THE CULTIVATOR. 
Gravel Houses. 
The constant advance in the price of timber has 
lead to inquiries in regard to other materials for build¬ 
ing houses, so as to bring the cost within the means of 
the masses wanting houses. In some sections houses 
are constructed of small stones laid in a mould filled 
in with mortar, which is smoothed on* each* side to form 
the out and inside of the house ; on the top of this 
wall the plate is laid even with a roof in the Italian 
style. This kind of house is unknown in this vicinity 
although the abundance of stones and sand, and the 
almost entire absence of pine timber, would seem to 
render it well adapted to the locality. 
Can you furnish in the Cultivator any information 
as to the comfort, durability and cost of said houses 1 
Are they damp or liable to be injured by freezing I 
What sized stones are best adapted, and what other 
materials would be required for the walls of a house, 
say 30 feet square; and 16 feet high 1 What thick¬ 
ness would be necessary and what amount of labor to 
build them I it. N. M. Gales Ferry , Ct. 
We have been informed by several persons who have 
enjoyed the advantages of observation, or who have 
had practical experience, that these houses as com¬ 
monly built have proved a failure after a few years 
trial, and in some instances have been torn down and 
replaced with wood structures. Fowler & Wells have 
published a book in favor of this mode of building, 
and give minute directions for the whole process, to 
which our correspondent is referred for further infor¬ 
mation—but we cannot commend the plan. Building 
with cobble-stones, as usually practiced, is quite a dif¬ 
ferent thing, and is cheap, durable, and good. 
Draining Tile and Pipe. 
Luther Tucker, Esq. — I notice in your last Coun¬ 
try Gentleman , you wish my opinion whether tile or 
pipe are best for drains. So far as I have seen, there 
appears to be no difference. I have used but very few 
pipe. When I imported tile for patterns, pipe was not 
known for drains; therefore I began with tile, and 
they answering all purposes, I never made a change— 
only when I could not get tile I used pipe if to be got, 
and they do well enough. I laid from 39,000 to 40,- 
000 tile last season. I have a few on the ground now, 
to put in this spring. One of my neighbors has about 
20,000 tile now in his fields, and is at work digging 
ditches. Tiles and pipes have not been half as fast 
made as wanted for the last two years. Some of the 
makers are enlarging their works, and intend making 
double the quantity they formerly made; still I don’t 
think they will then be able to supply the demand. 
Farmers are beginning to sge that it is indispensably 
necessary to drain, the land; and the whole ought to 
be drained, or at least with very few exceptions. I 
drain almost every part of the field now; at first I 
, only drained the wet, or that I thought wet; but I 
soon found that a great proportion of that thought dry 
would pay well for draining. What I have done in 
the last eight years, I think will require no more 
draining. 
We have now fine weather. Wheat looks as well 
could be wished. Should we have favorable weath- 
shall have an early harvest; and unless we 
i should after this have frosts and thaws,, wheat will not. 
be wintei’-killed. Still, wheat on drained land, even 
this spring, has greatly the advantage of that on un¬ 
drained land. Yours respectfully, John Johnston. 
Near Geneva , March 17, 1854. 
Notes on Various Matters. 
Messrs. Editors —Feeling myself largely indebt¬ 
ed to the Cultivator, I send you-a few ‘‘Notes,” which, 
if they are of value, may be followed by a few more. 
[The more the better.— Eds.] 
DOMESTIC GUANO. 
The droppings from the hen-roost, if carefully pre¬ 
served and properly applied, we find a most valuable 
addition to our stock of manures. For the saving of it 
we have a roosting place partitioned off in the upper 
part of a shed for which a tight floor is laid, open at 
the back side, under which a large and rather shallow 
box is built, into which receptacle ashes, lime, plaster, 
and any thing of the kind is from time to time mixed 
with the cleanings from the floor above. This, at the 
time of corn planting, is drawn out, and a small hand¬ 
ful dropped in each hill, being careful at the planting 
to draw a little dirt over it as the corn is dropped, as 
if it comes in immediate contact with the com it will 
in most cases destroy the young sprout. This I con¬ 
sider a better way than to mix with loam before drop¬ 
ping in the hill, as it is less bulky, and the planter who 
drops his own seed can draw on a little earth before 
dropping his corn, with no trouble at all. I have had 
better corn, manured in this way, with no other ma¬ 
nure, than from land adjoining, with quite a heavy 
coating in the usual way. 
ASHES FOR THE PL UM. 
A hint derived from your pages, saved me the last 
season a large crop of plums, the first we hare had of 
any amount i^ some years. This was the sprinkling 
of dry ashes on the young fruit as recommended by 
one of your correspondents, to prevent the ravages of 
the curculio. Every morning or two, until the plums 
were full grown, the trees were well dusted, and the 
result was a bountiful crop of fine fruit. If any one 
has not tried it, let him do so the coming season. 
USE OF POND MUD. 
Some three or four years ago, as an experiment, we 
drew out of the bottom of a pond filled during the sea¬ 
son with back-water from the canal, but dry in the 
spring, about fifty loads of mud, which was applied im¬ 
mediately to the land. For the first and second years 
it seemed to prove a decided injury, but after being 
turned up by the plow and subjected to the action of 
frost for one winter, the beneficial effects began to man¬ 
ifest themselves, and the best of our barn-yard ma¬ 
nures have not produced so heavy a growth of grain, 
and the’bffect promises to be permanent. Probably a 
better way would have been, to have piled it up for one 
year, or composted with other manure or with lime. 
R. Merchant. —■*>— 
Great Crop of Sugar. - I shall take the liberty to 
boast a little of a maple tree two feet three inches in 
diameter, standing on my farm in Iloosick, from which 
I made thirty-three pounds of sugar in the spring of 
1852. Elihu Cross. 
