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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

> I am thinking that it will be easier to lay out the chicken wire then do
> the rebar then the next two layers.  There will be little room behind for
> someone to hold a board so I was thinking of using the soil behind as a
> backer.

Use the soil behind as a surface against which to brace. Loose pieces of 
poultry mesh quickly become ungainly. If a wall is, say, two feet high, buy 
four-foot poultry mesh, fold it in two the long way out where you have 
space to work comfortably. Then drop the folded wire over the top 
horizontal rebar. After wiring everything together--by far the most tedious 
part of the job--brace the plywood against the back wall of dirt with any 
sticks, boards, one-bys or two-bys handy. You don't need a second person, 
then, to apply the mortar.