The Red Cloud chief., 1888-12-21
GOOD STABLE FLOOR.
Concrete tho hest, and In the Long Du0
Inc Cheapest Material.

tOe Cneogbeet StAtettnss
To make a good stable floor there
should be an excavation OF a foot deep.
or il this does moi reach n solid fOunda.
ton dig still deeper and fill the bottom
with broken stones or coarse gravel.
and pound it down solid. until within
ten inches of the level at which tho
floor is to DO finished. In making this
fill you should use u level and establish
your grade exactly. When the founda-
ton is in and leveled up You are ready
for the first Dat OF concrete which
may be made of the common U.ouis-
vile hcre) cement. II may be made
of course gravel with the sand screened
out. or of broken stones. | believe the
latter is the best but it should be
broken small, leaving no pieces larger
than two inches square. This is mixed
with cement at the rate Of a barrel Of
cement To "a perch. Mix il thoroughly
SO that each separate stone or pebble
is coated with the cement and do
not make it so wet rs To run or
be sloppy. Spread this so as to
come within two inches OF the top
and ram it down until perfectly solid.
After il is set a little, which will be
in a day or so, you are ready FOR the
last coat. This must be made of sharp
sand and the best Portland cement.
mixed in the proportion OF one part OF
cement to three of sand. Mix tho
material dry and il is well to screen it.
SD rs to insure that il be thoroughly
mixed. Mix up with water into \
rather stiff but well-tempe red mortar.
a small quantity ut a time. one man
mixing while the other spreads. Lay
it down in strips about three feet wide.
or as wide As you can easily reach.
Make a mark ON the wall two inches
up or rs high as you wish the floor TO
come and then lay a strip OF board Of the
same thickness to work upon and Use a
straight edge as you work SD rs to fill
everywhere to the same level. Before
you move the board to begin n second
strip the one laid should be made per.
fectly smooth. Then move the board
and lay another strip and proceed in
this way until you are done.
l can not give the exact cost of this
floor rs my experience Is limited in the
matter. but l will estimate that it will
take two barrels of Louisville and
about one-and -a-half of Portland CO
ment. and this ought to be bought for
about 81. 10 per barrel for the former.
and 6. so for the latter. This would
make the cost Of the cement for q
square of 100 feet $S.o2. I estimate
that q man ought to put down about q
square a day. The sand, stone. and
gravel will cost more 10 some places
than others. 1 have on my own farm
an abundance OF limestone. and excel
lent gravel near. would advise any
One who wishes to try putting down
come Of this floor. 70 door a small sta
bic or a single stall first, and then test
il before flooring IN entire stable. The
barn l mentioned as having had this
kind Of q floor in use for several years
is ~ by l0i feet, aud every part Of it 10
IO&bGCu 1lt1A COt1StCSCs GSCu NAC A0c
nure bitches for the cattle are made Of
it. and there is stabling for LIS cattle.
besides stalls for IL horses. DO not DO
persuaded to use any but the best Port
land cement for the finishing coat, as I
have known a failure when this has
been done. This is used also for walks
and pavements. and quite an amount
of It has been laid in my village in the
last few years. Il would make . splen-
did feeding aoor for hogs. No part Of
. barn fails - soon a . stable floor
and to kept in good repair il made Of
planks requires renewal every few
years. While the cost Of the concrete
will Be moro 1t first than twice that q
planks. In the long run Il win b much
cheaper. OF course tho reader win
understand that the stable must not
b used until Il has become perfectly
soid.- Welde =. bseen, = OAio ~