Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-12-30

House CELLaRs.-While engaged in bank
Jog the house this week, at odd Jobs, the
question occurred to me, how much does it
cost u bank a house every fall and then take
1t away every spring? Not less than one
days work Tor each operation. This in forty
years would amount to $50 at only 81 per
dsy,-quite 4 sum for a farmer to spend.
Besides this, there is the wear of the house
to be taken into account. l have inquired of
several of my neigibors how all this expense
can be saved. " Better underpinning," is
all the answer | GET from some others say
. lay your wall III mortar" Some say that
it is enough to lay two feet of the top in
mortar; others that it should be so laid from
top to bottom. Some say that the wall
should b. double with a space for air others
that a single wall is sufficient. 1t is very
important that We should he able to keep our
potatoes, apples, vegetables, &C., from frost.
How would it do to point an ordinary wall
with mortar. then set up some two-inch stuff
and lath and plaster on that? A reply to
these questions by the editor or some of the
correspondents of tic FARMER will confer a
favor on AY,XNG FARMER.
Wallingford, Vt, Nov. 2, 1868.
REMAnK=.-A cellar may be kept from
freezing 10y setting the house on a stone or
brick und rpinrIng which is from twelve to
eighteen inches thick, lining up inside with
bricks or flat et"ner. and leaving a SPACE oil
an inch to FIX iu-i, for d. dead air between
the two. But where Il house is set directly
upon the cellar wall this cannot well be done.
In such cases it is a dirty, expensive and ru-
nous practice to bank up with elrth. 1t
requires a team to do it, cuts up and defaces
the yard about the house. and rots the wood
work and stills when it is done. In the spring
the earth is 10 be removed when the ground
is soft, and the dirty process is to be gone
over with again.
A better way is to @ bank Up with some
light substance Frost will penetrate a gran
lite slab two feet thich, quicker than it Will a
bag Of feathers Of half that thickness. If
dry leaves are at hand, put up the boards
edgewise so as to leave a space twelve toeigh-
teen inches wide between them and the house
and til 1t with dry leaves, tread them down,
and cover them over with boards laid on SO
as to conduct the rain away. If leaves are
not at hand, refuse hay or straw may be
used.
The best substance, however, that we have
found is branches of the white pine, hemlock
or other evergreen trees. 1t is easily pro-
cured, and requires no use of boards in
banking. Cover a space with them two feet
or more wide on the ground, and as high
against the house as you please, and tread
item down so as they viii lie somewhat COM
Tactly. If the first sntw that thus falls is
attended by wild, it will probably sift the
fnow into all the cIcvices among tie branches
and these firm a most e~fectual barrier against
the the progress of King Frost. If the wind
docs not do the work, do it yourself with a
shovel.
All the drainage of the house which we
occupy passes out through the north corner
under a wood-house floor. This is never
warmed by fire. Outside Of the house, pine
branches are laid upon the ground and up
against the clapboards. to the depth Of about
two feet, and none of the pines have frozen,
although water is continually drizzling
through them.-N. e. Farmer. Il