Construction of Concrete Walls 105 



height is reached. The top may be smoothed off 

 with a ditching spade or trowel, using the top board 

 as a guide. 



The wall should be left until the cement is hard, 

 when the building may be placed upon it. The 

 boards at the side may be removed at any time 

 after the cement becomes hard. If old boards 

 have been used at the bottom, it will not pay to 

 remove them. A concrete wall of this kind may be 

 constructed of cheap material and with ordinary 

 farm labor. 



Side walls. The side walls of poultry houses 

 are usually built of wood, which is a compara- 

 tively cheap material and is a poor conductor of 

 heat. The side walls are constructed in various 

 ways. For convenience of discussion the various 

 kinds of walls may be placed under two heads: 

 solid walls and hollow walls. In cold countries 

 the hollow walls, or those with a dead air-space, 

 are to be preferred, because of their greater warmth 

 and freedom from moisture. In moderate or warm 

 climates solid walls will undoubtedly answer every 

 purpose. 



For latitudes south of New York, solid walls, 

 constructed of one or two thicknesses of inch boards, 

 will prove quite satisfactory, particularly in the 

 hands of the skilled poultryman. The amateur 

 will undoubtedly prefer the hollow walls, as imper- 

 fect appliances and buildings are greater hind- 



