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XLIII. On the Construction of Piers and Copings of Garden 

 Walls. In a Letter to the Secretary. By the Rev. Thomas 

 Gery Cullum, A.M. F. H. S. 



Read, May 2, 1820. 



Dear Sir, 



Ha vin g recently constructed a nine-inch garden wall, in 

 which it was necessary to have piers at proper distances 

 from each other, to strengthen the work, I made a variation 

 in the piers from the usual square form, which I consider to 

 be a considerable improvement; and having also covered 

 the top of the same wall with a coping, different from those 

 generally used, I send you the particulars of both for the 

 information of the Society. 



Considerable inconvenience arises in training the bran- 

 ches of fruit trees over square projecting piers, on a garden 

 wall, the sharp edges frequently causing them to become 

 gummy, and to canker, in consequence of the injury they 

 receive in passing the angles of the bricks ; to remedy this, 

 the piers on my wall are made of an octagonal form, with 

 bricks cast in a mould with the proper bevel, as seen in the 

 annexed sketch, which represents a single brick, as well as 

 two courses of the wall, to shew the manner in which the 

 piers are worked by the bricklayer. No increased charge 

 is made for the bricks at the kiln, nor is there any addi- 

 tional expense incurred in the building of the wall when they 

 are used. The wall, when completed, has a much lighter 



