The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1910-07-07
Uses of Concrete.
Rurslist.

Il The use of concrete in farm buildin!
has gradually developed from tn
ground upward. The drip soon rot
out timber near the ground, and
tually crumbleS away the brick found
alton. At first, uselesSly making the
walls as heavy as those of brick, tn,
farmer gave concrete trial in found
atoms. Concrete is stronger thar
brick. AS wall it kept the base
ment and bankbarn dry. The heigh
of the foundation wall increased until
it supported the ioists of the hay
loft. Finally, after a study of the
methods of reinforcing, the entire
reimbursement, walls, floors man.
gers, troughs, cutters, beams, and
even the shingles-became concrete.
Matches or lanterns accidently drop
ped on concrete floors in concrete
barns do not cause the terror eff for
mer times. The oil will burn until
smothered out with a horse blanket,
but no further damage will be done.
The "stump-sucking" horse cannot
acquire the habit in such a barn.
The horses are not always mysteri-
ously"off their feed" on account of
unseen splinters in their gums. Con-
crete salt boxes for the pasture are
likewise valuable.
The concrete approach to buildings
fills long felt want with the farmer.
As means of entrance to the second
story of barns, side walls of concrete
hold the fill forever in place, while
reinforced slab bridges the space be-
tween the fill and the barn proper.
Such an approach is decided i'm
provement both in appearance and
! usefulness over the old style fill,
which was banked against the very
walls of the barn. The bridge allows
an abundance of light and ventilation
for the lower story, usually the cow
barn. Moreover, the slab affords
shade for the farm wagon, and in the
high end of the fill is fine locati o
for root or cyclone cellar of con-
crete.
Poultry raising on many farms has
become well nigh impossible on ac-
count of rats, To free the farm of
these destructive animals, as a last
resort in spite of the assertions that
the grain would spoil, the thoroughly
provoked farmer put concrete floors
under his cribs ond granaries. Corn
mature enough not to spoil on other
floors kept perfectly on concrete.
The rats had to go; they could not
get under such floors. The concrete
crib floor has developed into rein
forced concrete cribs and grain eleva-
tors. In the wheat fields in the Far
Northwest, far from the timber sup
ply but rich in gravel, the concrete
granary is now protecting the wheat
once from necessity piled in immense
amounts on the ground. Likewise
from the concrete foundation has de-
veloped the reinforced concrete silo.
They do not rot out, dry up and fall
down like the old barrel silo wood.
The silage keeps better than in the
timber silo. Twice the number of
stock can be fed from the produce of
an acre stored as silage than on the
same food fed in the ordinary manner.
The annual ravages of hog cholera
few years ago often called for such
dire methods of prevention as the
burning down of valuable timber hog
houses because they were fairly
stepped in these disease germs. Poul-
try houses were a like source of
trouble. In concrete the farmer has
discovered an ideal material for build
ings for his animals. Mites, bugs,
lice and fleas find no hiding place in
concrete walls. Moreover, entire
concrete hen and hog houses can be
thoroughly disinfected even to the
extent of spraying them with oil and
burning it off without damage to the
buildings. For the fat hog the con-
crete house is invaluable; it is cool
in summer and warm in winter.
peculiarly of the American farm
er is that after his animals are housed
in the best buildings money can build,
he then begins to think of building a
first-class house for himself. The
neighborly rivalry for the best inn
proved farm reaches its climax in the
construction of the dwelling. The