

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PLAN No. 1062. HORTICULTURE

The farm orchard, though it may be for the use only of the owner and his tenants, must be properly handled, pruned, and sprayed. Garden truck, berries, and small fruits must have early and constant attention. In commercial orcharding trees of different varieties are now frequently interplanted, such as apple, peach, and apricot. In the different seasons the fruit grower is occupied with the various employments of pruning, cultivation, spraying, thinning, gathering, storing, and marketing. Summer

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PLAN No. 1063. BEEKEEPING

Bees not only produce honey, but render service in promoting crop farming through fertilization and by aiding in the control of parasites. Beekeeping is most interesting and exceedingly profitable, and while usually managed as a side line with orcharding, or some other branch of farming, it may be made so profitable and conducted on such a large scale as to be a business in itself. Many retired professional men devote themselves to it, as the work is light and is done only in spring, summer, and

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PLAN No. 1064. DAIRYING

Possibly no occupation has more possible lines of interest and is more adapted to your condition than dairying. The handling, feeding, care, and management of the herd and calf nursery, and in cases of pure-bred herds, the study of pedigrees, blood lines, and breeding are all most interesting, as are also the scientific milking, handling of dairy products, and marketing. The dairy occupation of butter and cheese making, as well as the feeding of live stock for meat, and much other work continue

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PLAN No. 1065. OTHER FARM SPECIALTIES AND TRADES

Other branches of farming require active all year employment, and, though too numerous to mention here, attention should be called to forestry, the nursery business, large poultry projects, the growing of rabbits, hares, birds, and pigeons on large scale, and the production of medicinal plants, now receiving so much attention because of the war’s interference with production abroad. All these occupations call for much labor of a frequently changing nature. They are interesting and provide opport

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PERMISSIBLE AND DISQUALIFYING DISABILITIES FOR AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS

If you determine that it shall be so, your disability, whatever it is, will become a serious handicap in farming, as well as in any other employment. But you do not need to make up your mind that way. If you determine that it shall not be a handicap, you can find employment in agriculture, in which you can become 100 per cent efficient. Your disability is only one condition, and it is probably not the most important condition to be taken into account in making up your mind what branch of farming

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PLAN No. 1066. KEY TO DISABILITIES

Because it is necessary. Even if you grow up on a farm, you can learn to farm better than your father and your grandfather farmed. Something new in farming is discovered every day—new methods of treating soils, new methods of growing old crops, and new crops that can be grown profitably on old farms, new methods of planting, cultivating, and harvesting, and a thousand other new things that save labor, time, and money, improve products, secure better markets, and generally make farming profitable

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PLAN No. 1067. IS THERE A DEMAND FOR LABOR?

The demand for efficient farm labor is second to no other labor requirement in the world, even in ordinary times. You may be assured that the opportunity for permanent employment is excellent. State agricultural colleges can not supply the demand for farm managers, herdsmen, dairymen, orchardmen, and men who have studied the production of small fruits and vegetables and have had practical experience in these lines. The agricultural colleges give special courses in forestry, floriculture, poultry

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PLAN No. 1068. WHAT THE FARMER SHOULD KNOW.—TOPICS OF VOCATIONAL INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING FOR DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF FARMING

Farming is not a vocation. It is rather a thousand different vocations. No man can in the course of a lifetime engage in all of these different vocations, and no one farm is suitable for the development of every branch of farming. For the individual farmer operating a given farm the vocational problem is partly one of individual preference on the part of the farmer, but it is largely one of developing to the best advantage the natural and acquired resources of the farm itself, which may be large

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by Terrell Croft. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings of the Research Division for editorial assistance. Thousands of men are now employed in the electrical manufacturing industries—in the shops and factories where electrical machines, devices, and equipment are made. The number of workers so engaged must, it is believed, increase materially in the future because of constant expansion in the applications of electricity. For illustration, consider the extent to

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Consider the Future and Plan Accordingly

The tendency of the average man is to base his actions only on conditions which confront him now. He does not think about the conditions which he may have to face ten or fifteen or twenty years hence. Before you take a job think about how it is going to work out as you grow older. What will you be doing when you are 40 or 50 years of age? It is possible to make definite plans for the future and follow them consistently and the disabled soldier should weigh very thoughtfully the opportunity for s

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Discuss the Situation With a Federal Board Adviser

Just how and where training may be obtained without cost you may learn by talking with the vocational adviser of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. The adviser may, also, because of his experience in this special work, be able to assist you in selecting the calling for which you are best fitted, and at which you can most certainly succeed. The training need not necessarily be obtained at a technical school....

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Electrical Manufacturing Companies Maintain Training Courses

Training courses are conducted by many companies for their employees, who are sometimes permitted to attend on the company’s time. Often the training given in these courses is of great value, enabling the student to increase materially his earning capacity. Some of these training courses have been in operation many years and are now highly developed, thoroughly organized, and very effective. In them both theoretical and practical instruction are given....

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Employment Departments

A number of the electrical manufacturing companies operate employment departments, which render valuable service to prospective employees. Such departments study carefully each man’s qualifications and endeavor to place him in the job for which he is best suited. Obviously, it is to the interest of both the employer and of the employee that the employee shall follow a line of work for which he is best fitted....

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Constancy of Employment

Under normal conditions the demand for electrical equipment of all sorts is very steady, and this tends to insure continuity of employment. Furthermore, practically all of the electrical workers in the electrical manufacturing industry require special training, and for this reason employing companies use every means to insure continuous employment for each worker so that their organization may not be broken up. Finally, the call for electrical equipment will probably be exceptionally heavy in th

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Mutual Benefit Features

Many companies maintain associations, supported largely by the companies and partially by the employees themselves, whereby medical attendance and monetary benefits are afforded in time of sickness. Some of the concerns have building and loan associations through which employee members can borrow money at low rates of interest for the construction of homes. Although the engineering department and the drafting department in an electrical manufacturing concern are usually distinct organizations, t

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High-School Course Essential

While it was formerly the practice of many concerns to accept in their engineering departments only college graduates, it has been found that many of the tasks do not require or justify this training. For reasonable progress in design engineering, the candidate should, however, have at least the equivalent of a high-school education. As noted above, some companies maintain training courses or schools, in which high-school trained apprentices are given, on the company’s time and without cost to t

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First Duties and After

Under the direction of an experienced engineer the beginner will probably undertake first the making of computations for designs already under way or the checking or reckoning of data from curves of tests which have been made on apparatus which the concern has built. The beginner is often called upon also to plot graphs from values which are at hand or which he himself reckons. As the candidate develops efficiency, he may be expected to assume responsibility for the design of certain parts of ma

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Design Engineering is Almost All Desk Work

Although the designer must sometimes work over a drafting board, or go to parts of the shop where machines are either in process of construction or under test, design engineering is largely desk work. Any man who can see, think, and write may, assuming that he has the requisite temperamental and educational qualifications, develop into a designer. Loss of hearing is not by any means an insurmountable handicap....

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Salaries and Hours

Engineering department employees practically always receive their compensation on a weekly or monthly salary basis. Beginners who have not had a college education may receive from $60 to $80 per month at the start. After some experience, which equips them for working without constant supervision, they can expect from $80 to $125 per month. Ultimately, salaries will be determined wholly by the capacity of the individual and may range from $2,000 on up indefinitely. Often designers conceive patent

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In the Drafting Divisions

For drafting in the engineering department the qualifications are somewhat similar to those for design engineering. Draftsmen are, however, ordinarily not so well informed or so well paid as engineers and frequently an able man is promoted from drafting to engineering work. When a man starts at drafting, if he has had no experience, his first task is likely to be that of tracing—he copies, in ink, on a sheet of transparent tracing cloth, a drawing which was made in pencil on drawing paper by a d

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Types of Coils

Some of the different sorts of coils wound in the different factories are: Field coils, armature coils, transformer coils, and magnet coils. Coils of different types may range in size and weight from a few inches long and a few ounces in weight to a couple of feet and several hundred pounds....

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Conditions of Employment for Coil Winders

The work on some coils requires little physical effort and may be done by young women, but where the wire from which the coil is wound is of relatively large diameter or where the winding is intricate men are employed. Some lifting is necessary, and the use of both hands is essential. The loss of one eye, of a leg or foot, or of hearing is not a material detriment. The work is wholly indoors. Coil winding is often piecework, sometimes under a premium system and sometimes not. The trade is not ge

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PLAN No. 1072. COIL TAPING

Wrapping a band or strip of cloth or tape around coils which have been wound as described above is known as “coil taping.” Where the coils are of small weight, little physical effort is involved, but where they are large and heavy it is necessary that they be lifted to a bench or vise, on which they are held while being taped. In some factories the lifting and placing of coils is done by laborers. Young women do most of the taping. Often hundreds of coils of identically the same size, shape, and

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Wages and Hours for Coil Tapers

The coil taper may expect to earn from $12 to $20 a week. Often this is piecework and under a premium system. The work is wholly indoors. Some shops work eight hours, but a nine-hour day is the rule. After the coils have been wound, and before or after they have been taped, they must usually be impregnated or saturated with an insulating compound. The last process in finishing the coil ordinarily consists in painting it. In impregnating, the coils are placed in a large steel cylinder, which is t

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Shop Training Necessary

Proficiency in work of this character must be acquired in the shop. The beginner starts as a helper, and as he accumulates experience, he may be promoted to a squad boss. Ultimately, assuming that he has proper qualifications and experience, he may become a foreman....

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Conditions of Employment

The work is wholly indoors, under temperatures which, although not excessively high, may be somewhat above normal. The odor of the solvents and materials used in insulating and painting is offensive to some, but does not appear to affect others....

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Qualifications

This work can be handled by men having minor physical defects. The loss of one eye or one leg will not disqualify. The loss of an arm or hand would not be an insurmountable obstacle provided the member is replaced by an artificial one....

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Wages and Hours

Wages are often paid by the piece under a premium system. A helper may expect to receive from $12 to $17 a week, an experienced man from $16 to $24, and a foreman from $22 to $37. Usually the day is nine hours, but may be eight and a half. The work is wholly indoors. The trade is seldom unionized. After the coils have been wound and impregnated or otherwise treated, they are arranged in place on the iron cores of the electrical machines under construction which have been designed to receive them

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Conditions, Wages, and Hours

Ordinarily physical ability involving the use of both hands is required. The loss of one eye, or of a leg or foot, or of hearing is not a material detriment. Usually the men work standing at benches. The work is all indoors. The day is usually nine but sometimes eight hours. A helper may expect to receive from $10 to $18 per week, a journeyman from $18 to $24, and a foreman from $25 to $40 per week. Some shops are unionized, but most of them are not. This is often piecework on the premium system

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Training

The elements of these vocations are taught in some trade schools, but most of the individuals now following the work obtained their knowledge through actual experience in a factory. It requires several years of shop training to become thoroughly proficient. A man may start as a helper and gradually acquire the skill necessary to place himself in the journeyman class. He has always ahead of him the possibility of a foremanship. After all of the components of an electrical machine have been produc

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Qualifications, Training, and Expenses

Ordinary physical qualifications are necessary. Some lifting is required, although cranes are usually provided for handling heavy pieces. The work can be learned only in the shop, and often a man must have gained experience in the particular factory in which a certain device or line of devices is manufactured before he becomes proficient in their assembly. An individual without previous experience may start in as a helper. Later he may develop into a skilled assembler and may look forward to the

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Wages, Hours, and Conditions

A helper may expect to receive from $12 to $17 per week, a skilled assembler from $17 to $22, and a foreman from $25 to $35. Frequently this is piecework under a premium system. The work is usually nine but is in some shop eight hours. This vocation is not as a rule unionized. The work is indoors. After electrical equipment has been assembled, it is inspected for defects before it is submitted to an electrical operation test such as is described below. Such inspection may comprise not only a che

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Training

Inspectors of special and complicated apparatus are usually men who have “worked up” and received all of their training in the shop, because this is the only way in which adequate training can be acquired. But for the routine inspection of small parts little if any special training is necessary. Theoretical training is not essential, but it is desirable. A man without previous mechanical or electrical experience is not ordinarily qualified to become other than a detail inspector. The best inspec

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Opportunity for Disabled Men

This vocation should afford possibilities for disabled soldiers who have had previous electrical or mechanical experience, or who have a liking for this work, but whose disablements unfit them for following their old occupations. Inspection requires little physical effort. Some lifting may be necessary to place the members to be tested and inspected in the proper positions on the bench or floor, but this is performed usually by laborers who have the assistance of cranes....

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Wages, Hours, and Conditions of Employment

A man who has not had previous inspection experience may expect to earn from $16 to $20 per week; an experienced inspector from $20 to $27; and a foreman from $27 to $40. The work is all indoors. Sometimes it is piecework under a premium system. The trade is not unionized. The day is usually nine hours, but may be eight. Nearly all electrical equipment is tested before it leaves the factory. That is to say, it is subjected to electrical and mechanical conditions similar to those under which it m

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PLAN No. 1079. AS GENERAL APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING

Electrical testing is interesting work and affords a splendid opportunity for a man to acquire experience which will be valuable to him in almost any line of electrical work which he may subsequently elect to follow. Formerly, the larger electrical manufacturing companies would accept only university graduates in their testing departments. The testing work was usually offered in the form of an apprenticeship course, and as a stepping-stone to other more responsible positions. But of recent years

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PLAN No. 1080. TESTING MOTORS

In testing a motor the machine is loaded by making it drive, usually through a belt, an electric generator. The energy which this generator develops is forced into the same circuit as that from which the driving motor takes its power. Hence, the net energy required to conduct the test is greatly minimized, being in fact equivalent only to the losses of energy in the generator and motor during the test. By increasing the load on the generator the load on the motor is increased correspondingly, un

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PLAN No. 1081. TESTING GENERATORS AND OTHER DEVICES

The methods used for testing generators are somewhat similar to those used for the motors. Other devices, such as transformers, potential regulators, circuit breakers, switches, controllers, and one thousand and one others, involve test methods of their own. In every test the object sought is the same, namely, to subject the device, before it leaves the shop, to practical working conditions. The testing department records readings from instruments during tests and “works these readings up” into

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by F. G. Nichols, Assistant Director for Commercial Education of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is made for material furnished by Mr. Wm. A. Barber, Mr. Albert G. Borden, Mr. L. B. Elliott, Mr. Leighton Forbes, Mr. J. E. Fuller, Mr. Frank L. Jones, Dr. Roy S. MacElwee, Special Agent of the Federal Board for Vocational Education, and Mr. Edward A. Woods. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assi

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Introductory

Commercial occupations include certain occupations which have to do with the administrative, executive, clerical, accounting, stenographic and selling side of business. Definite courses of training for these employments have been worked out and are being offered in many high-grade schools. It must not be assumed that by a commercial course is meant merely training for bookkeeping and shorthand work. On the contrary, the range of commercial occupations open to men is very broad, as is indicated b

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Modern Business Demands

The modern development of business has created new demands for office help. It is not long since the greatest need of the average business office was for bookkeepers and stenographers. While such workers are still in great demand, the work of the office has been divided and subdivided to such an extent that new types of workers are required for many clerical positions....

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Promotion

The up-to-date business man regards every office assistant as a possible future executive. In the employment of such help he is constantly on the alert to discover aptitude for executive work, so that he ultimately may have at hand promotion material from which to recruit for the high positions in his business. While it is still desirable to train men for definite tasks and to place them in office positions where their services are required, this is not the chief end of business education. Men w

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Business and Vocational Readjustment

Commercial enterprises, except those connected with the prosecution of the war, have been at a standstill for the past two years. Now that restrictions naturally resulting from the war and those that were imposed by law, have been removed, the period of readjustment will begin. Whatever may be the immediate situation as regards the supply of labor and the demand for it during this comparatively short readjustment period, it is certain that the demand for trained men will develop with the restora

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Educational Requirements

In considering what vocation to prepare for, men should keep in mind their future needs. They should not be content with a training that will merely fit them for permanent employment in the common office routine positions. On the contrary, they should aspire to a training that will enable them to grow into the higher executive positions in connection with large business or to launch out for themselves in a business enterprise. There has never been a time when education has counted for more than

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Previous Experience

It is highly desirable that every man cash in on his previous experience as far as possible. For example, a man who has been identified with the telephone business and who, by reason of a disability caused by war service, finds it impossible to continue in his former occupation, may be trained for a different position in the telephone business where his disability will not be a handicap. The general knowledge of the business, gained through years of contact with it, will be helpful in his new wo

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Realize Your Ambition

In the selection of a vocation a man’s personal preference is quite as important as his previous experience. Many men have found their work uncongenial and have desired to make a change, but the opportunity to do so never seemed to come their way. Such men may have hoped for training that would fit them for another type of work. This vocational education offer that is made by the Government may be just the chance for which they have been waiting. It is to help men plan wisely for the future that

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Employment Possibilities

Since business training fits for occupations common to all lines of business, it is not likely that there will ever be too many men available for high grade office positions. The danger is that men will be satisfied with inadequate preparation for growth beyond the routine or clerical types of positions, and will thus continue in competition with younger workers in this field. It is only by taking full and complete training not only for immediate employment but as well for future promotion, that

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Preference as to Locality

No locality is without need for men with business training, hence men so trained may hope to market their services wherever their preference may dictate. Certain types of commercial education have of course a better market value in one section of the country than in another, and men should have this in mind if they are willing to work only in some one particular section. In the main, however, business opportunity is universal....

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Men and Women Who Have Made Good in Spite of Handicaps

At the end of this monograph is a tabulation showing the case histories of 133 handicapped, or rather disabled, men and women who have made good in business. These individuals were trained by the same schools that are being used by the Federal Board for Vocational Education in its commercial re-educational work for disabled soldiers and sailors, and they represent only a fraction of the hundreds of victims of industry who have been retrained for success in life, regardless of seemingly unsurmoun

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PLAN No. 1083. PART 1.—COMMON COMMERCIAL EMPLOYMENTS—BOOKKEEPING

Among the oldest and most universal of office positions is that of bookkeeper. For men who require work that does not call for physical activity this vocation offers excellent opportunities of earning immediate incomes while at the same time paving the way for advancement. Men who elect this calling should be able to write a good business hand, be accurate and rapid in handling the usual arithmetical computations, be neat and painstaking in their work, understand the fundamental language of busi

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PART II.—PROFESSIONAL COMMERCIAL SERVICE

The occupations described in Part I are the more elementary commercial employments for which excellent training is provided by both public and private commercial schools. This training lays a foundation for the more advanced business education which will be discussed in Part II. It is hoped that men who possess the necessary general education and physical health, supplemented by elementary business education or business experience, will consider these more advanced courses as they lead on surely

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Acknowledgment

The Federal Board for Vocational Education is indebted to Teachers’ College, Columbia University, for contributing material that served as a basis for this monograph, which has been prepared by Dr. H. L. Smith, Superintendent for Co-operation for the Federal Board, under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Division of Research. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance....

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What Kinds of Positions Are Open to Men in the Educational Field?

The following types of positions are open to men in education: (1) Teaching positions. (2) Supervisory and executive positions on the strictly educational side. (3) Executive positions on the strictly business side. (4) Miscellaneous positions, such as those held by attendance and probation officers. Teaching positions open to men may be classified as follows: 1. Positions in the eight grammar school grades— ( a ) As teachers of the regular grade subjects (elementary school subjects) in rural sc

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PLAN No. 1102. MEN TEACHERS NEEDED

Men who have strong sympathies with children, who have seen life outside of their own town, State, or country, who, like our soldiers returning from the front, have faced death with as much bravery as they have faced life, such men know what it means to overcome difficulties, and the experience and ideals of such men are needed for the proper education of our youth. The influence of such characters should be felt before the close of the elementary school, which is the most important part of any

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by Dr. Walter J. Quick, Special Agent for the Federal Board for Vocational Education, under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Division of Research. Acknowledgment is due E. H. Thomson, Acting Chief, and Dr. E. V. Wilcox, agriculturist of the Office of Farm Management, United States Department of Agriculture, for suggestions and data, also to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. If you have been asking yourself the ques

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Business Methods Pay

In agricultural affairs as they have been carried on, the lack of business methods has been amazing. Absolute mismanagement has frequently been the principal cause of discouragement, failure, and abandonment of farms. This influence has prevented many from taking up farming, but one who has a genuine love for the farm and who has or can get some practical experience on the farm may take a course of intensive study in farming and farm management under the direction of the Federal Board for Vocati

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Diversity of Farm Business

Whatever has been true in the past, the manager of a farm to-day must be a business man capable of negotiating complicated transactions, buying and selling, and attending to the diverse details of organization and management. You should consider well your adaptability for the diversifications of general farm life; your inclination to acquire an intimate knowledge of the principal affairs and at least a comprehensive acquaintance with everything related to farming. As a manager you must keep accu

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Dovetailing Activities

By careful study the many activities on the farm can be so dovetailed together as to produce a maximum of crops and live stock economically. Systematic organization must be extended to every department of the farm. Labor must be efficient and well employed; teams and machinery, sufficient and in good condition; and marketing timely, it being borne in mind that quality and condition are quite as important as is quantity of product....

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Mismanagement Worse Than Bad Weather

Variations in profits from farms are more largely due to mismanagement than to unfavorable seasons or fluctuating prices. Farming has become decidedly a business proposition. The abnormal demand now being made upon the United States for food and other agricultural products to be consumed at home and in European countries makes the extensive application of scientific farming imperative. Many farms, unprofitable because of mismanagement, could by reorganization be systematized and developed into p

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Funds for Development Available

Farms have been likened to huge sponges from their ability to absorb money and labor, but the capable manager can make investment of money and labor in farming profitable. Uncle Sam, it may be noted, has arranged for the advance of money through the Federal Loan service, and local banks stand ready now as never before to accommodate the farmer temporarily with the necessary funds for development operations. Many farms, like some manufacturing plants, are being run to only half capacity or less b

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The Need for Managers

Only 60,000 farms out of 6,361,000 employed managers and superintendents according to the 1910 census. But it is practically certain that more than one farm in a hundred would have been operated by managers had there been a larger number of effectively trained men available to men owning, or in position to own, farms large enough to justify the employment of a manager. With the number of improved farms increased to probably 7,000,000 by this date, the demand is greater for this class of trained

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Responsibility of The Manager

Managers are responsible for success in farming. Upon their experience and ability depends the securing of the “greatest continuous profit,” and, in fact, the securing, in many cases, of any profit at all. They direct, plan, and systemize the regular farm duties. The manager must arrange an advantageous distribution of farm labor, keep in intimate touch with all the farm work, know how to do it and be able to judge when it is well done, know what reasonably to expect of his men, know how to dire

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Small Farming as a Preparation for Farm Management

Large farms and estates employ crews of men and utilize expensive equipment. They especially require the services of well-trained and reliable farm managers, capable of selecting practical foremen and laborers, and of keeping well in hand the details of all farm processes necessary to economical management. But good management is essential also on small farms, operated by owners or tenants, as well as on large estates. The owner, and generally the tenant as well, are their own managers, and mana

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Area of Employment

The geographical area of farm operations, and consequently of the demand for farm managers, is co-extensive with the United States....

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Implements and Machinery

The farm manager must have an intimate knowledge of tools and machinery and an inclination to employ only the best and most modern implements, even if special financing for a year or so must be undertaken in order to farm most profitably. Tractors, modern machinery, and labor-saving implements should be studied, wisely selected, and purchased, even if it is found necessary to buy on terms....

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Why Take Training

You can hardly have had sufficient agricultural experience, if you have not had college or vocational training in some agricultural institution, to justify you in not taking advantage of the opportunity for a vocational course in farm management, if you look forward to a career in this profession. If you have had only limited practical experience you may become a farm foreman, in which as wide an experience is not required, thus securing for you an opportunity for development and promotion to th

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Salaries

The positions of farm manager, superintendent, or foreman are considered from the salary rather than the wage standpoint and are usually of annual engagement for the calendar year, as practically all farm operations have ended with the close of the year, making it a most suitable time for the changing of men, if found advisable. The salary paid is proportionate to experience and efficiency and commensurate with that of other callings. As in other occupations, it may be small at the start, but wi

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Overcoming Your Disability

Your disability has an excellent opportunity of being overcome in farming. Handicaps that would interfere in other training courses are corrected in many of the farm processes by the therapeutic exercises so interesting and variable. The opportunities are so great that the handicapped may develop his own vocation on the farm. Devices to beat your handicap and make it possible for you to do the things you did not imagine you could perform have been invented and manufactured in almost every countr

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Education

Your knowledge of the common school branches, especially English, mathematics, and current literature will greatly assist you in studying the elementary principles of chemistry; in comprehending the analyses of soil and water, the protein and carbohydrate contents of the feeds, milk, and plants, quite necessary in the selection of feeds for the proper balancing of rations; in the understanding of plant breeding, growth, and propagation; in studying entomology and obtaining a practical knowledge

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Agricultural Bulletins

The Use of a Diary for Farm Accounts. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 782. Farm Practices that Increase Crop Yields in Kentucky and Tennessee. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 981. Farm Practices that Increase Crop Yields in the Gulf Coast Region. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 986. Labor Requirements of Dairy Farms as Influenced by Milking Machines. Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 423. The Normal Day’s Work of Farm Implements, Workmen, and Crews. Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 412. A System of Farm Cost Accou

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by M. R. Bass, special agent of the Federal Board for Vocational education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings of the research division for editorial assistance. The purpose of this monograph is to give a brief description of some of the work done in the manufacture of automobiles. No attempt has been made, however, to go into the machine shop side of the industry, a field in which lie possibilities for placing thousands of reeducated men in good positions. Th

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Organization of an Automobile Plant

Large plants are made up of a number of departments. The office is the chief executive department. Here the plant is checked up, all correspondence taken care of, and all financial, educational, and business matters attended to. Closely connected with the office usually are the drafting rooms, where new models, changes in models, and experimental changes are made, since all such changes are first made on drawings. The engineering and experimental departments may also be located in the office bui

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Progressive Assembly Method of Manufacturing

Progressive assembly means assembly of parts by stages, or step by step. In this work a man does one operation only, although he may be frequently changed from job to job, according to his ability as workman or mechanic. Special equipment is required for this method. The work starts with the frame as a skeleton, which is placed either on a conveyer, that is moved very slowly, or on a special framework equipped with casters that it may be moved freely from place to place. Where the conveyer is us

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PLAN No. 1105. PLACING THE FRAME

The frame with its necessary brackets and springs having been assembled in a subassembly department, is placed upon the conveyer. Where the frame is heavy, an air or hydraulic hoist is used. This operation is usually done by two men, who must be able to move about freely but are not compelled to climb or to move rapidly. A man capable of hooking a chain to the frame and who is able to move a short distance can easily qualify....

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PLAN No. 1106. FRONT AND REAR AXLES

The frame having been placed upon the conveyer, the spring and front and rear axles are then attached. The rear axles are usually mounted by two men with the aid of a hoist. These axles like the frame have been assembled in a subassembly department of the factory. The men who attach the axles to the frames need not be expert mechanics but must know how to handle wrenches and hand tools. They must be able to move about freely and be able to start the nuts or bolts and tighten them. Special tools

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PLAN No. 1107. MOUNTING THE TRANSMISSION

Following the assembly of the axles to the frame, the transmission gear set is mounted and bolted into place. In many cases the transmission is attached to the engine (unit power plant), in which case this operation is completed when the engine is put into place. The men doing this operation need not be skilled mechanics, but must be able to use hand tools and move about freely. A man with an artificial leg could do this work easily. Again a man with one good hand and part of other could do this

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PLAN No. 1108. PLACING THE ENGINE

The engine is the next unit attached to the frame. In placing the engine a hoist is used and no heavy lifting is required. The engine is lowered into place and securely bolted. The propeller shaft also is attached and necessary connections are made. Usually the engine has had the carburetor, ignition system, and starting and lighting equipment attached to it in the engine department. For this operation men do not need to be mechanics. A workman must be able to handle hand tools such as wrenches,

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PLAN No. 1109. MOUNTING THE RADIATOR

The next operation is mounting and bolting the radiator into place, and connecting the water hoses to the engine. This operation is one that requires sufficient strength to lift the radiator into place, and is usually taken care of by one man. He also must be able to handle hand tools....

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PLAN No. 1110. SECURING THE STEERING GEAR

The steering gear is next secured to the frame, an operation which is usually taken care of by one man with possibly some little assistance by a helper. The operation requires a man who can lift the gear and put it into place. It is rather an awkward piece to handle and the employee should be physically able to handle it....

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PLAN No. 1111. WHEELS AND BEARINGS

The next operation is mounting front wheels and bearings. This requires a little more skill and care than some of the other operations that have been mentioned. The mechanic must clean and lubricate the wheel bearings and mount and adjust the wheels, which must be neither too loose nor too tight. He must also secure his adjustment by means of the locking devices furnished. If he is a careless mechanic he may leave something undone, thereby endangering the lives of users of the car after it leave

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PLAN No. 1112. DASH AND INSTRUMENT BOARD

The next operation is lowering into place and securely bolting the dash and instrument board. This is commonly taken care of by two men, whose requirements are the same as for axle, transmission, and engine assembly. The operation is unnecessary where the dash is not a separate unit....

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PLAN No. 1113. STARTING THE ENGINE

The dash on some cars has the fuel tank attached to it. In such cases the chassis is now practically completed. We will say it has now reached the end of the conveyer. Here gas and water are put in the containers and the engine is ready to start. This operation is sometimes accomplished by placing the rear wheels of the car between two revolving drums, which will cause the rear wheels to revolve. The gear-shift lever is placed in some selected gear position and the clutch engaged; this in turn r

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PLAN No. 1114. INSPECTION

The chassis is now driven to the road-test department, where it is inspected for grease in the gear cases and such other inspections as may be necessary. Inspectors here need not be highly trained mechanics. Men with handicaps could take care of this work very nicely....

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PLAN No. 1115. ROAD TESTING

Possibly a road-test body is next attached to the chassis. This body usually contains sufficient weight (rocks, iron, or sand) to make up the equivalent of the automobile body. The chassis is then given a run over the country roads. Here the trained mechanic is necessary, able to adjust the carburetor, ignition, starting and lighting equipment, brakes, rear axle gears, and clutch. In fact almost any part of the car may need adjustment. He must be able to locate trouble of all kinds. In many case

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PLAN No. 1116. DYNAMOMETER TEST

After the chassis has passed the inspector of the road-test department it may be given a dynamometer test. This is accomplished by attaching an electric dynamometer to the rear wheels either by belts or chains. The engine is then operated at various speeds and the horsepower developed noted. If it is not up to the average, a close inspection is made to determine where power is lost, whether in the engine, transmission, or rear axle. The dynamometer tester must be a man who has been trained for t

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PLAN No. 1117. IN THE PAINTING DEPARTMENT

There are many jobs in the painting department that are very well adapted to a handicapped man. He can become a rubber (one who rubs the surface of a body to make it smooth) if he has only one hand and one good leg. He can learn to paint, or he can learn to do upholstery work. This is one of the branches of the automobile industry in which the work is easy, and being inside work it should be a desirable occupation. The pay is good in any of these branches of the work....

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PLAN No. 1118. COMPLETING THE CAB

Following the body and fenders the top is put on, then the windshield and instruments. The tires and demountable rims are then mounted. (An old set of tires are used for road-test work.) This is another place where handicapped men may fit in, as certain handicaps would not interfere with the putting on of rims and tires....

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PLAN No. 1119. FINAL INSPECTING AND TESTING

The car is now completed and is delivered to the final test department. Here we have inspectors, testers, and checkers. In this department the car is carefully inspected as to missing parts in final assembly, finish, tires, and general condition. An expert makes a final test of the car. He drives it a few miles and notes the general running of the car. He may make final adjustments on the carburetor, etc. If the car passes his inspection, it is carefully checked as to equipment and tagged. In th

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PLAN No. 1120. PREPARATION FOR SHIPPING

From the final test department, the car goes to the shipping department. There a crew of men load the cars and block them for shipping. The men employed here must have good strong bodies as they have to move the cars by hand and oftentimes considerable lifting is necessary. A handicapped man could hardly qualify in this work unless his injury had been very slight. Wages for this work are higher than those of common laborers and the work is steady....

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PLAN No. 1121. UNLOADING, STORING, AND DELIVERING CARS

The car is now ready for shipment and is transported to the agent of the manufacturer. Here a small crew unloads the cars and takes them to the warehouse for storage. The men in this unloading crew are usually a little better grade of men than the loaders. Usually each one of these unloaders can drive or steer an automobile. The cars are sometimes driven away from the unloading platform under their own power, while in other cases they are towed at the end of a rope or cable. This branch of work

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After History of the Car

The car is now in the hands of the customer, and after he has had some service out of it, it finally becomes necessary for him to have the car gone over and adjusted. He brings the car to the repair department for this work, which requires various specialists such as, for example, engine specialists, and specialists on ignition. In time the car is practically worn out or the owner wants a new one, and he therefore trades his old car on a new one or sells it outright. Possibly the used-car dealer

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Conditions of Employment

Working conditions as found in various factories are very good. In most factories the employee receives a great deal of attention. Practically all of the large factories have built hospitals, private schools, lunch rooms, rest rooms, club rooms, and play grounds, and have established welfare departments. The factories have been carefully surveyed and the ventilation and sanitary conditions brought to the highest point of efficiency. The average day is nine hours. Some factories work 8 and a few

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Motor Truck and Tractor Assembly

What has been said here concerning automobile assembly applies equally to motor truck and tractor assembly. In the following paragraphs general statements will be made regarding the construction of each automobile unit, the nature of the work, the physical and mental qualifications of workers, and the desirability of the occupation involved. While the same class of work differs considerably from factory to factory, it is nevertheless true that up-to-date factories have much in common....

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PLAN No. 1122. FRAMES

Automobile frames are made of pressed steel. Steel for the frame is run through a powerful press, which presses the side and cross members into proper shape. These presses are handled by men trained for this particular job. They must know when the work is right and how to adjust the machines. The dies which form the frames often break and require replacing and adjusting. After the frame parts have been pressed into shape and sheared to length, they are passed to the assembly department. Here lar

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PLAN No. 1123. SPRINGS

Automobile springs are manufactured from high-grade steel. The steel must be heat treated and tempered so as to withstand thousands of vibrations which may tend to crystalize the steel and cause it to break. If the spring is tempered too hard it will break, and if it is not hard enough it will sag. Heat treatment of spring steel is a science in itself. Red-hot steel is run through a mill which rolls it to the proper thickness and width. It is heat treated and forged to the proper shape and tempe

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PLAN No. 1124. FRONT AXLES AND SPINDLES

Front axles, unlike the frame, are forged instead of being pressed into shape. In the pressed steelwork the dies that shape the piece move slowly under great pressure. In the drop-forge work one die is stationary, and the other attached to a large weight operated by power is lifted several feet and released, striking the piece laid upon the stationary die a hard blow, and forging the metal into the shape. Before being placed in the drop forge machine the metal is heated in a blast furnace to the

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PLAN No. 1125. BEARING MANUFACTURE

Bearing manufacture is practically an industry in itself. In this plant or department, a force of real mechanics is employed, men who are authorities on steel and the heat treatment of steel. The wheel bearings of an automobile receive many severe shocks and strains, and a poor piece of steel or a poorly heat-treated piece of steel may do considerable damage to the car. Roller and ball bearings are used in several places in an automobile. They are used in the engine, magneto, generator clutch, t

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PLAN No. 1126. REAR AXLES

The building of rear axles is practically an industry in itself. There are several large companies who do nothing else but manufacture gears, and front and rear axles. In this branch of the industry we find all kinds of work going on, including forging, pressed-steel work, machining, heat treatment, and oxy-acetylene welding. The rear-axle housing may be a casting or it may be pressed steel, or a forging. Where castings are used we have foundry work employing molders, core men, flask men, and cu

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PLAN No. 1127. UNIVERSAL JOINTS

Unit manufacturing has been specialized to such an extent that there are now factories which manufacture nothing but universal joints. These are small but very important units. In the universal joint factories we find steel presses, drop-forge machines, machine-shop equipment, and assembly departments. The work as carried on in these plants has been fairly explained in other parts of this monograph....

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PLAN No. 1128. TRANSMISSIONS

Transmissions are another unit of the automobile that are sometimes made in a specialized plant. There are several well-known transmission firms who make nothing else but transmissions and gears. The transmission case is usually made of aluminum and is cast into the proper shape. In the foundry are found the same classes of workers as in the axle factory, only the men are casting aluminum instead of steel. The case having been cast is dumped from the sand, cleaned, trimmed, and inspected. Any sm

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PLAN No. 1129. CLUTCH

Practically all parts of the clutch are made in the machine shop. After the parts have been machined and inspected they are sent to the assembly department, where the work is similar to that described for other units. It requires a man who can use both hands and move about. Wages for this work are practically the same as are paid the assembler in the other unit factories—from 80 to 60 cents per hour—and general conditions are the same as in other factories....

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PLAN No. 1130. ENGINES

There are a number of concerns which build only automobile engines, and the automobile engine factory is usually a large plant. Usually about three classes or grades of engines are built in a factory which makes a specialty of engines. The first class or grades of engines go into the higher-priced cars, the second grade into the second-class cars, and the third grade into the cheaper cars. The engine factory must have its foundry in which are employed such foundry experts and helpers as patternm

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PLAN No. 1131. CARBURETORS

Carburetors are usually made by a manufacturer who makes a specialty of making carburetors. Carburetion is one of the most interesting subjects in the automotive industry, and manufacturers in this line employ large staffs of experts and research men. They employ also engineers for the purpose of making tests of the various types of carburetors, and of the different classes of fuels. Some carburetor factories have their own foundries where they make their own castings, which are usually of alumi

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PLAN No. 1132. IGNITION

A number of factories make a specialty of building ignition apparatus for automobiles. In them we find the usual organization found in other similar factories. Some of these factories build ignition systems on a large scale, in which case the organization is elaborate. One of the most important factors of the ignition system is the insulation. A compound has been discovered, known as “bakelite,” which has a very high resistance to electricity. This substance usually comes to the manufacturer in

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PLAN No. 1133. STARTING AND LIGHTING EQUIPMENT

The electrical equipment of the automobile has reached a point of development which has brought about a large demand for this particular kind of apparatus. A number of factories make a specialty of this kind of equipment. The starting and lighting equipment of the automobile, being made up of a number of pieces of material, requires considerable machine work, which will not be described here. The armature, which is made up of a shaft, laminated core, and a commutator, is all built in a sub-assem

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PLAN No. 1134. RADIATORS

The demand for efficient radiators for the up-to-date automobile has almost created a separate industry in itself. Cooling systems for automobile engines have developed to such a point that a large force of experts are employed in the work of improving such systems. There are a number of factories which employ hundreds of employees in the manufacture of radiators for the automotive industry. These factories use a large amount of steel, tin, copper, and brass. They have developed special machines

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PLAN No. 1135. STEERING GEARS

The steering gear is one of the most important units of the automobile. A number of factories have been organized for the sole purpose of manufacturing a particular type of steering gear. In these factories we find ordinary drop-forging machines, machine-shop equipment, woodworking, and assembly work. This work requires men who are able to move about freely and who have the free use of both hands. Some of the work is piecework (at least in some factories), and men must be able to come up to at l

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PLAN No. 1136. WHEELS

In the wheel factories, we find a number of special machines such as spoke machines, felloes machines, and trimming machines. These are practically automatic, the material being fed through them and the finished product coming out. After the parts have been made in their respective departments, they are ready for assembly. This requires a certain amount of handwork. The wheels must be assembled so that they will not loosen when they have been put into use. After they have been assembled, it is o

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PLAN No. 1137. BODIES

With the increased production of automobiles, large manufacturers have seen fit to purchase their bodies from body manufacturers. This has encouraged the body manufacturers to increase their production which has brought increased activities in this particular branch of the work. In the body factories are employed woodworkers, sheet-metal workers, sand blasters, painters, upholsterers, and top builders. In the woodworking department the work is similar to that of cabinet making, only the men are

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PLAN No. 1138. ACCESSORIES

The word “accessories” means extras or special pieces of equipment which are applied to the automobile. Under this heading are included wind shields, speedometers, clocks, indicators, horns, mirrors, spark plugs, and various other pieces of equipment. As this work inquires a great variety of machines, such as punches and presses, and a varied machine-shop equipment, no attempt will be made here to go into details. What has been said in preceding sections has covered the work carried on in these

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by Edward Matteossian, Special Agent for the Federal Board for Vocational Education, under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Division of Research. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings of the Research Division for editorial assistance....

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What the Welder Does

He handles a torch, or blowpipe, at the tip of which a flame is produced by the burning of a mixture of two gases—acetylene and oxygen. A high degree of heat is produced by this flame, which can be concentrated at any point by proper handling of the torch. The welder’s activities may be divided into two operations—welding and cutting....

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Welding

In welding, metals, like or unlike, are joined together by melting them until they fuse, “adding material” being used where it is required. The welder also builds up worn parts or adds metal where it is lacking. Common metals which can be treated by this process include the following: Cast iron, steel, malleable iron, aluminum, copper, brass, bronze, lead, and nickel. Precious metals also can be welded. Each metal has its peculiar characteristics and mode of treatment, and the welder who would t

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Cutting

Cutting can be learned in a few hours. It is restricted in its scope, as it can be used only on steel and wrought iron. The cutting torch is similar to the welding torch with the difference that it is equipped with a special outlet for oxygen under pressure. The operator turns on his usual welding flame until the object is heated to a cherry red, and then presses a device which turns on the oxygen, causing the metal to burn away rapidly. The torch is then advanced slowly along the line of the cu

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Work in the Open and in the Shop

Where the job can not be brought into the shop, welding and cutting are done out of doors, and may be carried on under all conditions of weather. Very commonly the process is used in cutting scrap, wreckage, and piling, and in welding piping and mains. Inside work varies from shop to shop according as the shop is part of a manufacturing plant or of a foundry, or is purely a job welding shop. Some account of the common uses of the processes in different industries is given in the section below on

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What Localities Need Welders?

The answer is: All localities where industrial plants are located, or where street railways are operated, or where farm machinery and implements are made or repaired, or where automobiles are used or built. Such localities will probably include your own home town or some town not far away from home....

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The Welder’s Tools and Equipment

The numerous makes of torches on the market are of two general types—the medium, or positive, pressure torch; and the low pressure, or injector torch. Practically all the oxygen used comes in compressed form in cylinders. Acetylene is more commonly generated on the premises, owing to the cheapness of this method. It is piped into the buildings and is always readily accessible. Generators, like torches, are of various makes, but they vary in type to correspond to the two kinds of torches, i. e. ,

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Why Take Training?

The aim of re-education is to turn out a good welder who has not only the manipulative skill, but who in addition is well-grounded in the necessary theoretical knowledge. It can not be too strongly pointed out, in the view of the highly unsatisfactory method of turning out welders obtaining in the past, that the course can not be too thorough. The need is for good welders, not for half-trained men. Really good welders in this country are not many, and there is in this field a splendid opportunit

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Overcoming Your Disability

The question is not primarily one of the handicap, but rather of the man behind the handicap. It is not the exception, but rather the rule, that a partially handicapped person, endowed with ingenuity will, even though at a disadvantage, beat the sound man who does not possess any ingenuity. This is borne out by numerous instances of foreign experience in re-education. This applies, of course, especially to the less serious disabilities and not at all to those which are manifestly debarring. In t

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Devices for Overcoming Handicaps

Special “automatic pincers” are being used by French autogenous welders, to take the place of a missing hand, for those who have lost only part of the forearm. Drawings of this appliance are here given. The upper drawing shows the opening of the pincers through extension of the forearm, and the lower two drawings represent modification of the upper pincers for the use of welders. Those who are incapable of using their hand through any cause are equipped with a special tool holder which is attach

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Safety and Hygiene

As in other occupations, there are in welding, certain safety measures to be taken to avoid accidents. These are clearly defined and are made an integral part of the welder’s training until observance becomes automatic. This applies, of course, to the man who is physically sound as well as to the disabled. In the case of the handicapped, the matter becomes one of ascertaining if the disability interferes with the carrying out of these safety measures; and if so, if the difficulty can be overcome

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How Previous Experience Helps

In selecting any vocation, a man’s former occupation must be carefully taken into account, and particularly is this true in the case of welding. Previous experience, training, and education are such important factors in the student’s success or failure that particular attention should be paid to them. Experience as a blacksmith, machinist, boilermaker, patternmaker, sheet-metal worker, molder, electrician, and in kindred occupations will be in every case of great value. All experience in handlin

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Are Welders Going to be Needed?

The process is of comparatively recent application, dating back to about the year 1904. Its growth has been extremely rapid, especially of later years, as regards development of technique, extension of its applications, and perfection of apparatus. Regardless of this progress, however, it is no exaggeration to state that the process is as yet in its initial stages, and that in the near future its field of utility will be greatly extended. As contrasted with the growth of oxy-acetylene welding, t

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Qualifying as a Teacher of the Welding Process

In any occupation where the demand for labor is increasing rapidly, there is bound to be a demand for men to teach the processes and practice of the occupation. If you master the trade you yourself may qualify as a teacher....

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Getting to Work after Training

In contemplating placement after training the following factors are to be taken into account: Your choice of a field. Your special fitness. The industrial demand. It is the disabled man’s privilege to decide what he will specialize in and he will be allowed the freedom of choosing which branch of welding he will take up, such choice being of course subject to the guidance of the vocational adviser. Most welders will exhibit a tendency toward some special branch or type of welding, even while the

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What if You Do not Take Training?

You will not be a real welder; probably you will not get a chance to try your hand at manipulating the torch at all. If you do get a chance you may get hurt or hurt others trying to weld without training for the trade. Train for it, and then go to it, and if you fail come back for more training or for training in some other trade....

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Industrial Applications

Some idea of the wide range of application of the oxy-acetylene processes may be gained from a brief survey of their uses in several industrial fields....

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PLAN No. 1140. STEAM RAILWAYS

Oxy-acetylene welding is used in the shops of practically every railroad in the country as a means of reducing cost of repair and of reclaiming worn parts. Each craft usually does the welding of metals that originates in its department: Blacksmiths handle wrought iron and steel; boilermakers, boiler plates and flues; machinists, cast iron; coppersmiths, brass pipe work. The process is generally used in the reclamation of broken engine frames, damaged cylinders, broken spokes in driver wheels, cr

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PLAN No. 1141. ELECTRIC RAILWAYS

Applications of the process by electric railways are similar to those by steam railways. There are, however, more opportunities for doing welding at the table. Of such a nature are restoring of armature bearing housings and frame heads, worn axle seats for motors and axle caps, journal boxes, pinion seats and keyways, brush holders, trolley bases, and third-rail shoe castings. Heavy broken parts such as truck frames, drawheads, brake hangers and body bolsters are repaired. To some extent the pro

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PLAN No. 1142. SHIPBUILDING

Extensive use is made of the process in cutting all kinds and shapes of steel plate. Hydrogen is very generally used, instead of acetylene, and welding machines have been introduced. Welding proper is more generally applied in reclamation work, damaged or broken parts of the ship and of its machinery and propellers being often welded by this process. Electric arc welding is fast coming to the front in this field, except for cutting where the gas process can not be replaced....

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PLAN No. 1143. AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY

Oxy-acetylene welding of automobile parts is not in general very difficult, but as in all other welding mastery of fundamentals is here also essential to success. The work is varied in character, including cast iron, aluminum, steel, and wrought iron welding. The process is extensively used in the repair of automobiles, and to a lesser degree in their manufacture. Both the industry itself and the repair work provide excellent fields for the prospective welder. Repair work is done generally in ei

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PLAN No. 1144. PIPE AND MAIN WORK

In the welding of pipes and mains, the process is finding increased application and this field presents good prospects of expansion in the future. Extensive work in this country as well as in Europe, where it is more largely used, has demonstrated that welding is not only the most economical method but as well the most efficient in that leaky joints are eliminated. Welding does away with threaded joints, and thus makes possible the use of much lighter pipe, since there is no need for making allo

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PLAN No. 1145. SHEET METAL

Welding sheet metal is an important application of the process, which is superseding to a large extent riveting and soldering. Very careful work may be required but in the main the work is not particularly difficult, and it can be easily mastered if the training given is thorough. Electric resistance welding, however, is superseding oxy-acetylene in many manufacturing operations....

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PLAN No. 1146. METALLIC FURNITURE

Extensive use of oxy-acetylene welding is made in the manufacture of metallic furniture and in kindred trades. Welding is an efficient and economical way of joining various parts together, as well as of making the parts themselves. The work may be more or less routine and much of it is done at the bench. This is a comparatively easy type of welding, in which a man can become proficient in a short time. It would be eminently suited to the welder who has trouble in going about or who is easily fat

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PLAN No. 1147. CONTAINERS

Welding is fast superseding old methods in the manufacture of containers of various kinds out of sheet metal. In this class is included the manufacture of steel barrels, range boilers, kitchen utensils, light air tanks, and storage tanks. This kind of work needs a well-trained man on the job. Except in the case of larger objects, the work can be done at the welding table, and it is not of a straining nature....

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PLAN No. 1148. METAL PLATE

Metal plate welding is quite similar in its scope to sheet metal work. It is largely used in the manufacture of ammonia and air receivers, vacuum driers, steam driers, and vats. The process is not used in boiler work to any extent, as the consequences of a faulty weld might be extremely serious....

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PLAN No. 1149. FOUNDRIES

In steel foundries the process is extensively used in cutting away risers, gates, and heads from castings. As compared with the old method of cutting with a saw, the gas process is much quicker and much more economical. This sort of cutting work is simple and does not require great dexterity. The welder should be capable of bending over or assuming more or less cramping positions, as he has to work on the castings in positions in which they have been left on the floor. Welding is almost universa

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by Capt. S. T. Dana, in the Forestry Service of the Department of Agriculture, under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings of the Research Division for editorial assistance....

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What Forestry Is

Forestry is the business, or the art, or the science, depending on the point of view from which you look at it, of handling forests for timber production or stream-flow protection. It does not, as is often mistakenly thought, have anything to do with fruit trees, or even with street and park trees. The care of these comes under horticulture and arboriculture. Forestry is distinct from either in that it has to do primarily with entire stands of trees, or forests, rather than with individuals. For

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What Foresters Do

In order to handle to the best advantage the area under his charge there is a wide range of work which a forester may be called upon to do. He must be able to identify different kinds of trees and must know the uses to which each can be put and the sites to which they are best adapted. He must be able to map the area and to determine the amount and value of the timber upon it. He must be able to draw up a complete plan for protecting the forest from fire and to carry out the details involved in

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Where Foresters Work

Forestry is primarily an out-of-door occupation. Some indoor work in the formulation of plans, writing of reports, handling of correspondence, and other office routine, is of course necessary, particularly in the case of those charged with the administration of large areas. But the average forester must spend the bulk of his time in the open, in the forests for which he is caring. Sometimes his headquarters may be in a small town or sometimes in a more or less isolated situation in the woods the

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What Handicaps Are Serious

Generally speaking, a forester must be able-bodied and in good physical health. He must have a strong heart, sound lungs, and a constitution able to stand exposure to all kinds of wind and weather. Heart disease, tuberculosis, and other serious organic troubles are handicaps that point to the choice of another occupation. On the other hand, there are certain disabilities, and particularly injuries of various sorts, that do not constitute any serious drawback. Injuries to the mouth, nose, ears, s

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What Training is Necessary

Forestry requires the services of three more or less distinct grades of workers—the professional forester, the forester ranger, and the forest guard. The professional forester handles the larger and more technical phases of forest management. He determines what the forest under his charge contains, how much it is worth, how fast it is growing, when and how it should be cut, what kinds of trees should be favored, and other questions of the same kind; and also exercises general supervision over th

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What Opportunities Are Offered

Opportunities for employment for foresters may be classed as fairly good. The point has now been passed where the supply is totally inadequate to meet the demand, but at the same time the war has greatly depleted the ranks of foresters throughout the country, and there is no question that many new men will be needed during the process of reconstruction and afterwards. The National Forests already offer opportunities for the employment of many men and it can not be doubted that similar opportunit

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What Are the Chances for Promotion?

Chances for limited promotion are reasonably good. It should be recognized frankly, however, that one can not hope to get rich in the profession and that a comfortable living is all that can ordinarily be looked forward to. In exceptional cases unusually able and well qualified men will doubtless be able to draw salaries of $4,000 or $5,000 a year. The average professional forester, however, can hardly hope to advance much beyond $2,500 or $3,500 a year except by acquiring an interest in some lu

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Appendix on Forestry Schools and Courses

These lists have been compiled by the Forest Service to aid in answering inquiries as to institutions at which instruction in forestry may be obtained. While every effort has been made to avoid errors, the Forest Service does not vouch for the completeness of the lists, their accuracy, or the relative merits of the courses offered. More detailed information regarding opportunities for disabled soldiers and sailors to take training courses in forestry may be obtained from representatives of the F

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Schools With Courses Leading to a Degree in Forestry

University of California, College of Agriculture, Division of Forestry, Berkeley, Cal. —Two four-year courses, one in forestry and one in forest engineering, both leading to the degree of bachelor of science. Nineteen weeks of each of these courses are spent in camp, most of the time on a national forest. A five-year course combining the work of both courses leads to the degree of master of science in forestry, which is also granted on the completion of one year of graduate work in connection wi

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Schools With Short Courses in Forestry Other Than Ranger Courses

Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn, Ala. —An elementary course in forestry covering seven weeks is given to senior students in the agricultural course. The work comprises a study of forest conditions in Alabama, care of woodlands, uses of the different southern woods, methods of preservation, etc. Berea College, Berea, Ky. —A short course in the fundamental principles of forestry is given as part of the course in agriculture. University of California, Berkeley, Cal. —Nonprofessional instructi

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TREE SURGERY

Davey Institute of Tree Surgery, Kent, Ohio. —A 20-months’ course for the training of tree surgeons is offered, including instruction in botany, plant pathology, dendrology, entomology, fruit growing, spraying, and the theory and practice of tree surgery....

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SCHOOLS WITH RANGER COURSES IN FORESTRY

University of California, College of Agriculture, Division of Forestry, Berkeley, Cal. —Beginning in January, a 12 weeks’ course designed especially for rangers and loggers is offered. Georgia State College of Agriculture at University of Georgia, Georgia State Forest School, Athens, Ga. —A ranger course of eight weeks, open to men in the Government service and to lumbermen, is offered during the summer. University of Idaho, School of Forestry, Moscow, Idaho. —A three-year ranger course, extendi

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by Charles W. Sylvester, under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. In no other industry, perhaps has progress been so rapid and marvelous as in the manufacture and maintenance of automobiles, which to-day employs hundreds of thousands of men and women in a great variety of occupations, and represents

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What Men Do in These Occupations

In automobile maintenance and service, specialization is rapidly creating six principal groups of workers. It is true that in small garages one man may “tinker” with all parts of an automobile, but it is, in fact, just as essential to employ, for example, a battery specialist for a machine as it is to employ an eye specialist for a person. The six groups include: (1) Repair-shop men, who deal primarily with the mechanical treatment of the car when it has been disabled; (2) starting and lighting

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Where Men in These Occupations Work

Men are employed in the maintenance and service of automobiles and trucks in every community. In every village, town, and city shops and service stations are to be found. Private garages commonly have some equipment for making minor adjustments and small repairs, and chauffeurs are expected to keep their automobiles in good running order. Public garages, which in many cases are maintained in connection with automobile sales agencies, often employ several general repair men, and sometimes employ

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PLAN No. 1152. AUTOMOBILE REPAIR-SHOP WORK

Repair-shop work consists in overhauling, adjusting, and repairing all types of motor cars and their parts. In the small garages where only a few men, often only one, are employed the mechanic must handle all kinds of work. Some large garages, as has been noted, employ specialists, and in many localities there are service and repair shops maintained especially for this work. Oxy-acetylene welding, a trade separate and apart from repair work, which is used to a very large extent in the repairing

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ELECTRIC STARTING AND LIGHTING SERVICE

The principal parts of an electric starting and lighting system are the electric starting motor, the electric generator, and the storage battery. The work of the expert in this division consists of the repair, adjustment, care, operation, and installation of these systems and auxiliary parts, but usually not including the storage battery which requires the individual attention of another specialist. To keep the starting motor in good running condition the expert must be able to remedy grounds, s

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PLAN No. 1153. AUTOMOBILE IGNITION SERVICE

The ignition system is usually made up of certain electrical devices which probably give more trouble to the auto man and require more expert attention than all the other parts on the automobile. To be able to diagnose a case and submit a remedy for ignition troubles, it is necessary to be thoroughly familiar with the principles of ignition and to understand how these ignition systems are operated and maintained. Ignition primarily means igniting the gas in the cylinders of an engine by means of

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PLAN No. 1154. STORAGE BATTERY REPAIRMEN

The sources of electricity for ignition, starting, lighting, warmers, horn, shifting gears, and application of brakes in some instances are the generators and battery. They must furnish the power. The generator produces electricity only while the engine is running, and the demands on it are comparatively light and simple. The battery must furnish power to crank the engine, to light the car, operate the horn and other electrical devices when the generator is not in motion. It is without doubt one

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PLAN No. 1155. TIRE REPAIRING

The repair of automobile tires, including casings and tubes, is almost invariably assigned to a specialist, although many of the minor repairs, such as patching tubes, are done by owners or amateur repairers. Tires are probably the most delicate and the most misunderstood part of the car, as well as being the part receiving the hardest use. To secure the greatest mileage and the least trouble from tires they must receive proper treatment and have the attention of a specialist when trouble develo

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PLAN No. 1156. AUTOMOBILE AND TRUCK DRIVERS

Chauffeurs and motor-truck drivers are employed to drive cars and keep them in good running condition. It is very essential that anyone operating a car shall know its construction and the function that each part performs. He should know how to care for the machine and how to make minor adjustments. Lubrication of all parts properly at regular intervals is an important task of the driver. The location of trouble and the detection of its cause and remedy is even more important than driving upon th

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by A. J. R. Curtis, of the Portland Cement Association, under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. Development in the field of concrete construction during the past two decades has been little short of marvelous. This increase may be accredited to the wide variety of uses to which concrete may be put

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PLAN No. 1158. STRUCTURAL GROUP

In large structural work the man in charge is usually a civil engineer or an architect, who has specialized during his course of training in structural or reinforced concrete engineering. He is the designer or the creator of the proposed structure. Before any work is done he must picture in his mind the finished product in every detail of its construction; he must be able to design and lay out the plans for the work in its entirety; he must be familiar with the cost of labor and materials, in or

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Road and Highway Group

A large number of the occupations in this division are analogous to the positions in the structural division. On practically all public highways the outlining of the plans and specifications are left to the county or state highway engineer. His course of technical training should include specialized work in highway engineering. He must be thoroughly reliable and of unquestionable integrity, as his judgment in matters pertaining to the construction of highways and roads must be faultless. Only re

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Products Group

The making of various concrete products is a field which is increasing in importance. The construction of block, brick, tile, sewer, and pressure pipe, silo staves, ornamental trim, structural units, lamp posts, fence posts, telephone and telegraph poles, burial vaults, kitchen sinks, bath and laundry tubs, garden furniture, roofing and floor tile, cribbing fences, columns and grindstones are included in this group. The concrete products industry is coming into a position of dignity and importan

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PLAN No. 1182. CEMENT MANUFACTURE

With the increase in construction activities the demand upon the manufacturers of Portland Cement becomes greater. However, the manufacture of this product does not present as large an opportunity to you as does the field of concrete construction. In the actual manufacture of this product there are few positions which make a direct appeal. However, in the laboratories, which are maintained by all manufacturing companies there is an opportunity for you if you are interested in chemistry or physic

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Acknowledgment

For the material of this monograph the Federal Board for Vocational Education is indebted to the Vocation Bureau, Boston, through its publication The Law as a Vocation, of which this pamphlet is largely an abstract. The monograph was prepared by Dr. H. L. Smith, under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings of the Research Division for editorial assistance....

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Are You Thinking of Becoming a Lawyer?

If you are and have not yet made up your mind, you will want to read this pamphlet, because it tells what the leading men in the profession of law say about law as a vocation. It tells you the answers that these men give to questions that are in your mind. If you are thinking of entering the profession of law, you want to know the answers to these questions: 1. What kind of work should I have to do as a lawyer? 2. What personal characteristics should I possess to be successful as a lawyer? 3. Ho

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What Kind of Work Should I Have to do as a Lawyer?

“The work of the law is to establish rights, satisfy claims, protect the innocent against wrongdoers, secure convictions for the guilty, and to maintain a cause in the face of all forms of opposition and misrepresentation.” [35] [35] The Law as a Vocation, p. 68, Vocation Bureau, Boston, Mass. The profession of law, therefore, is a profession of action rather than inaction, of fighting for a cause. In this fight the lawyer finds his work in two rather distinct fields, office practice and court p

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What Personal Characteristics Should I Possess to be Successful as a Lawyer?

The answer to the first part of this question is best given in the following quotation: Certain personal qualities are fundamental for a success in the law; others though of high value are secondary. The fundamental qualities are as follows: 1. Moral integrity , worthy of the trust often involved in handling the property and other interests of clients, or able to withstand inducements to unprofessional conduct. This involves intellectual honesty. 2. Persistence , to carry on to completion any pi

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How Much General Education Ought I to Have as a Basis for a Course in Law?

Some years ago even the best law schools did not require any definite amount of education for entrance into the school. In fact many individuals with only a common-school education read law in an office and took up the practice without any training in a law school. At the present, however, every person looking forward to the practice of law is urged to graduate from a law school. All reputable law schools now require at least a four-year high-school course for admission. Many of these law school

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What Specific Training Should I Need, If I Decide to Become a Lawyer, and How Long Will It Take?

There was a time when by reading law in an office one could get a fairly adequate training for the practice of law. Particularly was this true of preparation for practice in small towns. Even at the present time this method is followed to some extent in small towns that are long distances from law schools. The rapidly increasing complexity of the law, however, now practically necessitates at least a partial course in a law school and makes desirable a complete course. The late Chief Justice Wait

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How Should I Be Admitted to the Bar?

Each State has its own bar or legal society and admission is granted to the applicant in accordance with the regulations in force in each State. Twenty-eight States have an examining board; 19 States require the approximate completion of a high-school course; 17 States prescribe no definite period of study; 1 State prescribes a period of 18 months; 12 States prescribe a period of two years; 23 States prescribe a period of three years; and 10 States accept graduates of certain law schools without

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What Income May I Reasonably Expect to Earn if I am Successful in Practice?

It is difficult to estimate, except very generally, what the average yearly earnings of a lawyer will be. It is difficult to do this, because the income will vary according to the locality and the character of the service in which one is engaged. Generally speaking, during the first year of his independent practice a lawyer’s earnings will seldom net him more than a few hundred dollars. With experience and acquaintance, however, his competence will increase. If a lawyer chooses to serve an appre

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What Are Some Other Rewards to a Lawyer in Addition to Earnings From Practice?

Legal training fits a man not only to practice law but to enter other fields of activity. The lawyer may enter into commercial affiliations and into political life through the judiciary, legislative, or executive branches of the Government. Men trained in the law may serve the public as attorneys for towns, cities, counties, districts, States, or the Nation. These positions in the State and Federal service are as follows: (1) Town or city solicitor. (2) County or district attorney. (3) Attorney

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How Many Years Would It Take Me to Establish Myself in Practice?

The young lawyer may get into practice in one of two ways: First, as an employee; second, as an independent practitioner. In the first case, he usually becomes an assistant in some law office, where he stays from one to five years, possibly permanently by becoming a member of the firm. In the second case, as an independent practitioner, he gets into the practice primarily through the business of his own personal friends, through the advertising that these friends give him to their friends, and f

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How Great a Need is There for Lawyers?

The legal profession is rapidly becoming overcrowded. During the period from 1870 to 1900 the percentage of increase in the number engaged in the practice of law was 180.1 per cent. The following table sets forth the growth and percentage of increase in membership of the professions of medicine, theology, and law from 1870 to 1900: Growth and per cent of increase in memberships of the professions of theology, medicine, and the law from 1870 to 1900. Statistics of Occupations, Twelfth Census of t

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How Much Will It Cost Me to Get an Education Suitable for the Practice of Law?

If you are a soldier or a sailor discharged from the service since October 6, 1917, with a disability for which the War-Risk Insurance will grant you compensation, your education will be furnished free by the Government. The War-Risk Insurance Bureau, through its compensation, will meet a part of the expenses, and the Federal Board for Vocational Education will supplement that amount to a minimum of $65 a month, with the purpose of meeting all of your expenses for living, clothing, transportatio

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by Terrell Croft and L. A. Emerson, under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. Demand for electrical men is increasing constantly, and a returned soldier, whatever his disabilities and whether or not he has had previous experience, will be able in nearly every case to find some electrical job which wi

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PLAN No. 1185. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING AND REPAIRING

A man or a company engaged in electrical contracting and repairing installs wiring, generators, motors, and other electrical equipment in buildings. Some concerns install power plants complete. The organization may also include a repair shop wherein are rehabilitated motors, generators, and similar devices. Frequently, such companies have a retail store where energy-consuming devices, such as fan motors, sad irons, electric heaters, incandescent lamps, and other similar articles are retailed to

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PLAN No. 1186. OWNERS

An owner of an electrical contracting business is usually a man who has worked himself up from a position as wireman or salesman. For success, however, it is not sufficient that the man be merely a good mechanic. Yearly, hundreds of men set up for themselves in the electrical contracting business and, while some succeed many fail, principally because they are not good business men. If a small contracting business is to prosper, the owner should have a good working knowledge not alone of electric

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PLAN No. 1187. DEMAND FOR INSTALLATION OF WIRING

Wiring for electricity requires for its installation the services of many skilled men. In cities and towns where electric-company service is available, practically every house which is erected is wired. Out in the country, also, many farm buildings are now being wired. Furthermore, while it was common practice a few years ago to arrange for only one light or outlet in each room, the present tendency is to provide for several. All of this is creating a demand for more wire men....

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PLAN No. 1188. SIGNAL WIRING

In wiring for electric doorbells, fire and burglar alarms, and other so-called signaling circuits dry cells are ordinarily used to provide the voltage. With this low pressure the fire risk is almost negligible. While the signal wiring in a large factory or institution may be complicated, in smaller buildings or residences it offers few difficult problems. To install signal wire economically and properly, however, requires some skill and experience....

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PLAN No. 1189. LIGHT AND POWER WIRING

Installation of light and power wiring is more skilled work. On these circuits the electric pressure is always relatively high—110 volts or above—and there is the ever present danger to be guarded against of fire caused by short-circuiting. Not only may improperly installed wiring involve great fire hazard, but it may involve life hazard also. To minimize these dangers, codes of rules indicating the proper and safe methods of installing wiring and electrical equipment have been formulated. The N

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PLAN No. 1190. MOLDING WIRING

In molding wiring conductors are held in a flat wooden or metal molding screwed to the wall or ceiling surface. Wooden molding, however, is not now commonly used, and in many cities its use is prohibited. The metal molding which is superseding the older nonmetallic molding is small, unobtrusive, and readily installed. It is used principally for extensions to existing wiring installations. By its use the cutting of holes and channels in walls and ceilings, which is necessary for the installation

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PLAN No. 1191. STEEL CONDUIT WIRING

This is the most expensive, but the safest and best method. In fireproof buildings it is used exclusively, and in some communities wiring of other types is prohibited. Many frame buildings are now being wired with metal conduit, either of the rigid or the flexible type. Rigid conduit is merely wrought iron or steel pipe of the usual trade dimensions, which has been specially treated to prevent its corrosion and to render its interior smooth. Flexible steel conduit resembles metal hose in constru

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PLAN No. 1192. WIRING AS AN OCCUPATION

Wiring work is interesting and diversified. Some wiremen in the cities specialize on one type of work. For example, certain journeymen may ordinarily do nothing but conduit work day in and day out, while others may do all sorts of installing. Some men specialize on power wiring for motors, generators, switchboards, and similar equipment. Usually a wireman must rely on his own experience and judgment for the detailed layout of the wiring installation. The architect’s plans generally indicate mere

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PLAN No. 1193. ESTIMATORS

Estimators in electrical contractors’ organizations compile estimates of the labor and material required and the cost thereof, for each job on which a bid is to be submitted by the contractor. On the basis of this cost of time and material the estimator determines the price which is quoted to the prospective purchaser. Most successful estimators are men who have worked at the wiring trade and thereby appreciate how much work can be accomplished under given conditions in a given time. Cost of mat

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PLAN No. 1194. SALESMEN

A salesman for an electrical contracting business may be either an inside man or an outside man, or combine inside and outside duties. An inside or store salesman will sell the various electrical appliances and devices which the contractor may stock. Such may include electric fans, electric-washing machines, small motors, irons, heaters, incandescent lamps, and similar devices and material. He should be well informed as to the uses and applications of this equipment, and he should also be compet

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PLAN No. 1195. GENERAL REPAIRMEN

General repairmen of a contracting company must be versatile. They are the “trouble shooters” for the company, and may be called upon to locate trouble in, and to repair burned-out motors, worn or damaged controllers, and many different sorts in interior electrical installations. They should be able to judge whether a machine needs a new bearing, or rewinding, or what. Frequently the repairs must be made to the equipment in the building where it is installed, since it may not be practical to rem

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PLAN No. 1196. ARMATURE WINDERS

Armature winders are now employed by many of the electrical contracting companies in their repair departments. Some concerns make a specialty of and do no other work except the winding and rewinding of electrical machines. To become a competent armature winder, a man must have a great deal of experience, which can be acquired only in the shop. However, a trade school course in this vocation will be of great assistance, and should increase materially the rate of a man’s advance and his ultimate e

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PLAN No. 1197. PLANT AND FACTORY ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE

Nearly all factories of any consequence now employ electrical power distribution. Electrical energy is produced economically in a centrally located generating station and is distributed by the wiring throughout the plant wherever power is required. In the many plants in this country great numbers of electric motors drive the machines. Thousands of incandescent lamps are utilized for lighting. Also electrical energy may be used for electroplating, galvanizing, welding, heating, and other services

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PLAN No. 1198. QUALIFICATIONS OF PLANT AND MAINTENANCE ELECTRICIANS

Maintenance work involves not alone a good understanding of electrical practice but also, for the first-class man, a knowledge of the industry and its manufacturing processes. The electrician should be sufficiently familiar with the machinery in the plant to determine quickly whether a trouble lies in the motor or in the driven machine. In many plants, where continuous process production prevails, those of the steel industry for example, time is an extremely important factor. The shut-down of on

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PLAN No. 1199. PROMOTION

In some of the large steel and other manufacturing plants, electricians who have risen to the position of chief electrician earn as much as $300 or more monthly. Such a job involves ability to handle successfully many electricians, and to “keep the plant going” at minimum cost. Frequently men start in a plant as wireman’s helpers or as motor tenders, for which little knowledge or experience is necessary. As the beginner gradually becomes familiar with the equipment and the processes of the indus

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PLAN No. 1200. ELECTRICAL INSPECTION

Nearly all electrical installations are now subject to inspection. Most fire-insurance policies provide that electrical work in the insured building must be installed in accordance with the National Electrical Code, and insurance may be refused on any building not wired in accordance with the code. Sometimes in the country districts, installations are not inspected, but in the cities and in most industrial plants periodical inspections are made. Many cities have wiring codes of their own, which

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PLAN No. 1201. WORK IN STORAGE-BATTERY SERVICE STATIONS

Thousands of automobile electric service stations are now in operation, while a few years ago there were none. This phenomenal development has been due to the increase in the use of automobiles and to the popularity of electric-starting systems. Many stations specialize on only one component of the starting equipment, as for example the storage battery. Storage-battery stations have become so necessary that almost every city has at least one station which handles exclusively storage batteries. I

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PLAN No. 1202. ELECTRICAL AUTOMOBILE WORK

The automobile repair men who are receiving highest wages to-day are those who are familiar with the electrical as well as the mechanical equipment. Electrical starting and lighting is now regarded as so essential and has been adopted so universally that a large number of men are employed exclusively in its maintenance. The demand appears greatly to exceed the supply. Many garages are seeking constantly thoroughly qualified automobile electricians. They are willing and expect to pay good wages t

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by Terrell Croft and L. A. Emerson, under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. If a man who was doing electrical work before his enlistment has a natural liking for it his tendency will and should ordinarily be to return to it when he resumes his place in civil life. For the inexperienced man also ther

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PLAN No. 1204. ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER COMPANIES

An electric light and power company is a corporation which generates and sells electrical energy for lighting and power. Because of the economies which result in the generation of electrical energy in large central stations, the demand upon these power companies is continually increasing. They can usually develop energy, transmit it over their lines, and sell it to the customer cheaper than he can, in his relatively small plant, develop it for himself. However, very large factories or plants may

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PLAN No. 1205. LINE CONSTRUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT

This department builds the lines, either overhead or underground, which convey the electrical energy from the generating station to the substations and to the consumers. It also maintains the lines and for this work there may be a separate maintenance division of the construction department. The work is almost wholly out of doors. It involves the setting of poles, placing of cross arms, stringing of wire, building of underground-conduit systems and manholes, erection of switchboards, and install

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PLAN No. 1206. METER DEPARTMENT

Installation, removal, testing, and repair of the meters which measure consumed electrical energy is the work of the meter department. After a meter has been installed in a building it should be tested periodically to insure its continued accuracy. These periodical tests are made on the customer’s premises. If the instrument is shown to be inaccurate it is replaced by one which is accurate, and is taken to the repair shop for overhauling. Thus the meter department does some of its work outside a

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PLAN No. 1207. SALES DEPARTMENT

As its name implies, this department obtains customers who consume electrical energy. Such light and small appliance business as does not come unsolicited is secured by solicitors. Each solicitor is ordinarily assigned a certain district. To be a success at selling, a man must first of all be competent to meet tactfully people of all types. Furthermore, he should be familiar with electric lighting requirements and rates, so that he can discuss these with prospective customers and advise them aut

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PLAN No. 1208. ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

This department of an electric company is responsible for the design and construction of the system as a whole. A chief engineer is the executive head. To assist him there are assistant engineers, inspectors, and draftsmen. The chief engineer and his principal assistants are, ordinarily, men of mature years and much experience. Hence, there is little possibility of a returned soldier qualifying for one of these positions unless he has previously done similar work. But there are opportunities to

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PLAN No. 1209. ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT

This department is responsible for the meter reading, billing, collections, and similar commercial features of the business. The work is clerical and statistical in character....

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PLAN No. 1210. ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEMS

The departmental organization of electric-railway systems varies. Large companies have more departments than small ones and probably no two companies are organized on precisely the same plan. However, there are certain functions which must be performed by every company and a typical arrangement for a comparatively large system is the following: Power department. Mechanical department. Transportation department. Maintenance of way department. Line department. Engineering department. Building depa

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PLAN No. 1211. ARMATURE REPAIRING—MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT

Armature repairing is done with the armature held in a rack about the height of an ordinary workbench. Thus the armature winder is required to stand while working, sometimes for considerable periods. It is essential that he have good feet and legs. It is also necessary that he have the use of most of his fingers. Repairing an armature requires only a few new coils in skilled work. On the other hand, much of the work in armature repairing is of a routine character. Hence a man of little experienc

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PLAN No. 1212. SHOP WIRING—MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT

The shop wiremen of an electric-railway company do the wiring around the plant, as well as that on the cars. A journeyman wire man should be able to interpret correctly wiring diagrams for ordinary jobs. These may include the installation of motors, heaters, lights, rheostats, and similar equipment. Also, he should be competent to route economically his circuits through inaccessible places and should be familiar with the National Electrical Code. He may have to install headlights, signal lights,

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PLAN No. 1213. CAR INSPECTING—MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT

The car inspector’s duties involve a knowledge of numerous occupations, and he must be familiar with various sorts of equipment. His position in the company’s organization is an important one, because the expense of car repairs is often materially minimized by his foresight and alertness. He judges which repairs should be made in the general shop and which in the car barn. He must know the function and operation of every working part of the car. In detail, his duties consist of a systematic insp

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PLAN No. 1214. TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

This department handles the traffic, operates the cars, plans their schedules, and revises their routings to meet the requirements of the traveling public. A superintendent of transportation is the executive head. His assistants are the division superintendents, inspectors, instructors, station foremen, motormen, conductors, and the car shifters in the barns. Each division superintendent has charge of the traffic in a certain part of the system. The inspector has charge of the cars and crews whi

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PLAN No. 1215. INSTRUCTING—TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

Instructors have charge of the training of prospective motormen and conductors. The instructor assigns students to an experienced motorman or conductor who teaches them the essentials of their jobs. Then the instructor informs the new men in detail as to rules and, if necessary, makes trial trips with them. The instructor in many companies also conducts classes wherein the new men are given some schooling as to the theory and practice of the electrical air brake and similar equipment which will

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PLAN No. 1216. FOREMAN—TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

A station foreman has charge of the station, and supervises the dispatching of cars on their runs. He keeps the list of extra men and provides crews for extra and special cars. These foremen should be familiar with the operation of street cars. In nearly every case they are promoted from the ranks. They must be tactful in handling men. This position is one to which an individual, who accepts a minor job in the transportation department, may look forward. Motormen and conductors have duties with

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PLAN No. 1217. LINE DEPARTMENT

A wire or line department installs and maintains the trolley wires and feeders both underground and overhead. A man with no previous electrical experience may start in as a ground man or helper, and advance himself to the position of lineman and foreman. Electric railway line work is somewhat similar to that necessary for electric lighting companies. One requirement is a good physique, but minor disablements might not handicap. Practically all of the work is done out of doors. The ground men wil

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PLAN No. 1218. TELEPHONE COMPANIES

Telephone systems have grown phenomenally. A few years ago the telephone was a luxury. To-day it is a necessity. It has been predicted that the time will come when there will be at least one telephone in every house, just as practically every city building is now piped for water, so that it appears probable that there will be in the future a steadily increasing demand for trained telephone men. The type of equipment used in a telephone system is determined to some extent by the size of the town

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PLAN No. 1219. ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

This department plans and supervises the development and construction of the property as a whole. In it plans and specifications are prepared for buildings, exchange layouts, subways, and other components. To obtain a position of responsibility in the engineering department one must have had theoretical training and a number of years of telephone experience, but there are usually engineering-department positions in which men of little experience but with some theoretical training can start as dr

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PLAN No. 1220. COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT

Contracts for telephone service are obtained by the commercial department. It is the sales organization of a telephone company selling telephone service to the public. In this work there should be opportunities for soldiers with minor disablements who have had prior telephone experience, and who possess the “selling instinct.” The salary will probably range from $60 to $160 per month....

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PLAN No. 1221. AUDITING DEPARTMENT

The qualifications for men in this department are about the same as those required of men in any accounting organization. These are treated in detail in one of the other Federal Board monographs....

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PLAN No. 1222. PLANT DEPARTMENT

Much of the telephone plant is built and all of it is maintained by this department. It is often segregated into two general divisions, (1) construction division and (2) maintenance division. To administer these there are a construction superintendent and a maintenance superintendent. Then each division may be further subdivided in sections as follows: ( a ) Aerial-line section, ( b ) cable section, ( c ) repair section, ( d ) wire chief’s section, ( e ) installation section, ( f ) cable-report

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PLAN No. 1223. AERIAL LINE AND CABLE SECTIONS—PLANT DEPARTMENT

By the aerial line and aerial cable sections the overhead lines are built and maintained. The work is somewhat similar to that performed by the corresponding division of an electric light and power company. It is necessary to set and guy poles, place cross arms on them, and string wire. In modern city construction, however, few cross arms are required, because cable and twisted pair “block” wire has almost wholly superseded open wire. The handling of telephone cable is an occupation peculiar to

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PLAN No. 1224. UNDERGROUND CABLE SECTION—PLANT DEPARTMENT

This section has to do with installing, joining, and connecting telephone cables. Much of the work is splicing. Telephone cable consists of from 100 to 600 or more pairs of copper wire. Each wire is separated from its neighbors with a wrapping of paper or other insulating material. Then the bunch of conductors is covered by a protective sheath, usually of lead. In splicing, the lead sheath is first stripped from the end of the cable. Then the different corresponding pairs in the cables to be con

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PLAN No. 1225. REPAIR SECTION—PLANT DEPARTMENT

This section assembles the frames, racks, cables, and other minor central-office accessories, and clears the troubles in the subscribers’ instruments, private branch exchanges, and the central offices. Workers in this division may be classified into four groups: (1) Equipment installers, (2) line and instrument repairmen, (3) switchboard repairmen, and (4) wire chief and testers....

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PLAN No. 1226. EQUIPMENT INSTALLERS—REPAIR SECTION

Equipment installers include the apprentices of the industry. New men are frequently placed in these positions for training. They cut and form switchboard cable, and do other equipment-installation work around the exchange. Practically no experience is required of a beginner. But an equipment-installation foreman should be a well-informed, thoroughly trained man. He usually advances to this position from the ranks. The work on the whole is light and should afford opportunities for men with minor

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PLAN No. 1227. LINE AND INSTRUMENT REPAIRMEN—REPAIR SECTION

Line and instrument repairmen are the “trouble shooters.” They locate troubles and faults which occur on lines or in subscribers’ instruments. After some experience a repairman usually knows from the symptoms of a fault just what the difficulty is and where it may be located. Ability to climb poles is usually essential for this work. A knowledge of principal telephone circuits, cable and line layouts is also requisite. A repairman is usually promoted to this work from some other position with th

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PLAN No. 1228. SWITCHBOARD REPAIRMEN—REPAIR SECTION

Switchboard repairmen are men of ability and a number of years’ experience. Their functions are to maintain and repair local and toll switchboards, private branch exchanges, and sometimes the auxiliary equipment in offices, such as ringing machines, charging generators, and storage batteries. As already noted, switchboard equipment is quite intricate and requires the attention of a competent repairman to maintain it in efficient operating condition. The switchboard repairman’s job may be conside

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PLAN No. 1229. WIRE CHIEF’S SECTION—PLANT DEPARTMENT

This section tests lines, switchboards, cables, and instruments, and locates troubles which may occur in these. Some of the men who are employed are switchboard inspector, testers, wire chief, night wire chief. The work is done almost wholly indoors. It requires some knowledge of the elementary principle of electrical practice and the functions of the switchboard and its accessories. The testing is done from a central testing desk, or testing switchboard, which is located in the terminal room of

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PLAN No. 1230. INSTALLATION SECTION—PLANT DEPARTMENT

Installation and removal of telephones and private-branch exchanges is the work of this section. There is constant demand for new stations and for shifting about old ones, which provides work for a large number of men. For this work little experience is necessary. A helper may become proficient in a few days and may soon be competent to install instruments without supervision. The work may be graded in such a way that an ambitious man may advance to more responsible and remunerative positions, s

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PLAN No. 1231. CABLE REPORT SECTION—PLANT DEPARTMENT

Making definite records of every circuit in the telephone system is the task of the cable report section. Such records are essential to enable the wire chief to locate definitely any telephone fault, even though the circuit involved an exceedingly devious rout. The work is clerical. A general familiarity with the complete telephone layout is desirable, but a beginner with little experience may be employed. The qualifications, possibilities, rates of pay, hours, and the like are about the same as

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PLAN No. 1232. TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT

This department has charge of the telephone traffic. The operators, practically always young women, make connections on calls by subscribers. There are usually no men on the floor of a telephone exchange except the switchboard and maintenance men. A large telephone exchange may have a male traffic manager. Large companies may have a traffic-engineering department which plans and directs the arrangement of switchboard sections, and the division of lines between operators in order to insure effici

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PLAN No. 1233. STEAM RAILROADS

Practically all steam railroads now have electrical departments. The men in such departments install and maintain the electric train lighting equipment and do such electrical construction—installation of generators, motors, wiring, and the like—as may be required on the system. Each steam road may have an electrical superintendent to whom electricians and their helpers report. The railroad electrician’s work includes maintenance of electric train lighting generators, storage batteries, and elect

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Acknowledgments.

Acknowledgment is due Dr. E. F. Phillips, Apiculturist of the Bureau of Entomology. United States Department of Agriculture; to F. C. Pellett and C. P. Dadant, editors of the American Bee Journal, Hamilton, Ill., and A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio, for suggestions, data, and illustrations; also to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. The increased use of honey during the war and the possession of some previous knowledge of bees may have directed the attention of a

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Bee Culture Light Work, Interesting, and Profitable

Beekeeping differs from most other branches of agriculture, in that the beekeeper handles an animal which has never been domesticated. He must therefore study the habits of this animal and know them intimately before he may hope to succeed with this work. The feeding habits, breeding, and even the housing of bees has not been materially changed in all the centuries that man has handled them. If their habits are well understood, the beekeeper may cause them to accomplish results which will lead t

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What is Honey?

Honey is made from the nectar secreted by thousands of varieties of flowers. This nectar is gathered by bees and modified by them chemically. Water is evaporated out of it and it is ripened into a delicious and wholesome food. Before cane sugar was manufactured in quantities for commercial use honey was the most common sweet in human food. In pioneering days it was hunted systematically in hollow trees and crevices in rocks. Wild honey so secured was considered well worth the time spent in seeki

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Healthfulness of Honey

Before the manufacture of great quantities of sugar a larger amount of honey was used per capita than is used now. The necessary introduction of honey as a substitute for sugar has just recently again called general attention to its healthfulness and the lesson is not likely soon to be forgotten. Because it is predigested and readily assimilable, physicians recommend it as a food for persons with delicate stomachs, for those troubled with kidney complaint, and for those subject to constipation,

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Beekeeping Permits Serious Handicaps

Beekeeping, like many other lines of agriculture, presents an exceptionally attractive and profitable vocation to the disabled men of the war. The handling of bees is interesting and encourages the most valuable exercise, but the muscular effort is small. It probably requires less constant devotion, except during the main honey-flow, than any other country pursuit. Therefore it is especially attractive to the convalescing or others who have recovered from wounds, even if they have lost one or mo

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The Bee Family

This interesting family called in bee culture a colony, lives in a house known as a hive many of which aggregate form a bee city—an apiary. The family consists of three types of bees, the queen, Fig. 7-a, the mother of the family and naturally the only one of her nature in the colony. She is a fully developed female bee whose sole duty is that of laying eggs and increasing her family—the population of the colony—which reaches large numbers. The worker, Fig. 7-b, is an undeveloped female, and thi

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Extent of Beekeeping in the United States

There are in the United States about 800,000 persons who own bees, although not all of them can be classed as regular beekeepers. Perhaps the average bee owner has about 10 colonies. Since there are many owning bees by the hundreds of colonies, it is obvious that the majority have only two or three colonies. This side line of a few hives on the farm does not really pay, but is just a little luxury. The type of beekeeping presented to you here is for a vocation, and is the practical kind employed

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Variation in Seasons

All years are not equally good for nectar secretion, and some years the flow is so poor that feeding is necessary to keep the bees alive. Such years are of common occurrence to the poor beekeeper, while they are rather a rarity to the good, highly skilled beekeeper. By this is meant that the good beekeeper is able to keep his bees in such condition that they are able to take advantage of every hour of nectar secretion, while the poor beekeeper does not do this. In the best years every person own

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Distribution of Bees in the United States

The accompanying map shows where the bees in the country are mainly located. It indicates also the extent of the business in different sections and gives some idea, by the number of dots on the map, of the most successful territory for beekeeping. Care must be taken in drawing conclusions of this kind, for a field or territory may be overpastured, as it were, by bees as well as by cattle. Bees, however, travel many miles. Large apiaries should not be too close together, at least 3 or 4 miles apa

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Beekeeping Should be a Specialty

Frequently one sees articles advocating the keeping of a few colonies of bees so that one may have all the honey desired. This sounds rather well, but such advice does not work out well in practice. Only those persons who study and devote themselves to the business are successful beekeepers. They make money, some big money. One Indiana man’s 1918 honey crop exceeded $20,000. Success requires making beekeeping the chief vocation, for the person who does not rely upon it for his living is likely t

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Need of Specialists in Beekeeping

The war revealed an insufficient number of available scientific apiarists in the United States capable of giving instruction to those desirous of engaging in commercial beekeeping. There are many sufficiently trained, but they are reaping such financial returns from their bees that they can not be induced to take up the work of training others. The increasing educational work of the Federal Government and of the several States in bee culture will afford men desiring to undertake such work opport

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Other Branches of Agriculture as Side Lines to Beekeeping

It is quite possible to combine beekeeping with other branches of agriculture, provided they do not necessitate much attention at the time when the bees require every care and thought of the beekeeper. General farming and beekeeping do not combine well, for the reason that swarming usually comes at a season when the farmer is busily engaged with his cropping. However, you might, as a bee specialist, form a business combination with the farmer and develop a paying apiary, and also give attention

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Bees Valuable to Horticulture

By careful management and by employing some help in certain seasons, horticulture—small fruits and orcharding—may likewise be profitably undertaken without interfering with apiary work. Bee culture and horticulture may in fact be combined to mutual advantage. The nectar from the fruit bloom is always regarded as an advantage and comes when nectar from other sources is not available. In flying from flower to flower bees carry pollen and thus produce cross-pollination. They are of value also in th

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The Work of the Beekeeper

The average citizen has but a vague idea of the duties required of the beekeeper for success. The idea prevails commonly that bees require but little care. That is all wrong. Careful study, frequent attention, and real work are essential. The work of the year may be briefly summarized as follows: First, the beekeeper provides such conditions as will encourage the colonies to produce young “worker s” to the fullest capacity of the hive before the secretion of nectar begins from the principal hone

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Winter Occupations

It will be evident that most of the work of the beekeeper comes in the spring, summer, and fall. When your bees have been properly prepared for winter with plenty of stores, there is nothing to be done for their welfare until the early spring and “flying-out” time. There are, however, many profitable winter jobs for the beekeeper. Equipment should be stored, repaired, and put in complete readiness for the next season. Many beekeepers turn their time into money by retailing the honey crop during

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Number of Colonies Needed to Make a Living

In deciding on beekeeping as a life work, one should have some idea of the necessary amount to invest and the work entailed. There are many persons in the country who earn a livelihood almost or entirely from bees, and the number is increasing every year. In the Eastern States, where the weather during the summer may interfere with the work of the beekeeper, a skilled man may care for perhaps 600 colonies. In the West, however, where the weather does not so greatly enter into the beekeeper’s cal

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The Outfit Needed

In addition to the colonies of bees properly hived, the beekeeper needs some other equipment. This chiefly consists of a small house in which to prepare the equipment and extract the honey, keep miscellaneous tools for fitting out the apparatus, and usually an automobile truck for moving bees and honey. It is usually not profitable to keep more than 100 colonies in one apiary. It therefore becomes essential to rent or buy small tracts of land—about 4 miles apart—so that 100 colonies may be kept

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Investment Necessary

The investment which the general beekeeper makes in his business is nine-tenths brains and study and one-tenth money invested in bees and equipment. If he invests money only, his failure is a foregone conclusion. The price of hives and other equipment has greatly increased during the war, and there is not much likelihood that it will decrease materially during the next few years. However, by making inquiry the beekeeper may frequently find opportunity to buy equipment from persons who have faile

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Is There a Future for Beekeeping?

There is a demand for all the honey that can be produced in the United States, and there was never a time in the history of the industry when the honey market was so well established. Of course, during the war, when there was a shortage of sugar, the demand for honey was abnormal, but it seems improbable that the market will ever revert to prewar conditions in price or demand. Many persons learned to use honey who will continue purchasing it, notwithstanding they may now buy all the sugar they w

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Need of Training

From the requirements indicated for good beekeeping, it is evident that you will need all the information obtainable before engaging in the business on a commercial scale. Such training you may secure through the agency of the Federal Board for Vocational Education from courses in beekeeping in some of the agricultural colleges. After you are well equipped with all that one of these colleges can give you, then a good plan probably will be to arrange for a season, or part of a season, in the apia

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AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE COURSES IN BEEKEEPING

One of the best ways to acquire a thorough knowledge of beekeeping is to take a course in one of the agricultural colleges which offers such work. It must, of course, be understood that the knowledge so gained must of necessity be largely theoretical, for there is not time in a college course for much practical work. However, if the work is properly presented the student should be able at the close of the course to begin with 100 colonies and then he may work up in beekeeping practice as he incr

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SHORT SCHOOLS IN BEEKEEPING

San Diego, Calif., November 25-30, 1918. Davis, Calif., December 1-7, 1918. Visalia, Calif., December 9-16, 1918. Ithaca, N. Y., February 24-March 1, 1919. Lafayette, Ind., April 7-12, 1919. Ames, Iowa, April 14-19, 1919. St. Paul, Minn., April 21-26, 1919. California five weeks beginning November 17, 1919....

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LITERATURE FOR THE BEEKEEPER

Farmers’ Bulletin 447. Bees. Farmers’ Bulletin 653. Honey and its Uses in the Home. Farmers’ Bulletin 695. Outdoor Wintering of Bees. Farmers’ Bulletin 820. Sweet Clover: Utilization. Farmers’ Bulletin 961. Transferring Bees to Modern Hives. Farmers’ Bulletin 1005. Sweet Clover on Corn Belt Farms. Farmers’ Bulletin 1012. Preparation of Bees for Outdoor Wintering. Farmers’ Bulletin 1014. Wintering Bees in Cellars. Farmers’ Bulletin 1039. Commercial Comb Honey Production. American Bee Journal, Ham

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The Farm Tractor

The tractor is the most important recent addition to farm equipment. Its use is increasing because it enables one man to do the work of several and do it better. Many farmers hesitate to invest in the tractor and other modern machinery now available, because realizing that they are not mechanics, they doubt their ability to operate such equipment satisfactorily. Manufacturers employ mechanics to care for and operate their machines. Farmers must adopt similar methods. They are recognizing that in

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A New Vocation

This opens a new field of employment, that of farm mechanic. The farm mechanic will have employment the year round, and the farm owner who has a competent mechanic in his employ will find his machinery in good order when needed. The farm mechanic should not think that he is above doing regular farm work, when that is more important. He may be called upon to repair buildings, build fences, or even plant potatoes, but his duties should be primarily the operation and upkeep of mechanical equipment.

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Cost of Farm Equipment

The machinery on a 200-acre farm will vary from $3,000 to $4,000 or more. No business man would put such expensive equipment in the hands of a crew of untrained men without some one in charge to see that it is properly used, kept in repair, and cared for when not in use. With a farm mechanic assured, farmers will realize that it is good business to supplement their farm investment by the purchase of such machinery as will result in improved farming and increased production. The necessity for pro

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Future Prospects

The demand for farm mechanics may be expected to grow somewhat in proportion to the increase in the use of tractors. The introduction of a tractor on a farm necessitates many changes in methods of work which call for the exercise of mechanical ingenuity to get maximum results. The advantage of having a trained man to help plan and start the work under the new conditions is evident. The Curtis Publishing Co. has made a study of tractor production and has plotted a curve (Fig. 18) which shows the

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Handicaps

Some of you may be saying, “But I can’t hope to make good on the farm because of my handicap. I have lost a foot or an arm or am otherwise crippled.” It is true that these may seem hard to overcome, but the mechanic’s work on a farm is such that few of these losses will be prohibitive or constitute serious handicaps. Ordinarily the loss of a leg would prevent a man from doing the necessary walking in soft ground, but even this will not be found such a serious loss after you have been supplied wi

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The Purpose of the Show Card

A man’s attention is attracted through his sense of sight more readily than in any other way. A word, a phrase, a pithy sentence will catch his eye and focus his interest, where something requiring more concentration would fail. For this reason window dressing has grown into an important feature of every merchant’s business, and cards pointing out the quality and prices of the goods displayed are universally used. These show cards were formerly made by sign painters, until some, more farseeing t

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Different Types of Cards

There is a great variety of types in show cards. Some are large, others are small; some are ornamented with designs suitable for the occasion, or season, or goods to be featured in the advertisement; others are plain numerals or letters giving the bare detail of cost. As these cards are shown in the street cars, on moving picture announcements, on billboards at theatre entrances, as well as in the stores, they must be so varied as to be appropriate to their surroundings. A practical feature in w

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Future of the Trade

Because the merchant believes that seeing is very likely to mean buying he finds the show-card writer indispensable to his business. Whether large or small, every store needs these display cards with their catchy announcements to aid in promoting business. Present-day competition makes it necessary that every known means at attracting attention shall be utilized by the merchant who would keep up in his line. Progressiveness in store management has occasioned rapid growth in the trade of card wri

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Equipment

For the man possessing limited capital the small cost of the necessary equipment is an alluring inducement to enter the trade. A few dollars will cover the entire cost. Brushes, pens, penholder, with ink retainer, ruler, art gum or sponge rubber, thumb tacks, combination compass, a pair of large shears, a T-square, a box of charcoal, soft lead pencils, and cardboard make up the list of necessary material for the show-card writer. A good-sized drawing board completes the list. “The better the wor

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What Men in the Trade Should Know

A good general education is essential for a show-card writer who expects to be more than merely a mechanical maker of words and letters. Those who become expert in the art need a knowledge of designing and an originality in composing effective phrases, such as can not be resisted even by those who read the cards casually. A practical knowledge of the geometric construction of letters is fundamental, for though simple lettering may be largely mechanical work, skill must not be confined to the uti

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What Men in the Trade Do

Show-card writers make price tickets and all types of trade cards used in windows, on special sale sections, on the announcement boards of theatres, on automobiles, in cafeterias, in street cars, and wherever else the card may serve as a proper medium of advertising. The trade is carried on in different ways. Cards are sometimes made by salesmen who give only part of their time to this work. Other writers give all of their time to one firm requiring a large number of cards for its own use. Some

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Opportunities

The demand for show-card writers is far greater than the supply. Every small town offers an opening for one or more, who would make a good living at the trade in that locality....

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How Men Are Trained

Many card writers are trained in the shop. Correspondence courses afford fair advantages to the man who must save time and money, but personal supervision is of great advantage, and personal criticism is essential if a correspondence course is taken. Courses in card writing are now offered in technical schools and Y. M. C. A. classes and vocational schools all over the country. Among the schools now offering courses in show-card writing are the following: Federal School of Commercial Art, Minnea

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Qualifications

Anyone who can learn to write can learn to draw or paint letters for show cards. It is not essential to have artistic ability, although this would be an asset in the trade; a steady hand and a correct eye are the only requirements, and it is well to remember that “the sight that insures correct drawing is not that of the eye only, but of the mind.”...

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Handicaps

Good eyesight is essential, but almost no handicap other than blindness, or the loss of both arms, is prohibitive. It is an advantage to have both hands, but the fact that one-armed men have so clearly demonstrated their ability to write as legibly as others with both hands indicates that the difficulty for a man with one hand becoming a show-card writer be overcome....

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Desirability for the Disabled Man

The work is not heavy, the hours may be adjusted to the strength of the worker, the prospects for work in the trade are favorable, and the pay is good—all of which characterizes the trade as one suitable for disabled men. A chief attraction which show-card writing holds out for the handicapped man is the freedom allowed in the choice of a working place. He may be independent, not only in the place of his work, but in selecting his own hours for work. This liberty means much for a man who is phys

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Remuneration

Show-card writing is a fascinating art and brings good profits. For this reason its appeal will be strong to the wounded soldier. An exact standard of prices has never been possible for card writing, as so much depends upon the quality of the work and the time required to make the cards. The cost of the material is negligible; but show cards have an intrinsic value to the merchant, who is usually willing to pay for them. Card writers make from $25 to $75 a week. Advertising cards, being of a tem

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Printing as an Occupation

The printing industry is both a profession and a trade. It is essentially an occupation of intelligence, the mechanical processes of which require a high degree of specialized skill and training. Printing in the United States employs nearly half a million people. The trade is not confined to any particular locality, but is practiced in all parts of the country. The number of printing establishments in any city is a comparatively accurate index to its size and commercial importance; therefore, th

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Future of the Business

This is an age of rapid industrial changes, and new inventions may render certain occupations almost obsolete in a night. It is unwise to enter some lines of industry because the demand is lessening, the business decreasing, and the future uncertain. This is not the case, however, in regard to printing, which is a growing business. The use of printing is increasing in every field of industry. In so far as human judgment can determine, it will continue as an essential industry, and twenty years f

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Products of Printing

Printing has been aptly designated “the art preservative of all arts.” The product of the printer’s trade is so well known as to require little comment. Books, periodicals, newspapers, commercial forms, advertising literature, and other products of the press form a competent part of the business and social structure of all civilized nations, and are integral parts of the daily life of practically every individual. Hardly any other field of human activity has a product so universally used....

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Organization of the Industry

Of all the trades, printing is one of the best organized, both on the part of employers and of employees. There are few strikes, as arbitration agreements are in effect, and work is seldom interrupted. The various organizations use their dues to much better advantage than in financing internecine struggles. The employers’ associations maintain many activities for improving conditions in the business, including installation of cost systems, maintenance of trade schools, advertising service, and p

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Environment of Workers

The printing business is entirely shop and office work. There is no exposure, nor is the trade affected materially by weather conditions. The work is more uniform in volume than in many other trades. Only a few of the processes have special hazards, and the health of printers compares favorably with that of other indoor trades....

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Entering the Trade

The printing trade embraces several distinct branches, chief among which are composition, including hand and machine, presswork, and bindery. Each of these is subdivided into a number of processes. The regular apprenticeship is 5 years for each branch of the trade. Very few men are proficient in more than one branch, the nature of the business being such that specialization is necessary for both the trade and the individual. Within the last few years, technical schools have been established whic

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Printing Courses for the Disabled

Men disabled in the war who may be interested in printing will naturally fall into two classes: those formerly employed in the trade, and those without trade experience. If you belong to the first class and have worked at the trade, we would unhesitatingly urge you to continue in it in some capacity. Special efforts will be made by all trade organizations to enable you to do so. Your previous training and experience should not be thrown away, but should on the contrary be used as the foundation

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COURSES OF STUDY

For requirements as to previous education and physical condition for each of these courses, see chart . The technical courses are organized to afford the following training. Provision is made for individual instruction where needed, and for classes in English, history of printing, trade arithmetic, and printing design directly connected with the trade work. Explanation and use of materials and equipment used in the composing room, lay of cases, correct position at frame, straight composition, co

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From Hand Work to Machine Operation

It would be interesting to trace the development of the clothing industries out of the common household trade, using crude methods in introducing homemade garments, the materials for which were grown and spun and woven by the family, through the hand-sewing days and the various stages of foot-power machines to the present-day methods of electrically driven machines, adjusted to do most accurate work with special devices for all sorts of processes....

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Providing a Prime Necessity

On the whole it may be conceded that these industries compare only fairly with others as regards prevailing conditions of labor, but as regards benefits conferred upon people generally, in placing within easy reach of all a prime necessity of life, the clothing industries rank very high....

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Seasonal Character of the Industries

Employment in the garment trades is highly seasonal and is influenced by certain causes beyond control of the manufacturer. This irregularity of work is often a real hardship for employees. The busy seasons run from January through the spring months, and from August through the fall months. Some manufacturers, however, manage to keep workers busy 11 months during the year. Efforts have been made to equalize the work, seasonally, but nothing has been definitely accomplished so far. There is much

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An Immigrant’s Trade

Garment making has long been known as an immigrant’s trade. Before the war it absorbed annually approximately 10,000 immigrants. Irish, Germans, and Italians have all worked in considerable numbers in the clothing industries, but at present the Jews predominate, not only among the workers, but as well among those exercising controlling power....

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Where the Work is Done

The work may be carried on, it has been said, in any place “where there are a half dozen machines and an ironing board.” But in some places large clothing factories have been built, though much of the work is done in medium-sized shops. The clothing industries differ from other manufacturing industries in several particulars. They are highly localized. More than half of all the clothing manufactured in the United States is made in New York City. Choice of a home is, therefore, limited for the yo

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Two Types of Employers

There are two types of employers in the clothing industries, namely, the manufacturer and the contractor or submanufacturer. Many factories, especially those where the high-grade garments are made, have their own “inside shops” where all work is done under supervision of the manufacturer or his foremen. But there is a tendency to increase the contracting system, particularly in the making of cheaper garments. When the contracting method is employed the manufacturer or jobber purchases the materi

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What the Workers Produce

All sorts of wearing apparel, from children’s rompers to opera cloaks, make up the product of these industries, which are naturally divided into two classes—those making men’s garments and those making women’s. The two groups of industries are sharply differentiated, and in each group processes are highly specialized. Men’s clothes are made in three separate types of shops—the coat shop, the pants shop, and the vest shop. Women’s garment trades fall generally into the following groups: (1) Custo

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What Men do in the Clothing Industries

Though many more women are employed in the garment trades than formerly, still the large body of workers are men. Men are employed for processes in which greater endurance or speed is required. In high-class dressmaking men work on dresses made of heavy materials, while women make those of lighter weight. Cloaks and suits are made by men, while waists, under muslins, and children’s clothes are made by women. An equal number of men and women are skirt operators, while in buttonhole making the num

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PLAN No. 1239. DESIGNING

In large plants there is often a man separately charged with the designing of garments. He must create the designs, make the models, and choose the materials for the designs. His chief responsibility is choosing the materials for the style of garment he wishes to produce and co-operating with the sales department in producing designs which will sell and also be economical to cut. This is a high-grade position for a man with artistic ability. Only men are employed. Qualifications include high-gra

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PLAN No. 1240. CUTTING

In all of these industries cutting is done almost exclusively by men, and consists of marking, laying up, and cutting textiles in accordance with specific patterns. It is the most skillful and responsible of all the occupations for the reason that upon the quality of the cutting depends not only the appearance of the garment, but also, to a considerable extent, its cost, inasmuch as the ability of the cutter to lay out economically his pattern determines the amount of cloth that is consumed. Cut

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PLAN No. 1241. SAMPLE MAKING

Sample making is done by men and women , and consists of making samples of new garments from models furnished by the designer. This work calls for tailors (males, usually, in the cloak and suit industry) and operators (usually females, in the other industries) of rather exceptional ability and skill. Sample making occupies a small number of workers for a short time at the beginning of each season, the makers of samples being recruited temporarily from among the more expert tailors and operators.

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PLAN No. 1242. OPERATING

Operating is done by men and women , and consists of sewing the parts of a garment together, by machine, as they come from the cutting department. In most instances it is one of the least-skilled occupations, manned to a considerable extent by inexperienced, recently-arrived immigrants. Except in the cloak and suit industry, where the greater part of the operating is done by men, the operators in these industries are predominantly female. Speed and manual dexterity are essential. The operator mu

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PLAN No. 1243. BASTING

In the cloak, suit, and skirt industry, and in the dress and waist industry, basting is done mostly by females , and consists of roughly sewing together by hand (“basting”) the partly finished garment, for the purpose of placing it, at times, on a dummy figure or living model, so that careful examination may be made by the tailor or sample maker of the character of the work at various stages of manufacture. In the cloak and suit industry approximately two-thirds and in the other industries almos

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PLAN No. 1244. PRESSING

Pressing is done by males and females and consists of pressing out with a hot press or iron the seams and various parts of a garment after they have been put together by the operators—except in the case of the part presser, who is required to press out pieces, such as sleeves, pockets, collars, cuffs, and belts. The under presser presses the garment before it is lined, and the upper presser, the most skilled of the three, presses the finished garment, shaping and molding it, to some extent, into

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Examining

The examiner looks over the garment in the process of manufacturing or when it is completed, to discover defects and ascertain whether the shape is correct. This is an important position, as it entails considerable responsibility for the quality of the garments manufactured. Men and women both are employed. The examiner must be an experienced operator on the garments, and should have had enough experience at examining to know the various styles and designs....

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How Men are Paid

In the clothing industries men are paid either by time or by piece. The difference in these two systems of payment amounts to very little. Under the time system wages remain unchanged from day to day even though the product varies, and under the piece system as the product increases wages increase proportionally. But the minimum and maximum amount of work insisted upon in one instance by the employees and in the other by the employers make the actual difference in wages received under the two sy

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How Men Are Trained

Not much attention has been given to the training of garment workers, though many employers are realizing the necessity for the workers to have a knowledge of English, an understanding of the fundamental principles of arithmetic, and some industrial information. Factory schools have been organized in some instances and workers are allowed to take some of their working time to attend the classes. Adaptability, general intelligence, skill, precision, and speed are important in the making of a good

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Conditions of Work

Overcrowding, overwork, and underfeeding are often evidenced by the pallor of the operatives; and the undue prevalence of tuberculosis, neurasthenia, and anemia among them clearly show that the constrained position, exposure to dust and fumes from leaky gas tubing, insufficient lighting facilities and ventilation found in many of the smaller shops are conditions yet to be remedied before the garment industries can receive an unqualified recommendation as suitable for a disabled man. However, men

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Opportunities for the Disabled

Occupations in garment making are largely nonhazardous. Handling heavy rolls of material, climbing ladders to hang shrunken goods to dry, testing heating apparatus for pressing irons, managing the knives of cutting machines, are all accompanied by some danger, but accidents as serious may occur in the daily occupations of any home. Yet it may fairly be said that the clothing industries offer only small inducements to the handicapped. The man who has lost a leg would hardly choose to be a cutter,

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Good Farmers Should not Try to Become Tailors

In most cases the returned soldier whose disability necessitates a change of employment will, in choosing a new occupation, turn from the clothing industries as unsuitable for him. The needle is not an attractive tool to men unless they have been raised in the atmosphere of the tailor shop. It is with no desire to make tailors of farmers, sewing-machine operators of truck drivers, that opportunities in the clothing industries are here described. If a man has other talents, by all means let him c

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What is Podiatry?

Podiatry means the care of the human foot in health and in disease. The intelligent practice of podiatry constitutes the practitioner a specialist in this branch of medicine....

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Specialists in Medicine

In recent years those educated and equipped as doctors of medicine, in many instances, particularly in the larger cities, have devoted themselves to some special branch, and so it is that we have laryngologists (throat), otologists (ear), urologists (male organs of generation), gynaecologists (female organs of generation), oculists (eye), orthopaedists (deformities), odontologists (teeth), and many others who specialize in some one particular field of medicine. Strange as it may seem, physicians

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The Genesis of Chiropody

In consequence, a group of non-medical practitioners, styling themselves chiropodists, assumed to care for the foot woes of the public. They claimed no scientific knowledge of the feet, but announced their ability, acquired in the school of experience, to care for the minor foot-ills of the public which were largely induced by the wearing of badly constructed foot-gear. These practitioners were primarily usually itinerants. They went about from town to town carrying their kits, which contained k

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Chiropody Development

In 1895 they had grown so numerous in New York City that they organized a State Society and the State legislature chartered their organization and gave them power to license others who wished to practice similarly. Many other states gradually enacted like laws. In 1912 the Pedic Society of the State of New York again went to the legislature and secured the passage of a law which required academic qualifications of students of chiropody and established a standard for chiropody teaching institutio

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Schools and Their Curricula

The teaching schools have faculties made up of doctors of medicine, chemists and podiatrists. The outlined courses of study include instruction in the following topics: Anatomy, Histology, Chemistry, Physiology, Hygiene, Materia Medica, Therapeutics, Pharmacy, Surgery, Bacteriology, Pathology, Dermatology, The Principles of Medicine, Ethics, The History of Podiatry, Foot-Gear, Orthopedics, Massage, Electro-Therapeutics, Posture Studies and X-Ray work. No man should take up a career in podiatry u

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Students

There are three classes of students: Regular, Special and Post-graduate. Regular Students must have academic qualifications in keeping with the standards adopted by the various state education authorities. In most of the states two years of high school work, or its equivalent in academic counts, are pre-requisites. This standard is being advanced each year until all regular students in all schools will have to have a minimum education of graduation from a high school or its equivalent in academi

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Duration of Course

In most of the established schools of chiropody the day course is of from eight to nine months’ duration. The hours are as follows: from 9 A. M. to 12, from 1 to 5 P. M., and during the last three months of the course, additionally, from 7:30 to 10 P. M. The night course is of two years’ duration, three hours each night for eight months in each year....

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Degrees

Graduates of the various schools receive titles and degrees. Some of the schools give the degree of D.S.C. (Doctor of Surgical Chiropody); others the title of M.Cp. (Master of Chiropody)....

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License to Practice

Before admission to practice, graduates must pass an examination conducted by the State Board of Medical Examiners in the state in which they desire to engage in practice. The conditions as to admission for licensing examination vary in the different states, as there is at present no reciprocity in chiropody licensure....

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Requisites for Success

The requisites for success in podiatry study and practice are not trifling. Primarily the student should have the feeling that he is engaging in a calling in which he can be of service to his fellowman. The draft and the war itself have proved that the foot has been a very much neglected factor in the physical care of humankind. Draft statistics show a large percentage of rejections because of foot defects, and the casual lists in actual warfare are filled with the names of those who have fallen

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Desirability of Mechanical Knowledge

As much of the actual practice, both preventive and curative, has to do with surgical endeavors, the prospective student should have an aptitude for mechanics....

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Physical Qualifications

The practice of medicine presumes a vigorous body as well as a virile mind, and it is best for every man in every life engagement to be so equipped; but those whose physical condition is impaired so that locomotion and other normal functions are impeded can readily engage in podiatry because most of the work is carried on in the office and can be done while seated and during limited hours....

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Possible Assets

Those who have studied chemistry or pharmacy or have been associated with hospital work will find themselves possessing valuable assets in the study and in the practice of podiatry....

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Choice of Location

There are failures and successes in every field, professional and otherwise. It is, however, axiomatic that a podiatrist who knows his work and applies himself in the proper field will succeed as a breadwinner. The selection of a location is of the greatest importance. Graduates of the various schools, in the main, have located in the larger cities. This is frequently an error because competition with those already engaged in practice who have a standing and a following is thus inevitable and th

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The Income From Podiatry Practice

It is current belief that the average podiatrist enjoys a greater income than the average physician. There are no statistics available to confirm or to disprove this conclusion. In order that some idea on this point may be gained, the incomes of some of the members of the first graduating class of one of the podiatry schools of prominence are here given: [44] A woman graduate....

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Physicians’ Co-operation

Once the co-operation of the physician is secured, success is assured. Some practitioners in towns of from 15,000 to 35,000 have in three years gained sufficient practise through the aid of medical practitioners to make their incomes from $2,000 to $5,000....

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The Personal Equation

The personal equation is a great factor in this as in all other life spheres. The likeable man or woman with a modicum of other attributes will invariably succeed. When such a person possesses qualities which, when applied, prove helpful to his fellows, the limit of his earning capacity can only be measured by the hours he can serve and the population of the center in which he carries on his practice....

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Podiatry is Ethical

Podiatry, as taught to-day, frowns down upon all unethical methods and disavows the charlatan. Its exponents and its loyal followers are keen as to the need for scrupulous care in the education of its students and the conduct of its practitioners. It strives to be classified as a dignified branch of medicine and fosters a literature that is strictly scientific....

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Podiatry Organizations

Podiatry has a national organization whose purposes are for the benefit of the profession, based upon the good which they can accomplish in serving the public. It has a state society in almost every commonwealth in the United States, and local societies flourish in every populous city....

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Professional Advancement

The scope of the podiatrists’ professional labors is continuously being enlarged by legal enactments and, where deserved, medical practitioners recommend them to their patients as foot specialists. In a number of well-known hospitals, podiatrists are attached to the medical staff, thus proving that physicians in groups are beginning to recognize the need for the services which these practitioners supply. In another year the course of study in most of the schools will be prolonged to two years an

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Is There a Demand for Podiatrists?

In all of the large cities of the United States and of Europe chiropodists have been in demand for the past century. The need for foot-care is daily becoming more pronounced. Now that physicians can and do recommend their patients to chiropodists who have been scientifically trained in their calling, the need for such practitioners is rapidly growing. The public is growing to recognize the need of both preventive care and curative treatment of the minor ills of this part of the anatomy and the p

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How Long Does it Take to Establish a Practice?

The answer to this natural inquiry depends largely upon the place of location, the experience and the personality of the practitioner. If one locates in a city where he is the only scientifically equipped podiatrist, assuming that he is properly equipped, recognition by both medical men and by the laity should promptly be accorded and that in turn would mean success. If a graduate locates in a metropolitan city unheralded and unsung, his advance may be exceedingly slow and like the general pract

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Where Podiatry (Chiropody) is Regulated by Law?

The following commonwealths have passed laws regulating the practice of chiropody (podiatry) and those desiring specific information as to the details of the same in any given state should address the person whose name follows the state, as here recorded: California—Chas. B. Pinkham, M.D., 125 Stockton St., San Francisco. Colorado—David A. Strickley, M.D., 612 Empire Bldg., Denver. Connecticut—Chas. A. Tuttle, M.D., New Haven. District of Columbia—Commissioner of Education. Illinois—C. St. Clair

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Podiatry Teaching Institutions

The following are the Schools of Chiropody (Podiatry), in the order of their creation: The First Institute of Podiatry—213-17 W. 125th St., New York City. Chiropody Dept., Temple University—18 Buttonwood St., Philadelphia, Pa. California College of Chiropody—908 McAllister St., San Francisco. Illinois College of Chiropody—1321 N. Clark St., Chicago, Ill. Ohio College of Chiropody—Cleveland, O. Chiropody Dept., University of Massachusetts—Fourth and Otis Sts., Cambridge, Mass. Catalogs of each of

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Acknowledgment

This monograph was prepared by J. A. LeClerc, chemist in charge of the laboratory of plant chemistry, Bureau of Chemistry, Department of Agriculture. Acknowledgment is due M. A. Gray, chemist of the Pillsbury Flour Co., Minneapolis, and Prof. C. H. Bailey, of the University of Minnesota, for assistance in the preparation of this article. Modern flour milling dates back to the early eighties of the last century. Before that time, a good white flour was indeed made, but the machinery used consiste

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Unloader[46]

Description : The unloader unloads the wheat or other flour products from the cars by use of the power scoop, shovel, or other means. Qualifications : He must be physically strong and have good lungs. [46] These descriptions are taken from the pamphlet entitled “Descriptions of Occupations in Flour Milling,” published by the Department of Labor....

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Unloader Foreman

Description : The foreman unloader directs the work of the gang which unloads the wheat from the cars. He must plan their work according to the number of cars and keep records of the car numbers. Qualifications : Ordinary strength and ability. He should have worked as unloader. Schooling : He must have education enough to keep simple records....

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Loader

Kindred occupation : Unloader. Description : The loader, under the direction of the loader foreman, loads bags, boxes, and barrels of the finished products into cars. Qualifications : He should be able to load cars so that goods will not be damaged in transit. He must be physically strong and have good lungs....

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Loader Foreman

Description : The loader foreman directs the work of the loading gang. He plans his work according to the size and capacity of the cars, sees that the cars are properly loaded, and keeps such records as are necessary. Qualifications : He should have worked as a loader and should have executive ability sufficient to direct a gang of laborers. Schooling : Common school....

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Elevator Man

Description : The elevator man carries out the instructions of the foreman, seeing that wheat flows through the proper spouts into proper bins for storage. He keeps a record of the wheat stored and delivered, and is responsible for delivering and reporting all the trouble with elevator machinery or spouts. This latter is his chief responsibility. Qualifications : Should have had previous milling experience. Ordinary ability. Strong lungs to withstand the dust....

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Elevator Foreman

Description : The elevator foreman is responsible for and is in charge of taking the wheat into the elevator. He inspects the wheat for correct dockage and directs the storage of the wheat according to the grade or quality. He keeps a record of receipts of wheat, of the tests, the weights, and of the disposition of the various lots. Where dockage is necessary he holds the cars for adjustment. This position is one of the most responsible in the flour mill. Qualifications : Executive ability; know

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Blender

Description : The blender mixes different grades of wheat flour, or wheat flour and coarse-grain flour in designated proportions. Qualifications : He must understand the character of the different grades of wheat flour and coarse-grain flours, and must know how to combine the various grades of flour in proper proportions....

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Roll Tender—Cleaning Machine Tenders

Kindred Occupation : Oiler. Description : The roll tender must see that all oil and grease cups about the milling rolls are filled and that all the bearings and boltings are properly lubricated. He keeps his machinery wiped clean of dust and grease and reports any mechanical trouble to the miller or the millwright. Men are always employed. Qualifications : He must be intelligent and active and have some mechanical ability. Schooling : Common school....

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Oiler

Kindred occupation : Roll tender. Description : The oiler must see that all oil and grease cups about the shafting and milling machinery are filled and that all bearings are being properly lubricated. He keeps his machinery wiped clean of dust and grease, and reports any mechanical trouble to the miller or millwright. Calls for considerable climbing overhead. Qualifications : He must be active and have some mechanical ability....

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Sweeper

Description : The sweeper keeps the floors clean of flour, wheat, and dust and keeps the machines clean. This necessitates climbing on ladders and running boards. Qualifications : Ordinary ability and strong lungs to withstand the large amount of dust....

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Smutter

Description : The smutter prepares the wheat for grinding into flour by running it over separators to screen out foreign matter. He must examine the stock for dirt, determine whether the screening is resulting in waste of wheat, and make adjustments in his machine to secure the proper screening. He also supervises the work of the sweepers, oilers, and helpers on his floor. Qualifications : He should have strong lungs to withstand dust. Should have mechanical ability and must understand the scree

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Grinder

Description : The grinder has charge of the milling rolls. He sets his machine or adjusts the rolls for grinding, watches the process to see that proper operation goes on, and tests the stock occasionally to make sure that it is being ground properly. This work is done practically on one floor, with very little climbing. Qualifications : Must have strong lungs to withstand the dust. He must be an experienced grinder of wheat. Must know how to set his machine and know by testing when the grinding

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Bolter and Purifier

Description : The bolter sifts the wheat stock in the sifting machines, tests the broken wheat stock as it comes from the grinder, and adjusts the feed slides and keeps the machines in proper operation so that they will take in only as much stock as it can properly sift. He must sometimes inform the grinder as to the proper fineness of the stock. He does not fix or oil his machine, but must understand its mechanism. The work is dusty. Mostly floor work, but some climbing on ladders and running b

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Miller, Second or Trick Miller

Description : The second miller acts for the miller in overseeing all of the processes in cleaning, grinding, and bolting. He plans the work and teaches new men. He is required to figure and keep a record of the yield of flour and feed. He has full charge during the absence of the head miller. Qualifications : Should have strong lungs to withstand the dust. Since he is in line for promotion to head miller, he should have the same qualifications. The loss of one or more limbs or an eye, or being

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Miller, Head

Kindred occupations : Second miller. Description : The head miller is responsible for all the processes of milling, for the output, and for the grade of flour produced. He must have a thorough knowledge of all processes of milling and of wheat grading. Qualifications : He must have a thorough knowledge of all milling machinery and of the “flow” of the mill. He should have worked as second miller for several years. This is a very highly skilled occupation, and requires a great deal of trade knowl

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Spouter

Description : The spouter is responsible for the uninterrupted flow of flour and feed stock through the spouts, and it is his duty to see that all valves, slides, etc., are in their proper position. Qualifications : He should have a thorough knowledge of the flow of the mill and be able to remedy choke-ups or spouting troubles with the quickest possible dispatch. The work requires skill and mechanical ability, and requires a man who has worked in other milling positions. He should be intelligent

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Packer

Description : The packer tends the machine which fills the bag, packages, and barrels with the finished product. Men are employed when the product is packed into large bags and barrels. Women are employed when the small packages and cartons are filled. Qualifications : He must be able to weigh skillfully and rapidly and when filling bags he must be able to use the bag needle with skill and be able to operate a bag-closing machine. He should also be able to insert barrel heads quickly when fillin

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Packer Foreman

Kindred occupation : Packer. Description : The packer foreman has charge of the work of the packers. He is responsible for the proper packing of the product and the proper weight of the bags, packages, and barrels. Qualifications : Ordinary strength. He should have had experience as a packer. He must be able to figure and render accurate account of the output of the machine under his supervision. He must have the ability to make adjustments and repairs on the machines....

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Trucker

Description : The trucker pushes or pulls trucks of flour or feed from the packers to the warehouse or to the cars, or from the warehouse to the cars; also performs other general labor about the warehouse or cars as directed by the warehouse foreman. Qualifications : Good physical strength....

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Millwright

Kindred occupations : Spouter. Description : The millwright is responsible for the upkeep of the mill in general and for all trouble with the spouting, milling machinery, and equipment. He repairs, installs, or takes out machinery, equipment, or spouting under direction of the head miller. Qualifications : He must be a highly skilled wood and sheet metal worker, and must have a general knowledge of all the milling processes. He should have had experience as carpenter, metal worker, and spouter,

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Sack Man

Description : The sack man has complete charge of the stock of unfilled flour and feed sacks, bags, cartons, and barrels. It is his duty to keep the packers supplied with the proper kind and number of sacks, bags, cartons, and barrels. Qualifications : He must be able to render reports of the supplies received and used, and to render accurate inventory of the supplies on hand. He must be intelligent, accurate, and attentive to duty....

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Sack Sewer

Description : The sack sewer repairs sacks by hand or on a sewing machine, and does other required sewing. Qualifications : He must be able to do plain hand sewing or use a sewing machine....

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Warehouse Foreman

Kindred occupation : Packer foreman. Description : The warehouse foreman has charge of the warehouse and has general supervision of all truckers and packers. He superintends the loading of all cars, and issues packing instructions to the packer foreman. He must keep strict account of all cars placed at the warehouse for loading and unloading, and must be able to make out various reports, such as those relating to the loading of cars, the delivery of goods, and the inventory of stock. Qualificati

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Trick Miller, or Second Miller

Description : Supervises the mill on a particular watch; responsible to the head miller; takes the lead in adjusting trouble at any particular point; presence required in all parts of the mill. Qualifications : Like those for miller. Schooling : Common school. The following occupations—unloader, loader, elevator man, sweeper, smutter, sack man, trucker—may be classified as unskilled, and the men who work in these occupations work under immediate direction of their foreman. The following occupati

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Physical Disabilities

The description of the various occupations given above answers several questions regarding the schooling and necessary qualifications. Milling is entirely an indoors occupation and one which should not be undertaken by any person affected with tuberculosis. A miller should be agile and capable of endurance. Many of the occupations in the mill require considerable climbing and walking, making it a serious handicap for a person who has lost a limb (unless he has become expert in the use of an arti

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Where to Get Training in Milling

There are very few schools in this country where educational courses relating to milling are given. The three best known are connected with the Kansas Agricultural College at Manhattan, Kans., and with State College at State College, Pa., also the Oregon Agricultural College, Corvallis, Oreg. Each of these schools has a small mill of about 75 barrels daily capacity, fitted however, with all the machinery generally found in a large mill. The training in milling, as given in these schools requires

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What is Baking?

Baking is one of the most ancient, widespread, useful, and highly honored occupations. All classes and grades of bakeries are to be found even to-day from the most primitive, such as those among the Indians of this country and of South America, and those among the native tribes of Africa and other undeveloped countries, up to the most highly developed modern bakery, examples of which are to be found in most of our large cities, in which almost every step in the operation is by machinery, the han

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What Does the Baker Do?

A baker’s business is to make bread by first making a dough with flour, water, salt, and yeast (with or without sugar, malt extract, milk, lard, etc.), allowing this dough to ferment, and then placing this fermented dough in an oven to bake it into bread. In general the following amounts of ingredients are used per barrel of flour: Flour 196 pounds, water 118 pounds, salt 8 pounds, sugar 6 pounds, yeast 2 pounds. Besides these essential ingredients some bakers add 2 to 3 pounds malt extract, 2 t

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How Many Bakers are There?

In the United States there are some 30,000 commercial bakers of whom about 3,000 to 4,000 have an output of 70 to 75 per cent of the baking business of the country. Besides these commercial bakers, found in every city of any size in the country, bakeries are also to be found in many large hotels and restaurants, and these number many thousands more. These bakeries are of such size, indeed, that a head baker and an assistant baker, besides many workmen, are engaged in the different occupations. T

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Value of Bakery Products

At the time of the last census there were over 120,000 men employed in the baking industry and the total output of the product from all kinds of bakeries was estimated to be valued at $400,000,000. Since that time, however, the output of the commercial labor has increased by leaps and bounds. To-day the commercial baker makes fully one-half of the bread consumed in the country, which is a relatively much larger amount than was made even 10 years ago. During the war, bread was advertised as was n

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Where do Bakers Work?

Bakers formerly almost universally worked in basements, many of them dark and unsanitary. The basement bakery is, in fact, not entirely done away with yet, but such as remain are small and unimportant. To-day the bakers of each city are vieing with each other to see who can put up the most attractive, the most “sunlit,” and sanitary bakery. The consequence is that practically all large important bakeries are built high up, with abundance of air and sunlight. This makes the work much more attract

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Description of Occupations in a Bakery

There are a number of occupations connected with the baking industry, among which may be mentioned truckers, blending-machine tenders, mixers, machine hands, bench hands, oven men, packers, and shipping clerks, salesmen, clerks, and the engineers. The classification in the following table shows the character of occupations, the work required, the qualifications, wages, hours of labor, physical requirements, and training of the men: [47] Per day. [48] No fixed hours. 1. Based on intensive technic

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Disabilities—They Need not Disqualify

A study of the table of occupations will show that few soldiers, who feel they have an aptitude for this industry, will find themselves disqualified. Of course, the bakeshop is no place for a consumptive, nor for an invalid, but the loss of an arm, a leg, an eye, or facial or head wounds need not necessarily disqualify men for every occupation in a bakery. There are many occupations in a bakery which a man with these physical defects may fill with perfect satisfaction and success. Indeed, succes

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The Government Will Help You

Every soldier must know that this Government of ours stands ready to assist him to find a congenial occupation. You need not feel discouraged, therefore, because of your supposed disqualification. Instead, it may be the making of you, especially if your mind is positively made up to succeed and if you will accept your Government’s offer to help you to success. While you are learning to become a baker you will be paid a regular allowance to cover your living expenses and your family will be paid

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The Chances for Success

The chances for success are as great in the baking industry as in any other. Look about you a bit. It is very seldom you hear or read about the failure of a well-established bakeshop. The people must have bread. Good bread making is not at all difficult. Your chances to make and to sell good bread are just as good as those of your competitor-baker. Baking is a stable industry. There are large profits in the industry when well conducted. Your chances for success, therefore, are good, because the

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Qualifications

For the owner of a bakery the personal characteristics required for success in a large way are about the same as for other occupations and professions. He must keep abreast of the times by constant study and application. Of course a man must be honest. He must be determined to give full weight. It seems so easy in a bakeshop to cut the weight of a loaf by one-half to 1 ounce and thus reap a temporary advantage, and so it is; but as in other businesses, “honesty is the best policy,” and the baker

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Training and Experience

Formerly, bakers learned their profession through the apprenticeship. While that system is also in vogue to-day, yet many men are being given a tremendous boost by first attending a trade school for bakers or a technical school, college, or university. In going through the apprenticeship stage, a man would be very greatly assisted if he had at least an eighth-grade education or better still a high school or college education. The trade school will in the course of six to nine months’ intensive t

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Schools of Baking

Among the schools offering training for bakers may be mentioned the Dunwoody Institute at Minneapolis, the University of Minneapolis at University Farm, Minn., the Kansas Agricultural College at Manhattan, and a number of trade schools proper at Chicago—the Columbus Laboratory, Operative Miller, and Siebel Institute. It should always be recognized that a general education is a great aid on the road to success, and that an ambition to keep pace with the improvements in methods, changes in materia

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Hours and Wages

Hours. —The hours are in a sense variable, running from 40 to 50 per week, and may vary from week to week where the dental mechanic is employed by the individual dentist. The hours depend largely upon the amount of work on hand in the office each day and the urgency for its completion. Usually the dentist works about seven hours a day, and he seldom demands more time of his assistants. Under these conditions, overtime is not usually considered. In large laboratories where a number of mechanics a

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Qualifications

Previous Training. —No previous knowledge of dentistry or experience in mechanical work is necessary to qualify the student for mechanical dentistry, though those who have had experience such as mechanics in the jewelry trade, metal working industries where small work is a feature, or photography will find that the former work is a good foundation. Education. —An average education is all that is absolutely required for the student of mechanical dentistry, though a high-school training and a know

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Training

Time required. —The length of time required to train men for mechanical dentistry may vary, according to previous education, experience and his type of disability. In many places the training is not done by classes, but through personal instruction, and the completion of the course lies with the aptitude of the student. The average time required is believed to be about one college year unless, as in some special cases, an intensive course of four months or so is instituted. These have been opene

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