280 The Farmstead 



cement mortar, the floor becomes water-tight, 

 though this is , not necessary except in the 

 gutters. The ground underneath the wooden 

 floor should be leveled and pounded, and 

 covered with a thin layer of salt to preserve 

 the wood. The plank which forms the side of 

 the drip should be of oak or some other 

 durable wood. The 2x4 jDieces to which the 

 floor is nailed when first built, need not be 

 replaced when they rot, since the dirt underneath 

 will be smooth and hard. The large nails 

 which fasten the floor to the oak piece at the 

 rear and the mangers combined will suffice to 

 keep the floor plank in place ; the only object 

 in placing the nailing pieces at first is to 

 facilitate construction. The plank of the floor 

 should be of some uniform standard width, as 

 8, 10, or 12 inches wide, that rej)airs may be 

 made quickly when the floor gives way. 



STALLS 



When a dairy of some size is kept, the cows 

 may be arranged in double rows. Fifty cows 

 could be crowded into a barn 80x32 feet. But 

 fifty cows of 800 pounds each weigh 40,000 

 pounds; and if the stable is ten feet from the 

 top of the lower floor to the bottom of the 

 upper floor, it would contain only 25,600 cubic 



