262 



THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



usually done by the cubic yard, and the distance to which the earth has 

 to be removed is estimated by the run of twenty yards. A cubic yard 

 in excavation-work is twenty-seven feet. 



2. Walls. The walls of buildings are usually made of stone or brick. 

 The choice of these two materials must be guided by local circumstances. 

 If good building - stone is found on the estate or in the neighbour- 

 hood, it should certainly be used in the construction of the building. In 

 many districts, however, stone cannot be got but at a great outlay, there- 

 fore bricks must be used. Stone is at all times preferable, where it is 

 to be got of good quality, and not too expensive. Stone walls are gener- 

 ally commenced with a good broad base, this width varying much with the 

 nature of the foundation on which the wall rests. On dry hard soils this 

 will range from twenty-four to thirty inches wide for ordinary walls. The 

 wall is then commenced upon the base usually at a width of twenty 

 inches. The largest stones are used to begin the wall ; and it is much 

 better, if stones can be got, to have them wide enough to go across the 

 wall. The wall is laid in regular courses, making each course level 

 before another is commenced. The stones should be so arranged 

 that the joints of the upper course will lie in the centre of the lower 

 stones that is, the joints of no two courses should meet as shown in 

 fig. 92. Care should be taken to place the stones in their natural posi- 



Fio. 92. 



tion that is, the position in which they lay in the quarry ; this may be 

 known from the grain of the stone. It makes the most substantial work, 

 and it gives a more pleasing finish to a building, to have the corners of 

 the walls set with hammer-dressed quoins. The two kinds of walls gener- 

 ally used for farm-buildings or cottages are coursed-work and rubble- 

 work. The former is done by having the stones hammer-dressed to a 

 uniform size, and then built in equal lines, and afterwards pointed off 

 neatly in straight lines, as shown in the sketch. In the latter case, the 

 rough corners of the stones are merely knocked off, and they are then 

 put in their places without any other preparation ; and to get the courses 

 level, the spaces not taken up by the large stones are filled in with small 

 chips and mortar. In erecting a wall with plain rubble-work, the great 



