574 DR. CHASE'S BECIPE8. 



if successful, which I fully believe it would be. Any plasterer would know 

 the proper amount of clean sand to use with it. 



2. Cisterns, How to Build Square or Round— The Differ- 

 ence in Capacity with, the Same Number of Brick. — But few per- 

 sons are aware that a square cistern holds considerably less than a round one, 

 the walls containing the same number of brick. But it is a fact, nevertheless. 

 For instance: about 2,800, or at most, 3,000, brick will make a cistern 10 feet 

 square and 10 feet deep, having an inside surface of 400 square feet, and will 

 contain 1,000 square or cubic feet of water, equal to about 7,500 gallons, while 

 the same number of brick will make a round cistern of about 12% feet in 

 diameter and 10 feet deep, which will contain about 1,270 cubic feet, or 9,225 

 gallons, a gain of about 27 per cent, in capacity, with no more cost, either in 

 brick, mortar, or laying the walls. Calculate about 7 brick to lay a 4-inch wall, 

 for each square foot of wall desired, whether larger or smaller, deeper or less 

 depth, it matters not. For the size above given, about 2 barrels of cement will 

 be required, as the bottom ought to be about 2 inches thick. In laying the wall 

 great care should be taken to ram or pack the dirt down very firmly behind it, 

 so as to resist the pressure of water. The roof should be arched 2 feet below 

 the top of the ground. 



ICE-HOUSE.— To Build Good but Cheap.— A year or two ago I 

 had my attention called to an ice-house built by a farmer near me, which was 

 simply a bin, made of rough boards, 16 feet square, and roofed over, leav- 

 ing a large opening in the front and sides. He said his ice kept perfectly until 

 the next winter. He put a layer of sawdust, about a foot thick, on the ground, 

 and then stacked the ice snugly in the center, 18 or 20 inches from the walls, 

 and then filled in with sawdust, and up over the top a foot or more thick. Last 

 winter, before filling my ice-house, I determined to try this method. I 

 accordingly tore out all the inside wall, and shoveled out the sawdust; then 

 filled by stacking it snugly in the center, 15 or 20 inches from the wall. This 

 space I filled in with pine sawdust, and covered the whole over the top a foot 

 thick or more, i left out the window and took down my door and left it all 

 open, so that the sun could shine in every day. Now for results. At the pres- 

 ent time I have an abundance of ice, and the cakes seem to come out as square 

 and perfect as when they went in, seemingly nothing lacking except what is 

 used out. I am satisfied. how to build an ice-house. — Vor. N. T. Fanners' 

 Club, in Bnral New Yorker. 



Remarks — I see this writer speaks twice of a "foot or more," i. e., of the 

 sawdust over the ice. I should "go" for more, say as least 18 or 20 inches, and 

 it strikes me as more correct also to keep out the sun; but have a window in 

 each gable to allow the wind to pass through to carry off the moisture arising 

 froin the ice I am honest in the opinion that a simple wall with 18 or 20 inches 

 of sawdust between the wall and ice is better than a double wall. Tramp 

 the sawdust down well as filled in. 



This is confirmed by J. S. Stephens, of Moore's Hill, Ind., writing to the 

 Cincinnati Gazette, with a slight difference, in that he built his only 13 feet 



