Book excerpt: Farm Agskills is a comprehensive guide to basic farm skills. Learn about rope knots, wire knots, the basics of electric and conventional fencing, calibrating farm machinery such as a seed drill, boom spray or fertiliser spreader, inoculating and lime pelleting legume seeds, estimating pasture yields, planting trees, soil testing and farm safety. Simple to follow with step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and full-colour pictures. Farm AgSkills is part of the AgSkills series: books that provide clear explanations about a wide range of practical tasks performed in farming. Industry personnel and departmental officers have been involved in compiling these Agskills. CHAPTERS General safety precautions Rope knots The clove hitch The bowline knot The hay knot The quick-release knot No. 1 The quick-release knot No. 2 The sheet bend knot The eye splice The crown knot The back splice Animal halter Rope headstall Fencing Introduction to fencing Clearing and sighting the fence line (including over a hill) Erecting fence posts Hanging a gate Running out and tying off wires Constructing a horizontal end assembly Building a conventional fence step-by-step Safety precautions for electric fencing Wire joining for electric fences Earthing an electric fence Temporary electric fences Testing the electric fence Building an electric fence step-by-step Further reading Pastures Estimating pasture yields Seed drill calibration Best-value fertiliser Fertiliser spreader calibration Check flow rate (pendulum or discs) Check particle distribution Inoculating and lime pelleting legume seed Boom spray calibration Trees Introduction to trees Planting trees Direct seeding trees and shrubs Soil Determine soil texture Preventing soil structure damage Testing soil structural stability Measure soil acidity Taking soil samples Soil infiltration Appendix 1: Common classes of soil texture Appendix 2: Managing work health and safety risks What is a Safe Work Method Statement? Check your skill