522 STANDARD RECEIPTS. 



the boxes, and turn the face off true and smooth. Let a firm rest be 

 fixed close to the face before attempting to turn the stone true. The 

 rest must be sohd with the surface close to the stone, so that when the 

 turning instrument comes in contact with the stone, it will remove a 

 thin chip without springing away from the stone. Stone-turners always 

 employ for a turning-tool the end of a bar of very soft iron, drawn out 

 ■to a point, and tumed up at the end for gouging. A piece of soft iron 

 is far more effective than steel. 



Tar the centre of grindstones, in order to compel those who grind 

 upon them, to grind on the edges, forming a raised centre, which gives 

 a better opportunity to put a good edge on a tool than a level surface 

 does. The ring of tar should be quite narrow, and all who grind will 

 be compelled to use the edges of the ston^, as they cannot grind where 

 the tar is. This remedy should be tried where farm hands will not heed 

 your orders to wear the stone off the edges. 



Cellar Floors Made Water-Proof. When cellar floors are not 

 subjected to a great outside pressure of water, a good cement will form 

 a tight cellar bottom and iides; but when the whole soil is full of water, 

 and the cellar is like a }.dsm in it, the pressure of the water upward will 

 surely find crevices through which it will ooze. The cure for this state 

 of things is to get drainage, if possible, and if this cannot be had, and 

 repeated patching will not stop the leaks, in a very dry time take up the 

 top of the floor, and after covering the whole with a layer of gravel, pour 

 into it melted asplialtum, which should be rolled and pounded down 

 while warm, and one or two more layers applied, topping with sand. If 

 the gravel can be hot also, it will make a much better floor; but if it 

 cannot be, some coal tar may be mingled with the asphaltum, and the 

 gvpjei coated slightly with it before the hot asphaltum is applied. 



Ashes for Cellar Floors. When it is not thought desirable to 

 go to the expense of cement, an excellent substitute is secured by taking 

 coal-ashes and mixing it with water to the ordinary thickness of mortar. 

 It does not matter how many lumps or stones there are. Put it on 

 about four inches thick; let it lay twenty-four hours, and then stamp it 

 with a heavy block of wood three or four times a day until it is perfectly 

 hard. It will not crack nor scale off. 



Basement Floors. In the preparation for laying the floor, the 

 ground underneath is dug out, so as to leave what is termed an "air 

 space" between it and the joists. The airing of the under side of the 

 floor is procured at the expense of the comfort of the upper surface, and 



