No. S. 



Preparation of Plaster for Pou^h Casting. 



259 



ace thereof to the President or Secretary, 

 who shall furnish him with an order on the 

 Appraisers, requiring' them to view the pre- 

 mise?, and after hearing the necessary evi- 

 dence, to value and determine the amount of 

 ifiss actually sustained — not exceeding the 

 insured value — and make report within ten 

 days. 



Two-thirds of the Appraisers shall be a 

 (juoriim, provided they all sign the report. 



8. On the reception of the Appraiser's re- 

 3ort, the Managers shall proceed to levy a 

 forata tax on the insured value of the mem- 

 bers equal to the adjudged damages, and a 

 sufficient per centum for collecting the same. 

 They shall also appoint a collector. 



The Secretary shall furnish the Treasurer 

 n'ith a duplicate of the tax, and shall give 

 jablic notice by six or morq hand-bills, re- 

 questing the members to pay in their respec- 

 'ave dividends to the Treasurer within Iwen- 

 T days. The Treasurer shall make a deduc- 

 ;ion of the per centuge for collecting in fa- 

 vour of those so paying. 



At the expiration of the twenty days, the 

 President shall issue his order to the collector 

 Mcollect the outstanding dividends, and pay 

 'iem over to the Treasurer within thirty days. 



9. The President shall give the sufferer 

 in order on the Treasurer for the amount due 

 ■ihim, payable within sixty days from the 

 Kcurrcnce of the fire. 



10. If any member shall neglect or refuse 

 10 pay his tax — and in due process at law 

 toes not settle the same to the satisfaction of 

 'he Managers, they may erase his name from 

 'iieir books, and he shall not be re-admitted 

 atothe society until he has paid his arrear- 

 j^es with interest, and obtained the consent 

 jftwo-thirds of the members present at an 

 ianiial meeting. 



The plan of insurance here proposed is at 

 ■!ice simple, economical and effectual. Un- 

 :3cumbere,l by the management of funds or 

 Mgh salaried officers, it nevertheless affords 

 tie best possible security for a remuneration 

 of losses from fire, while the insured pay no 

 more money than what is actually lost, and 

 piy it directly to the loser. He contributes 

 nothing to the usurious stockholder in form 

 ofe.xorbitant dividends. 



It will be observed that the proposed forms 

 're intended for distinct township organiza- 

 tion, I would strongly urge the propriety of 

 tbis method in preference to more extended 

 Jsociations, even where the number of mem- 

 liers in a township may be small. If one such 

 township society should feel too weak to sus- 

 tain a heavy loss without too much inconve- 

 nience, I would advise that two or morq com- 

 panies should form a union for their mutual 

 ''elp, so conditioned that they shall each con- 



tribute to any loss which may occur, in pro- 

 portion to the taxable amount on their books. 

 Thus every township will transact all the 

 business within its own limits, and the union 

 will possess abundant means to meet what- 

 ever losses may occur. 



I am happy to find that the plan of distinct 

 township societies, with unions where neces- 

 sary, has been favourably received by the 

 agricultural community wherever it has been 

 proposed and clearly understood. 



New Garden, 2nd mo. 26, 1840. 



P.S. Editors of agricultural and other papers, 

 who are friendly to the measures proposed, 

 will please to give this article an insertion. 



On the Preparation of Plaster for Rough 

 Casting* 



[Read before " The Philadelphia Society for Promoting 

 Agriculture," Feb. 5, 184ii, by James Mease, Vice 

 President.] 



As country houses, barns, or the gable-ends, 

 are often rough cast, and it is very common 

 to see the plaster falling off in a year or two 

 after being put on, it seems to me that direc- 

 tions to insure its permanent adhesion, will 

 be acceptable to the society. 



1. As to the materials: The lime ought to 

 be recently calcined, or at least in a perfect- 

 ly caustic state, and the sand sharp and 

 coarse, and entirely devoid of clay or earth of 

 any kind ; but if none free from this admix- 

 ture is to be obtained, it must be washed re- 

 peatedly until all the earth is completely re- 

 moved. Then, to four bushels of the sand, 

 add one of lime: if sharp sand cannot be pro- 

 cured, five bushels must be used. 



2. Slake the lime as if intended for white- 

 washing, in a box which may be six feet long, 

 by four feet six inches in width, raised 

 eighteen inches from the ground ; and when 

 well mixed, it is to be strained through a 

 sieve, and the wash let off at one end of the 

 box through an aperture, which is to be com- 

 manded by a perpendicular slider, directly ou 

 the sand, previously made into a circular 

 heap and hollow in the middle; and then 

 faithfully mixed. But no more is to be made 

 in the morning than will be used in the course 

 of the day. That portion of the lime that 

 does not strain is core, and may be used for 

 stone work, or for lining joists to keep out 

 rats and mice, or for the floor of a milk-house. 

 Molasses, in the proportion of a quart to a 

 bushel of lime, thorougiily incorporated with 

 the mass, tends to harden it and promote its 

 adhesion. 



3. The first coat must be perfectly dry be- 

 fore the second is laid on ; and before the 

 second is commenced, the first must be passed 

 over with a white-wash brush dipped in wa- 

 ter. Two coats are enough ; and if the stone 



