THE CULTIVATOR. 
517 
1848. 
'THE FARMER’S MOTE BOOK. 
Houses of Unburnt Brick. 
I have lately been requested by many persons to 
write an article for the Cultivator on the construction 
of buildings of unburnt brick. I therefore send you the 
following, the result of my own experience. 
In the summer of 1844, I purchased a piece of land 
for a nursery, and wishing to build a house to corres¬ 
pond with my business, I concluded to build of unburnt 
brick, several of the kind having already been erected 
in the vicinity, which had given good satisfaction. 
Mine has proved to be warm in winter and cool in sum¬ 
mer. The walls are never damp, and there is every 
indication that it will be durable—more so, at least, 
than the clap-board wind castles, which a person meets 
with every few rods, through the country. 
My process for making the bricks was as follows: 
A circular pit, ten feet in diameter was dug, two feet 
deep. A floor of inch boards was laid over the bottom , 
and the pit filled with clay, and a small admixture of 
sand. Water was then added sufficient to moisten the 
batch. Tt is better to let the clay soak over night, if 
it is convenient, as I found it worked much easier. 
When all was prepared, a pair of oxen were driven 
into the pit, turned to the right, and driven about till 
the clay became soft and free from lumps. I then cut 
six bundle^ of straw, into lengths of about six inches, 
and scattered over the clay, keeping the oxen moving 
moderately at the same time, till the clay and straw 
were thoroughly mixed together. 
I then placed a table, four feet square and three feet 
high, by the side of the pit, and with the help of a man, 
proceeded to mould the bricks. The moulds were made 
of pine boards, nailed together like a box, but made 
very smooth on the inside. The dimensions on the in¬ 
side, were fifteen inches long, one foot wide, and six 
inches deep. Cleats were nailed on each side of the 
mould, to lift them by when filled. Two moulds were 
used alternately. The moulds were wet, sprinkled 
with sand, and placed upon the table. The clay was 
then shovelled from the pit and thrown upon the table. 
The clay was taken by the hands, filling the corners of 
the mould first—dashing it into the mould to make the 
bricks solid. When the moulds were full, they were 
stricken off even with the top, with a straight edge board 
to make them even. They were then placed upon a 
wheelbarrow and taken to the ground previously level¬ 
led and sanded, where the moulds were carefully in¬ 
verted and lifted from the brick, leaving them to dry in 
the sun. As soon as the bricks became sufficiently hard 
they were turned on one edge, which exposed both sides 
to the air. They were afterwards placed in layers five 
feet high, under cover, till they were fit to be placed 
into the wall. 
In laying them in the wall, I used clay mortar, mix¬ 
ed in the way as the clay for the bricks, omitting the 
cut straw. It is necessary in laying the foundations for 
buildings, to elevate them well above the ground, so 
htat- no moisture reaches the bricks from below, and no 
base should project to impede the running off of the wa¬ 
ter. I would here state that an aperture about a quar¬ 
ter of an inch wide should be left in each end of the 
bottom of the moulds, to admit air, as the bricks ad¬ 
here, Without such a precaution. The space could be 
left by making the bottom of the moulds too short to 
cover the whole length. The moulds should be wash¬ 
ed as often as every third brick is moulded, on account 
ef the soft clay adhering to the sides and bottom. 
I offer my house for the examination of any laboring 
man. It is now covered to the eaves with roses in full 
bloom, and other climbing plants, forming an object of 
attraction to the passers by. Isaac Hildreth. Sene¬ 
ca, June 1, 1848. 
Proper Stage of Cutting Wheat. 
The proper time for cutting wheat is a subject which 
has been considerably discussed, and in regard to which 
there is probably still some difference of opinion. Ma¬ 
ny experiments have been made in England, in order to 
ascertain at what stage the crop would afford the great- 
test profit. The results all point to an earlier period 
than has formerly been thought best for this operation. 
Mr. Colman made very particular inquiries of the best 
farmers and millers in regard to this point. He states 
as the result of liis inquiries, that “ the best rule for 
harvesting, is not when the stalk below the head has 
changed color, and the circulations have consequently 
ceased, but when the grain, though it has ceased to 
yield any milk upon pressure, is yet soft.*’ So far as 
trials have been made in this country, they are not at 
variance with the above, and some of our wheat rais¬ 
ers have now adopted the rule of beginning to harvest 
while the grain is doughy . The advantages of cutting 
at this stage have been briefly given as follows:— 
“ Wheat cut early, affords more grain, yields less bran, 
makes better flour, shells less in harvesting, wastes 
less in gleaning, gives better straw T , and enables the 
farmer to do the work more leisurely.” 
It may be interesting to notice with attention some 
of the experiments which have been made in cutting 
wheat at different times. In the 12th and 13th volumes 
of the Scottish Quarterly Journal of Agriculture, Mr. 
Hannam has given the details of several very particu¬ 
lar and careful trials made under his own direction. In 
one instance he cut samples of wheat at five different 
times, as follows: 
No. 1, was cut a month before fully ripe. 
“ 2, 
1C 
three weeks “ 
u 
" 3 , 
(l 
two (C u 
a 
“ 4, 
u 
two days u 
u 
“ 5, 
(C 
when fully ripe. 
Of these lots, 100 pounds of the grain of each 
ed as follows 
No. 
Flour. 
Seconds. 
Bran. 
1 
75.lbs. 7 lbs. 
17 lbs. 
2 
76 
7 
16 
3 
80 
5 
13 
4 
77 
7 
14 
5 
72 
11 
15 
Thus it appears that No. 3, which was cut two weeks 
before it was fully ripe, was superior to the other lots; 
giving more per bushel than No. 5, (cut when fully ripe) 
by 6| pounds of flour, and a gain of about 15 per cent, 
on the flour of equal measure of grain: 100 pounds of 
wheat of No. 3, makes 80 pounds of flour, while 100 
pounds of No. 5; yields 72; showing an average of 8 
per cent, in favor of No. 3. In grinding, it was found 
that No. 5 ground the worst—worse than No. 1. There 
were in No. 5 a greater quantity of flinty particles, 
which vrould not pass the bolt, than in any of the other 
lots. The bran from No. 5 was also much thicker and 
heavier than that of No. 3. 
Mr. Hannam concludes, that in cutting wheat two 
weeks before it is fully ripe, there is a gain of fifteen 
per cent, of flour upon equal measures, a gain of 14 
