Proceedings of the Farmers'' Club. 5gx 



Spikes are forced out by a knob, when they attach themselves to 

 the sides of the barrel, holding the head at any desired point. 



NEW BAG FASTENER. 



Mr. J. S. Davis, Laport, Ind., sends us the above article, which 

 is simply a long narrow buckle, with a flat tongue, having a slat 

 for catching upon the card. A smaller size is for shoes, and either 

 can be applied to a great variety of objects. If it could be made 

 very cheap, it would come into general use. Adjourned. 



April 14, 1868. 



Mr. Nathan C. Ely in the chair; Mr. Johit W. Chambers, Secretary, 



CONCRETE HOUSES. 



Mr. Robert S. Innes, Burlington, N. J. — Concrete houses are 

 cheaper than those built of timber at fifteen dollars per thousand, 

 or bricks at five dollars per thousand, for a handy man can do all 

 the work himself. The washing down of the walls before drying 

 has been the great objection to building concrete houses. 



Mr. Bertholet, Manchester, N. J., said he had devoted much 

 attention to the subject, and had for years been convinced that a 

 concrete might be formed much cheaper than either brick or stone, 

 and more lasting. But the conditions vary so widely, the sand of 

 different localities b«ing unlike, the lime of various degrees of 

 purity, and the distance from which materials must be hauled, that 

 no general rule can be indicated. In short, it depends on circum- 

 stances whether a concrete wall is any cheaper or more durable 

 than brick or stone. 



The Chairman. — Some years since a physician in Hartford deter- 

 mined to build concrete walls for his dwelling-house. He sent to 

 Portland and bought the dust and chips from the freestone quar- 

 ries. The house cast him $8,000, $3,000 more than his calcula- 

 tion, and he found that he had saved nothing by using conci-ete. 



Mr. Geo. Geddes. — In Western New York we have found that 

 the success of concrete buildings depends on the foundation and the 

 quality of the lime or cement used. K they are both good, the con- 

 crete wall will be strong and durable. We have, as yet, but an 

 inadequate knowledge of the best way of mixing mortars. We 

 think the quicklime should be very pure, but it often occurs tliat 



