Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-07-10
Keeping the House in Repairs.

MANY of the readers of the Builder have
worked their passage through life, thus
far, and they derive vast deal of COM
fort and pleasure in gaining an honest
livelihood by honest industry. An indus
trious gardener or mechanic who goes
forth from the bosom of his family every
morning to the labors Of the day, and re-
turns at evening with the fruits of his in
dustry, to cheer and gladden. the hearts of
those he loves, is fulfilling the highest
destiny of mortals Such men can find a
great many leisure hours TO perform little
jobs in and around about their cottages,
which will tend to enhance the cash value
of their homes, to cheer and gladden. the
hearts of their families. No other earthly
place will have so many endearing attrac-
tons as the one which has been fitted up,
embellished, and rendered comfortable by
our own hands. 1t is natural for one to
love the trees, the shrubbery and flowers
which his own hands have planted, and
which have been guarded, trained and
nurtured by his daily care.
Now to business. Who ever thinks of
cleaning the cellar as the apartments of
the superstructure are cleaned and put in
order at least once every year? In num-
erous instances, cellars are neglected from
year to year, until the joists and beams
are literally covered with festoons of cob
webs; and the earth-fioor is strewed with
pieces of half-decayed boards, old barrels,
and much other repulsive trash. Now,
let one hour be appropriated per day to-
wards putting the cellar in such complete
order, that you will not recoil at the
thought Of having a friend enter it. In
the first place, roll out every old barrel
and tumble out every box, and carry out
every piece of board, so that the bottom
and the walls can be seen; then sweep
the joists and floor clean, and apply a
generous coat of white-wash to the wood
work. Let the walls also be swept clean :;
and IL there are any rat-hOles, or if the
pointing needs to be repaired, procure
some clean sand and supply of Rosen-
dale cement, mix few quarts only Of
cement mortar at time, and point the
walls and stop the rat-holes. One may as
well stop rat-holes with ears of Indian
corn, as to do ii with mortar made with
quick-lime and sand that is half clay and
vegetable matter If the cellar is inclined
| to be wet, make a rammer of hard wood,
and sink channel around the outer edge
close to the wall, TO receive the water.
! One can sink channel three inches wide
and three or four deep, with a hammer,
" lliNu w III SoIhutt ali lut hdtti ~ kIic
in-outlet, and thus cut off that which
would keep the cellar bottom wet If
room is scarce, make a wide shelf, say a
foot from the ground, on which to place a
row of barrels; then another similar shelf
may be made a few inches above the lower
course of barrels. There is no better place
to keep potatoes, carrots, turnips and APP
Piles, than in barrels If fruit and vegeta-
bles are liable to freeze during very cold
weather, even when the windows are
banked up with compost, the better way
to maintain desirable temperature is to
procure small, cheap stove, put it in the
cellar, and make little fire in it when
ever there is danger that potatoes will
freeze. This should not be deferred until
cold weather
The eave-roughs and the weather lead
ers should be kept clean of leaves and silt