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A Backwoods Home Anthology — The Seventeenth Year
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DEPARTMENTS
6  Publisher’s Note

7  Editorial:
The Government gorilla in our home

19  Ayoob on Firearms:
Frontier style handguns for the modern backwoods home

26  Ask Jackie:
Stems on mulberries, jam not setting, groundhog damage, crickets n the garden, preserving avocados, cabbage recipes, canning grapefruit, making whitewash, etc.

32  Claire goes to the movies

33  Irreverent joke page

85  Letters

90   Advertiser Index

91 &nbspClassified ads (pdf)

91  Classified advertising form

94   BHM anthologies, CD-ROMs, & books

95  The last word:
The land of the unfree

96-97  Order form/Subscription Info

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Cover 101
ABOUT THE COVER
This issue’s cover was painted by our artist, Don Childers. It’s the dream of a lot of folks to have a cabin on a lake. There’s always work to be done and there’s always fish to be caught. The roof of this house obviously needs to be finished before the rainy season begins. The owner either hasn’t been able to buy his boat yet, or perhaps his children and wife are off fishing in it and will bring home a nice catch for the evening’s meal. It’s a nice big lake with lots of solitude.

FEATURES

Building and tools

8  Homesite preparation and foundation    By David Lee

Practical advice on preparing a homesite with minimum impact on your land.

53  Build a 6500-gallon concrete water tank for $1500   By Dorothy Ainsworth

Yes, you can develop a water supply without investing a fortune.

Alternative energy

35  Make your own biodiesel for 80¢ per gallon   By Jeffrey R. Yago, PE, CEM

With the price and scarcity of fossil fuels, biodiesel is a viable and inexpensive alternative.

Self-reliance

42  Water development: Wells for the homestead   By Roy Martin

What type of well might fit your needs? Roy Martin covers them all.

63  The enchanting Chanterelle   By Devon Winter

Before going out into the forest to pick Chanterelles, read this comprehensive article on identifying, harvesting, and preparing this delicious delicacy.

68  Starting over: Part 11   By Jackie Clay

Jackie’s garden flourishes in spite of a killing frost. Work on the house continues, and with her friend Tom’s help, half of the roof is installed.

Recipes

16  No fuss, no muss, one-pan grouse supper   By Linda Gabris

59  Homemade pickles and relishes   By Linda Gabris

Store-bought has nothing on these homemade goodies. With Linda’s detailed directions, you can put up your autumn harvest for use all winter long.

76  Extreme Ghanaian trout   By Linda Gabris

Who would have thought trout could be so elegant?

81  Tantalizing ginger   By Linda Gabris

Not only is ginger a versatile spice, but its health benefits are well known by herbalists worldwide.

Farm and Garden

78  Raising quail   By Allen Easterly