TO GET SANDY WOODLANDS IN CROP.-A CHEAP FARM-HODSE. 
57 
if they did, they would try to live better. If some 
of “ your folks” “ down East,” only knew how 
some of “our folks” “ out West,” lived, or pretend¬ 
ed to live by farming, they would be more content¬ 
ed ; and it western land spoilers knew how eastern 
land skinners had skinned their land to death, they 
would not go on doing just the same thing. But 
they won’t know, and, of course, won’t do. 
Solon Robinson. 
Lake Court House, Ind., Dec. 6,1845. 
TO GET SANDY WOODLANDS IN CROP. 
I am cutting off the wood of a tract of land along 
side of the Long Island railroad, with a view of 
clearing it up and cultivating it. What is the best 
and cheapest method that I can pursue to get it into 
crop ? You know that it is a poor sandy soil. 
Islip, Jan. 13, 1846. G. A. 
We would advise our correspondent to remove 
all his wood off as early as February, and cut and pile 
the brush. As soon as this is dry enough in March, 
commence burning it, and then scatter the ashes 
carefully over the land. Now take a strong break up 
plow, with a sharp coulter, which will go through 
the land and cut up the surface roots completely, 6 
to 9 inches deep; it can then be as easily plowed 
with the common plow, as an old field. Give it a 
top-dressing of Peruvian guano, at the rate of 400 
lbs. per acre, mixed with fine charcoal dust. Har¬ 
row this well in; then sow at least 3 or 4 bushels 
of oats to the acre, and half a bushel of clover seed. 
Harvest the oats when ripe, and neither feed nor 
cut the clover that year. If this advice suits our 
correspondent, we will, in a future No., tell him 
what further to do with his land. 
A CHEAP FARM-HOUSE. 
Whoever rears his house in air, 
Will need much gold to build it there ; 
While he that builds an humble cot, 
May save some gold to boil the pot. 
While that so high the cot outshows, 
Is hard to climb the good wife knows. 
Who has the cot ne’er wants a home ; 
Who spent the gold to want may come 
It is an old proverb, Mr. Editor, that many a 
man has built his house so big he could not live in 
it. Sometimes it is because he don’t know how to 
build less. Can we help to show him ? Notwith¬ 
standing the high character and the adaptability of 
Mr. Downing’s works to the “ upper ten thousand,” 
the wants of the lower ten hundred thousand are 
not satisfied. 
It is often the case, particularly in settling new 
countries, that a man wants something that will 
answer for immediate shelter, and which he would 
be glad so to build that it would by and by form 
part of the house—so he may be able to build part 
of a house this year, and part next year, and per¬ 
haps another part another year. 
Now, any plan that is so arranged that the new 
beginner can build it in parts, having each part 
complete in itself, will be useful to many of your 
readers, who will never read “ Cottage Residences ;” 
and if they did, could not adopt a single plan in the 
book, for want of means. It is for the benefit of 
this class that I have arranged the enclosed plan.! 
It is particularly intended for the new settler , and to 
be built on the baloon plan, which has not a single 
tennonor mortice in the frame, except the sills; all 
the upright timber being very light, and held to¬ 
gether by nails, it being sheeted upon the studs 
under the clap boards, is very stiff', and just as good 
and far cheaper than ordinary frames. 
Front View of Cottage.—Fig. 11. 
Ground Plan of Cottage.—Fig. 12. 
Description. — a. Wash-room, 13 x 13; b, kitchen 
16 X 24 ; c, parlor, 16 X 16; cl, f, h, i, bed-rooms, 
10 x 12; e, store-room, 8 X 10; g, pantry, 8 X 10 : 
j, l, clothes press; k, entry; m, fire-place; n, stair¬ 
way ; o, wood-house; p, garden gate; the pump 
should be in the wash room. 
1 would have a lawn in front, with shrubbery, and 
an orchard on the side opposite the garden. Between 
the garden and the house should be a road to the 
rear buildings, and between this road and the house 
I would have a strip of green sward ornamented 
i with shrubbery. A corresponding strip also should 
