_What it is._--"Pise de terre" is merely the French for rammed earth,
and rammed earth is an exceedingly good material for the building of
walls.
The odd thing is that its very obvious merits should have secured it
such small attention.
It is no new-fangled war-time invention brought forth by our present
necessity, but a very ancient system well proved by centuries of trial.
_History._--Pliny gives an excellent account of Pise-building in his
_Natural History_, and Monsieur Gorffon, who published a treatise on
this method of construction in 1772, states that it was first introduced
into France by the Romans.
The following extracts from an old book based on a French original will
serve well as an introduction to the study of Pise-building:
* * *
_Capabilities._--"An account of a method of building strong and durable
houses, with no other materials than earth; which has been practised for
ages in the province of Lyons, though little known in the rest of
France, or in any other part of Europe. It appeared to be attended with
so many advantages, that many gentlemen in this country who employ their
leisure in the study of rural economy were induced to make a trial of
its efficiency; and the result of their experiments has been of such a
nature as to make them desire, by all possible means, to extend the
knowledge and practice of so beneficial an art.
"The possibility of raising the walls of houses two or even three
stories high, with earth only, which will sustain floors loaded with the
heaviest weights, and of building the largest manufactories in this
manner, may astonish every one who has not been an eye-witness of such
things."
_Of Pise and its Origin._--"Pise is a very simple manual operation; it
is merely by compressing earth in moulds or cases, that we may arrive at
building houses of any size or height."
_Locale._--"This art, though at present confined to the single province
of the Lyonese in France, was known and practised at a very early period
of antiquity. The Abbe Rozier, in his _Journal de Physique_, says that
he has discovered some traces of it (Pise) in Catalonia; so that Spain,
like France, has a single province in which this ancient manner of
building has been preserved. The art, however, well deserves to be
introduced into more general use. The cheapness of the materials which
it requires, and the great saving of time and labour which it admits of,
must recommend it in all places and on all occasions, but the French
author says that it will be found particularly useful in hilly
countries, where carriage is difficult, and sometimes impracticable; and
for farm buildings, which, as they must be made of considerable extent,
are usually very expensive, without yielding any return."
[Headnote: Method of Building]