1861.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
341 
other, as shown in fig. C. The flue, whether of 
brick or earthen ware, should start about on a 
level with the ground, and gradually rise half an 
inch or so in the foot, as it is continjued through 
the room. As a foundation for the brick work be¬ 
hind the fire, boards may be used,or better, stones 
Fig. 7— MODE OF LAYING BRICKS. 
laid in the ground up to the surface. Then set 
bricks on edge cross-wise, so far apart that 
flat bricks laid lengthwise will break joints upon 
them. For the sides of the flue, lay 2 bricks, 
one on the other edgwise, and cover with bricks 
laid flat across the top, as seen in fig. 7. If the 
bricks be 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 2 
inches thick, this will leave a flue 4 inches wide 
and 8 inches high in the clear, with ,only a 
single thickness of brick on every side. The 
openings between the supporting bricks admit 
the free passage of air underneath, affording ad¬ 
ditional heating surface at the bottom. As lime 
mortar is liable to crack, it is better to lay the 
bricks in worked clay, or good clay loam mixed 
with a little lime, or with cow dung. After 
drying thoroughly, white-wash the whole ; this 
will also stop cracks, and improve the looks. 
--» •—— a —-* «■- 
Japan Lilies. 
There are three leading varieties, named Spe- 
ciosum, Album , and Punctatum. The first has a 
ground color of clear rose, shading to white, 
covered with numerous small projections of 
bright crimson. The Album is pure, virgin 
white, with the same projections as the former, 
but without color, and compared by some one 
to “ frost work and snowy stalactites.” The 
Punctatum has a white ground color, the petals 
s tudded with rose-colored projections, and spot¬ 
ted with the same tints. All of them are re¬ 
markably fragrant; the perfume is most deli¬ 
cate and refined, making them very desirable. 
It is supposed by many that these plants are 
not hardy; but all the protection they need in 
Winter is six or eight inches of leaves fastened 
down by a stone, or a grass-sod. A little expe¬ 
rience shows that they thrive best if transplant¬ 
ed every three or four years, into new earth. 
While they succeed well in any good garden 
soil, they do better in a border prepared as fol¬ 
lows : “ Two parts from an old liot-bed, com¬ 
posed of leaves and horse manure, at least two 
years old; one part sandy peat.” No garden 
can be complete without these superb Lilies. 
For the American Agriculturist . 
Hyacinths in Glasses—An Improvement. 
Hyacinths look much prettier in glasses than 
In flower p_ots, but they do not thrive near 
ao well in water as in good soil. We may se¬ 
cure strong, healthy plants with fine large flow¬ 
ers in glasses, as follows: First secure good 
sound bulbs as early as possible; those that have 
not commenced to grow are preferable. Put 
them into pots about 8 inches ■•across, in a com¬ 
position of two parts good loam, one part well 
decomposed manure, and one part sand, well 
mixed together. When potting, leave the tip of 
the bulbs just above the soil, putingonly one in 
a pot. When this is done, carry them into a 
cellar, and place them into one corner out of the 
way, where they will not freeze; then cover them 
about four inches deep with sand, or any kind 
of soil, to prevent the roots from pushing the 
bulbs up. Keep them there till they grow about 
two inches, then bring them gradually to the 
light, letting them remain in the pots until they 
have grown about five inches high. Then turn 
them carefully out of the pot, and dip them 
gently up and down in a pail of water until 
every particle of soil is washed from the roots. 
When this is done, insert the roots with great 
care into hyacinth glasses, and fill up with soft 
water. The water must be changed once a 
week f let it stand in the room 24 hours before 
pouring into the glasses, so as to be as near the 
same temperature as possible. By following 
this, you will easily have strong healthy plants 
that will bloom beautifully. Galnesborough. 
Cold Spring, N. Y. 
--—-- 
A Safe for Umbrellas. 
Custom is the only foundation for some laws, 
but we have never yet seen a legal decision set¬ 
tling the mooted question whether, by a law of 
custom, a man 
acquires an ab¬ 
solute right to 
an umbrella by 
the simple fact 
that he has 
“taken it” 
where he hap¬ 
pened to find 
it. However 
this may be, an 
ingenious Yan¬ 
kee, Foote by 
name, has set¬ 
tled the ques¬ 
tion that a man 
can not always 
“take” the um¬ 
brella. The an¬ 
nexed engrav¬ 
ing, (fig. 1,) il¬ 
lustrates how 
he is “estop¬ 
ped.” C is the 
pan for catch¬ 
ing the drip; 
B, the rings 
for receiving 
and holding Fig. 1. 
umbrellas; 
while A is a lock which holds the handle so 
firmly that no one can remove it except the 
holder of the key. One of the locks is shown in 
fig. 2. It has two circular plates with corres- 
Fig. 2. 
ponding slots in each, large enough to hold the 
handle. On turning the top piece one quarter 
round, an inside lock closes, and the handle is 
held fast. It is impossible to turn the plate back 
without using the key, (8,) which is a small bit 
of metal to be carried in the pocket. In fig. 1 
there are six locks. Some stands are made 
with only one, and from this size they run up to 
28 or more locks. Such large stands are well 
adapted to hotels and public halls. No two 
keys or locks are made alike, so that any man 
can lock up his own umbrella, and leave it safe. 
The stands are made of iron, in good style, and 
are ornamental as well as useful. The cost is 
about $1 for each lock, which is not much high¬ 
er than a common stand of the same quality. 
this mumro m 
Cheap Food for the War Times—Import* 
ant for Every Housekeeper, and for 
her “ Quarter-Master ” — Making 
$40 go as far as $100—Thirty 
Three Methods of Cooking 
Indian Corn. 
Economy is the word now, or should be, in 
every family. Some are compelled to econo¬ 
mize; others do so from motives of benevolence,, 
that they may be better able to assist their less; 
fortunate friends and neighbors; while others, 
will practice economy from patriotic motives.. 
There are over twenty million inhabitants in tire 
Northern and Middle States. If by economy in 
food, clothing, luxuries, furniture, carriages, and 
in sundry other items, the average reduction of 
current expenses for one year be only 7 cents 
a day each, the savings will amount to over five hun¬ 
dred million dollars ($500,000,000 !) This 
would balance the four hundred millions ex¬ 
pended by the government, and leave one 
hundred millions as an offset to the extra 
expenses and contributions of those not connect¬ 
ed with or employed by government, so that the 
nation would have quite as much wealth after 
a year’s war, as if peace had prevailed and the 
people had gone on in their previous modes ol 
living. The half million soldiers will of course 
save money during the year, for even the hum¬ 
blest private gets all his food, clothing, and trav¬ 
eling expenses, besides .$156 in money, which all 
come out of the four hundred million dollars 
expended by the government, while the balance 
is nearly all paid to manufacturers, laborers, 
cultivators, etc., here at home. 
We believe the people can and will reduce 
their expenses 7 cents a day each, on the average . 
With some the saving will amount to but one or 
two cents daily, while others will far exceed the 
7 cents. There are many ways in which people 
can expend less than they would have done un¬ 
der other circumstances. In the single item of 
clothing much will be saved. Some will buy 
one coat or one dress less. Some will wear a; 
$4 or $5 bonnet instead of a $7 or $8 one. Some 
will wear a good substantial pair of boots or 
shoes instead of a fancy pair that would cost 
more and give out sooner—and this will be a 
manifest saving of health and comfort. The old! 
harness will do to drive to church or to town: 
for another year. But we can not particularize 
further. One of the few good effects of this- 
war will be to bring us back to more econ¬ 
omical habits which will cling to us afterward. 
The main object of the present chapter is to 
assist, if we can, in economy in food. Did it 
ever occur to the reader how little, compara¬ 
tively, we, as a people, use Indian corn ? This 
crop is grown more generally, and with more 
certainty than any other, and its actual produc¬ 
tion far exceeds that of all other grains taken 
together. And yet a few pounds of meal per 
month, for dessert puddings, and occasional 
