146 THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



the stone rests on that point it will be very liable to slide a little 

 sideways in that direction. And when the foundation is a part 

 small bowlders, and another part large flat stones, and another 

 portion something else, the wall will not all settle alike, and the 

 frost will not lift it all alike ; and, by constant lifting and letting 

 down, here and there, the wall will begin to spread out in places, 

 and in a few years will tumble down. A wall may often have the 

 appearance of being well laid up, when in reality it has been 

 very imperfectly done. It requires the exercise of good skill and 

 judgment to place every stone in the best position, so that it will 

 not roll or rock about at the slightest touch. Almost every stone 

 has one side a little broader and flatter than the other sides ; and 

 the best side should be always laid down, so as to keep the stones 

 from rocking about. If a stone has one good face side, and will 

 He more substantially with that side down, let it be laid in that 

 position rather than to set it on the edge for the sake of having 

 the face side outwards. It is desirable to have a straight and 

 smooth face to the stones in a wall ; but when this object cannot 

 be secured without detracting from the permanence of it, it is 

 best to place the best sides down, even if the wall is not quite 

 as even and smooth as we could desire. A wall may be just as 

 strong when the stones all have a rough and uneven face, as if 

 those rough and uneven corners were all knocked off and a 

 smooth face made on them. When jobbers lay up a wall, the 

 stones of which are mostly small bowlders, if they are not 

 watched closely they will lay up a row for each face, and then 

 throw in small stones without any order at all, to fill up the mid 

 dle. 'But such a wall will stand but a few years, because the 

 sides will bulge out in a short time, and it will fall flat to the 

 ground. The stones of a wall should all lie flatly, and lap on 

 one another clear across the wall. Such a mode of laying stone 

 will keep the wall from spreading or bulging out in places. 



187. Stone walls are usually built by the perch or by the rod, 

 running measure, with the foundation and top of a given width, 

 and the wall of a given height. A perch of wall is sixteen and 

 a half feet long, and a foot square, or sixteen and a half cubic 



