by Thomas Jefferson
Brick. a demicord of earth [4. f. cube] makes 1000 bricks.
a man will turn up 4. such cubes, or even 5, a day. the price for
turning up is 1/ (Maryland) the cube, or 1000. bricks, the labourer
finding himself.
a cubic yard of earth in it's natural state weighs probably 1000. lb.
a man moulds 2000. bricks a day. his attendance is a man to temper,
one to wheel the mortar to him & a boy to bear off. (Philadelphia)
there are 3000. bricks to every eye of a kiln, sometimes 4000.
a cord of wood to every eye will suffice if there be a case of 2 1/2 bricks
to the kiln, but if there be no case, 1 1/2 cord to each eye.
at George town in 1792. a brickmaker for 2 1/3 D. the thousand made
the bricks, turning up the clay & finding himself every thing ex
-cept wood to burn & plank to cover them.
the brickwork is about 1/3 of the whole cost, the Carpenter's materiels
& ironmongery one third, & the Carpenter's work one third.
bricks cost at Philadelphia 4. D. per A and laying them 1.6, exclusive
of sand, lime, etc.
brickwork requires 10. bush. of lime to the 100. bricks. (Geo. town.)
but by Stephen Willis 15. bushels. this is exact from my own experiments.
one ld. mortar takes 3. hhds water to the 1000. bricks.
an acre of ground yields a million of bricks for every foot depth.
see page 37.
10. bushels of limestone make 15. bushels of lime, & lay 1000 bricks, the inside mortar
being half lime & half sand, & the outside mortar 2/3 lime, & the walls grouted.
from my own experience.
1796 Aug. 26. 32 cords of wod burnt a kiln of 9. eyes & 42 M. bricks.
1814. Chisolm & 2. apprentices (one of them a new beginner) lay 1600. bricks a day
1823. Apr. by accurate trial 7 1/4 lb white lead gives 3. coats to 1 square.