5. They will not splinter.
The only disadvantage is that they are not durable. The cloth soon goes to decay and the filling material crumbles away.
Plate 29 shows the appearance of a sandbag revetment as seen from the front and from the end.
Plate 29.—Sandbag revetment.
A squad of six men with two shovels and one pick should fill 150 bags in an hour. One man uses the pick, two shovel the dirt into the bag, one holds the bag open and two men tie the bags. Having the filled bags ready to hand ten men will lay 75 square feet of revetment in an hour. Four men lay the bags and flatten them out while six carry them.
Brush
Brush is used in many forms for revetting. Almost any kind will serve the purpose. For weaving, it must be live and is most pliable when not in leaf. It should not be more than 1 inch in diameter at the butt. When cut it should be assorted in sizes for the different class of revetments. Poles 2½ inches in diameter are cut for the supports.
Fascines