No. 85.] 459 



varies as much as the manner of doing it. There is no general sys- 

 tem of manufacturing brick, — the work is generally done in a rude 

 manner, without the aid of machinery, by the physical labor of 

 man. 



Great exertions have been made, for many years, to make machine- 

 ry for molding brick, and the remnants of machines to be found in 

 brick-yards, in every place where the business is carried on to much 

 extent, show that brick-makers have been liberal in seconding those 

 exertions ; but it has been found to them, in many instances, a heavy 

 bill of expense, without benefit ; and at this time, it is the general 

 opinion of brick-makers, that no machinery can be used advantage- 

 ously in the different varieties of stock used. But I apprehend that 

 attempts have too frequently been made to make machinery to do too 

 much. Much money has been expended in efforts to make machinery 

 to mold brick out of dry or untempered stock, by means of very power- 

 ful pressure ; but the strong nature by which brick endure frost and 

 weather, is put into them by fire^ and not by pressure ; dry stock 

 may be pressed together so as to look very solid and fair before burn- 

 ed ; but the excessive heat necessary to burn brick, expands them, 

 and this expansion disjoints the particles, and the brick will not stand 

 frost and weather. This, I believe, has been the general result, where 

 experiments have been tried. If there is an exception to it, it must 

 be owing to the peculiarity of the stock, — perhaps to the presence of 

 some substance easily fused, which melts in burning, and cements the 

 other materials together. But this is rarely found in stock used for 

 making brick, — and were it even practicable to make brick in this 

 way, it would require strong and powerful machinery, and conse- 

 quently, too expensive for general use. 



Much has likewise been expended to get up machinery for mold- 

 ing brick by steam and horse power. Machinery can be made to do 

 almost anything, where the thing to be operated upon is uniformly 

 the same, such as wood, iron, brass, cotton, wool, &c., — but where it 

 is variable, as the stock for making brick must necessarily be, some- 

 times stiff, and then more moist — then again having stone, as most 

 stock has more or less, and it is rarely a bed of stock is found that it 

 is entirely free from what are called clay-dogs. It is found extreme- 

 ly difficult to make it answer the purpose, for the reason that you can- 

 not put judgment into a machine, — if the mortar is pressed into the 

 molds too hard it will not deliver, and if not hard enough the corners 

 will not be filled out. Where the motions are arbitrary, continually 

 the same, thus far and no farther, and the stock varies as it necessa- 

 rily will, much difficulty is experienced, and the brick made with 

 this kind of machinery are generally very rough, and it is thought by 

 many that nothing is saved in the expense, over the old way of mold- 

 ing by hand. 



Recently a machine has been got up, which is in general use at Cox- 

 sackie, and used at Rochester, Boston, North Haven, Conn., and va- 

 rious other places, which seems destined from the rapidity with which 

 it has been adopted, to take the place of all machines, and supersede 

 all other means of molding mortar into brick. This machine is ope- 



