With the strength of brickwork, it is different, and it would seem rather remarkable, at first sight, that architects and engineers, who are every day using thousands of bricks, should have been at little pains to ascertain the “safe load” which this or that brick pier or wall would carry. Experience is, of course, of great value in all work of that description; but there is always the lurking suspicion that the engineer is making his piers too big, and that the architect is by no means running the thing close. The real reason why so little has been done to test the strength of brickwork is the difficulty in getting machines of such capacity as would crush sufficiently large masses. Small piers have been built from time to time, and bricks embedded in putty for mortar have served their purpose, but practically nothing of a really serious nature was carried out in Britain until a few months ago. The science committee of the Institute of Architects, well knowing the advantage of information as to the strength of brickwork, have partially carried out a most elaborate series of experiments, the first fruits of which have already been published, but it would be out of place to allude to them here. When the remaining brickwork shall have been built long enough at the experimental station, the final experiments will be made, and the results will, we have no doubt, be the most important contribution to our knowledge concerning the strength of brickwork that has ever been published in the kingdom.