484 WISCOXSIX FRUIT-GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
i 
The costly, elegant, and extensive structures, such as the 
hot-houses of the Duke of Devonshire and the Russian Nobil¬ 
ity, are beyond the means and aspirations of a citizen of Wis¬ 
consin ; yet he may avail himself of means sufficient to adorn 
his premises, enhance their value, and at the same time place 
him in a position to surmount the impediments to producing 
most or all of our delicious fruits. 
Let us investigate the details of this project. 
The homestead of the farmer, and the suburban residence of 
the merchant, mechanic and professional man must be fenced, 
by some means, into yards, into garden, lawns and lanes, and 
furnished also with a variety of out-buildings. 
For these purposes, wood is too frequently employed. It is 
perishable, and in many places costly. Brick and stone are 
also costly, and often not attainable. Hedges, for fences, are 
not generally reliable. Lime and gravel are to be found in 
every part of your State, and they are the essential ingredients 
in concrete structures for either fences or buildings, after Fow¬ 
ler’s plan. Brick-bats and fragments of stone are also valu¬ 
able aid for this purpose, where cheap and abundant. 
It remains to be decided whether it be preferable to erect 
continuous walls, as recommended by Fowler, or first mould 
the concrete into fluted blocks, and when dry, lay them up, 
like bricks, with thin mortar. For a neat wall for buildings, 
a cheap method is to carry up the outside with the width of a 
brick, and at the same time to face up the inside with a struc¬ 
ture of cement, occasionally connecting the two with headers of 
brick, or fragments of roofing slates. 
Concrete walls can be completed by ordinary hands, saving 
thereby the expense of costly mechanics, and especially master 
workmen. Any individual who can square a building, is com¬ 
petent to superintend the whole operation. 
The day is at hand when, from necessity, some more desira¬ 
ble and cheap material must be used for these purposes in pref¬ 
erence to wood. 
Suppose a residence, with a few surrounding acres of land, 
