FLOOR 117 



A good foundation is made as follows : A trench is dug about 

 one foot wide and from two to three feet deep, depending on the 

 climate and the nature of the soil. The bottom should be filled 

 to a depth of one foot with loose stones or cinders to give drainage. 

 The rest is filled with concrete, the wall being carried about six 

 inches above the level of the ground. Bolts are imbedded in it 

 every fifteen feet, to later hold the sill in place. 



Floor. — There are three different types of floors used, — earth, 

 wood, and concrete. In deciding which one of these floors to use, 

 the following factors are to be considered: (1) Dryness; (2) a 

 smooth, hard surface which can be easily cleaned; (3) rat and 

 mouse proof; (4) economy of construction. 



The floors should be a few inches above the outside grade so 

 that surface water will not run into the house. An improperly 

 constructed floor means damp houses and an unhealthy flock. 

 The earth floor is not generally desirable, because soil water is 

 brought to the surface by capillary action, and there is the possi- 

 bility of surface water soaking under the foundation and dampen- 

 ing the litter or flooding the floor. 



On high, well-drained sandy soils with a low water table, the 

 earth floors prove satisfactory; but it is necessary, if the house is 

 to be kept perfectly clean, to expend an excessive amount of labor 

 in cleaning at frequent intervals by removing four or five inches of 

 top soil and replacing it with clean sand. Even with this precau- 

 tion there is always danger of disease germs lurking in the soil and 

 at some future time causing infection. 



Board floors are undesirable, for the following reasons: They 

 rot out quickly if they are not raised above the ground so as to 

 allow the air to circulate freely under them. If raised very high 

 the house is much colder, which is not desirable in winter. If the 

 floors are raised only a few inches above the ground, they offer 

 harbor for rats. They are also hard to keep clean, no matter how 

 carefully they are constructed, as there are always crevices which 

 offer hiding places for lice and mites and disease germs. 



A cement floor, if properly constructed, offers ideal conditions, 

 and it is unquestionably the most desirable for laying houses. It 

 is absolutely moisture-proof if it has the moisture insulation, prac- 

 tically rat-proof, easily cleaned, and quickly and thoroughly dis- 

 infected. It costs no more to build than a good wooden floor and 

 remains good for all future time. 



The following construction for concrete floors is recommended: 



