74 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
March. 
scenery. We want variety—plans fitted for various lo¬ 
cations, and this can be arrived at better by using a va¬ 
riety of style. In connection with the work published 
by Mr. Downing, is there not wanting another, to fur¬ 
nish that portion of the community to which I have re¬ 
ferred, and who can better supply it than Mr. D. him¬ 
self? 
CELLAR.—Fig. 20. 
In looking over the buildings now in my view, I 
should judge they would average about the size of the 
plan of the one I now send you. It is designed for a 
family of from six to ten persons; and I think the ar¬ 
rangement is such as would be convenient and desira¬ 
ble. 
In different portions of our country, different ma¬ 
terials are used in building, and different uses are made 
of the same materials. At the west, there are many 
buildings put up with what are called balloon frames, 
covered with boards and clapboards. With us clap¬ 
boards are generally used as an outside covering upon 
the ordinary timber frame. Mr. Ellsworth highly 
recommends the Pise houses of unburnt brick. Mr. 
Downing has introduced the vertical board covering. 
Among these, I like Mr. D.’s best, both as to the ap¬ 
pearance and utility. The main objection to it is, that 
it is too expensive, particularly if it is filled in with 
brick, as Mr. D. recommends. 
In the plan I send, you will see I have adopted Mr. 
Downing’s covering for the outside, but propose to use 
it as follows : Let the cellar walls be built up with 
stone from two to three feet above the ground, put¬ 
ting a good coat of water cement on top of the wall to 
prevent dampness from arising—then lay up the walls 
of unburnt brick, as recommended by Mr. Ellsworth, in 
his Report on Patents for the year 1844, putting in 
scantling 3 by 4 inches, on the outside, once in three 
feet, around the entire building, to nail the vertical 
boarding to, when the walls are finished. This em¬ 
braces part of Mr. Downing’s and part of Mr. Ells¬ 
worth’s improvements. The objection I. have to Mr. 
E.’s covering of cement, is the difficulty of making it 
stand our climate. Using Mr. D.’s covering, obviates 
this objection, and in combining the two we have some¬ 
thing about as near perfect as we can look for. You 
will observe, also, that it is cheaper than a frame of 
timber, as all the tiitiber that is necessary to use is 
the joists for flooring, and the scantling outside, until 
you reach the plates. The expense of walls of unburnt 
brick is about six cents per cubic foot. The two prin¬ 
cipal partitions should be of unburnt brick, six inches 
thick, to be carried from the cellar to the roof, plaster¬ 
ing inside immediately upon the brick. This saves 
more than one-half the expense of plastering. In such 
a building, we have the advantages of its being warm, 
dry, and clean. It is warmer than brick or stone, be- 
CHAMBER FLOOR.—Fig;. 21. 
A. Chamber, 14 x 15—B. Recess for bed. opening into A—C. Bed 
Rooms with closet's, 9 x 13—D- Closet opening into Hall—E. Hall. 
cause a better non-conductor of cold, or than wood alone, 
because tighter. Another advantage in such a wall is, 
that no rats, mice, or other vermin, can get within the 
walls; as they almost always do in every house where 
studding, or furring and lath, are used. I think such a 
house can be built for $600 or $800. 
H. of Oneida Co. 
Clinton. Dec. 31, 1846. 
THE CHEAPEST and BEST MODE of BUILDING. 
From various experiments which have been made 
within a few years, the evidence is becoming strong, that 
the best mode of building dwelling houses, for com¬ 
bining cheapness, durability, solidity, warmth, and dry¬ 
ness, is with unburnt brick. 
A number of houses have been erected with great 
success with this material, at the village of Geneva, in 
western New-York, within a few years; and their su¬ 
periority has also been proved at Chicago, as appears 
from an able and interesting communication on this sub¬ 
ject, which appeared a few weeks since in the Prairie 
Farmer. In both these localities, the cheapness, as 
well as other advantages, which, from the statements 
of different builders, nearly agree, are very apparent 
and striking. 
These houses being of a more porous material than 
stone or brick, are much warmer, and less subject to 
dampness, and not being lathed internally, except on a 
part of the partition walls, afford very few hiding pla¬ 
ces for rats and mice. They are also far less liable 
to destruction by fires for the same reason. In order 
that their advantages may be more fully understood, a 
brief statement of the mode of erection may be useful. 
The bricks are made of goud clay, with which a small 
portion of sand must be mixed, the quantity of which 
will vary with the purity of the clay. Straw or coarse 
grass is then chopped with an axe about six inches long, 
and worked in with the clay. A yoke of oxen will 
work a bed of clay in about four hours sufficient to give 
employment to two active men in making the brick for 
a day. The size of the brick is usually quite large, or 
six inches thick, one foot wide, and fifteen inches long. 
At Chicago they are usually made eighteen inches long, 
