38 General Notices. 



wood are to be laid side by side, across the mouth of the chad, and the earth 

 immediately laid over them, until the upper trench is full, and level with the 

 surface of the ground around. But since I addressed my letter to Mr. Hyl- 

 liard, I have thought of a new material for drain covers, which must ultimately 

 be of* great importance to farming, where the absence of clay, and the distance 

 to the tile-yard, amounts to an absolute prohibition of the use of tiles. This 

 material is peat, an article hitherto considered fit for nothing but fuel. By 

 the aid of apeat-compressing machine, compact bodies of peat, in the shape of 

 blocks of a wedge form, to be inserted into the opening of the chad, will an- 

 swer the purpose admirably. I think I have read some where lately, that 

 when peat is once thoroughly dry, it becomes impervious to moisture, and, if 

 this is true, then peat will answer for any sort of draining. For instance, 

 nothing could be better for couple draining than compressed slabs of peat. 

 What a saving would it not make on carriage alone, compared with that of 

 stones ? I have no such thing here as peat to experiment upon, else I should 

 have tried whether it would undergo a process of charring in a metallic cylinder. 

 My impression is, that something might be done with it in this way. — James 

 Munro. Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire, Oct. 9. 1839. 



Composition Floors for Cottages. — I fear I can say but little that will serve 

 your purpose ; but what I do know you are welcome to. When I came to 

 this place some years ago, I found all the malting floors, and also those of 

 other rooms detached from the main buildings, formed of a species of plaster 

 [? gypsum], which, on enquiry, I found was procured from Retford, Notts, in 

 powder, and prepared by mixing with it certain quantities of cinder dirt and 

 sand. I cannot say the proportions. All I know is, that, though apparently 

 rough and harsh to the eye, it made capital making-floors, inasmuch as it both 

 imbibed and gave out moisture freely, thereby preserving a degree of smooth- 

 ness and even softness, essential to the operations of turning, ploughing, &c. 

 the pieces [of barley] on the floors. So far so good; but take the same ma- 

 terial, and deprive it of any moisture, I fear you would not find it wear well 

 at all. It would crumble away, and would not stand the fag of a cottage 

 family. But even for the makings we have discontinued the use of this article ; 

 the floors, as they require mending, being repaired with a cheaper, and ap- 

 parently a more durable material ; composed of equal parts of lime, sand, and 

 cinder dirt. If I think of it, I will enclose a sample ready mixed for working. 

 It comes up, as you will find, to a very good smooth face ; but, I doubt, will 

 not wear without the occasional use of water; consequently, is not well suited 

 for cottage floors. — S. T. Norfolk, Dec. 13. 1841. 



Repairing Wet Roads. — For roads it is still less applicable. I recollect, 

 some dozen years ago, seeing a part of the road above Highgate Archway, 

 which, I dare say you are aware, was very wet and springy, repaired after the 

 following fashion. The banks rising on each side pretty high, a deep tile-drain 

 was first inserted at the foot, so as to intercept the water in that direction. 

 This no doubt it did ; but as water might, and probably would, spring up un- 

 derneath, and perhaps in the very centre of the road itself, the surveyor de- 

 termined to form a bottom which should be water-tight, as the only means to 

 prevent the wear and tear of a piece of road subject to such heavy and con- 

 stant traffic. He set about the work, as nearly as I can remember, as follows. 

 The old materials were removed, even to a considerable depth ; and their 

 place was supplied by a complete grouting of Roman cement and pebbles, 

 forming a bed or crust thick enough to bear the materials of which the surface 

 or upper crust was intended to be composed. The cement was very carefully 

 and evenly spread, sloping gradually towards the side drains ; and the better 

 to facilitate the passage of rain, or other water, as well as to afford a sort of 

 hold for the upper materials, grooves were made in the cement v\^$$§^ 

 before it hardened with a triangular- formed spline, thus (see fig. \w^ 

 4.) ; which spline being laid in the direction wanted, was pressed 

 down into the cement, by blows of a mallet or hammer. A very 

 short time sufficed to render this bed, so prepared, hard enough to admit 



