found, and every here and there one falls upon a good brickmaker who is
able to produce good moulded or embossed or ornamental bricks, such as
those which have been supplied to me years ago by Mr. Gunton, and more
recently by Mr. Brown, both of Norwich, or by Mr. Cooper, of Maidenhead.

It is of importance to those whose business it is to look after or
engage in building operations, that they should early learn what to look
out for in each material. Of course, a man only becomes a judge of
bricks, or timber, or stone by experience; but he is far better able to
take the benefit of experience when it comes to him if he knows from the
first to what points to direct attention. Wherefore I make no apology
for trying to put before you the points of a good brick, and in doing so
I shall partly quote from a memorandum published now a good many years
ago by the Manchester Society of Architects.

A good brick is uniform in size; standard, 9 by 4½ by 2½ in.; weight
about 7 lb. each = 110 lb. per foot cube; is rectangular, true faced,
but only one end and one side need be smooth; has no print sinking on
either face, but a hollow on one or both beds. When saturated with
water, a brick should not absorb more than 20 per cent, of its own
weight of water, should absorb it reluctantly, and part with it freely
at ordinary temperatures. It should be uniformly burnt, should be sound,
free from cracks, flaws, stones, lumps of any kind, but especially lumps
of lime, should be of a good color for its sort (whether red, yellow, or
white), should have a metallic clang when two bricks are struck
together; when broken should be sound right through, should be tough and
pasty in texture, not granular, and should require repeated blows to
break it, rather than one hard blow (such bricks will withstand cartage
and handling best). So much for bricks. To make brickwork, however,
another ingredient is required--namely, mortar or cement.