I bought The Manual of Practical Homesteading by John Vivian (Rodale Press Book Division, 1975) this past year for a whopping $0.96, and the title pretty much sums it up. I haven't read the whole thing, but it's no-nonsense and direct which is kinda refreshing. There's an entire chapter devoted to slaughtering and dressing animals:
There are also many chapters on general chores from collecting firewood to germinating seeds to canning/preserving:
If you manage to come across this book, I'd recommend scooping it up especially if you can find it at the price I did. There's a lot of instructions for doing a lot of varied tasks that might be useful even if you aren't homesteading.
What a great find!!! My husband gave a me a similar one for my birthday last year and it is so much fun to read!!!
ReplyDeleteI love Rodale Press books. They are indeed very instructional. I hope some of the folks that started homesteading had a little knowledge under their belt before setting out into the world on their own with only a book.
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