Building Cistern

One thing is essential, and is very ge-nerally neglected. It is to have the water as it comes into the cistern conducted to the bottom. In this way, the water is entirely changed when it rains. When the fresh water simply pours in at the top, it immediately runs off, and all the mass of Stagnant Water remains undisturbed, and soon becomes impure.

Cistern Filter

A wall of Soft burned bricks is well adapt ed for this purpose, when built up within the cistern,

Concrete Foundations, To build, -The concrete is compos ed of lime, sand, water, gravel, and round or broken stones. A trench Of boards is first made, of the width of the desired foundation, fill the trench with the concrete to the depth of a foot or two, and let it stand until sufficiently hard; then add another foot of concrete, and so go on, adding concrete and raising trench boards as the wall rifles.

Concrete Pavements

The cheapest material for mixing with gravel is coal-tar from gas-works.

Good Weatherproof Mortar

3 bushels clean sand, mingled with 1/2 bushel good lime and 1/2 bushel cement, makes an excellent mortar which is not liable to be dislodged by storms.

Seasoning Oak Timber

Oak loses about 1/5 its weight in seasoning, and about 1/3 its weight in becoming perfectly dry.

Rat-Proof Buildings

The plan adopted in England is to have slate floors, sawed and planed to uniform sizes and thickness. The walls are also covered with sawed or planed slates, well jointed and secured to the wall or studding with screws, which makes each room as secure against rats as an iron or stone box would be. The slate used for the floor is from 1 to 2 in. thick, and that for the walls 1/2 in. thick.

Rat-Proof Frame Buildings

Nail strips of board to the sill between each flooring joist, on the inside, reaching to the under side of the flooring planks or boards, and thereby covering the shelf formed by the sill between the joists. The idea is to allow the rats no place to stand upon while they are cutting through the floor.

Slates, Roofing, Selection Of

Dark purple and green slates are the best for roofing; others are liable to fade unequally, and produce a disagreable appearance.

How To Build A Transverse Sled-Body

Make the sills out of 1-inch or 3/4-inch boards, with cross-pieces of the same thickness bolted between the sills, which are double. You can make these very light and limber. Now put on your side-boards with a bolt down through the rave and sill, which will make it very stiff, and can be made very light, and with all the strength possible.

Strength Of Timber

The strongest side is that which in its natural position faced the north.