Read "A Treatise on Grain Stacking" by John N. De Lamater online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
On the rail foundation, lay around the center in the form of an ellipse, with the heads lapping well across the center rail; lap half and continue to lay towards the outside until foundation is covered. Now commence at the outside and lay a course around, neither laying out or drawing in, except to correct any little error that may occur in the elliptical form of the stack; complete the courses to the center, but don't fill the middle too full; if the outside is lower than the middle, lay a double course around outside; keep your stack "flat" -- full as high at outside as center; build the first load straight up, neither laying out or drawing in, if the stack is to contain ten or twelve loads; if eight or nine, lay the last course out a little.