COMMODIOUS ttOtSES WlTH EARTtlEN WALLS. 65 



For better kind of cottages the better sort of facing stuff Finishing of 

 may be used, and then, as before, the whole lime-whited ; or 

 if it be required to make the finishing as perfect as possible, 

 the following is the best mode, viz. with water and a brush 

 thoroughly wet and soak the face of the wall for two or three 

 yards in superficies at a time ; all which part, during the 

 said wetting, should be continually rubbed and worked about 

 with a hand float, till such time the face is rubbed smooth 

 and even, by which the facing composition will so wash up 

 as to become a pleasant regular colour, the face smooth and 

 hard when dry, and not liable to scale off as a coat of plas- 

 tering would do. This finishing will be still improved by a 

 small quantity of lime being put into the water used for soak- 

 ing the face : and if, after the wall is well soaked and rub- 

 bed, as abovementioned, there be thrown thereon with a 

 brush some lime and sand, (such as is used for lime-whiting,) 

 and this also worked into the face; the face will then be- 

 come as perfect and hard as stucco. 



Having explained the frames as constructed by me for 

 performing earth walling, as also the manner of finishing it* 

 I beg leave to lay before the Society some observations on 

 these, compared with the original French means and man- 

 ner of performing the same, as described in the first volume 

 of Communications to the Board of Agriculture. 



The sides of the frames, as formerly constructed, were OrlginalFrenck 

 supported on joists or cross pieces of timber, which pieces 

 were cut into the top of each course of walling. The sides 

 were then kept together by upright timbers framed Into the 

 cross pieces or joists, and the tops of the upright pieces were 

 wristed and held together by ropes going across the frame 

 from one side to the other. In consequence of this con- Its inconveni- 

 struction, by experience I found much labour was lost in ences * 

 cutting the channels to lay the cross pieces in. These ehan- * 

 nels, after the buildings were up, took labour and materials 

 to fill them in, and rendered the walls less strong. Also the 

 difficulty of getting the frame rightly placed every time it 

 was moved, and the elasticity of the rope across the top, 

 made the whole very imperfect, so much so that all work 

 done in that manner was untrue and unsound ; as the rope, 

 however tight it might be strained, would yield to a certain 



Vol. XXVI.— May, 1810. F degree 



