12 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY

down and pinned; so that every hollow part, either in the beams, or decayed parts in the planks, was filled solid with the mortar. The floor has now laid about sixteen years without any amendment, except one of the planks being so weak in sound wood, that it started from the pins a year ago; after taking the same up and examining the underside, 1 found such of the plank that was sound when last laid down, was still perfe€tly so, and the rotten part was firmer and stronger than when laid down,_

<¢[ have mentioned the above circumstance to several workmen,&c. but few will follow the practice without peremptory orders, which I have followed up, with twenty different floors m sixteen years; some of oak, and some of deal planks, in different situations, and all appear as if they would stand for ages, unless they wear through from the upper side...

‘¢ About ten years ago I ordered a floor to be laid, with ash plank(in the method above) as oak could not be got without cutting down oak trees to considerable loss; the ash was fallen, sawed up, and laid down in the floor imme- diately, as the saw had left it; the joints did not open much before the last summer, upon which I had the floor taken up and relaid, as the plank must be well seasoned in nine years use; the under side of which was as sound as when first put down.

«« There are other advantages. by laying barn floors solid with lime mortar, as a barrier against rats and mice, worms,&c. Prevents the joints from wear, by quivering, &c. and also prevents any loss in the corn through the joints.

** Tam pretty confident that the same method will hold good in laying ground floors with boards, in gentlemans’ houses, that I have frequently seen them rot and eat through with worms in a few years. Both of these mala-

dies the lime mortar will prevent, and will make the floor warmer also.