144 THE FRUIT GARDEN. 



red hammer-dressed, and run in courses as above, 

 makes a very good wall for training the more 

 common kinds of fruits to ; such as apples, cherries, 

 pears and plums ; and may answer very well for 

 east, west, and north aspects. But the better as- 

 pects, as south, south-east, or south-west, on which 

 are to be trained apricots, figs, nectarines, peaches, 

 and the finer sorts of pears and plums, should, if at 

 all convenient, be faced with brick, or be built of 

 dark whinstone. 



The basement, as above noticed, should univer- 

 sally be built of durable stone, if it can be obtained, 

 in preference to brick ; whether the superstructure 

 be of brick, or of stone in courses. In many cases, 

 it is cheaper than brick ; in any case, more solid 

 and durable. Supposing a ground-level line to be 

 determined on, the foundation or basement should 

 be sunk at least a yard below it. If for a stone 

 superstructure, it should be thirty inches thick ; 

 for a brick and half-brick thick wall, twenty 

 inches ; and if for a wall faced with brick and 

 backed with freestone, two feet, or twenty-six 

 inches thick, according to the size of the stones. 

 That is to say, the basement should generally be 

 six inches thicker than the superstructure, there 

 being a shelf or scarcement of three inches on 

 either side of the wall. If the basement be built 

 with bricks, in order to save materials, the scarce- 

 ment need not be made more than two inches; that 

 is, the half breadth of a brick on either side ; so al- 

 lowing four bricks to the basement, and three to 

 the superstructure. 



