Barbour County index., 1910-12-21


formity and quick development of
strength, the only cement practically
used at present is the kind called
Portland" There are almost as
many brands of Portland cement as
there are Of wheat flour. For farm
work choose some brand guaranteed
by the local dealer to meet the stand
ard specifications of the American
Society for Testing Materials, which
standards are approved by the nation
al government.
Cement takes water so easily that
care must be exercised In storing it,
says KimbalPs Dairy Farmer. Upon
the regular floor of a good building
place timbers close together, as sup
port for a false floor, upon which the
sacks may be piled.
Cement is heavy; do not overload
the floor of the building by piling it
too high, and do not store it against
the side walls. Keep it covered with
canvas or roofing paper. If once wet
1t sets up and is unfit for use. How
ever, Jumps due to pressure in the
store house must not be mistaken for
setup cement. Such Jumps are easily
crumbled and may then be used.
Concrete is mixture of Portland
cement and particles Of stone. The
stone should vary in size from pieces
one inch in diameter to sand grains.
By so grading the stone, the smaller
particles At in the spaces between the
larger pieces, thereby producing the
most compact and the strongest mix
ture.
The best stone for crushed rock is
one which Is clean, hard and breaks
with sharp angles. Trap, granite and
hard limestone are among the best;
the use Of shale, slate and soft lime
stones and sandstones should be
avoided. The crushed rock should be
screened on a quarter-inch screen to
remove the fine particles. These small
particles should be considered as sand;
and, If in sufficient in quantity to make
the proper proportion of the concrete,
as Is described later, enough sand
should be added to produce the re-
quired amount
Gravel well graded in sizes is at
least equally as good for concrete as
crushed stone. Bank-run gravel, just
as dug from the pit, seldom runs even
and rarely has the right proportion of
sand and pebbles for making the best
concrete. The mixture most suitable
has one part sand to two parts gravel,
measured by volume, in which all sizes
passing through one-inch mesh
screen and retained on a quarter-inch
screen are considered gravel. AS
there is usually too much sand for the
gravel, 1t is both advisable and profit
able to screen the material and to re-
mix them in the proper proportions.
gravel should have no rotten stone and
should be clean, so that the cement
may adhere to 1t lightly.
If it Is dirty, no amount of cement
will make strong concrete. Generally
sand Is clean, but If not 1t can easily
be washed by playing hose or flush
ing water upon thin layers of sand
placed on a tight-pointed inclined
wooden board. In size Of grain it
should vary uniformly from fine to
coarse. All particles passing a quar-
ter-inch screen may be considered
sand.
Any good-tasting drinking water Is
suitable for concrete.
The tools and equipment necessary
for making concrete in moderate guam.
titles are already at hand on a we'll
conducted farm, or will be useful after.
ward for other purposes.
The list follows:
Two square pointed paddy" shovels
No. 3.
One round pointed tiling shovel OF
one garden spade.
One heavy garden rake
One sprinkling can or bucket or one
spray nozzle for hose
One water barrel or one length OF
hose.
One sidewalk tamper or homemade
| wooden tamper.
One sand screen made of section
! of one-quarter-inch wire mesh nailed
to a wooden frame.
4