50 
ROUGH NOTES BY THE WAY.-NO. 6. 
have used them for the greater part of eighteen 
years, and have tried all others. Besides this, 1 
have had city and town gentry, who were unwilling 
to believe that cotton could make such beds, and 
insisted nothing else but hair could—in one in¬ 
stance I had to demonstrate, by showing the cotton. 
The only objection is coldness in the winter to in¬ 
valids of delicate habits, but the same objection 
was to hair, and greater to moss—but easily obvi¬ 
ated by putting a blanket under the bottom sheet. 
But cotton mattresses are not the only comfort , in 
cotton, there are many such things as comforts , 
made about this house, with eight to ten-cent 
calico, two to three pounds of cotton crushed into 
bats,—they are really more comfortable of a cold 
night than the best Mackinaw blanket. 
M. W. Philips. 
Edwards , Miss., Nov. 17 th, 1848. 
also of his own planning while on ship-board), 1 
have thought well worth the trouble to sketch 
and get engraved for the Agriculturist. 
ROUG-H NOTES BY THE WAY.—NO. 6. 
On my return to Philadelphia, after visiting the 
estate of Mr. Maillard, I found a carriage waiting 
to take me to the farm of Captain Harry Ingersoll, 
of the U. S. Navy, which is situated in Bristol, 
about seven miles from Philadelphia. This farm 
contains about 70 acres, and when purchased by 
Captain I., three years ago, was completely run 
down by improper cultivation—the buildings greatly 
out of repair, and nearly worthless. But now, 
from the appearance of the buildings, vegetable and 
flower gardens, as well as the meadows and fields, 
one would judge that the place had been under 
high cultivation for some years. This, however, 
may be accounted for, so far as the pleasure grounds 
and flower gardens are concerned, from the superior 
management and good taste of his lady, Mrs. In¬ 
gersoll. 
A very handsome and substantial dwelling has 
been built by Captain I., of his own planning, 
unique in its character, and harmonizing well with 
the beautiful woodland scenery surrounding it. A 
quarry, near the site where it stands, furnished the 
stone for its erection. In the hole, or pit, from 
which the stone was taken, an ice house and a 
beautiful conservatory have been constructed, 
“ killing,” as it were, “ two birds with one stone.” 
There is one object near his mansion, though 
seemingly too trivial to mention here, which I 
think worthy of note. Around an old chestnut 
stump, very large in its dimensions, there has 
sprung up a cluster of sprouts, some six or eight 
inches in diameter, which, in number of treelets. 
and in the picturesque effect of its arborescent 
head, surpasses anything of the kind I have ever 
seen. 
I also found a water ram in operation here, 
which forces the water up a steep hill to the upper 
stories of the house, and over that part of his 
grounds where he wishes to use it. It is very 
singular that water rams have not been as common 
for ages past as a well or cistern. There are few 
things more convenient or useful, where water is 
to be taken up an ascent, or carried any distance 
on level ground. 
A little to the southward of his house, Captain 
Ingersoll has erected a neat, though plain-looking 
horse stable and carriage house, which, from its 
convenience, as well as internal arrangement (being 
North and West View from the House.—Fig. 5 
r 
Ground Plan.—Fig. 6. 
Explanation. —A, denotes the carriage house, 21 by 
22 feet; B, the watchman’s room, 8 by 21 feet; 
C, the passage way, 6 by 30 feet; D, the stable 
for horses, 18 by 30 feet, containing six stables ; 
E, the shed, covering the pump and manure pit • 
P, the pump. 
Over the manure pit, is a sort of rough grating, 
made in two pieces, so as to be easily lifted off 
when the pit is to be cleared of manure, on which 
the straw is also kept, that has been used for bed¬ 
ding during the night; thus affording a circulation 
of air under it; and being sheltered from the rain 
by the shed, a considerable quantity of litter is 
saved, besides the necessity of keeping it in a spare 
stall. 
The hay is taken into the loft through the north 
window above the carriage-house doors; and the 
straw through another window at the opposite end 
of the stable. 
