I860. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
85 
Fig. 4.—Second Story.— Right !>!4 i'eet in clear. K aiul L, 
Chamber Parlors, or Bedrooms. M, Family Bedroom, with 
Speaking-Tubes to Kitchen, Dining-Room, and to bell-pull 
outside front Door; and bells to basement Hall, and Attic 
Hall for summoning and waking servants_ Q, for Dressing 
Room, or Bedroom, or Sewing Room, or Nurse’s Room, as 
required_X, Large Bedroom with closets, c, c _ 0, Bath¬ 
room, with bathing-tub, marbleizcd iron wash-stand, water- 
closet, closet; register, gas, obscured ornamental glass doors, 
etc. P, Main Chamber Hall, 8K loot wide; P, rear stairs 
Hall. All chamber rooms have wash-basins (6, b, b, b ,) in 
alcoves, with Italian marble tops and wall-protectors, 
plated hot and cold water self-acting cocks, registers, 
O',?',), closets, (c, e, c, c, c, c,), double wall ventilators, 
bells, and A", JT, and jV, have Italian .Marble Mantels, with 
Summer pieces, having German-silver guards, etc. 
bers by the ball P. The water-closet at the end of the 
bath-tub has a lead bos standing under it upon the floor, 
so as to catch any possible drip from the pipes or 
valves. Tlie seat under the close-fitting cover is hung 
upon hinges, and under this lead plate is put ou dishing, 
which serves as a broad-topped urinal, by raising the seat. 
Attic, or Third Story (fig: 5).—The water tank, X, 
which holds forty-eight barrels, is supported by extra 
heavy timbers from the cellar up. It is surrounded with 
double plastered walls, but can not well freeze, as the stair¬ 
way opening ail the way up supplies an abundance of 
warm air. This tank is neatly cased in, with trap door in 
the cover. The water from all the upper roof comes into it 
until full, when the surplus runs down intoafilteriug cis¬ 
tern, and thence into the main cistern. It will be noticed 
that the chimney between S and T is carried over to the 
outer wall, to bring the top out where it is desired in the 
roof for architectural effect. The warm-air registers in 
,9 and? 1 are under control of the mistress by means of 
dampers in the rooms below, so that either of these 
rooms can be warmed only when she desires. 
General EScmarSts—Conveniences.—It will 
be seen that there is no carrying water to and from the 
rooms. A house anywhere in the country can have an 
abundant supply of the best “distilled” water—the pur¬ 
est possible. Nature carries it up; we have only to pro¬ 
vide for interrupting it as it comes down. Forty to fifty 
barrels will furnish ample supply from one rain storm to 
another. In case of a long drouth, the force-pump will 
Fig. 5.—Attic or Third Story.—R ight of ceiling, S feet. 
S and T. large Bedrooms, with closets, warm-air register 
from theFurnace, opened or shut oil' by damper in the fami¬ 
ly room below. XT, a Play-room for children, or for drying 
clothes, orother purposes. Two doors are provided, so that 
it can be divided into two rooms with separate entrances, if 
ever so wanted. ,5. T, and U, have ample dormer windows, 
(3 in U, and 2 each in N and T). F, upper hall, witli railing 
and banisters. X, Water Tank, holding48 barrels, tilled from 
upper roof. TV, Small Bedroom, or general Store-room, with 
closet, c, and staii'3 to a fine Tower room or Observatory. 
readily fill the tank. Such a supply will often aid to put 
out a fire that would otherwise be destructive. The en¬ 
tire plumbing work of these houses, including pumps, 
sinks, copper boilers, tank, drains, marble wash-basin, 
first-class plated cocks, bath-room, etc., can be put in for 
not to exceed $700 in most places, the annual interest of 
which is only $50 a year. It will save twice that sum in 
female help and board, to say nothing of comfort, con¬ 
venience, utility, and fire risk. The cost can be reduced 
by using brass cocks, cheaper wash-basins, etc. But 
low-priced plumbing, such as, poor work, thin lead, etc., 
is not cheap, but very dear in the long run. (These 
houses were plumbed by Thos. Elliot, of Flushing, 
which is saying enough for the character of the work. 
We may say the same of the mason work, by J. & P. Car- 
roll, of College Point, the gas fitting, by Henry Lewis, 
and the painting by Thos. Gosling. The whole work 
has been under the general superintendence of Mr. John 
Donald, as architect and builder, who has worked on 
salary, and therefore had no inducement to slight a single 
item, were he so disposed,—which lie is not. We give 
credit to each of these men, for they have worked for it 
and deserved it, as the houses will abundantly show. 
Bell-Pulls in each room in the first and second sto¬ 
ries ring below in the kitchen or basement hall. One in 
the bath-tub calls a servant up to bring a towel, etc., 
and bells extend from the family sleeping room, JT, to 
the upper hall, to awaken servants, and also from the 
first story rooms to call them down when needed. 
Speakino-T ubes from JTenable t-lie housekeeper to give 
directions to the Dining-room and Kitchen, without go¬ 
ing into the hall or calling servants up. A speaking-tube 
also extends from the same room, JT, opening over the 
bell-pull at the front door, so that any one calling at 
night can be conversed with, without getting up and 
dressing, or risking meeting a robber at the door. Fifty 
or sixty dollars will fit out a house like these, with neat 
porcelain and plated knobs, pulls, mouth-pieces, etc., 
if put into the walls while constructing them; and how 
many times they will repay the interest every year! 
Houses thus fitted up command good “ help,” and less of 
it, and save the housewife immense labor and worry. 
Ventilators. —Two of these are placed in all rooms, 
one near the baseboard, the other near the ceiling, 
with openings up through the walls. By closing the 
the upper one and opening the lower one wlieti the room 
is cold, the warm air from the grate or register, rising to 
the top, forces the cold air out. Vice versa: when the air 
is hot and impure, open the top register and close the 
lower one, and t he rarefied impure air will pass off from 
the upper part of the room. A dozen pairs of these reg¬ 
isters cost less than $10, all put in, and they will pay in 
health a hundred per cent per annum. Gas Pipes are 
carried to every room, from cellar to attic, and to two 
places in some rooms. Mr. Judd believes in heating ” 
houses with pure air, brought directly from outdoors 
through large pipes, passed over a large, warm furnace 
surface, not a red-hot one, and thence into the rooms. 
provided always that ample watery vapor be supplied tr 
tlie air while passing through the furnace chambers. 
Hence he has put warm air registers in every principal 
room, including bath-room, with grates in tlie two prin¬ 
cipal rooms for those who specially desire them. Marble 
mantels, and summer fronts, with German-silver guards, 
are placed in A , C, JT, X, K. The Painting Materials were 
all purchased of Mr. C. T. Reynolds in New York, that 
there might be no chance for poor quality, or inducement 
to the workmen to slight the coatings. The outer color is 
drab, or light gray, with darker shadings for trimmings 
and blinds. Inside, the Halls and C are walnut stipple 
grained; A is a shaded white, with bluish gray tint on 
portions of mouldings. D and E are oak grained, and 
the chambers dead white; the two sides of the doors 
correspond in color with the several rooms and halls. 
Any suggestions in regard to the interior arrangement 
of these houses or otherwise will be thankfully received, 
and published, if of general utility, our aim being to af¬ 
ford every hint we can that will aid in increasing the con¬ 
venience and comfort of our American homes. Tlie cost 
hereof a house like the above, exclusive of ground, is not 
fhr from $12,000, all complete, with fences, drains, lattice- 
enclosed Privy, Grape Arbor, etc. Tlie items of cost are 
about as follows: Lumber, $1,000; Carpenter work, 
$2,000; Mason work and materials, $2,200; Roofing, 
$530; Furnaces, put in, $350 ; Range, $60 ; Ventilators, 
$30; Gas Pipes, $120; Sashes, $220; Ground glass for 
Parlors, $60; Mantels, $300; Grates and summer pieces, 
$100; Doors, $200; Paints and Painting, $600; Hardware, 
Nails, Bells, etc., $450; Plumbing, $700; Blinds, $110; 
Stairs, steps, banisters, $200; Mouldings, sawing, plan¬ 
ing, etc., $-100; Locusts for fence, basement sleepers, 
etc., $50; Labor—draining, grading, digging cellar, cess¬ 
pools, etc., $450; Cartage and freights, $250 ; Insurance, 
Interest, and many sundries, $750. 
These houses stand on high ground on Sandford 
Avenue, one of the finest streets running from the vil¬ 
lage, on a deep lot, 125 feet front, about three-eighths of a 
mile from tlie R. R. depot, whence twelve trains a day 
run to the city. One of them is sold to and now occupied 
by Robt. McKim, Esq., of the firm of McKiin Brothers, 
Bankers, Wall St.,N. Y. ; and the other, just finished, will 
be sold on very easy terms to the first comer—at 
Jan ,llc ! 'et costof the house and a fair price for the 
land. Tiie price named in a previous item was 
below the cost', as many additions were subse¬ 
quently made.—Prior to its sale, permission to 
examine the above house can be obtained by call¬ 
ing on John Donald, residing near by. Cars run 
both ways nearly every hour in the day and even- 
ing, over the Railroad to Hunter’s Point, in 
connection with the ferry-boats from James Slip, 
down town, and 34th Street, up town, in New 
York.—By the way, the recent great improve¬ 
ments in tlie railroads, bring Flushing and 
Fig. 0. v i c i n ity practically nearer in time and comfort of 
travel, and more convenient to the business portions of 
New York, than many parts of the city itself, day or night. 
Third Story. Second Story. First Story. 
Fig. I.—As still further suggestive'to those building, 
we append in Fig. 7 a sketch of tlie casings or trimmings 
in the rooms of the different stories, drawn a little larger 
than 1 inch to (he foot -those of the first story being 
8J4 inches wide.Fig. G shows the mode of cutting 
the siding, referred to in the second column of page 84. 
for SlBeep-lcilllnaiy Efcog's.— 
“ L. B.,” Washington Hollow, writes: “ I have a valua¬ 
ble dog, and more valuable sheep, for which Hie dog has 
an illicit liking. Is there any cure short of bullet?”—In 
one instance, the following remedy was effectual. The 
culprit was muzzled and strapped by the neck to the 
necks of two stout wethers. The sheep took fright at 
their unusual companion, and dragged him around the 
pasture in all directions. When tired out, the sheep were 
released, and the dog sneaked home, thoroughly cured of 
his appetite for live mutton, and he was never known to 
chase sheep afterward. If this remedy fails, try the bullet. 
I£;si-iley.— “ W. II. W.,” Allegan Co., Mich.— 
The piece of land you describe—a clay loam, plowed last 
fall after corn—is well suited for barley, provided it is not 
wet. If it needs draining, better sow it to oats. You 
may get a fair crop of oats, but you certainly will not get 
a good crop of barley. The first requisite for barley is a 
naturally dry or drained soil. Then a rich clay loam, 
well cultivated for corn, fall plowed and again plowed in 
the spring, and sown as early as the ground is in good 
condition, ought to give a good crop of barlcj r . Drill in 
tlie seed at the rate of 2 to 2(4 bushels per aero. 
Sa.wdusxl an«l Asiaes forClay Land. 
—“ M. J.,” Marion Co., Iud. The rapidity with which 
sawdust will decay depends somewhat upon the kind. In 
time, any kind makes good mould ; and as an ingredient in 
composts, as an absorbent in stables, and as a loosener of 
stiff clay soils, sawdust is almost always of value. As to 
wood ashes, leached or not, you can not get too many, 
though too much may be used at once on a limited surface. 
Wax “C. B. C.,” Bloomfield, 
Iowa. Of course wax candles are made of wax only, but 
a large proportion of those sold as wax are mixtures. A 
white vegetable wax from China, and paraffine, together 
make a caudle hardly to be told from one of pure wax. 
UBacasnal ISesjoalai-ity a EEaia- 
road.—During the six months past that the N. Y. & 
Flushing Railroad lias been owned by the present pro¬ 
prietors, twenty-three trains have been daily rjtn over the 
road, and with two unimportant exceptions, all the trains, 
nearly Four Thousand in number, have made regular 
time and due connections with the East River Ferry-boats 
to and from the city. May not the fact that the President 
of the road is an Editor have something to do with 
this remarkable, if not unprecedented, regularity? Editors 
are accustomed to being “ on time.” Would it not be 
well for the public to place one of them at the head 
of each of our railroad corporations ? The arrangements 
required to collect information from all parts of the 
world, to get this systematically condensed, classified, 
printed, and issued, often ..'.rain a few minutes after its 
reception, and fifty to a hundred and fifty thousand copies 
appropriately distributed to all parts of the city and 
country, are quite as extensive and complicated as the 
machinery 6f our largest railroads. Yet who thinks of 
missing his paper at the precise moment, unless, in¬ 
deed, it lias been delayed by some railroad irregularity? 
Is it not practicable to bring the same talent for system 
and punctuality into railway management generally ? 
