MATERIAL FOR OUTER WALLS. 19 



stable, and determined, upon the best aspect for it 

 — its base and flooring, its drainage, its venti- 

 lation, and its lighting, but I have as yet said 

 nothing regarding the actual construction of its 

 walls. Now, I suppose that out of every dozen 

 stables, at least two-thirds of them are built of 

 bricks. Where stone is scarce, and consequently 

 expensive, there is no alternative but to use some 

 other material. Of those which are more readily 

 to hand, bricks, I suppose, are, as a rule, the most 

 easily obtainable. Of course, they are very inferior 

 to good stone, by reason of their being more porous. 

 It is stated that a brick will absorb a pint of 

 water. If that is true, what, then, can be less 

 suited for building purposes, inasmuch as a brick 

 building must necessarily absorb a very great 

 amount of moisture ? Where, however, they are 

 used, it is essential that the building should be 

 the very best of its kind possible, and by the 

 means of double walls every precaution taken to 

 ensure the inside of the stable being as dry as 

 possible. Unless this is so (and such a building is 

 necessarily somewhat costly at first), a good wooden 

 building, or one of corrugated iron lined with wood, 

 and the space between packed with sawdust or some 

 such non-conducting material, is far superior in my 

 estimation, inasmuch as dryness and more equable 



