SOLON ROBINSON, 1847 93 



deepen the channel over the St. Clair flats? None but 

 flats will say so. 



"Feed for fattening cattle." In my opinion no other 

 feed can come in competition with corn at 25 cents a 

 bushel for this purpose ; and this is higher than the aver- 

 age in this country. 



And will you tell why "corn meal is not well adapted 

 for milch cows." 



"Clay Houses,"^ built with soft clay in molds, always 

 have the door and window frames inserted while build- 

 ing. The best way to hold the boards in position is by 

 iron rods, two at each end and one in the middle. On the 

 middle of the face of the door and window frames next 

 the clay, a strip of board should be nailed, two or three 

 inches wide, and the same length and breadth of frames. 

 This holds them in place and also prevents a passage for 

 air between the wood and clay. 



The molds, so far as I have seen used, were sixteen 

 inches deep, made of inch boards, planed and strongly 

 battened, and no matter ivhat length, as they are ahvays 

 made to go quite round the building, so that a course of 

 clay upon each of the walls is put on at the same time, the 

 same height all round. The frames do not interfere with 

 the mold boards, as these go over them. 



The molds remain on 24 hours, and then it takes two 

 or three days of drying for the walls to be fit another 

 course. 



"Western Agricultural Societies — Where are they?" 

 Echo answers — 



"Mode of Feeding Corn." That word "feeding" should 

 have been hauling. I thank you, Mr. C- for that article. 



Hai'bor until 1852, when $20,000 was appropriated and expended 

 in improving the inner harbor. Andreas, A.T., History of Chi- 

 cago . . . , 1:233-38 (Chicago, 1884). The proceedings of the con- 

 vention are printed in Fergus' Historical Series, 3:no.l8 (Chicago, 

 1882), Robinson was a delegate from Indiana to the convention. 



' "Clay Houses with Solid Walls," by George Frisbie, of Ogle 

 County, Illinois. Prairie Farmer, 7:182. 



^ W. Challacombe, of Carlinville, Illinois. Prairie Farmer, 

 7:183. 



