THE I'AKM HOLDING. 



21' 



The Cost. 



The cost of material- varies considerably according to the locality, the 

 distance they have to be conveyed, and so on. The ashes are usually obtain- 

 able at 2s. per ton, and if they are reasonably dry there should be about 

 45 cubic feet in each ton. Sand may be anything from 3s. to 15s. per cubic 

 yard, and cement 5s. to 8s. 6d. per bag, if a full truck-load is taken. The 

 cost of the materials would have to be worked out when it was ascertained 

 how many cubic yards of concrete have to be used. Usually there are 

 about 50 cubic yards in a cottage having lour rooms and kitchen. 



The cost of lahour, including the making of the forms, the digging of the 

 foundation trenches, and cleaning down on completion may be stated at 13s. per 

 cubic yard, where the walls are not less than 4 inches nor more than 6 inches 

 thick. When the walls are thicker the cost per cubic yard will be less, and 

 if thinner, more than 13s. Plastering costs for bagging as described about 

 8d. per superficial yard, and if I inch thick Is. 6d. for labour and materials. 

 From the above figures it can be ascertained what the finished walls will 

 cost. 



The cost of similar work done on the Department's experiment farms 

 has been at least 2s. per square yard less than weatherboard buildings 

 would cost, and the work has been quite satisfactory in other ways. 



Remarks. 



The uses to which this concrete may be put on the farm are almost 

 unlimited, once the farmer or his handy man has mastered the making of 

 forms and the mixing and placing of the material. 



Feed and water troughs (either fixed or portable), slabs for paving, fence 

 and gate posts, steps for doorways, pipes for drains, and blocks for buildings 

 may be made on wet days when other work cannot be done. The thing is to 

 have the materials on hand ready for the wet days. 



For most of the above items the concrete must be strengthened or 

 reinforced, for which purpose old fencing wire or wire-netting may be used, 

 placed near to the outer surfaces. 



All finishing coating — that is, the plastering — should be put on while the 

 concrete is green, but if it should be dry on the surface, wetting before 

 plastering will assist the suction. The mixture for this finishing coat should 

 usually be three parts sand to one of cement. 



Concrete Floors.* 



The materials required for making concrete floors are old bricks, blue 

 metal, or sandstone broken to l£-inch or 2-inch gauge, clean, sharp sand, 

 Portland cement, and clean water; a gauge-box (Fig. 23), made of boards, 

 12 inches deep, measuring 4 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft. inside, is also required. This 

 is laid on a prepared platform of planks bedded flat and close together. 

 Set the box on the platform, fill it with the stone, and again nearly half- 

 full of sand; mix these together, then add one and a half bags or half a 

 cask of cement, and mix all together dry, by turning over with shovels 

 twice; then turn a third time, and while this is being done one man should 

 sprinkle the water over from a watering-can; this heap should again be 

 turned over, when any dry stuff should be wet as before. Care must be 

 taken not to use too much water, as the concrete must not be sloppy; and 

 after it is laid it should be lightly rammed with a flat rammer, say 12 in. 

 x 10 in. on the face. 



* A. Brooks. Works Overseer, Department of Agriculture. 



