312 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[November, 
A PRIMITIVE RESIDENCE .— Engraved, for the American Agriculturist 
The Western Settler and his Architecture. 
Settlers in well wooded districts have at hand 
one of the most durable and excellent materials 
of which dwellings can be made—namely, logs. 
Our engraving represents one of the rude but 
comfortable habitations of the pioneer. He 
had not to haul the logs of which it is made, 
half a dozen rods from where they grew. We 
associate nothing of grace or architectural ele¬ 
gance with the log-house, yet it is capable of 
exhibiting a very high order of practical beauty. 
The beauty of fitness is the highest kind of beau> 
ty in architecture. It has often been a matter 
of surprise, not only that stiff, angular brick and 
frame houses will start up even in the edge of 
the forest, but also, that logs have been so little, 
if ever used for gardeners’ cottages, porters’ 
lodges, and farm houses, on pretentious estates. 
We have a sort of national pride in the log- 
cabin, as an American Institution, and can tes¬ 
tify abundantly to the comfort, in winter and 
summer, of well built and convenient log- 
houses. We certainly do not advocate small 
rooms, low ceilings, earth floors, (or “dirt floors” 
as some are appropriately called,) small win¬ 
dows, bark roofs, and other such things, which 
are too often the prominent features in log-cab¬ 
ins. There is nothing to prevent, in fact every 
thing to recommend, airiness, breadth and even 
fine finish being conspicuous in houses built of 
logs. A good wood cutter will leave the ends 
of the logs cut beautifully true with his axe 
alone; and if pains enough be taken to have 
the ends even, the logs of uniform size, decreas¬ 
ing in diameter very gradually toward the 
caves, and the corners true and finished off in 
a workmanlike manner, not with sawing and 
planing, but with the axe alone, the effect is 
very neat and handsome. The openings for 
windows and doors if finished in the same man¬ 
ner as the corners—that is with short, round 
pieces, notched and inserted crosswise between 
the ends of the logs—are an ornamental feature. 
Eaves and gable ends of the 
roofs ought to project several 
feet,—the more the better for 
picturesque effect, and where 
picturesqueness is a prime ob¬ 
ject,the roof should be thatch¬ 
ed. It is easy for any one. 
with a little architectural 
taste to plan window caps 
and door protections, or por¬ 
ticos of a substantial charac¬ 
ter appropriate to the build¬ 
ing. The addition of a broad 
piazza, or even a roof simply, 
will increase both the come¬ 
liness and the comfort. It is a great folly 
to imitate in wood, building styles adapted 
to stone or brick, and this material presents 
to the sensible enterprising architect qualities 
upon which might be based a very beautiful and 
unique style of American cottage architecture, 
not to be excelled by the Swiss, or any other. 
Block Houses , made of logs neatly hewn to uni¬ 
form thickness, make fine substantial buildings, 
scarcely to be excelled in comfort and solidity. 
They may be clap-boarded on the outside, and 
plastered within, if convenient, though this 
is not necessary to their warmth. The clap¬ 
boards renewed as needed, will render such 
houses almost as lasting as those of bricks. 
Propagating Osage Orange, in 
the Absence of Southern Seed. 
In many localities the Osage Or¬ 
ange is the popular hedge plant, 
and the shutting off of the southern 
supply of seed has led to many que¬ 
ries addressed to the American Agri¬ 
culturist, which we will answer in a 
lump.—1st.- Northern raised seed 
will grow. We have examined 
seeds from several “ oranges ” pro¬ 
duced around New-York, and found 
them mainly perfect. Several cor¬ 
respondents write that they have 
plants from northern seed, and that 
it is worth while to collect the fruit 
wherever found upon a neglected 
hedge. Mr. D. Fitzpatrick, of Iowa, 
says he lays the fruit where it will 
be thoroughly frozen during winter, 
then mashes the pulp and separates 
the seeds in spring. In many parts 
of the country the seed may be 
collected, especially where the 
Osage Orange is grown as a tree, 
which by the way, it ought to be 
much more than it is, for it is a very 
ornamental plant.—2d. The plant 
may be grown from cuttings in the 
same manner as the quince. Make 
cuttings from six inches to a foot 
long, in autumn ; bury them in sand 
in the cellar, and plant out in spring. 
See page 49, (Feb.) of current vol¬ 
ume.—3rd. It may be propagated 
from root cuttings. The following 
plan is recommended by Dr. Low, 
of Missouri: In the spring, just 
as the buds start, plow' 2^ or 3 feet 
from an old hedge, turning the furrow toward 
the hedge. This will cut the roots, and those 
portions left in the undisturbed ground will 
throw up shoots. Some one has written us that 
he raised plants by setting out pieces of the 
root; will he please give the full particulars? 
A New Gate Plan—Worth Trying. 
G. W. Taylor, of Ogle Co., Ill. sends to the 
American Agriculturist the above sketch, of which 
he says: “ It is a very handy gate. Any farm¬ 
er can make it, and I find it cheaper for a field 
gate, and handier than any other I am acquaint¬ 
ed with." The frame is simple; one end hangs 
between tw r o posts (A .4.) set a foot apart and 
enough out of line to admit the pieces of hard¬ 
wood plank (B. B.,) which support the gate 
so that it will slide upon them. To open the 
gate, it is shoved from left to right till it nearly 
balances, and then swung round like any other 
gale. Hoop iron on the rails will lessen friction. 
