WOODEN HOUSES.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Every one who is a practical man will endorse Mr. Buchanan's letter in your issue of March 9th. I would further suggest in continuation of his ideas : Firstly, that instead of the old system of nailing the feather-edge boards on to the usual quartering of 3 x 2 or 3 x 4, boards 6, 7, or 8 inches wide by 1 inch thick should form the skeleton work, a method which allows of the walls being so much thicker, consequently more stable; and, again, between the outer and inner coverings a filling in of sand, loam, or any inflammable substance should be dropped in, preventing sound, heat, cold, wind, or vermin from penetrating, adding considerable stability to the edifice. And, further, in lieu of the ordinary gas tar I would use Stockholm tar, which gives a rich brown colour instead of the black one. A hundred pounds ought to cover well the cost of a four-roomed cottage, including the plastering of all interiors. But what about all our by-laws and other old
[We should he glad to learn from those who have first-band experience how Stockholm tar compares with ordinary black tar : (1) in cost, (2) in durability, and (3) in power of preserving the wood.—En. Spectator.]
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