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

7    Editorial:
Talking to your kids about death

81  Ask Jackie:
Chokecherry jelly, well cake, pomegranate jelly, canning lids, water bath canning, canning corn, roasting hazelnuts, and more.

31  Ayoob on Firearms:
Answering some well asked questions about personal defense

56  Avian Flu
How afraid of this chicken should you be?

67  Irreverent joke page

79  Claire goes to the movies

80  Poem:Emmett W. Grandy III

86  Letters

90  Classified ads (pdf)

90  Classified advertising form

93   Advertiser Index

94   BHM anthologies, CD-ROMs, & books

95  The last word:
Activists on both the left and the right spotlight a broken federal government

96-97  Order form/Subscription Info

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Cover 97
ABOUT THE COVER
This issue’s cover was painted by Don Childers to bring attention to one of the issue’s main articles, Avian flu — How afraid of this chicken should you be?, beginning on page 56. It is a watercolor. The rooster is named Fred and he lives happily with all his hens in Don’s chicken house. Like all chickens, he’s not too smart. In fact, he barely knows when to come out of the rain. But we needed a chicken for this issue’s cover, and he was kind enough to pose for Don.

FEATURES

Building and tools

24  Home central vacuum system   By David Lee

Build an affordable home central vacuum system and leave the dust outside where it belongs.

Alternative energy

39  Flashlight! Flashlight! Who’s got the flashlight?   By Jeffrey R. Yago, P.E., CEM

Learn what types of flashlights are best and how to keep them ready for emergency use.

Self-reliance

35   Self defense for women—A New Year’s resolution I kept   By Kelly McCarthy

44   Survival firebuilding skills   By Corcceigh Green

Firebuilding skills are essential for people who may find themselves in survival situations. Corcceigh talks about the tools and skills you need to build a fire during less than exceptional conditions.

47  Vinegar   By Linda Gabris

A splash is all you need for healthful eating, natural healing, and a sparkling home.

68  Publish your book for as little as $150   By Robert Williams

Avoid getting taken to the cleaners. Robert Williams tells us how you can publish your book for as little as $150.

76  Kids in the Kitchen   By Sharon Palmer, RD

Farm and garden

20  How to grow potatoes   By Alice Yeager

Food and recipes

8    Healthy homemade breads with worldly flair   By Linda Gabris

16  Potatoes—a storehouse of energy and nutrients   By Habeeb Salloum

21  The science behind the potato   By George Erdosh

54  Creating and maintaining your own sourdough starter   By Emily Buehler