The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-06-07
FARM AND GARDEN.
CONCRETE FOR FLOORS,
A Farmer who Thinks 1t the Best for
Stables and Pig Pens.

A Farmer Who Thinks 1t the Best for
Stables and Pig Pens.
am substituting concrete for plank
IN all my stables and hog houses as fast
as the old floors give out, says writer
IN the Country Gentleman. From an
examination of stables which have been
in use for six years or more, which are
floored with concrete, and on which
heavy, sharp,shod horses have stood
summer and winter, l conclude that
these floors are practically indestructi-
BILE, and that they are the most econom-
ical that the farmer can put in.
The cost of such a floor will depend
somewhat ON whether the farmer is con-
vcnient to stone, sand and gravel, for if
these must be purchased or drawn sew
eral miles, it will add to the cost ma
terially; but l find that with these ma
terials in abundance within less than a
mile of my home, the cost of a concrete
floor is rather less than that of good two
inch oak plank. The cost of the cement
for stable forty-four feet long and fifteen
feet wide which neighbor put in two
years ago was $50, as he used eight bar
relS of common or Louisville cement for
the foundation, costing 81. 30 per barrel,
and six barrels of Portland cement, cost
ing 81 per barrel for the finishing coat
A pig pen floor will cost less than a
stable floor, for where sharp-shod horses
are to stand stamping flies the finishing
coat must be two inches thick, while for
a hog house one inch is sufficient.
In ma ng this door the first thing is
20 II, oOd aSta b1iSb vOur pra1p
seven chit inches lower than you
wish til, or. If the spot is already
too low and must be filled, 1 throw in
loose stone and then with sledge break
them up so they can be leveled. For
the foundation | use clean, sharp gravel
with the sand sifted out Of it, or fine
broken stone, or mixture of both with
one bulk of common cement to five of
it. Mix thoroughly and wet slightly,
so that every piece of stone will be
coated with the cement. Now spread
this an inch or two at a time, and tramp
it until perfectly solid. Use the straight
edge and spirit level so as to have it
perfectly level, and you are ready for
the finishing coat, or liquid stone, as it
is called.
For this you want the best cement; /
use the Portland, though | am not sure
but in other localities the best cement
goes by a different name, possibly the
Rosendale, but any dealer can tell you
what you will need. Use with it a
clean, sharp sand, rather coarse, and
without any loan. save the sand that
is screened out of the gravel which is
used in the foundation, and mix three
parts of the sand to ono Of cement; mix
thoroughly by shoveling it back and
forth, and then rescreen it, and it must
then be wet up and tempered, a little at
a time as you need it. For stable floor
put on two inches, but for hog-house
one inch will answer. Lay it in sections
as wide as you can conveniently reach,
which will be about three feet. Work
with your knees on board just as thick
as you wish the cement to be laid, and
with a short, straight edge you can
keep it level.
When n section is laid, before moving
the board to lay another, smooth off the
cement with a trowel on what you have
laid. Be very careful not to leave rough
places or trowel marks, for it ought TO
be left perfectly smooth, and can lie al
most as smooth as pane of glass. If
not accustomed to the use of the trowel
you had better get mason to lay the
last coat
The only possible objection 1 can see
to cement floor for hog-house is that
it might be cold in winter; but the hog
is a hot-blooded animal, and, besides, it
is easy to furnish bed of straw, leaves,
sawdust, or any thing to keep the hogs
from lying directly on the floor. l find
that coarse corn fodder will make good
bed, as the hogs will eat the leaves and
shred the stalks fine, so they will make
a very comfortable bed.