rations are similar to those described for setting of ceilings and partitions; and the floated and set is laid on the rendering in the same manner as on the partitions, &c. already explained, for the best kind of work.

Trowelled stucco, which is a very neat kind of work, usea in dining-rooms, halls, &c. where the walls are prepared to be painted, must be worked upon a floated ground, and the floating be quite dry before the stucco is applied. In this process the plasterer is provided with a wooden tool, called a float, consisting of a piece of half inch deal, about nine inches long and three wide, planed smooth, with its lower edges a little rounded off, and having a handle on the upper surface. The stucco is prepared as above described, and afterwards well beaten and tempered with clear water. The ground intended to be stuccoed is first prepared with the large trowel, and is made as smooth and level as possible; when the stucco has been spread upon it to the extent of four or five feet square, the workman, with a float in his right hand and a brush in his left, sprinkles with water, and rubs alternately the face of the stucco, till the whole is reduced to a fine even surface. He then prepares another square of the ground, and proceeds as before, till the whole is completed. The water has the effect of hardening the face of the stucco. When the floating is well performed, it will feel as smooth as glass.

Rough casting, or rough walling, is an exterior finishing, much cheaper than stucco, and, therefore, more frequently employed on cottages, farm-houses, &c. than on buildings of a higher class. The wall intended to be rough-cast, is first pricked-up with a coat of lime and hair; and when this is tolerably dry, a second coat is laid on, of the same materials as the first, as smooth as it can possibly be spread. As fast as the workman finishes this surface, he is followed by another with a pail-full of rough-cast, with which he bespatters the new plastering, and the whole dries together. The rough-cast is composed of fine gravel, washed from all earthy particles, and mixed with pure lime and water till the whole is of a semi-fluid consistency. This is thrown from the pail upon the wall with a wooden float, about five or six inches long, and as many wide, made of half-inch deal, and fitted with a round deal handle. While, with this tool, the plasterer throws on the rough-cast with his right hand, he holds in his left a common whitewashers' brush, dipped in the rough-cast also, with which he brushes and colours the mortar and the rough-cast he has already spread,

to give them, when finished, a regular uniform colour and appearance.

Cornices, are either plain or ornamented, and sometimes embrace a portion of both classes. The first point to be attended to is, to examine the drawings, and measure the projections of the principal members, which, if projecting more than seven or eight inches, must be bracketted. This consists in fixing up pieces of wood, at the distance of about ten or twelve inches from each other, all round the place proposed for the cornice, and nailing laths to them, covering the whole with a coat of plaster. In the brackets, the stuff necessary to form the cornices must be allowed, which in general is about one inch and a quarter. A beech mould is next made by the carpenter, of the profile of the intended cornice, about a quarter of an inch in thickness, with the quirks, or small sinkings, of brass or copper. All the sharp edges are carefully removed by the plasterer, who opens with his knife all the points which he finds incompetent to receive the plaster freely.

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These preliminaries being adjusted, two workmen, provided with a tub of putty and a quantity of plaster of Paris, proceed to run the cornice. Before using the mould, they gauge a screed of putty and plaster upon the wall and ceiling, covering so much of each as will correspond with the top and bottom of the intended cornice. On this screed one or two slight deal straight-edges, adapted to as many notches or chases made in the mould for it to work upon, are nailed. The putty is then mixed with about one-third of plaster of Paris, and brought to a semi-fluid state by the addition of clean water. One of the workmen, with two or three trowels-full of this composition upon his hawk, which he holds in his left hand, begins to plaster over the surface intended for the cornice, with his trowel, while his partner applies the mould to ascertain when more or less is wanted. When a sufficient quantity of plaster is laid on, the workmen holds his mould firmly against both the ceiling and the wall, and moves it backwards and forwards, which removes the superfluous stuff, and leaves an exact impression of the mould upon the plaster. This is not effected at once; for while he works the mould backwards and forwards, the other workman takes notice of any deficiences, and fills them up by adding fresh supplies of plaster. In this manner a cornice from ten to twelve feet in length may be formed in a very short time; indeed, expedition is essentially requisite, as the plaster of Paris occasions a very great tendency in the putty

to set, to prevent which, it is necessary to sprinkle the composition frequently with water, as plasterers, in order to secure the truth and correctness of the cornice, generally endeavour to finish all the lengths, or pieces, between any two breaks or projections, at one time. In cornices which have very large proportions, and in cases where any of the orders of architecture are to be introduced, three or four moulds are required, and are similarly applied, till all the parts are formed. Internal and external mitres, and small returns, or breaks, are afterwards modelled and filled up by hand.

Cornices to be enriched with ornaments, have certain indentations, or sinkings, left in the mould in which the casts are laid. These ornaments were formerly made by hand; but now are cast in plaster of Paris, from clay models. When the clay model is finished, and has, by exposure to the action of the atmosphere, acquired some degree of firmness, it is let into a wooden frame, and when it has been retouched and finished, the frame is filled with melted wax, which, when cold, is, by turning the frame upside down, allowed to fall off, being an exact cameo, or counterpart, of the model. By these means, the most enriched and curiously wrought mouldings may be cast by the common plasterer. These wax models are contrived to cast about a foot in length of the ornament at once; such lengths being most easily got out from the cameo. The casts are made of the finest and purest plaster of Paris, saturated with water; and the wax mould is oiled previously to its being put in. When the casts, or intaglios, are first taken from the mould, they are not very firm; but being suffered to dry a little, either in the oper air or an oven, they acquire sufficient hardness to allow of being scraped and cleaned.

Basso-relievos and friezes are executed in a similar manner, only the wax mould is so made, that the cast can have a back-ground at least half an inch thick of plaster-cast to the ornament or figure, in order to strengthen and secure the proportions, at the same time that it promotes the general effect.

The process for capitals to columns is also the same, except that numerous moulds are required to complete them. In the Corinthian capital a shaft or belt is first made, on which is afterwards fixed the foliage and volutes; the whole of which require distinct cameos.

In running cornices which are to be enriched, the plasLerer takes care to have proper projections in the running

mould, so as to make a groove in the cornice, for the reception of the cast ornament, which is laid in and secured by spreading a small quantity of liquid plaster of Paris on its back. Detached ornaments intended for ceilings or other parts, and where no running mould has been employed, are cast in pieces corresponding with the design, and fixed upon the ceiling, &c. with white-lead, or with the composition known by the name of iron-cement.

The manufacture of stucco has, for a long time past, attracted the attention of all connected with this branch of building, as well as chemists and other individuals; but the only benefit resulting from such investigation is, a more extensive knowledge of the materials used. It would seem, that the great moisture of our climate prevents its being brought to any high degree of perfection; though, among the various compositions which have been tried and proposed, some, comparatively speaking, are excellent.

Common stucco, used for external work, consists of clean washed Thames sand and ground Dorking lime, which are mixed dry, in the proportion of three of the latter to one of the former: when well incorporated together, these should be secured from the air in casks till required for use. Walls to be covered with this composition, must first be prepared, by raking the mortar from the joints, and picking the bricks or stones, till the whole is indented: the dust and other extraneous matter must then be brushed off, and the wall well saturated with clean water. The stucco is supersaturated with water, till it has the appearance and consistence of ordinary white-wash, in which state it is rubbed over the wall with a flat brush of hogs' bristles. When this process, called roughing in, has been performed, and the work has become tolerably dry and hard, which may be known by its being more white and transparent, the screeds are to be formed upon the wall with fresh stucco from the cask, tempered with water to a proper consistency, and spread on the upper-part of the wall, about eight or nine inches wide; "as also against the two ends, beginning at the top and proceeding downwards to the bottom. In this operation, two workmen are required; one to supply the stucco, the other to apply the plumb-rule and straight-edge. When these are truly formed, other screeds must be made in a vertical direction, about four or five feet apart, unless apertures in the wall prevent it, in which case, they must be formed as near together as possible. When the scrceding is finished, compo is prepared in larger quantities, and both the workmen spread

it with their trowels over the wall in the space left between each pair of screeds. When this operation is complete, the straight-edge is applied, and dragged from the top to the bottom of each pair, to remove whatever superfluous stucco may project above the screeds. If there be any hollow places, fresh stucco is applied, and the straight-edge is again drawn over the spot, till the compo is brought even to the face of the screeds, and the whole is level with the edge of the rule. Another interval is then filled up, and the workmen thus proceed till the whole of the wall is covered. The wall is finished by floating, that is, hardening the surface, by sprinkling it with water, and rubbing it with the common wood-float, which is performed similarly to trowelling

stucco.

This description of compo is frequently used by plasterers for cornices and mouldings, in the same manner as described in common plastering; but if the workman finds it necessary, he may add a small quantity of plaster of Paris, to make it fix the better while running or working the mould. Such addition is not, however, calculated to give strength to the stucco, and is only made through the necessity of having a quick set.

In the year 1796, Mr. Parker obtained a patent for a cement that is impervious to water, and which may be successfully employed in ice houses, cisterns, tanks, &c. In his specification Mr. Parker states, that "nodules of clay, or argillaceous stone, generally contain water in their centre, surounded by calcareous crystals, having veins of calcareous matter. They are formed in clay, and are of a brown colour like the clay." These nodules he directs should, after being broken into small pieces and burnt in a kiln, with a heat that is nearly sufficient to vitrify them, be reduced to powder: when two measures of water added to five of this powder, will produce tarras. Lime and other matters may be added or withheld at pleasure; and the proportion of water may be varied.

The term of the patent being now expired, many other manufactories of this cement have been established, which produce it of equal goodness, and some of them of rather better colour, which is of importance, since the frescopainting or white-wash, laid on Mr. Parker's composition, is soon taken off by the rain, and leaves the walls of a dingy and unpleasant appearance.

The fresco-painting, or staining, is laid on the walls covered with this cement, to give them the appearance of