124 Colcord^s System of 



stone and fine gravel, made level on top, and 

 thin cement mortar poured over it and fin- 

 ished level. This foundation is surrounded 

 by a tile drain. The land around it inside 

 and outside was also made quite level and 

 hard, to receive the staging. The timbers on 

 each side the wall were 6x6 inches, about i 

 foot higher than the wall was to be built, and 

 placed about 5 feet apart. Planks 14 to 1 6 

 inches wide, planed on the inside in a planing 

 mill to make them of even thickness, were 

 placed on the inside of these timbers so as 

 to slide up easily, as the cement set. This 

 trough was filled but once daily, which set 

 firmly during the night, keeping the walls 

 level. The timbers on the inside of the pit 

 were erected first. They were straight-grained 

 and not twisted. The planks that tied these 

 timbers together at the top, middle, and bot- 

 tom were 2x8 inches, sawed square at the 

 ends, of equal lengths. They were spiked 

 firmly to the upright timbers and cross-braced, 

 taking the utmost pains to keep the timbers 

 exactly equi-distant and plumb. This work 

 was so thoroughly done that the walls of this 

 pit, when the staging was removed, did not 

 vary i-S of an inch in length or breadth, from 

 top to bottom. The outside timbers were put 



