SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
243 
MODE OF BUILDING A CONCRETE HOUSE. 
[The followini:: description of the method of construct- 
ing Concrete WhIIs, is repeated, with a few slight altera- 
tions, from our May number.] 
1st. Locatio.v, &c. — Select, if possible, a high and dry 
situation, and get all heavy materials, such as rock, 
sand, lime, gravel, &c., on the spot as early in the season 
as possible ; say by the first or middle of May, in order 
that you may avail yourself of the long, warm days of 
summer, for successfully carrying on your operations. 
2d. Materi a f.s, — The proper materials are Lime, Sand, 
coarse and fine Gravel, large and small Rock, and Water. 
The lime may be from any good, pure limstone, that will 
slack readily and ^‘set'^ or harden thoroughly, when dry;* 
the sand should be sharp, and as free from clay, loam, and 
other earthy matter as possible ; and the Gravel and 
Rock may be of any size, from that of a boy’s marble, up 
B m SS 
repeatedly, until it is solid and compact. A layer of hy- 
draulic cement mortar, two inches thick, spread evenly 
over the bottom of the trenches thus compacted, gives 
you a solid foundation to start on, as soon as it "sets,” or 
becomes hard. If you intend carrying up inside divisioa 
walls of concrete, the foundation for these should be laid 
in the same way. Good hydraulic cement will take at 
least three parts of sharp sand ; but it must be used as 
soon as mixed, or it will and become useless. 
4th. Frame and Boxing. — Cut common 3x4 scantling 
two feet longer than you wish your highest story to be ; 
set up a double row with the lower end resting firmly 
upon the edge of the hardened cement in the bottom of 
of the trench; range them true and “plumb” them ; let- 
ting them stand three or four inches farther apart than 
you desire your wall to be in thickness ; then nail cleafe 
across, above and below, to keep them in place, addij^' 
also “stays” or “braces,” driven slantingly into the ground, 
I 
[BASEMENT, OR LOWER STORY. 
Description.— VI., Hall, 53x10 feet. D. R., Dining Room, 21x18. P,, Pantry, 18x12, adjoining the Dining Room 
S. R , Store Ro-irn, 18x18, next to Pantry. O., Office. B., Bath Room. D., Dairy, 18x9, for milk, ice, &c. F. R., 
Fruit Room, I8\T1, for the ripening of Pears, keeping of winter fruits, &c. When not used for the intended purpose, 
the latter room may serve as a general lumber room, or a servant’s bed-room ] 
to 18 inches or 1^.70 feet square, according to the thick- 
ness of your w.-iis. 
3d. Focndatio::.— Having fixed on your Plan, lay 
off the funndat : on , and commence by digging a trench 
two feet wide and two feet deep, the area or full size of 
your outer walls. With a heavy piece of hard wood, 
squared or rounded at the lower end, pound or ram 
down the earth in the bottom of this trench, going over it 
*The Lime used by us is of a peculiar quality, known 
as “Plydrauiic Lime ,” — not the Cement, which is, also, 
often called “ Hydiaulic” It may be obtained from the 
quarry of Rev C. W. Howard, Kingston, Cass county, j 
Ga. But goo3 Common Lime will answer, where the j 
Hydraulic ' c rmot be had. ' 
and nailed to the scantling at the upper end. Your skele- 
ton or frame-work of scantling, being all set up and 
“stayed” firm and “plumb,” proceed to arrange your “box- 
ing” for holding the concrete, and keeping the walls 
shape. This is done by cutting sound inch or I 2 mck 
plank of 10 inches or a foot wide, so to fit inside of the 
two rows of scantling and form two sides of a box. Move- 
able pieces, the thickness of the wall are dropped in be- 
tween, at intervals, to keep the box of the proper width, 
and wedges driven in between the boxing and the scant- 
ing, on the outside, prevent spreading by the pressure 
of the concrete. Wooden “clamps,” to slip down, here and 
there, over the upper edges of the boxing, will also be 
found very serviceable. 
5th. Mixing Coxc.rete. Layinc vp, &:c. — It will be 
