18 



Tlie Preservation of Roofs. 



Vol. XL 



produced, who have been her pride and or- 

 nament, who e^ave her a character while 

 they lived, and left her one to sustain now 

 they are no move. Tilghman, Rawlo, Peters, 

 Vaux, were among the men with whom he 

 acted — men who, from their characters, 

 eminent talents, and devoted love to their 

 country and city, could but inspire in one 

 so active and zealous as Dr. Mease, the de- 

 sire of emulation, and a feeling of conscious 

 pride that in following where they led, that 

 in imitating their example, in aspiring to 

 their virtues, he would attain a portion of 

 their usefulness, and gain some of the es- 

 teem and regard of his fellow-citizens, which 

 their gratitude conceded to these his prede- 

 cessors. To him the agricultural commu- 

 nity are indebted for the introduction of 

 that beautiful breed of animals, the Durham 

 short-horned cattle. He suggested their 

 importation to Colonel J. H. Powel, at the 

 time in England; and it was fortunate that 

 the intimation was made to one so liberal 

 and so well disposed to serve the interest of 

 his country, lie was also among the first 

 who endeavoured to introduce the cultiva- 

 tion of silk. His labours and his disappoint- 

 ments were very great in this design. It 

 was in advance of the condition of the coun- 

 try; but credit still belongs to him and his 

 coadjutors, of having projected a plan, that 

 at some future time will probably be of emi- 

 nent utility to the interests of the nation. 

 Thi.«, we believe, was, if not the last, yet 

 the most important of his endeavours, to ad- 

 vance the prosperity of his native country. 

 — Saturday Courier. 



The Preservation of Roofs. 



In the country, where numerous buildings are indis- 

 pensable for the fanner, and where the roofs are gene 

 rally of wood, it is a matter of great importance to 

 preserve them as long as possible. Whenever they 

 need repairing, or to be laid anew, they make a heavy 

 item in the year's expenses. We hope the foUowin 

 from the Farmer and Mechanic, may prove useful. — Ed. 



A WRITER in the Boston Cultivator, refer- 

 ring to wooden roofs and their rapid decay, 

 gives the following cheap and simple method 

 of preserving them for many years. Fie ob- 

 serves, "A friend of mine, who unites much 

 close observation with large experience in 

 building, states that the best preservative of 

 shingles that has come within his knowledge, 

 is to soak them in an alkaline solution of 

 quick lime before they are put on. The 

 plan adopted by him for the purpose, is to 

 prepare a box in which to dissolve the lime, 

 similar to that used by plasterers, and have it 

 elevated, so as to permit the lime water to 



be drawn from it, into another box in which 

 the shingles are to be placed that are in- 

 tended to be impregnated with the alkaline 

 solution. A sufficient quantity of quick lime 

 is put in the upper box, which is slacked and 

 reduced to a thin wash, and well stirred up, 

 when it is permitted to settle. 



The shingles are set on end, with their 

 butts down, in the lower box, which is suffi- 

 ciently deep to permit the parts which will 

 be exposed to the weather when they are 

 put on in courses, to become soaked, by 

 drawing down the alkaline lime water from 

 the upper box into the one below in which 

 they are placed. They should remain in 

 this solution for some hours, when they are 

 i-emoved and suffered to dry, and others sub- 

 stituted in the box to undergo the same ope- 

 ration before they are nailed on the lath. 



"No part of white wash or lime should be 

 peftiitted to pass into the lower box ; it being 

 the caustic alkaline solution of the lime only, 

 which is beneficial; it is a powerful antisep- 

 tic, interposing powerful obstacles to the de- 

 cay of wood or vegetable matter of any kind. 

 The presence of the insoluble particles of the 

 lime would tend to clog the pores and inter- 

 stices of the wood, and impede or prevent 

 the entrance of the alkaline solution of the 

 lime, which is perfectly fluid and transpa- 

 rent. 



" An old roof may have its usefulness ex- 

 tended for many years, by simply spreading 

 pulverized quick lime over it, so as to form 

 a very thin coat of it on the roof; by 

 the absorption of the dew, the alkaline solu- 

 tion will be formed, and will penetrate the 

 shingles, which will be cleared from moss 

 and preserved by it, and on the occurrence 

 of a heavy rain the insoluble parts of the 

 lime will be washed ofl^", leaving it clean. 



"The tendency of white wash to preserve 

 wood from rotting, is universally acknow- 

 ledged, but it should be borne in mind, that 

 it is the alkaline solution of the lime only, 

 which has this tendency, and that the gross, 

 insoluble particles of the lime which remain 

 for a time in the form of a scale on the sur- 

 face to which it has been applied, has nothing 

 to do with its antiseptic powers, and that 

 where the design of its application is to pre- 

 serve the wood only, it would better accom- 

 plish the object by being much more diluted 

 than it generally is, so that the alkaline 

 quality would be more thoroughly absorbed 

 than is usually the case. It is a very cu- 

 rious and interesting fact, that water at the 

 freezing point dissolves twice as much of 

 the alkaline ingredient of lime as boiling 

 water does, so that the use of hot water to 

 dissolve lime is worse than useless." 



