November, 1909 
the surface of the stucco cracks, it 
naturally cracks at the joints of the 
sheets of metal mesh. If these come 
horizontally, moisture striking the 
outside of a building and running 
down the surface is not so liable to 
get behind the stucco and rot it as it 
would in the case of a vertical crack. 
Stucco itself should be put on in 
three coats, although merely two are 
frequently used. The first two coats 
should be put on, one directly after 
the other, the second while the first 
is still wet, so that the two will dry 
together in one hard body. ‘The 
scratch coat, which should be applied 
about half an inch thick, should be 
pressed to a certain extent through 
the openings of the wire lath so that 
this becomes completely embedded 
and covered. The best mixture for 
it is five parts Portland cement, 
twelve parts clean coarse sand and 
three parts lime and long clean hair. 
As it is finished it is scratched and 
roughened by a small, tooth-nailed 
board on a convenient wooden handle, 
the trowel or a stick. Then the sec- 
ond coat, about three-fourths inch thick, is applied, mixed 
one part Portland cement, three parts sand and one part 
lime-paste. When the two first coats have set well and are 
thoroughly dry, apply the final coat. The surface below 
should be splashed and wet by the brush as the finish coat 
is applied, to give a good grip to the whole mass. ‘The mix- 
ture of the finishing coat depends, to a certain extent, upon 
what color or surface is desired. One part shell-lime to two 
parts marble-dust laid on either smooth or rough cast gives 
excellent effects. Instead of the sand, you can get a very 
fine appearance to your final coat by using finely broken 
shell. Shell-lime in your finishing coat is likewise excellent. 
The fireplace and Dutch ovens of the old house 
are retained in the studio 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
441 
The dining-room has paneled walls in white and salmon 
The finishing coat should be put on about one-half inch thick. 
How to apply it depends upon what appearance you wish. 
As a general rule, a rough surfacing is far preferable to a 
smooth one. ‘The small “hair cracks’ which appear here 
and there after the whole has set, will, with a rough surface, 
become invisible; added to this, any outside stains made by 
weather or by a leaking leader do not appear as ugly streaks 
and blotches, but blend into the general outside roughness 
and uneven coloring. Color should be used very sparingly: 
the pink, ocher and green color so frequently met with on 
the outside walls of the villages of Mediterranean countries 
may look very well in their picturesque setting and amid 
aa 
The gallery extends around three sides 
of the studio 
