The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-08-09


Flies give it a wide berth, and even
ants steer clear of it. 1t is just exactly
too cool for any member of the insect
family. 1t is good place to take an
after-dinner nap; but even on the very
hottest summer day it is actually essen
tial that the sleeper take his ''SieSta"
ON folding cot and wrap himself in a
quilt or blanket to keep from being
chilled. They likewise make good
storm houses, though not absolutely
safe; they certainly are comparatively
so, much more so than cellar beneath
house, as the house is liable to take
fire if blown down, destroying the oc-
cupants of the cellar as effectually as
the cyclone could possibly have done.
Nop for the excavation: Lay off
ground to be eXcavated in an an open
spOt-a shady one preferred-10 feet
wide and as long as desired, 1Ox15 is
convenient size. Lay down your stills,
which should be large, SX12 or 12x12
inches through and of hard, durable
timber, postoak, cedar, mulberry, black
; locust or heart-pine, preferred; if wider
one way than the other fiat side down,
before the digging is commenced.
Have the sleepers II feet long so as to
come out even with the outer edge of
the stills. These sleepers should like
wise be of dura BILE timber and suffi-
GENTLY stout to hold up the weight of
the dirt excavated, which, when the
dairy is completed, is all put back
on the flooring covering the excavation.
The flooring should be two inches thick,
matched, or the joints broken with
some thinner, lighter material. A stout
plank should be nailed perpendicular
ly to the ends of the sleepers and an
other one on the end furthest from
the door, to thoroughly exclude all
dirt. To make it still better and moro
complete when finished Out this is
not imperatively necessary, it may be
ceiled overhead and the floor and walls
covered with liberal coat Of cement.
We have seen several fixed this way,
and must say they are perfect Sue
cess Eutt T can be kept in them in
midsummer as firm as in midwinter.
while the butter of the ''fush season"
can be kept perfectly sWSet and nice
for family use during the next winter,
when butter is apt to be scarce, by
wrapping each churning separately in
Il clean, thin muslin cloth and putting
it, previously sailed, as for immediate
use, in large stone jars. which are to
be kept partially filled with brine suffi-
GENTLY strong to readily bear up an
egg. Care should be taken that the
butter be kept at all times fully sub
merged by having pieces of plank cut
round to fit the jar and weighing 1t
down. We have found that six feet in
the center is sufficiently deep; if the
SillS are twelve inches above the sur
face this would give seven feet clear
of the sleepers. Start the excavation
ten feet wide, dig down two feet, then
leave a shelf (of dirt) all around Of
eight inches in width. This shelf may
be used to hold the cans of fruit and
vegetables, jars of preserves, pickles,
etc. This leaves the excavation eight
feet eight inches wide; dig down eigh
teen inches further, then leave another
wider shelf two and one-half feet wide,
also of dirt, all around, except
at the entrance. This is to set
the milk vessels on. The jars
of butter may be set on the
floor at the end farthest from the door.
This leaves the excavation in the center
three feet eight inches wide, which, for
all practical purposes, is sufficient, to
be dug down until it is six feet deep.
For the steps, measure back from