FARM BUILDING AND EQUIPMENT. 



23* 



HOW TO MAKE AN OIL WATER- 

 PROOF CONCRETE. 



In making watering trougiis, cis- 

 terns, silos, basement walls and floors, 

 a waterproof cement is desiraWe. 

 This has been solved by mixing a little 

 mineral oil in the concrete. The 

 United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture has found that one-tenth as much 

 oil as cement can be used without les- 

 sening the strength of the cement and, 

 at the same time, make the concrete 

 -waterproof at a small water pressure 

 such as in a watering trough or in 

 a basement wall or floor. Five per 

 cent, oil is usually foimd to be enough, 

 or abooit 2 1-2 quarts to each sack of 

 cement. To make oil concrete, says a 

 bulletin issued by the North Dakota 

 Experimental station, first lay down a 

 layer of sand and on it the cement. 

 Mix thoroughly, dry, and then add 

 water and mix to a mushy mess. Add 

 the oil and mix till the oil disappears. 

 Then add the gravel which should be 

 wet, and mix thoroughly. 



CONCRETE SEPTIC TANK. 



The principle upon which the con- 

 crete septic tank operates is extreme- 

 ly interesting. It consists of a long, 

 water-tight cistern, through which 

 sewage passes very slowly and even- 

 ly. Located underground, it is warm 

 and dark, thus affording perfect con- 

 ditions for the development of the bac- 

 teria or germs which clarify and ren- 

 der harmless the sewage. After pass- 

 ing thro\igh the septic tank, the sew- 

 age is practically free from all sus- 

 pended matter and has the appearance 

 of water. From the septic tank this 

 clear efQuent is discharged into three 

 lines of ordinary farm drain tile. 

 Size and Location of Tank. 



While the odor from a septic tank is 

 scarcely noticeable, it is nevertheless 

 best to locate it at some distance from 

 the house. Choose a spot easy to ex- 

 cavate so that the top of the tank can 

 be sunk 6 inches below ground level 

 and where the lines of drain tile will 

 have sufiicient fall to carry off the 

 discharged fluid. The tank should be 

 large enough to hold the entire sewage 

 for one day. For a family of eight to 

 ten people occupying a house having 

 two bathrooms fitted with the cus- 

 tomary appliances in the way of tabs 



and stationary washstands and down- 

 stairs the kitchen sink, d concrete 

 tank having two compartments, each 4 

 feet long by 4 feet wide by 4 feet high, 

 will be required. Since the top and 

 bottom are each 4 inches thick and 

 the top of the tank is 6 inches below 

 ground level, dig the pit 5 feet 2 inches 

 in depth. The walls of the tank are 8 

 inches thick ana the partition between 

 the two compartments 6 inches. There- 

 fore, the length of the pit should be 3 

 feet 10 inches and the width 6 feet 4 

 inches. 



Making and Placing Concrete. 



If the earthen walls of the pit stand 

 firm only inside forms will be needed. 

 These inside forms are merely boxea 

 made of 1-inch boards. Two boxes will 

 be required to make two compart- 

 ments. The outside dimensions of th« 

 boxes should be 4 feet square by 4 

 feet high. The boar's or forms will ibe 

 placed on the freshly-laid concrete 

 floor. Holes for taking 6-inch pipe 

 should be made in the boxes. The 

 holes should be 4 inches from the top 

 of the box form, measuring from the 

 top of the hole. The concrete should 

 be mixed in the proportion of 1 part 

 Portland cement, 2 parts sand and 4 

 parts crushed rock or gravel. Place 

 a 4-inch thickness of concrete in the 

 bottom of the pit to form the floor of 

 the tank. On top of this concrete set 

 the box forms, which should be ready 

 for immediate use. Place the forms 

 so that there is a space of 6 inches 

 between them and an 8-inch space be- 

 tween them and the earthen walls of 

 the pit. Then commence dei>ositing 

 the concrete for the walls and parti- 

 tions. As soon as the level of the con- 

 crete reaches the holes in the forms 

 place in the holes 6-inch pipes as il- 

 lustrated. Then continue the con- 

 creting unt'l even with the top of the 

 forms. 



Reinforced "top and Manholes. 



Two ordinary iron manhole frames 

 and covers may be obtained from a 

 local dealer in building supplies. The 

 manhole covers should fit tightly and 

 should not be perforated. The man- 

 hole frames shotild be 10 inches high 

 so that when placed on top of the 

 forms the upper edge will be even with 

 ground level. If the manhole frame 

 is of less height than this, it should 

 rest on a circular piece of 1-inch board, 

 which is nailed to the top of the form. 



