Learn tried-and-true methods of building and maintaining your small farm or homestead from historic US Department of Agriculture books and bulletins. The University of North Texas provides online editions of thousands of United States government sponsored books and documents. Here's a small sampling of USDA publications from the 1930s through the 1960s. These old works do not show the latest and best methods, but they are still valuable for ideas.
Adobe or Sun-Dried Brick for Farm Buildings
Bracing Farm Buildings
Chimneys and Fireplaces: How to Build Them
Convenient Kitchens
Dairy-Barn Construction
Earth Roads
Expansible Farmhouses Farm Buildings from Home-Grown Timber in the South
Farm Dairy Houses
Farm Drainage
Farm Fences
The Farm Garden
Farmhouse Plans
Farmhouse: Split-Level Expansible
Farm Plumbing
Farm Poultry Raising Farmstead Water Supply
Farm Water Power
Fire-Protective Construction on the Farm
Fires on Farms
Getting Started in Farming
Good Roads for Farmers Growing and Planting Coniferous Trees on the Farm Heating the Farm Home
Homes for Birds
Housecleaning Made Easier
How to Build a Farm Pond
Livestock for Small Farms
Managing Farm Fishponds for Bass and Bluegills
Measuring and Marketing Farm Timber
Modernizing Farmhouses Painting on the Farm
Part Time Farming
Plain Concrete for Farm Use
Plans of Rural Community Buildings Poultry Houses and Fixtures
Poultry Raising on the Farm
Practical Hog Houses
Practical Suggestions for Farm Buildings
Protection of Buildings and Farm Property from Lightning Rammed Earth Walls for Buildings
Selection of Lumber for Farm and Home Building
Seven Ways to Greater Egg Profit
Silos and Silage
Small Concrete Construction on the Farm
Techniques of Fishpond Management
Termites in Buildings
The Use of Logs and Poles in Farm Construction
Weeds and How to Kill Them
The Windbreak as a Farm Asset
The contents of the University of North Texas Digital Library are made publicly available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Review each manuscript for copyright information. It's your responsibility to use this material according to all applicable terms