46 The Ottawa Naturalist. [ May 



curb or mould to allow for a four foot walk was set firmly on this 

 foundation it was built high enough to hold four inches of 

 cement composition. 



The work itself well exemplified the principle of division of 

 labor ; each man had his own particular part to play. There 

 were ten men in the gang ; the foreman had a general oversight 

 of all the work and workmen, and shared in the labor when oppor- 

 tunity or necessity arose ; wagons were employed in hauling 

 gravel or sand from pits on the farm and also the cement from the 

 railway car. 



The first layer was a "grout" three inches in thickness. It was 

 composed of one part of cement and eight parts of good clear 

 sandy gravel. The largest stones permitted was of about a two 

 inch diameter. Measurement of the proportions was not made 

 with exactness but estimated in wheelbarrow loads. A layer of 

 the gravel was spread on a "mixing-board" with a layer of cement 

 over it, and a large pile built up in this way. Four men then 

 shovelled it back and forth until it was thoroughly mixed. Pre- 

 paratory to adding the water, it was shovelled into a large con- 

 cave ring. Sufficient water was added so that after it was well 

 mixed in the wet state, a handful would retain its form after 

 squeezing. It was now shovelled into the moulds and packed 

 firmly. It was not however allowed to lie in one continuous 

 mass ; a large bladed knife was used for making a one-half inch 

 cut every five feet, and this was filled with clear sand. 



In the meantime, another cement mixture was being made on 

 another "mixing-board". It was made of one part cement and 

 two parts of clean gritty sand, and after complete mixing and 

 proper wetting was quickly thrown in the mould to the depth of 

 one inch, spread, packed, levelled off with a "straight-edge " and 

 "floated " or smoothed with a wooden "float", a tool like a steel 

 trowel in form. As a precaution against heaving by frost an in- 

 dentation was made by means of a "divider" every five feet and 

 immediately over the corresponding cut in the grout layer. This 

 completed the sidewalk building, but in order to protect it against 

 too rapidly drying it was covered with canvas for a few days. 



The cement cost about $1.85 a barrel at the mill. Freight 

 and cartage were added to this cost. It was all shipped in bags, 



