S P C T H E R N CUE T I V A T O R 1S3 
actual contaGi.;of:the damp ngortar, wiM. keep them, in a 
great measure, from warping. Where base-boards are 
> needed, blocks of scantling -may be buUt.in flush -with the 
„inner surface, of the wall, at the proper distances apart.. 
We cannot think of any other particulars in whTcli a con- 
crete house differs from one buik ‘of brick ; andAve freed 
not, therefore, eriter into more-minute details, at present, 
v! ^7th. A»Y.4.NTAaEs, CoatPARATiVE GosTj :d>5C.T-A:house 
of this description is .admirably, ..adapted to, our Southern 
climate...„Being a non-conductor, it is cool in summer 
ahd^warmin winler-^the walls' 'do nbf absoVb ifroisture 
ffrofrif tfre atmospherejlike a brick iiofrse — wdth a cement 
•floOrj^it is proof ragainst e^ry; description of vermin--^ 
5 .-^it>is not pear as jjable to Burn and deqa-y.n? a \yooden 
..hpus^, its . y,mlls ^ J^ecoming harder and harder, wkh age, 
until it is almbst'a ‘solid liiass of f ock ; and it possesses an 
anff supetibf in rfra'ny i-e^ 
>re;^ects,'to either wbod or brick, dts^most striking ad van^ 
,.t4ges ov:es brick^ ar.e, that it can be,.,built iH..many.k>cati(>ns 
ere brick. cap iiot be readily obtained^—that it, .costs 
^much less than brick," in almost all cases— and that the 
erecubh of the walls Onlydieeds flic sUperihfeiidcince'bf one 
good mechanic, (mason or brick}atyef)all'kliedteavy labor 
being done by eommoft floW hands. The walls of our 
'dwelling at “Ia’.uitlan4i". enclose an .area.of oyer ■ feel 
— they are 2.0 feet high; 1.8 . inches ,th'c,k in ihe 
.^basemen t^[9 ft ] and X2 inches in the upper story [11 ft.] 
'with 1 wo tower parh'tion vValls^^ feet high, 1 ferot thick j 
’and' ’'52 Feet Ibn'g'each. V -liime -cost frO cents* per bushel at 
the Raih'oad^-and wmhauled;- itmeady S miles.; , the' large 
rockwas quanfed afrd.hauled from^Rae’s .Creek, agmile 
off;.,the water, for^making-^rriortar, hauled in a cask, over 
a'quaVterofa mile'; the process of putting up ' siich waiy 
was entirely frew to our -•wo'rkfnan and buiselves; and 
yet, in the face of all these diflicukies, we have completed 
tlie walls at lass expense.ahan any .-brick, con- 
tractor in Augusta would undertake to do them for. We 
can safely say, therefore, that, wherever Time is not worth 
more than 20 or 25 cents per busfiel, and rock, sand and 
water are convenient, a house of this deseription can be 
• built nearly as cheap as wood, and at half the cost. of brick ; 
and, for ourselves, we tvould not exchange, it for the best 
samples of either. j 
We have in preparatfon, ^drawTng'm'Td full description 
of oufdwelling, which will pfobably appear in our July 
number. In the meantime, it will-afrbrd us great pleasure 
to give any further suggestions or explanations on this 
jsubjoct, through iht . CnllivaU>r ; or personally, to any 
gentleman who may call upon us at Pruitland." 
^ D. R. 
The We.ither and the Crops, — The Spring has been 
and is still (April 20th) unprecedentedly cold and back- 
ward — nearly all the early blooming fruits and forward 
vegetables have been cut off by frost, wheat corn, and what 
little cotton was up, in our more Southern States, have suf- 
fered severely — early planted rice has been much injured, 
and the Agricultural and Horticultural prospects of the 
South, generally, cannot be considered very flatter 
>ng, at present Still, our season is so long and our cli- 
mate so benign, that all that is necessary-to secure abun- 
dant harvests, is the employment of a little extra eneriry 
eiad well directed labor. “Speed the plow," with judg 
■sent and skill, then, ami the rew-ard is sure ! 
Felton’s Portable Grist Mill. — We do not profess 
a very instinctive acquain(ai:ce with the principles of ma-- 
.•hinery, generally, and have heretofore been quite scepti- 
tal as to the value of Portable Grist Mills; but w*e must 
say that we are very favora'oly impressed with Felton's 
Mill. It seems to be quite simple and'durable — is readily 
adapted to gin-gearing or other horse power, steam or j 
water — grinds up the corn and cob together, for feed, if j 
desired, and makes, really a superior article of meal for 
family use, as we know by -repeated trials. Planters and 
Farmers would do well to examine it carefully for theni- 
selves, and as the Agent, Mr. D, Chaff'EE, is doing a re- 
gular custom-mill business, for “toll” at the Machine Shop 
of Mr. Platt,- the facilities .for seeing it thoroughly .tested 
are ample. See advertisement in present number* !.- 
^ ;.?90RGH0 Sl;GAK,: 
' The '^ cellent article of our fnend; Prof. H. S.^Olgott^ 
,of the Westchester (N. Y.),Farm School, wUl, we are ;sure, 
, attract much attefrtion. The incalculable value' of' the 
/wp/teC.s -is now- fully t^st^bli^ied, arid-’ we 
look eargerly forw-ard to mofe important developments, 
■ffdm the -experiments of the thousands who are now en- 
gaged in their culture. Sevei*al of our immediate neighbors, 
as, well-as. ourselves, will test the. Sorgho more thoroughly 
th.i3,.year, for. syrup, green and dried forage, ajcohoT.afrd 
as brVad corn, and the results shall be” duly set before our 
readers^' We'diave high expectations-jbf success wifk die 
-new'-/»?fifec5 of Mr. Wra. , -whose' advent ' among -us-’^e 
are anxiously expecting..-..: . y - uj.! 
In answer to many inquiries, .yve , would state. ,tha( .the 
Sorgho, or Chinese Sugar Cane will ripen its seed , and 
corrid to full perfection, if planted in good rich "soil any 
time before thC'' middle of '- Je/tie-, ih- this- latitude. - - Early 
plantings, es|3ecialiy a .little to the South of us, are sure 
to . produce of }:xerfect seed— ihe®anes being. cut 
off. s:ix inches vabove the ground as soon as the flrst 'crop 
ripens. This^ was done here, last year. We shall attend 
the United States . Agrieultural Fair, at Louisville^ Ky., 
and keepour readers advised of any improvement in mills, 
boilers, &c.: . -- - 
The Vine, in "South Carolina. — A friend, w:hq is 
largely engaged in Vine culture in our neighboring State, 
writes us as folio w's, under date of April 13 ; — “In rny let- 
ter of the 10th inst, I stated on the report of my'vigneron 
that the^frost on Monday night last had damaged some of 
the buds of the vine, but that it was not serious. On ex- 
amination personally I find that one-quarter, if not pne- 
third of the fruit buds' were killed.’ TWe' Warren suffered 
the most, and the common Isabella next, the BtU-gundu 
very little, and, .the Catawba and a late ripening .variety of 
Grape _were scarcely touched. The Bliie Grape 
is, only now, beginning to put out; so that it a^nd the 
Senppernong are clear of the frost. The other native and 
foreign varietiesl have not noticed,” 
liquifying quartz rock.s. 
Nearly a. page of the New York T/75i/?ec was recently 
occupied by Dr. Benjamin Hardinge, in announcing a 
discovery by which he. claims “to liquify quartz rock, to 
extract the last particle of gold or other metal which that 
rock may contain, and to hold that rock in the form of 
liquid in casks and hogsheads ready to be turned into 
rock again as it is needed, thus affording a new material 
for building, cheaper than brick, and as beautiful as pre- 
cious stones !” He can do this at the rate of fifteen tons 
a day ! By way of support to this claim. Prof Girard, of 
the Smithsonian Institute, Prof Adelberg, and J. E. 
SciiWABE, of New York, Prof ZiLiefot, late United States 
assayist,- and others, accompany the announcement-of (he 
discoverer with their ceriificate that his- claim is not un- 
founded, that he can accomplisli the wonderful feats 
which he claims to perform. If there is no deception 
about this, it must certainly be regarded as one of tlie 
j greatest and most useful discoveries of modern times. We 
i shall look with interest for additional developments, ^ - 
