Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1852-04-08
From The American chronological Journal
THE GRAVEL WALL:
IT'S MATERIALS. AND MODE OF
WORKING II.
mo. , coNcLuoED.]

The proportions come next to be consid-
cred. The proportions used IA my two
lower stories. were about as follows--eiaht
bushels of slakei lime, such as costs iour
aud one halfcenis per bushel al the lime tiln.
and such as Is pat on land Then put M
some twelve to sixteen bushels of coarse aud
hne sand. and add fory bushels OF those
slate and rubbe stones, dug up from the
foundation, along with, perhaps from fifteen
to twenty-five bushels of coarse stone. Ore
81 my beds was made "a the following pro.
portions Ten bushels Of Stacked lime,
which was equal to four bushels OF stone, IF
unslaked lime twenty-iour bushels oiconrse
sand aud gravel, aud one hundred aud fifty
bushels Of slate-stone chips aud coatse
stones, making one part Vi lime 20 over for
y plrls of gravel stones. his was the
poorest bed | made, and poorer than
would recommend but IL stands, proof
tina; It was good enough iur all pracucai
purposes. The proportions would recon-
mend are, one part stone-ime to from IL
teen TO tinrlg Of gravel and stone, accor-
ulnW 10 nlr nueurSs az ule gtasei aud Y"on-
tty of stone and more than All 90 the Cdu-
u0gsness aud Acqmsiuyeucss 81 The builder;
for a you are very ttmfd, and not So Acqui>-
tive, pat Ia more line; aud vet one part
IA thy Viii make "a wall that wall stand any
weight aud any roof YOU would be lkey to
put on H. Il Is, however, well TO eur on tie
ie side, aud the more so, siuce lime cus,s
SO comparatively htlle.
Butn IS asked, What on earth can ho.5
your stuff together p answer, What on
earth holds brick building togetherl" You
answer Mouar' ! ask, What holds
mortar togetherP You answer. Lime
Iheu answer Lime" The bond pru-
ciple IN tins mode Of building Is exactly the
same as ia every house built OF BRICK or
stone; aud why will not lime bind just as
strong with coarse gravel aud stone as with
brick and stone, aud even stronger. Cor the
mortar rarely lasiens directly upon the BRICK
because BRICK Is smooth, aud also absorbs
us moisture quickly; before brick and
mortar become ansgamated the mortar
simply forming bed N which the brick
lies, INSTEAD If Incorporating itself with the
brick whereas, 10 this case, lime, sand
aud stone, become imbedded together, ias-
ten TO each other, and hence form one solid
mass, because mortar and lime will stick to
rough stone much better than to dry smooth
brick.
Many people prophesed that my house
would fall before | got II up. One OF my
ueigh0ors gave my mason a good Seeding
for sauctioning TINS kind of wall. telling han
that il would fall aud kill the workmen; and
without one single exception, all my neigh
burs and visitors SAID II was impossible, IA
the reason and nature of things, for II to
stand answered Its bond principle Is
lime. and that is the only bond principle of
oil brick aud stone buildings. Then why
will not lime fasten this together as well as
thatw adding that paid the BILL and was
bound to have my way. So much for the
reason aud the fact Is, that there II stands,
aud becomes harder aud ,lill harder every
month That II has stood one winter ex-
posed TO rain aud frost, because only two OF
It's four stories were yet up, aud not one
crack appeared in It, shows that II will stand
the action of the weather perfectly we'll
One pillar cast late IN the fall, and one place
IN The inside wall, winch did not dry before
frost came, peeled some, ct not enough to-
injure their strength, aud we all know tina,
mortar must get dry before II freezes, OF
freeze dry, or else rs bond principle a
spoiled. So Of coarse with this kind OF
= wall.
lfyou ask. What are The advantages ol
: this mode of building over stone or .
brick wall r. answer, first, ~ a stone VA
: YOU are obliged TO face the stones, whereas
e IA this case, your wall can be composed al
most entirely of coarse stones; but the NOR
, tar thrown into the boxes presses d"wl
against the boards, aud thus forms a face
; aud both mortar aud stones are tumbled ir
a helter skelter, instead OF being laid stone by
G stone, aud lroweiul 10y trowellul of mortal
!, at a time, thus saving very large amount o
The mason-work IA laying. Also, by thu
T. method, the laying is done by common la
= Dor. Then again, by this method you have
e to draw no lines, whereas, in laying bricA
), OF stone wall, good deal OF time IS wssle'
: "a these Innings, aud there Is vast d'iier
T. ence between iumbllng pile OF stones an'
IA mortar into a box. aud laying each li,,i
= pile one by one, jus, exactly So The plan
:, lacl is, that il costs hardly more 10 put u
4 a wall by this method, than merely to ten
II masons by the other. The mixing OF th