138 



The Farmstead 



cellar free from water by drainage or by back- 

 ing the wall with loose rubble stone, or by 

 both (Fig. 51). 



BUILDING THE FOUNDATIONS 



Fig. 51. 

 A rubble 

 stone backing 

 and a drain 

 at the bot- 

 tom. 



The walls should be placed below the frost 

 line and have fairly broad 

 bases, standing on naturally or 

 artificially 

 "drained 

 earth. Per- 

 haps no 

 part of the 

 house structure re- 

 ceives so little at- 

 /// tention as do the 



foundation walls ; there- 

 fore, I shall enter some- 

 what into the details 

 of construction. Bricks which have been recently 

 burned and those which do not contain con- 

 siderable quantities of moisture should be thor- 

 oughly wet before they are placed in the wall. 

 If the mortar sets too quickly by reason of the 

 dryness of the bricks, a strong wall cannot be 

 secured, however good the mortar may be in 

 which they are laid. 



The foundation walls for most houses, how- 



