Old-Time Country Wisdom & Lore: 1000s of Traditional Skills for Simple Living - Paperback

by Jerry Johnson (Author)

A grand encyclopedia of country lore by famed Texas folklorist Jerry Mack Johnson, covering water witching, maple syruping, weather wisdom, country remedies and herbal cures, cleaning solutions, pest purges, bird migrations and animal lore, firewood essentials, adobe making and bricklaying, leather working, plant dyes, farm foods, natural teas and tonics, granola, bread making, beer brewing and winemaking, jams and jellies, canning and preserving, sausage making and meat smoking, drying foods, down-home toys, papermaking, candle crafting, homemade soaps and shampoos, Christmas wreaths and decorations, butter and cheese making, fishing and hunting secrets, and much more.

Front Jacket

Can you calculate the temperature by listening to a cricket chirp?What is the best way to dip a homemade candle?How do you make honey-dandelion wine and homemade cheese?Are high-flying swallows a sign of fair weather or foul?What are the sure-fire secrets and best baits for catching fish?How can you soothe a fussy baby with molasses and chicken feathers? This handy reference guide of now-forgotten rural skills, foods, and crafts will answer the above questions and many more, taking you back to a simpler time. Packed with more than 1,000 projects, pastimes, recipes, and down-home truths--plus 400 vintage illustrations--"Old-Time Country Wisdom & Lore" is a veritable encyclopedia of country instruction and advice.

Back Jacket

Go back to the simple life of the countryside. In "Old-Time Country Wisdom & Lore," you'll learn how to read the clouds to predict the weather, make a long-lasting campfire, can fruits and vegetables, braid a rug, use a divining rod to find water, make a hammock, brew strawberry tea, tap trees to make maple syrup, find the best fishing spots, make homemade cheese and butter, build a rubber-band boat and other children's toys, fashion a backpack, cook up jams and jellies, keep your house spic-and-span, make gravestone rubbings, stitch a quilt, form adobe bricks, tan animal hides, dip wax candles, play Mumblety-Peg and other games, mix your own shampoos and lotions, build a tin-can lantern, make wallpaper and wall stencils, smoke sausages, cure arthritis and other ailments, fire a clay pot, craft homemade Christmas ornaments, repair leather shoes, rid your home of pests, plant your garden according to the moon's phases, and much more. Curated by famed Texas folklorist Jerry Mack Johnson, "Old-Time Country Wisdom & Lore" is a homespun encyclopedia of classic country know-how.

Author Biography

Jerry Mack Johnson grew up on a ranch in West Texas and worked as a cowboy, rodeo clown, professional bull rider, miner, prospector, merchant seaman, oilfield worker, catfish farmer, salesman, and school teacher. He was the author of numerous books of lore, including Down Home Ways, Country Wisdom, and Country Scrapbook.