March."] FENCES. 31* 



drenched with water, and fo left in what is called 

 a souring heap for at leaft eight days before the 

 mortar is to be ufed in building ; but twice that 

 length of time would be dill better. When it is 

 to be ufed, it is not fufficient to add a quantity of 

 water to make it thin ; but it mud have a hearty 

 application of the back of the fpade or (hovel, by 

 fmart (trokes, fo as to break down the lime, and 

 unite it and the fand as completely as poflible. 



The fand most proper to be ufed, is fuch as is 

 quite free from earthy particles. Sea fand, of 

 good grist, takes strong band, and is very pro- 

 per for walls and divifion fences. Pit fand, how- 

 ever, will be found better for houfe-walls ; be- 

 eaufe it does not attract the damp fo readily as the 

 other. 



We judge it unneceiTary, in this place, to fpeak 

 of any other kind of mortar than that compofed 

 of lime and fand, which is the best. 



Good stones are an effential part of a good 

 wall. Such mould be ufed as are clean, i. e. not 

 eoated over with an earthy or clayey fubilance. 

 We have known (tones, of good quality in other 

 refpecls, fo foul, that walls built with them never 

 took band. Where there are none but foul 

 (tones to be had, the belt method of preparing 

 them, is by expofing them in a thin, loofe man- 

 ner, to the winter rains. The frofts may deftroy. 

 fome of the foftest of them ; but better have half 



the 



