564 HOARD OF AGKICDLTUKE. 



liuio and two-thirds I'ortland comoiit; mix well. Take one part of the 

 mixture and two of good screened sand. The lime makes it air tight and 

 the mortar more sticky, and will not roll under trowel like sand and 

 cement. I should hoop the outside with i/^xG inch stuff and double them, 

 breaking joints, or screen and plaster same as inside. This I prefer to a 

 solid concrete. It is cheaper and will last as long. Should be careful and 

 get the doors right and tight. There is so much silage lost with badly 

 constructed doors. In Purdue Bulletin No. 91 on silo, Prof. Van Norman 

 gives drawings and specifications of a very satisfactory silo door. 



DISCUSSION. 



L. S. Hardin: I notice that Mr. Rippey says the floors are to be made 

 of cement throughout. I would like to have Mr. Goodrich tell us what is 

 his experience with cows lying on the cement. There is a good deal of 

 complaint about that. Should there not be boards under them? 



C. P. Goodrich of Wisconsin: I never have had a cement floor. They 

 have many cement floors in the State of Wisconsin. They put in ce- 

 ment floors in the barn at the Station; but they don't like to have the cows 

 lie down on the cement. They say it is cold there, and their udders often 

 get inflamed, and they are more lilvely to get the garget; so they have a 

 board covering for the cement, so they can take it up and wash out the 

 barn. One of my sons had a cement floor in his barn. He has the kind 

 of stall which Governor Hoard has called a "model stall," where there 

 are 3x4 inch scantling at the back of it. The cows lie inside of it, and 

 that holds the bedding, so fhat tlie cow is protected from lying on the 

 cement. There was a time when I would have put in a cement floor, and 

 I got nearly ready for it. I would not do it now, unless I planned to have 

 it covered with boards, or such a stall that the bedding would keep the 

 cow from lying on the cement. 



F. S. Strong: What distance would you have the stall extend from 

 the manger? 



Mr. Rippey: That depends on the length of the cow. 



Mr. Strong: Well, say an ordinary Jersey cow. 



Mr. Rippey: That depends on -what stall you have. Take a Newton 

 and it can be six inches longer than a Van Norman. I think we have 

 them from four to six feet long. I wish to say that we do not allow our 

 cows to lie on the cement floor. We keep them well bedded with straw, 

 or shredded corn stover. I wouldn't have them lie on the bare cement, 

 myself. 



