Sec. 19.] 



CONCRETE ^V.VLLS. 



331 



and lime to be had for the burning on the place, or at a small cost, tlio 

 building will be a clieap one, and not otherwise. Horace Greolej built a 

 large barn of concrete upon liis farm in AVestchc^tcr County, of bucli stones 

 as arc spread over tlie surface of these granitic iiiiis. Altiiougli it is a very 

 substantial building, our opinion is that we could build a good frame, and 

 put the surjjlus mone}- into other ini])rovements, to a better profit. 



353. Riiildiug with BilJf is of Wood. — A new stylo of building has been 

 adopted in several places at the West, where brick and stones are inconve- 

 nient, and sawed lumber and carpenter's work are expensive. The phui is to 

 saw billets of wood of an even length, say one foot long, from limbs of trees; 

 or split stuH"; slabs, we suppose, would answer a good purpose, if split up into 

 lire-wood size. These billets must be straight enough to pile up well. The 

 wall is made by laying them in lime mortar, and, we believe, in some cases, 

 in good clay mortar, where lime and sand arc scarce, and then plastering 

 the M-all outside and in. The great objection seems to bo that the ouiside 

 plastering cleaves off, as it does from all plastered buildings exposed to rain, 

 frost, and heat. A friend writes us in(piiriiig whether there is any composi- 

 tion for outside plaster that will stand the weather. "We answer, none that 

 can be wholly depended upon. A mortar made of hydraulic cement 

 (water lime), of good quality, nii.xed with clean, coarse, sharp sand — two 

 parts of sand to one of cement — would stand until some crack occurred, and 

 water and frost get in behind. Perhaps the mortar described in No. 3.'i9 

 will answer the purpose. I5ut as it is ehcajK-r, and perhaps equally good, 

 we would recommend an ordinary coat of plaster, and then take cement and 

 any cheap oil, and mix a pretty thick paint, and put ou thoroughly two or 

 three coats. Another good ])aiiit may be made as follows : Take four pounds 

 of rosin and one pint of lii;seed oil, and boil together, adding about an 

 ounce of red lead, and put it on hot, and afterward jjaint any color you like. 

 If a crack ever occurs, stop it at once with the rosin and oil mixture. Wc 

 have no doubt that these billets-of-wood houses can bo built in many places 

 chcai)er than any other, and that they cau bo made ueat, comlbrtable, and 

 durable. 



