﻿CLAYS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  669 
  

  

  Coarse-grained 
  sandy 
  clays 
  permit 
  rapid 
  drying, 
  while 
  very 
  plas- 
  

   tic 
  ones 
  must 
  be 
  dried 
  with 
  exceeding 
  care. 
  Fine-grained, 
  sandy 
  

   clays 
  may 
  require 
  slow 
  drying, 
  as 
  the 
  pores 
  are 
  so 
  small 
  that 
  the 
  

   water 
  caii 
  not 
  escape 
  rapidly, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  necessary 
  to 
  follow 
  an 
  in- 
  

   variable 
  method 
  in 
  the 
  burning. 
  

  

  Bricks 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  soft 
  mud 
  process 
  are 
  usually 
  dried 
  in 
  one 
  

   of 
  three 
  ways 
  viz 
  : 
  

  

  1 
  Open 
  yards 
  

  

  2 
  Pallet 
  yards 
  

  

  3 
  Covered 
  yards 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  method 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  used, 
  the 
  second 
  next 
  and 
  the 
  third 
  

   least. 
  In 
  the 
  first 
  method 
  the 
  bricks 
  are 
  spread 
  out 
  on 
  a 
  hard 
  

   floor, 
  in 
  the 
  open 
  air. 
  This 
  floor, 
  which 
  is 
  about 
  200 
  feet 
  long, 
  is 
  

   of 
  brick, 
  with 
  a 
  thin 
  covering 
  of 
  sand, 
  and 
  is 
  the 
  ^^ 
  yard 
  " 
  proper. 
  

   At 
  one 
  end 
  of 
  it 
  are 
  the 
  molding 
  machines, 
  at 
  the 
  other 
  end 
  the 
  

   kiln 
  sheds. 
  The 
  yard 
  usually 
  drains 
  toward 
  one 
  end, 
  or 
  from 
  

   the 
  center 
  toward 
  both. 
  After 
  a 
  day's 
  production 
  has 
  been 
  spread 
  

   out, 
  the 
  boy 
  who 
  tended 
  the 
  machine 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  goes 
  along 
  

   the 
  rows 
  and 
  stamps 
  them 
  with 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  board 
  set 
  on 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  

   a 
  long 
  handle. 
  This 
  is 
  termed 
  " 
  spatting 
  ". 
  After 
  this 
  the 
  bricks 
  

   are 
  turned 
  on 
  edge 
  by 
  another 
  boy 
  who 
  goes 
  along 
  the 
  rows 
  with 
  

   a 
  special 
  tool, 
  turning 
  six 
  bricks 
  at 
  a 
  time. 
  The 
  next 
  morning, 
  if 
  

   the 
  weather 
  has 
  been 
  pleasant, 
  the 
  bricks 
  are 
  " 
  hacked 
  ", 
  that 
  is 
  to 
  

   say 
  they 
  are 
  piled 
  on 
  one 
  another 
  in 
  a 
  double 
  row 
  11 
  to 
  15 
  courses 
  

   high 
  along 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  yard 
  and 
  left 
  till 
  sufiiciently 
  dry 
  to 
  put 
  

   in 
  the 
  kiln 
  and 
  burn. 
  In 
  case 
  of 
  rain 
  the 
  hacks 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  

   planking. 
  

  

  The 
  disadvantage 
  of 
  open 
  yards 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  bricks 
  are 
  exposed 
  

   to 
  the 
  rain, 
  and 
  if 
  a 
  shower 
  comes 
  while 
  they 
  are 
  spread 
  out 
  on 
  

   the 
  yard, 
  they 
  become 
  " 
  washed 
  ", 
  getting 
  a 
  rough, 
  uneven 
  surface. 
  

   Washed 
  brick 
  are 
  quite 
  as 
  strong 
  as 
  unwashed 
  ones, 
  but 
  they 
  bring 
  

   50 
  to 
  75c 
  less 
  a 
  thousand. 
  The 
  washed 
  brick 
  amount 
  to 
  about 
  15^ 
  

   of 
  the 
  total 
  production. 
  

  

  