Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-04-21
CEMENT TROUGH.
How to Make Permanent One For Wa
+ering Stock.

How to Make Permanent One For Wa
.ering Stock.
Two experts give in The National
Stockman directions for making &C.
ment watering trough that will last
permanently and will not freeze out.
The first writer is Mr. W. Fulmer, and
he says:
81 have had some experience in that
kind of work, and can show cement
basin or trough which has been in use
for over eight years, and has never
crumbled Or shown any damage from
frost. / wrote an article on this subject
a few years ago. bat it will do no harm
to repeat it.
s'In making a cement trough the
first thing to do will be to put in foun
dation deep enough to keep the frost
from under it. To do this | would dig
a hole in the ground the size he wants
the trough and not less than three feet
deep. This hole should pe filled with
concrete made of broken stone, cement
and sand. The cement and sand should
be we'll mixed before it is wet, about
half and half The large part of this
concrete should be stone, using just
enough cement mortar to bed the stone
Mix the mortar very soft or wet, then
put in the stone and mix all well to-
gether Fill in about six inches of this
concrete at time and ram down solid.
It is best not to mix more than will
make one layer at a time. When the
hole is full to the level of ground, or to
any height you may want the bottom
of trough above the ground, you will
be ready 'or the trough proper.
"Make box without any bottom out
of one inch board, the size you want
the trough, outside measurement. Set
this box on top of foundation. Now mix
enough cement and sand, equal parts of
each, to cover tbs bL.+om about half an
inch to an inch thick, and spread this
evenly over the bottom. Make another
box same as the first, but enough small
er SO when it is set inside of the first
box there will be a space about three or
four inches clear around between the
two boxes. Fill this space with mortar
using only enough water to make very
stiff mortar Leave the wooden boxes in
place until the cement is we'll set. The
inside box can be removed by cutting
little off the end of two of the boards
with chisel The cement used, espe-
cially what is above ground, should be
the best Portland. and the sand clean
and sharp.
''This will make a trough equal to
any stone and much cheaper If the
trough is kept full of water from
spring SO that it will not freeze solid,
it will not crack, but if it is al
lowed to freeze full of solid ice
it will break just the same as if it
were stone or any other material An
outlet can be made for trough of
this kind by taking two pieces of %
inch gas pipe and an elbow, and when
putting in the bottom bed the pipe in
so that the top of elbow will be level
with bottom of trough. The upright
piece of pipe can have holes drilled
through it at height you want the water
to stand in trough, or the pine can be
cut off short enough SO the water will
go in at top. When wanting to clean
ont the trough, the upright pipe can be
screw on this pipe should be made loose
enough so it can be worked by the
hand.
The second expert writes:
''To make good cement trough ex-
cayate below frost line. FIJI with broken
stone well hammered in to six inches of
top of ground, build balance of fat
stone laid in mortar of cement and
sand, equal parts, as high as one desires
the trough, bringing it all up level.
Make box of boards without bottom
of the same dimensions as he desires his
trough, place this on foundation as near
the center as possible, make another
box six inches larger than first, place it
ON outside of first, leaving space six inches
between all around, put in this space
two inches of broken stone or coarse
gravel. Mix in a bucket one-third &C.
ment and two thirds sand, making it
thin enough to pour over and run all
through stone. Continue broken stone
and thin mortar until space is full.
Float the top off level with thin mortar,
let stand "a hours, knock the box off,
plaster inside and out with pure cement
Place two inch Spite across the space
at bottom to form spite hole for clean
ing trough. After taking box off knock
this out and make a larger one to fit
the hole. Use common cement (not Port
land) and clean sharp sand. Ii the work
is thoroughly done, you will have no
trouble with the watering trough. .