ThIKTY-SIXTII Aa'JMUAL COJSVENTION 1015 



No concrete floor should be laid in direct contact \\dtli the 

 ground. All organic matter should be removed and if a fill is re- 

 quired, replace with field or broken stone, coarse gravel or cinders. 

 These can be graded from one to three inches from the surface, 

 depending upon the material and the use to which the floor is to be 

 put. No flat surfaces of large stone should be allowed nearer than 

 three inches to the grade line, if the spaces are filled in and 

 leveled with gravel, then concrete having smaller proportions of 

 coarse material can be placed on the wet surfaces. This will 

 allow the cement to fill the voids in the top layers of stone, giving 

 us a floor four to six inches thick, with a minimum of labor and 

 material — a floor insulated with air spaces and small points of 

 contact between the concrete and ground, which is dry, warm 

 and strong. The floor can be further insulated by layers of tar 

 paint and tar paper between two layers of concrete. Cork brick 

 or a coat of hot asphalt can be spread over the standing platform 

 for the cows and then sawdust tamped in to give a rough surface 

 and to prevent the animal coming in direcit contact with the 

 asphalt. 



All platforms where the animals are required to stand or walk 

 should be finished rough with a wooden float. Mangers, feeding 

 alleys, etc., should have a top wearing coat of sifted sand and 

 cement, finished smooth with a steel trowel. 



When two layers are used, the base should be mixed wet, as a 

 rule, and the top dry enough to take up the surplus water and if 

 placed soon, i. e., before the base gets its initial set, the two 

 layers will be as one solid floor. Floors subject to hard wear, 

 such as milk rooms and creameries, should have a surface of ricli 

 mortar proportioned about 1 :1 of cement and medium sharp sand 

 which will (lent but resist chipping and will wear ofi^ smooth. (To 

 prevent dusty floors, shape with wood float and allov.^ to lay until 

 dry enough to finish with the steel trowel. If worked too early 

 with the trowel, too much fine material is worked to the surface.") 

 Generally, all floors should be laid so as to drain to some point, 

 and if practicable have a bell-trap cesspool at that point. 



Economy of labor, convenience and sanitation should always 

 be considered in planning work. One should not attempt to build 

 with concrete until sure that he knows what he wants and how 



