322 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 6 



in a strong brine, and roll in quick-lime immedi- 

 ately belore seedino;; and then pray to Heaven lor 

 a good harvest. As to your corn land, sow only 

 that which is good, and no more than you can 

 prepare well, and in good lime; put the balance in 

 oats. No preparation is good, unless the wheat is 

 put in regularly at a suitable depth, and the soil 

 well pulverized. The wheat ought never lo be 

 sown without some previous work; the land may 

 be ploughed up with two horses, and this is best 

 on fiat land which requires bedding. But on dry 

 land, I think the best mode is to cut the stalks off 

 with a hoe, (not a knife, which leaves them too 

 high;) pile or remove them. Plough up the stub- 

 bles, by running a furrow with a one or two-horse 

 plough. Harrow the land crosswise or diagonally. 

 Sow the wheat, plough it in with small ploughs, 

 and harrow again. This will make the land al- 

 most as fine as a plant-bed; and although it is 

 more trouble, if" the wheat turns out well, you 

 will be paid; and if not, it would certainly have 

 been worse with a worse preparation. As soon 

 as the crop is seeded, begin to lay plans and make 

 preparations for putting in your next crop in the 

 same or a better manner; and if your crops fail, 

 my word lor it, " you may thank God that your 

 neighbors' are no better.'- 



Rkd Land. 



RETARDED ACTION OF GYPSUM. 



To iho Editor of the F;umers" Register. 



Some time last year I communicated the fact, 

 that the efiect of plaster, applied to the young 

 clover soon after it catne up, was not perceptible. 

 I concluded that the soil either did not need that 

 manure, or that the plaster was not genuine. But 

 I am gratified to state that that plaster, though 

 apparently useless last year, has manifested its ef- 

 ficacy in the most striking manner this, in so much 

 that the bed of twenty feet width through a large 

 lot, which was left un plastered, looks, at a little 

 distance, as if it had been mowed, while there is a 

 lall and luxuriant growth of clover on both sides 

 of it. I believe that experiments in plaster, and 

 other things, often prove abortive for the want of 

 the unremitted personal attention of farmers to 

 the application of them, and to the not following 

 them out by the nicest and most careful personal 

 inspection and comparison. 



A. C. MOUTON. 



Mecklenburg Co., July 18, 1838. 



From the Southern Agriculturist. 

 / 

 ON PISE BVILDIKGS. 



To the distressed inhabitants of the city of 

 Charleston. 



Seeing from the act of the legislature, as well as 

 from the ordinance of our city council, that in fu- 

 ture we are restricted to the use of incombustible 

 materials in erecting our buildings, and knowino- 

 as I do the high price of such, and the difficulty of" 

 getting them at so high a price, I would su<^gest 

 the use of pise, or rammed clay walls, '^rhis 



mode of building is of great antiquity, and brought 

 to such perfection in the country about the beauti- 

 ful city of Lyons, in France, as to appear like ele- 

 gant palaces, some of which are known to have 

 stood three hundred years. But to be concise on 

 this subject: I have just erected the walls, and 

 covered in a house ol" 48 feet long by 24 wide, 

 containing six large rooms, and three wide pas- 

 sages: and though built under many ditliculties, 

 which I had to surmount as I went on, yet it will 

 bear comparison with any brick house of the same 

 size, and was built in nine months by two men 

 only, (who hired out at ,^10 per month bclbre em- 

 ployed on this work,) assisted by a black country 

 carpenter for three weeks. From the experience 

 I have gained m the erection of this house, I can 

 with confidence recommend (if my directions are 

 followed) the use oi' pise buildings j viz.: The 

 foundation must be stone or brick, raised twelve to 

 eighteen inches above the ground. The mould, 

 which is very simple, must be a piece of 3 by 4 

 scantling, laid across the foundation, with a mor- 

 tice at each end, describing the width of your 

 wall, allowing for the thickness of the boards that 

 are to stand on their edges, with their sides to the 

 studs of scantling, standing in the mortices of the 

 transverse scantling already mentioned, and cap- 

 ped with a piece of the same width ; these studs to 

 be erected three or four feet apart. The flooring- 

 boards intended for the house, and which require 

 seasoning, will just answer for this purpose, and 

 will not be the least injured from this use, but bet- 

 ter seasoned. They must be reduced to one thick- 

 ness, and cut with a mitre at one end to meet at 

 the corners, clasped with tin or sheet iron clasps, 

 secured with small screws. These may be taken 

 off every other course, and used as before. In 

 this mould so formed, lay six inches of clay, as dry 

 as you can procure it, (I never found it too dry,) 

 and commence ramming, with a rammer beveled 

 li'om a square of six inches, to one inch, all on one 

 side. The pisadore (who is the rammer) finding 

 it will not yield more to this rammer, then com- 

 mences with a square rammer, till it rebounds 

 briskly from the wall ; he then continues filling in, 

 continuing the same process till the boards are 

 full, and he lays another board on the edge of that 

 just finished, and continues this process until the 

 story is raised to receive the joists. These are 

 laid on a piece of scantling, 3 by 4, laid along in 

 the mould, and each end is well dove-tailed. This 

 being effected, I would recommend that the mould 

 be taken apart from the wall ; it will be found an 

 equal continued surface, resembling a piece cut 

 out of a rock, of the color of the clay. If this 

 has any blemishes (or inequalities of surface) 

 (rom the clay sticking to the mould, they can be im- 

 mediately remedied by a plaster made of the same 

 clay, with a mixture of cotton or hair. This be- 

 ing done, lay on the whole wall a coat of linseed 

 oil. It win immediately sink in, and form an in- 

 durator, that will convert the surface to a crust of 

 putty, impervious to rain, or any kind of moisture. 

 After you have given the wall a coat or two of the 

 oil, you may paint it of any color you wish, which 

 it will show and retain, with the greatest brillian- 

 cy. Then erect your mould on the next story, and 

 continue as before, laying (which I forgot to men- 

 tion) your door and window jambs plumb in their 

 proper places in the mould, as you go along. This 

 mould possesses many advantages over the one 



