274 The Farmstead 



mixed. The best masons use the least mortar, 

 while poor masons are wasteful of it. 



The prices given below are not applicable 

 to the whole United States, but they may serve 

 to decide the relative proportions of sand and 

 lime which should be used, and the kind of 

 lime which can be used most economically. 

 Water lime retails at about eighty cents per 

 barrel, and three parts of sand and one of lime, 

 if the latter is fresh, should make a strong 

 mortar. Water lime deteriorates rapidly with 

 age, while the higher priced cements deteriorate 

 quite slowly. Stone lime should be fresh and 

 in no case air- slaked. It costs about one 

 dollar a barrel and may be mixed three of 

 sand to one of lime. Eosedale cement costs 

 about $1.25 per barrel, and may be mixed four 

 to one. Portland cement costs about $3 per 

 barrel, and if used instead of the cheaper 

 materials named above, may be mixed five to 

 one. It should always be used for pointing 

 walls and in the construction of cemented 

 floors, in which case it should be mixed two 

 or three to one. All this presupposes that 

 the mortar is so thoroughly mixed that a lime 

 film will surround every particle of sand. 



The cement and water lime is mixed with 

 the sand before it is wet, and this dry mixing 

 should be most thorough, as the strength of the 



