MATERIALS FOR FLOORS. 195 
face tolerably level for any length of time; but, even when they wear 
into holes, the expense of taking them up and relaying them is not great. 
Every one, therefore, who is about to build a stable, should ascertain the 
price of pebbles in his own locality; and if they are cheap, he cannot 
clo better than adopt them ; taking care to put in a good bed of concrete 
beneath, and to lay them in sand, carefully grouting them afterwards, as 
I have described for common bricks, and finishing with the paviour’s 
hammer, just as in street paving. In some places, pebbles may be ob- 
tained for little more than the labour of loading, carting, and unloading; 
while in others they are worth as much as bricks. No estimate can, 
therefore, be given which would be of the slightest possible use. They 
are quickly laid, the labour coming to about 6d. a yard (super.), more or 
less, according to circumstances. 
3. Broseey, or other hard bricks, make an excellent floor, than which 
nothing is better, the material being extremely hard, and quite impervious 
to moisture. They are made a trifle larger than stock bricks, and about 
forty-eight will lay a yard (super.), without cement. To do them justice, 
a good bed of concrete should be laid, on which should be two or three 
inches of sand, and then the bricks should be laid either in cement, or 
if the expense is objected to, they must be laid dry and well grouted, as 
before described. I have known floors of these bricks last in good con- 
dition for twenty and even thirty years, requiring no repairs whatever. 
They are, however, not easily to be obtained far from the localities where 
they are made, as their weight is considerable, and the cost of carriage is 
therefore high. A peculiar clay is required for their manufacture, which 
is only obtained in the red sandstone districts. The price per thousand is 
about 50s. to 56s. near the kilns; but a very short distance soon raises 
their cost to a prohibitory sum. At the above price, a superficial yard of 
stable flooring will come to about 5s. to 5s. 6d., including sand and grout- 
ing; a bed of concrete, and the setting in cement, costing nearly as much 
more, but this is not more than half the cost of Dutch clinkers, and these 
hard bricks answer quite as well, or even better. 
4, Durcu Ciinkers and ADAMANTINE CLINKERS may be taken together, 
the two being nearly allied in size and shape, as well as in their hardness 
and resistance to absorption. They are intermediate in size between the 
pebble and the brick, resembling the latter, however, in their proportions. 
Nothing can possibly answer the purposes of a stable floor better than 
clinkers, as they give a capital foot-hold to the horses, and yet are per- 
fectly dry within a few minutes of being washed. They are laid on a 
concrete foundation, in sand and cement; but the pattern varies greatly, 
according to the fancy of the architect or builder. As far as I know, there 
is little choice between the Dutch and English clinkers, as the latter are 
now made ; the price, on the average, being nearly the same. A square 
yard will require from 110 to 150 clinkers, according to their size; but 
no one should attempt to purchase clinkers and lay them by the hands of 
ordinary bricklayers, as they require some management, founded on expe- 
rience. The best plan is to contract with some respectable house to lay 
the kind selected at a certain sum per yard. If the pattern is a plain one, 
the price will generally be about 11s. per yard (super.), which will include 
cutting, when necessary, for the ordinary drains. 
5, ConcreT# is made of fresh-burnt lime and gravel, with the addition, 
sometimes, of broken brick. Where a thick bed of it is laid for high 
buildings, the lime is ground ; but, for the purpose we are now consider. 
ing, this is labour and. expense thrown away. The proportions will vary 
02 
