REASONS GIVEN FOR THE Necessity of altering the Method Slaters now go by in setting up their Slate for Sale , and also the manner they now lay it for the Covering their Buildings .

I. THOSE that dig their Slate in Winter pretend to set them up in Heaps and Thousands , with all Sizes jumbled together , which should be sixscore to the hundred , and have for a long time abus'd the Country by setting up two , three , nay sometimes four hundred less than they pretend , and besides put in many Stones that are no way useful when they are brought to their Work , except they be for Shells or Boulsters , neither of which should be made use of , if their Work lay true and in good Order .

II . The Slates they now use , of the largest Size , may be from ten to twenty Inches long ; but not above four , five , six , seven or eight Inches square in Depth at the Bottom , which square Part of the Stone is only useful to the Work , part of which is laid outward , in Proportion to the Depth that Square bears , and the upper Part above that Square is of no other use to the Covering , but to Load and Incumber the said Roof ; besides , they are forc'd to make use of so many Shells and Boulsters to support that upper irregular Part of the Slate they lay on , that adds so much more to the Weight as to make it double what it ought to be .

III . Their Rule , by which they pretend to Lath by and lay their Slate upon , is of little use as they manage it , but to support it outward at the Bottom , so far as the square Part of the Stone and the upper irregular Part of every Stone is fill'd up , and supported with the Shells and Boulsters they are forc'd to make use of ; and the Pins they pretend to hang their Slate by upon the Lath hath not half of them any hold or dependance upon the same , which may be at any time seen by examining the inward Side of their Work , and besides will also find that the Shells and Boulsters they are forc'd to make use of are generally loose , and apt to shake and fall in every high Wind , which decays their Work in very few Years , though to outward Appearance at first looks fair .

These Abuses hath almost ruin'd their Profession with their Commodity , which is known to be of Value , if made use of to the best Advantage , being capable of great Improvements , which hitherto hath been lost , but is here endeavour'd to be set forth .

But the Slaters have some Excuse for their Abuses in their Sett , when those that Buy them will not allow a Price to make them live , and those poor Men must Sell when they are got , or starve , it having been their whole Winter's Work : But they can have no Excuse for the Defects of their Work in Covering , which wrongs the Builder much more than their Sett wrongs the Buyer .

RULES offer'd to prev●nt the Abuses mention'd , and a new Meth●● propos'd to Recover the Reputation of the Saters Profession , and their Slate which is tho●ght to be the best and lightest Covering we h●ve in England , and the most durable , if made use of to the best Advantage it will bear which will bring their Commodity to the Perfection it deserves .

I. EVERY Slater that raises Slate in Winter should Square his Stones both at the Top as well as at the Bottom , to be both Ends of an even Breacth , as far as the Slate will bear it in Length , and no Part of the Stone to be left above the Square , but should all be in the Shape of Tile in Proportion , according to the Rules entred in this second and third Column , and to be set up according to their Dimensions in Rows and Hundreds being sixscore to the hundred , the least Size to be six Inches in Length , and three in Breadth , and no Stones to be set up in the said Rows , but what shall be useful in their Places .

II . Ten such Rows should make the thousand , all to be of the same Dimensions ; and in the same manner must every Degree be set up , from the least to the largest Size , as enter'd in the second and third Column , and the Workman may make use of what Scantling he pleases , and order his Courses as he thinks fit , but will have occasion for no Shells ; but a Boulster may be properly made use of in such Places where a Stone may happen to fall Hollow , and may there be fixt in as fast as the Slate it self , without any appearance more within than without ; and thus the whole Work will appear on both Sides even , like a perfect Shell of Stone , and not above half the Weight they now make it .

III . The Lath must be streight and good , and laid exactly true and even , as if they were for Tile , and according to the Courses and Dimensions of the Stone they design to make use of , that every Pin may hang and depend upon the Lath ; then there will be no want of any thing to support any Part of it , but one Stone will rest upon the other , and be laid so far out as will it self support the upper Part that hangs upon the Lath ; and if the Outside be laid true , it will be the same within , being Square alike at both Ends and Sides , which will prevent the Lumber they are now forc'd to stuff in to support it ; and the Workman may order his Courses in such manner as to make the Middle of every Slate cover the Joint of the Course below it , like Tile ; and this will make the Work of such Strength and Value , that the Slater will deserve to have something added to the Price of his Work , as well as to his Commodity ; and a good Slater will make a good Tiler , for both of them Trades will have almost the same Dependance and Rule to go by .

These are the Rules to prevent the Abuses of the Slaters Trade , and the Country from being any more deceiv'd ; and , if they are observ'd , will in few Years recover the Reputation of their Profession , and the Commodity by which they live , and force them to make use of both to their Credit , and the Service of their Country , and bring their Covering to be as Light as Tile .

These Slates are to be had near Stamford in Lincolnshire Squared as herein mentioned , or in the Rough , and Squared at the Building , which may prove to be the cheapest way , and best liked by the Workman .

The Prices enter'd in the first State Num . Inches Long . Price Bd Per L. M S. L. S. 1st 5     10   2d 6 3   12   3d 7     14   4h 8 4   16   5t 9     18             3 : 10 6 10 5 1 .   7 11   1 4   8 12 6 1 8   9 13   1 12   10 14 7 1 16             7 : 0 11 15   2 .   12 16 8 2 8   13 17   2 12   14 18 9 3 . 10 : 0           20 : 10 Prints went down to twenty thousand , and up to twenty four Inches in Length , and twelve in Breadth , in proportion to the same Rule now Enter'd in the three first figured Columns ; but the six last and largest Sizes , are by Experience found not only to be the least Useful , but raises the Charge to such a Price as is unnecessary both for the Builder and the Workman .

And it plainly appears the fourteen thousand here Enter'd , are the most useful Slates for all sorts of Buildings , and makes the neatest and strongest Work .

But the Fives , which is the first and smallest Size , doth the best for any upright Work ; which it performs with great Strength and Perfection .

And the nine thousand which follows them , are better to be made use of for all sorts of Roofs than the largest Stone ; and makes the most compleat and strongest Work , and takes up much less Lime than the Old Method . And the four last Sizes here Enter'd , is proper to be made use of for the Eaves and Ridge ; it being absolutely Necessary to Slate the Top double with that Slate , as well as the Bottom with any two of the said four Courses , which looks Neat , and like a Verge on the Top ; and binds and strengthens all the Courses downwards .

And the Person that hath given himself the Trouble to Improve this Work , hath made such Experience of it , that he finds it absolutely Necessary to set forth this New Table of the Prices , as the Slaters can afford them to Live by their Profession , which they could not have done at the Rates before Enter'd . And it is not difficult to be seen , that the six largest Sizes now left out , which are not to be got without great Difficulty and Charge , was the Occasion of setting these that are most Useful at a lower Price than the Slater could Afford them at ; it being found , that every thousand , one with another , cannot be dressed and squared Top and Bottom under four Shillings per Thousand , which is a great Addition to the Price . And notwithstanding they are very little above the Price of the Old Method , it appearing that the fourteen thousand here Enter'd , which comes but to twenty Pounds ten Shillings , will cover within a third Part as much as thirty Heaps of the Old Sett , which the Slaters pretend to Sell for the same Mony .

And if the whole Charge of a Rood of Slating in this Manner should amount to a third Part more than the Old Method , it is much the Cheaper , considering the Goodness of this Work , and the Imperfection of the other , which is known not to keep any Building dry , and must be constantly Repaired after seven or eight Years : And this New Method well Perform'd , will in no Man's Age need any thing to be done at it .

And after this , neither the Country , nor the Workman , shall be given any more Trouble , but leave them both to take which Method they please , and like best ; knowing Old Customs are hard to be broke either by Workmen or Builders .