476 SWINE IN AMERICA 



get under it. There is nothing in the theory that ce- 

 ment tioors cause rheumatism. There is no better floor 

 than cement; it is easy to keep clean and to disinfect." 



Still another writes by the same mail : 'T have used a 

 cement floor in my hog house for a number of years and 

 I have never had a hog- with rheumatism. My entire 

 hog house is made of cement except the doors and win- 

 dows and roof. It is 20x30 feet, with two cement plat- 

 forms to feed on. The main thing is to build them high 

 enough so the water will run away in all directions, and 

 be sure to have a solid foundation, well set in the ground 

 so rats cannot dig under. Use nothing but the best ce- 

 ment and sand. I have tried board floors, but they 

 soon rot and are rat harbors. If I had to build again it 

 would be with cement. There is no danger of the little 

 pigs dying or ailing if they are properly bedded." 



The concrete floor, in the farrowing pen or out of it, 

 may fall short of perfection, and have defects which 

 prevent its being entirely satisfactory, particularly in 

 cold weather, for sows and young pigs — or, in fact, any 

 other swine — without sufficient bedding material to pre- 

 vent the necessity of their lying in immediate contact 

 with the floor. It is, however, the author's opinion that 

 on the whole the merits of both the concrete and brick 

 floors, properly constructed and used, far overbalance 

 their defects, and that the interests of swine growers 

 would be tremendously promoted by having in use ten 

 lliousand times as much such flooring as is now in exist- 

 ence. The satisfaction of having dry, draftless, ratless 

 sleeping floors, or clean, wasteless feeding yards or plat- 

 forms, such as can be inexpensively made from concrete 



