Uncle Peter’s Comer

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 168, 17 July 1937, Page 13

Uncle Peter’s Comer

Fig. a.—A Rubber Swing for Your Little Brothers and Sisters It is an easy matter to get hold of a j disused motor tyre. Most service * stations have so many of them lying * about that you can easily persuade them 1 to let you have one at a very low I charge. Once you have got such an old 1 tyre you will be able in no time to 1 make the most comfortable swing ever seen for your little crothers and sisters. 1 Just take a look at the picture. With 1 a sharp knife you cut away about two* a thirds of the “tread". This leaves two r rubber rings connected by a broad piece 5 of rubber. The rings being the rein- c forced edges of the tyre, they are quite 1 strong enough to bo suspended by ropes u in the manner illustrated. As you see, ' a strong wooden stick is used to keep the ropes apart. Now hang the whole a swing on a strong hook firmly screwed * into the branch of a tree. If you happen J to have a regular swing at hand, you 1 can use that too, of course. Clean your * rubber swing with a stiff brush, as 1 there is bound to be some dirt and talc, 1 and then invito your little brothers and : sisters to a turn on the swing. They ' will bo delighted, you may be sure. I 1 need hardly tell you that in cutting out tho tread we must leave enough to ‘ have a kind of back, which can be made 1 as high as one likes.

Fig. b.—Do You Know Foot Wrestling? This is an amusing and exciting game for two players. The picture shows how they are to stand with folded arms and their right heels hooked together. Each player then tries to make his opponent lose his balance, using his left foot to jump about on and his right foot to “wrestle" with. It is best to draw a circle measuring about ten paces in diameter. Then, the first player to be forced outside it, or having to draw back his leg to avoid falling, is the loser. To render their feet as flexible as possible, the players should preferably wear gymshoes.

Tig. c.—A New Variety of Tennis, Ring-tennis. Here you see an attractive form of tennis training for two persons. Attach a barrel hoop to a pole, as shown in the illustration. The players then try to hit the ball through the hoop with their rackets. It goes without saying that the farther you and your opponent stand away from the hoop, the harder it will be to get the ball through the ring when you are nitting it to and fro. A player scores a point each time he succeeds in doing so.

Fig. d.—Would You Like to be a Plant Collector? It is certainly quite as interesting, if not more so, to collect plants as to collect stamps. In the same manner as a stamp collection widens your geographical and political knowledge, a wellplanned collecting of dried, pressed plants will give you a much wider understanding of jour country's soil and flora. A collection of dried plants is called a herbarium. The essential thing is to gather the widest possible assortment of wild flowers. Quo of the requisites is a botanical case (see fig. 1) preferably one provided with two compartments so that you can keep the frailest plants separately. Fig. 2 styows a botanist’s net, which is indispensable when you are out gathering water plants for your collection. You will also need a paper of pins and a few slips of paper. As you gather the plants, number them and make notes concerning the site, light, soil, aud date, uud pin the slips to the respective plants. Determining the name of tho plant, etc., is best left until you, get home. In Fig. 3 you see an old knitting needle the point <i ! which has been broken off. It is to bo used for spreading out the leaves and flowers when tho plants are being pressed. Never apply jour fingers to tho delicate parts of the plants. Fig. 4 shows a press that is easily made from ! two thick, pieces of wood, two strips of metal provided with holes, and two double-winged screws. However, you can very well manage at first with just two pieces of wood and a couple of

For pressing we need some sheets of filter-paper or white blotting-paper. Provided you have enough paper you can very well press several plants at a time. All that is necessary is to place them in layers with the filter-paper or blotting-paper in between each layer. Take care that thick stems do not press through tlio paper against thin, delicate stalks. This may be avoided by putting in some small pieces of cardboard where necessary. Stand the press in a, dry and airy place l'or some hours, when the paper must be changed. Any incorrect folds in the plants or flowers should bo straightened out now, whereupon pressing is continued for a day or so. If the plants are very sappy the paper must be changed about five or six times. The pressing done, give the plants a last drying by leaving them for a while loose between some sheets or newspaper. The plants may then be affixed to cardboard by means of gummed paper, never by smearing glue on the plant itself. The name of the plant is written on the cardboard sheet, and the slip you made your notes on when finding the plant., attached. An excellent idea, too, is to stick on any snapshots you may have of the place the plants come from. Fig. 1 shows the correct mounting of a long plant divided so that the different parts lie smooth and straight. A plant must never be turned and twisted in the manner depicted in lig. 2. The sheets are gradually filed in cardboard folders or in a draw kept for the