554 
Making and burning Draining Tiles. 
The price of this machine is 25/. : and it may be proper to add, 
jhat the machine makes the very best roofing-tiles that can be 
made, and at less than half the price of those made by hand, as 
well as being much lighter, and closer, and straighter, in conse- 
quence of the pressure through the die. 
It is necessary, in order to ensure the due mixing of the clay, 
as well as to form it into the exact shape to fill the cylinders of the 
machine, to have a pug-mill. Messrs. Cottam and Hallen make 
these also, and charge lOZ. for them. This mill must be worked 
by a horse ; in general one day's work at the mill will furnish rather 
more prepared clay than the machine will turn into tiles in two days. 
3rd Point. Sheds for drying. 
The sheds necessary for this system of tile-making will be of a 
temporary kind : strong hurdles pitched firmly in the ground in 
two parallel straight lines, 7 feet apart, will form the sides of the 
sheds, and the roof will be formed also of hurdles placed endways 
and tied together at the top, as well as to the upper slit of the 
hurdle, with strong tarred twine, forming the ridge of the roof 
exactly over the middle of the shed. They must then be lightly 
thatched with straw or heath, and the sharpness of this roof will 
effectually protect the tiles from rain. Two of these sheds, each 
110 feet long, will keep one of the kilns hereafter described in full 
work. 
N.B. — These sheds should be so built as to have one end close 
to the pug-mill and the clay-heap, only leaving just room for the 
horse to work the mill, and the other end near the kiln. Atten- 
tion to this matter saves future labour, and therefore money. 
4th Point. Construction of kilns. 
The form of the clay-kiln is circular ; 1 1 feet in diameter, and 
7 feel high. It is wholly built of damp earth, rammed firmly 
together, and plastered inside and out with loam. The earth to 
form the walls is dug out round the base, leaving a circular trench 
about 4 feet wide and as many deep, into which the fire-holes of 
the kiln open. If wood be the fuel used, three fire-holes are 
sufficient; if coal, four will be needed. About 1200 common 
bricks are wanted to build these fire-holes and flues: if coal is 
used, rather fewer bricks will be wanted, but then some iron bars 
are necessary — six bars to each fire-liole. 
The earthen walls are 4 feet thick at the floor of the kiln, are 
7 feet high, and tapering to the thickness of 2 feet at the top ; 
this will determine the slope of the exterior face of the kiln. 
The inside of the wall is carried up perpendicularly, and the loam 
plastering inside becomes, after the first burning, like a brick 
wall. The kiln may be safely erected in March, or whenever the 
danger of injury from frost is over. After the summer use of it, 
it must be protected by faggots or litter against the wet and the 
frost of winter. 
