Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-11-01
STABLE FLOORS.
MIXING AND LAYING CONCRETE. SIZE OF
STALL. MANURE DITCH AND WALK.

Waldo 4. Brown gives plain direc-
tions In the practical Farmer" Of how
10 lay concrete stable floors.
| would never lay floor on the cheap
grades Of cement, as IL laid With such
material IL usually breaks and does not
give satisfaction, and while such cement
can be bought for about 81 25 barrel,
IL costs about a. much TO make given
amount Of door from Ii as with Portland
cement, costing about 81 per barrel.
With the latter, eight barrels Of gravel,
or five Of gravel and five of broken stone,
can be used with each barrel to make the
concrete foundation. and two barrels OF
sand TO each barrel Of cement for the
topping or finishing coat. With the
cheap grades Of cement, only three parts
of gravel TO one Of cement should be
used in the foundation, and equal parts
of sand and cement for the finishing
coat, so that an equal amount Of money
Invested In the two Kinds will produce
about the same amount OF finished floor,
and while the work from the cheap
grade Of cement would be Injured by
extreme cold, the Portland will endure
sny degree OF temperature. In localities
where stone Is expensive the foundation
Of any building can often be made OF
cement much cheaper than with mssonry,
and II were building \ basement barn
would drst make a floor, excsvatiug
where the posts are TO stand 10 q solid
and filling with concrete,
and then set the posts directly on the
foor or on raised pillar Of cement,
which can be made BY using q frame or
box Of the height that the pillar Is want
ed. There should be six inches OF good
gravel or finely-broken stone as found
alton before the laying OF the floor
begins. and then In the horse stable five
inches Of concrete and one inch OF top
ping in the COW stable. three inches OF
and one-half inch OF topping,
and the same for hog house, carriage
house, or a coal house, and n still
lighter topping in poultry house.
The concrete Is made by mixing eight
parts OF clean gravel with one part Of
Portland cement. Or IL finely-crushed
stone Is used (no piece larger than one
inch In diameter for the concrete ten
Or twelve parts can be used TO one part
Of Portland cement.
This concrete should be mixed thor
oughly dry, shoveling IL over three or
four times aud then st the last mixing IL
should be sprinkled from . fine rose
watering pot, enough 10 thoroughly
dsmpen II, when II Is ready TO use.
We lay the floor In sections, three or
four feet wide, so that we can easily
reach across IL TO trowel it, We put up
4 2-iuch piece and stake il TO make the
width needed, wheel the dampened con-
crete In, spread it evenly two inches at
4 time and ram solid, and so continue
until within one inch Of the top In the
horse stable, or one-hslf inch for the
COW stable or hog house.
The top coat is made with two parts
Of sharp, clean sand and one Of cement,
mixed and tempered, and
liquid enough 40 that IL will dow resdi-
ly. See that the corners and edges are
all well filed In, and In the horse stable
make the floor perfectly level, but In the
COW stable give fall OF one inch from
the manger 10 the manure ditch, which
should be five feet. To prevent slip
ping. st the back Of each stall make
grooves, for two feet In the soft mortar,
running crosswise, four inches apart,
and the same across the doorway where
the horses step in. We make these
grooves by laying down q broom handle
snd tapping it with hammer until it Is
bedded half Its diameter.
When q section of the a ioor Is laid,
take up the edge piece, NOV
ng IL 10 the same distance and lay
another section, and SO continue until
he door is finished. Keep the building
closed so that no stock, or even chick
.ns, can get In while the cement IL soft 4;
but IL will harden 10 about IL hours so
hat IL can be walked over. Sprinkle
with watering pot twice
,ay for 10 DAYS, when IL will be hard
enough TO put the horses In IL.
As you make the floor set blocks In at
he proper angle where the studding Is
leeded 10 partition the stalls, and after
he mortar has hardened take them out
.ud IL will leave mortise for the foot
II the studding.
La addition 10 the durability OF the ce-
nent floors there are several other ad-
,sntsges. They sfford no harbor for
ats, save ali the liquid and never be-
,ome saturated so ss 10 give of Often
i've odors in the stables as a plank moor
sill.
We mske the fioor in the COW stable
i've feet long from the msnger back to
he manure ditch, then il we have small
,ows We put an extra board next to the
nspger to keep them back 8 or eight
nches, so as TO reduce the length OF the
tall. l prefer \ manure ditch ieet
= ide At the top and 20 inches In the bot
om this gives slope OF ? inches each
.;de Of the ditch, which We make inches
ieep. The door 10 the COW stable should
,e directly at the eud Of the ditch and
hen the cows will always walk In
through the ditch 10 their stalls. BACK OF
he manure ditch We make walk also
n cement. 2 l-2 feet wide and on level
si,h the door on which the cows stand.
There are two advantages in q manure
hitch Of these dimensions; 6rst that the
.ows will rarely soil the walk; second,
although IL IL best TO clean the ditch ev-
.ry dsy. in case Of bad weather or ex-
.rs work. il can be left one or more days
without cleaning by simply adding more
as we always bed the ditch as
we'll AS the door.