NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



347 



cottages ; with a wall from twelve to fifteen feet high, 

 with sharp roof and largely projecting eaves, so as to 

 throw off all water from the walls, and preserve them 

 dry. If a good high stone foundation is laid, there 

 need be no difficulty — these preliminaries being ad- 

 hered to — in securing a good house. 



The last number of Ranlett's Architect contains 

 some valuable hints as to detail in constructing of 

 this material. The size of the bricks may be 6 X 12 

 X 18, or 9 X 12 X 18, or 12 X 12. The second size 

 will be found quite heavy to handle. In laj-ing up the 

 bricks, wo should prefer lime mortar to that made of 

 clay. It will aid in causing the covering cement to 

 adhere. But hear Mr. Ilanlett. 



" Any soil will be found suitable for making bricks 

 to be dried in the sun, except sand or gravel, and can 

 usually bo obtained in making the excavation for the 

 cellar of a house. A proportion of two parts clay 

 or loam to one of sand or fine gravel, and of straw, 

 about one hundred pounds, cut in lengths of five or 

 six inches to three hundred and fifty bricks ; the clay 

 should be removed to a level spot, and mixed by 

 treading with oxen or horses, which can be done in 

 two or three hours. A better material even than 

 straw, to mix with the clay, when it can be obtained, 

 is salt hay, on account of its toughness and durability. 

 We have seen it used, in mixing mortar, in place of 

 hair. 



The moulds for the bricks should be made of 

 boards, strongly fastened at the corners, and holes 

 bored in the bottom to facilitate the discharge of the 

 brick ; when placed to dry, the bricks should be laid 

 upon their sides, and dry sand sprinkled upon them 

 to prevent them from cracking in the sun ; in two or 

 three days turn them upon the edge, and let them 

 remain three or five days, according to the power of 

 the sun, when they should be piled up so as to ad- 

 mit of a free circidation of air, and protected from 

 the rain. In two weeks they will be fit for use. If 

 a cellar is to be made, the wall should be of stone, 

 and two feet of the top laid of lime mortar or cement : 

 the latter would prevent dampness. In laying the 

 bricks, clay mortar may be used, but mortar of Ume 

 and sand would do better. The roof should, in all 

 eases, project from, two to four feet, according to the 

 height of the building. If one or two full stories, the 

 roof may be flat ; but if a story and a half, it must 

 be high to relieve the lateral pressure on the walls. 

 The coating or plastering on the outside of the walls 

 should be of the best description ; it may bo made 

 of equal parts of lime, ashes, sand, and clay, and 

 thoroughly mixed with Avater, having a strong in- 

 fusion of glauber salts." — Ohio Cultivator. 



Remarks by Editor N. E. Farmer. — It seems to 

 be the opinion of many in this part of the coimtry, 

 that unburnt brick houses will not endure the severe 

 cold and sudden freezing and thawing incident to 

 our climate. That the Avater getting into the cracks 

 of the bricks, or soaking into them, and then frozen 

 hard and suddenly, will cause the destruction of the 

 building. Perhaps this evil may be prevented by 

 the coat of water-proof cement applied to the walls. 



The subject is worthy of consideration, especially 

 in regions where clay abounds and fuel is scarce, and 

 building materials are generally scarce and dear. We 

 hope that some persons will trj- experiments in build- 

 ing with unburnt bricks. They will cost but a trifle, 

 out- buildings or fences may be made in this way for 

 trial. 



Tart words make no friends : a spoonful of honey 

 will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar. 



IMPROVED FENCE. 



The friend of improvement in every thing, I deem 

 it my especial duty to suggest to those who have 

 lands to enclose, the propriety of making trial of a 

 species of fence of which I have recently had a de- 

 scription, and which is said to be both cheap and 

 efficient. The posts are made of common clay, struck 

 in moulds of the desired size, and burnt in kilns, the 

 same as bricks. These posts are perforated with 

 holes of the size of a common pipe stem, and are 

 either three or four in number, as required, and are 

 made before burning, or in the mould. The posts 

 are set in the soil, after receiving a coat of coal tar. 

 Wires are then passed through the holes, from post 

 to post, properly secured, and coated with coal tar or 

 paint, to preserve the surface from atmospheric action, 

 and prevent rust. This fence is cheap, looks well, 

 and is very durable. B. 



Bensalem, May 29, 1849. 

 — Germantotvn Telegraph. 



NEW MODE OF PREPARING BONES FOR 

 MANURE. 



There are several methods of preparing bones for 

 application to land as manure. One is by calcina- 

 tion, or burning, by which all the organic matter is 

 burned or driven off. This fits the mineral portion 

 of the bones for immediate and efficient action in the 

 soil, in consequence of reducing the bones to a minute 

 state of division, and expelling the oil and gelatine, 

 which, for a time, prevents decay. By this process, 

 however, the animal matter is lost as manure. This 

 amounts to thirty-five to fifty per cent, of the fresh 

 bone according to the age of the animals supplying 

 them, the youngest always giving the largest propor- 

 tion of cartilage, oil, and gelatine. 



Another method is by placing the bones in a com- 

 pact heap or hogshead, first crushing them, and pour- 

 ing over them, from one third to one half their 

 weight of sulphuric acid, diluted with water. This 

 generally effects a speedy decomposition of the bones, 

 and augments the efficiency and intensity of their 

 action, as the sulphuric acid is itself a powerful 

 manure for certain soils and crops. 



A loss expensive mode, sometimes adopted, is, to 

 place the bones together in a heap, and moisten them 

 with ashes and water, covering closely with muck, 

 manure, or common garden mould. If this be done 

 in a warm room, or in the open air in summer, or in 

 the centre of a bed of horse or other fermenting ma- 

 nure, they will soon dissolve, and be in a fit state for 

 application to the crops, after mixing with mould, so 

 as to absorb their moisture. 



Grinding or crushing is the usual method of pre- 

 paring bones for the soil. They are thus rendered 

 comparatively fine, and are easily decomposed when 

 incorporated in the ground. They are conveniently 

 transported in barrels or sacks, and applied with little 

 trouble either to the muck heap, or sown broadcast 

 or in drills. In this condition, they also preserve the 

 animal matters, (the oil and gelatine,) which are 

 slowly given out by decomposition, and materially 

 contribute to the growth of the crops. 



A trial has recently been made, which gives us an- 

 other, and, in many respects, a method superior to all 

 others. It consists in subjecting them to steam of a 

 high pressure for a few hours, when the oil and gela- 

 tine are entirely separated, and the largest bones, 

 skulls, hocks, vertebra?, &c., are easily crushed be- 

 tween the thumb and finger, though retaining their 

 full proportions and form. The fat may be thus 

 drawn off and used for soap grease, for cart or 

 wagon wheels, or for certain kinds of machinery, 

 while the remainder of the extracted matter is useful 

 for manure. 



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