The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-19
cIeanIno stables.


 This Is the season of the year when the matter of repairs and general cleaning up around the stables should be looked after. Especial attention should be given to the subject of floors for barns and stables, and, in this connection, there is one improvement In the matter of barn and stable floors that should be consid- cred. and, that is, the laying of cement floors.
 Relating to this matter, the Richmond Southern Planter says:
 "The use of these floors enables all the liquid manure to be saved, and this is the most valuable part of the voidngs of the stock, and they also result in the making of much more manure and that of a much more valuable character. An other argument in their favor Is that they are of permanent value. Once put down they practically last forever. The work of laying such a floor can easily be done by any man of intelligence almost as we'll as by an expert, and this materially re- duces the cost. The cement required is the only item of cost on most farms and this Is not anything like so costly as many imagine. Here in Richmond the price of Portland cement is S2.10 per bar rel barrell of cement win make the concrete and give the finishing coat to one hundred square feet of floor in a COW house or hog pen This allows for LnTee lHCUeS OI COuCTet6 dfiu u ndIf men of finished surface. Tn a horse stable or where heavy traffic Is to be hauled over 1t, the concrete should be five inches deep and the surfacing one inch. This would call for nearly two barrels of ce- ment to the one hundred feet. The pro- cess of preparing for the floor and mix ing and laying the cement is simple Level the floor space by taking out suf- flcient soil to allow for filling in four to six inches of gravel or broken stone, and on top of this the three to live inches of concrete. This will bring your floor to it's present level. In laying out the floor. if you desire the drainage to run towards any particular point for convenience of removal by drain or otherwise. see that you provide the necessary fall to this point When the place Is ready for the foundation fill this in and stamp solid and level. Then take broken or crushed stone. no piece larger than an inch in di- ameter, use eight parts of this crushed stone and four parts of fine clean gravel. from which you have screened the sand for mixing your finishing coat or topping, using a screen with quarter-fnch messes. and one part of cement. The mixing must be thorough. Build up a conical heap containing anywhere from twenty five to fifty cubic feet measuring the gravel sand and cement and pouring them on alternately: then shovel 1t over  haps a better way Is for one man to use a shovel and another a fne-toothed rake, and as each shovelfull Is thrown on the heap pass the rake back and forth on it. This mixing should be done dry. When thoroughly mixed shovel it over another time, having some one with a watering pot sprinkle as you do so. 1t should not be wet enough to drip, but should be thoroughly dampened so that the cement will adhere to every peble or bit of stone in 1t. When thoroughly mixed and mois- tened throughout. lay the concrete on the foundation to the depth required and tramp solid and level. Then after this has dried a few hours, mix the finishing coat made of the fine sand lifted out of the stone. and cement in the proportions of nearly half and half to the consistency of mortar and spread over the concrete. leaving 1t with a straight edge If de- sired. this surfacing may be ridged or roughened by marking 1t off in square or in parallel lines. This prevents the stock slipping on the floor. Tn forty-eight hours the floor will be hard enough to use, but will be better to wait longer"