148 



THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



purpose ; but, generally speaking, they are to be got on all the geological 

 formations excepting the clay. 



The implements required for building a dry-stone wall are not many, 

 these being a frame, hammer, and lines or cords. The frame is used 

 as a guide or gauge for shaping the wall, the hammer for breaking the 

 stones to any required shape, and the cords are for stretching along the 

 line of wall on each side to keep the work straight, and also to regu- 

 late the thickness of the wall. The frame is set as shown in fig. 19. For 

 this and some other figures, taken from the ' Book of the Farm,' I am 



FIG. 19. 



indebted to Mr Stephens. It will be observed that the frame is set to 

 the right in the sketch ; and being the side towards which the men are 

 working, it is made the same width at the top and bottom as the wall 

 is intended to be, and the same height under the copestone. Two frames 

 are sometimes used by putting the other where the stakes are shown. 



The wall is built in lengths generally about two roods of seven yards 

 at a time if the ground is hilly, and more if level As the stones are 

 laid in their courses they should not be laid flat, but should lie highest 

 in the centre and sloping towards the outside each way, and they 

 should be kept firm in this position by the packing in the centre. 

 Besides making the wall more substantial, this method of sloping the 

 stones assists in throwing off water from the wall. 



The through-band stones should not be allowed to project, as is often 

 done, as the wall is frequently injured by persons stepping over it by 

 means of the projecting stones. 



