FI 
I 
1 
August, 1916 
THE GARDEN IM A G A Z I N E 
Concrete and cement, capped by stone or brick, give a decided line and have a definite 
color effect 
Piers are necessary for walls that are thin in proportion to height, and always have a 
good appearance 
finished surfaces, quite architectural. The 
practical considerations are few but im- 
portant. 
First of all for real permanency the 
wall should go below grade and for walls 
held by mortar, a depth below the frost 
line is safe. A dry stone wall has a bit of 
elasticity but one in which each member is 
tied to its neighbor is so rigid that a small 
amount of upheaval causes cracks. No dry 
wall must be less than two feet at the top 
and a batter on one or both sides is wise. 
If it is very thick the middle stones may be 
set in mortar. 
For a good, stable appearing wall get 
stones that are longer than their height, 
the longer the better. For examples of this 
consult the so-called Ger- 
mantown stonework of 
Pennsylvania. Strong 
walls have bond stones. 
That is to say large ones 
extending entirely through 
the wall stiffening it con- 
siderably. It is well to 
remember that stones of a 
strata character should be 
laid on their natural beds 
for by doing this, scaling 
is prevented. 
Jointing is extremely 
important both for ap- 
pearance and strength. 
Have as few joints as pos- 
sible coming one over the 
other and in cut stone 
work this should never oc- 
cur. Joints are flush or 
raked which means the 
mortar is carried to the 
outer surface of the wall or 
set 1 :ack from it one half 
to one or two inches. This heavv raking is 
only possible with stones of irregular sur- 
faces. 
Let us hope to see less of the cobble- 
stone wall, that conglomeration of ex- 
aggerated eggs that seems always about 
to roll apart. There was a time when it 
was thought “highly artistic'’ but that 
was during the so-called “Reign of Terror” 
in American art, not now. 
There are many gradations from the dry 
stone wall to the cut stone product. We 
have rubble, coursed rubble, random ashlar, 
broken ashlar and coursed ashlar; the 
rubbles being of stones with little or no 
cutting and the ashlars consisting always 
of cut and finished pieces. 
Nowadays cement mortar is the only 
kind to use. One to three is a good pro- 
portion, the one part being Portland ce- 
ment mortar and the three parts sand. It 
is necessary to mix the two dry and mix 
thoroughly before adding water. 
WTiat is more charming than pleasing 
brickwork in the garden? Bricks, wdth 
their range of color and size, their adapta- 
bility and age lasting qualities offer all sorts 
of possibilities. The average depth of a 
brick being four inches, a wall may be any 
thickness which is a multiple of four. Walls 
of but one brick in depth have been built 
and to obtain the necessary strength they 
were zig-zagged or had frequent piers. The 
use of piers at four, six or ten foot intervals 
not only saves material in any wall but adds 
an interesting play of surfaces. Hollow 
brick walls also save material. They con- 
sist of two four inch walls close enough 
together as to make an air space of two or 
more inches and are bonded one to the 
other by special metal bonds coming for this 
purpose. 
The “bond” of brickwork means the 
arranging of the bricks in courses to show 
the various surfaces in certain regular 
occurrences. They are common, English 
or Flemish bond for the more customary 
ones. .A.S in stonework there must be some 
members extending longer than the others 
in a transverse direction and this is what 
the bond does. The top of a brick wall is 
capped with stone, terra-cotta, cement or 
bricks set on edge. The stone and terra- 
cotta are more lasting. Cement capping 
should be moulded into 
slabs of three or four foot 
lengths before setting on 
the wall. 
Concrete is an excellent 
material when wisely used 
and well made. All man- 
ner of shapes are jiossible 
for it is poured into forms 
when wet and is therefore 
more elastic than stone or 
brick from the stand- 
point of design. To vary 
color and texture employ 
different sands and ce- 
ments or change the aggre- 
gate. The lightest wall, 
almost pure white, has 
white Portland cement and 
white sand, while yellow 
sand and gray cement 
give a brown tone. For 
the grays use gray sand 
and cement. It is very 
difficult to get even col- 
oring by adding ochres or umbers, better 
try for the colors you desire with the 
natural materials. Surface textures are ob- 
tained by taking down the boarding before 
the concrete has completely set and scrap- 
ing it with a stiff wire brush or by mixing 
large or small pebbles with the sand. 
Concrete walls of any height have steel 
rods placed at frequent intervals both 
horizontally and vertically to give tensile 
