DAIRY BUILDIifGS. 103 



gravel, first wetted, is then well worked in. The more 

 it is worked with the hoe and shovel, and left in a heap, 

 the tougher it becomes. 



For a clay floor, the clay is worked up with a hoe in 

 the same way, coal ashes, gravel and short straw being 

 worked in until a stiff mass is made. For a cement 

 floor, the cement is mixed dry with three times its 

 measure of dry, clean sand, and is then wetted and made 

 into a thin mortar, to which is added the coarse gravel 

 wet. Only as much is mixed as can be spread at one 

 time and within fifteen minutes, as it sets and hardens 

 very quickly. As any one of these materials is spread it 

 is well rammed and beaten down, with a rammer made 

 out of a round log, and the handles set into holes bored 

 with a one and one-quarter inch auger. 



After the floor is spread it is smoothed over with a 

 plank. Water is poured on, if necessary, and the more 

 the surface is rubbed the better it will be. If any one 

 of these floors is finished Avith the gas-tar it will be found 

 very serviceable — the odor tends to keep all sorts of ver- 

 min at a distance, and, as it will not absorb the liquid 

 manure, is easily kept clean. 



A very excellent floor is made of round stone well 

 rammed into the ground, and covered with a coating of 

 mortar of either of the kinds described above, then well 

 rubbed over and finished with the gas-tar. 



The gutters should have a fall to the outlet of the 

 stable, where the liquid manure can drain into a manure 

 pit; or the gutter should be kept well filled with some 

 dry absorbent or litter, as chaff, leaves, straw, pine straw, 

 or dry muck from a swamp. It is an excellent thing to 

 bring in the manure from the horse stables and put in the 

 gutters to absorb the liquid, which is more abundant in 

 cow stables, and so to mix the two and thus improve 

 both. When the cow stable has a cellar under it the 

 floor must be of plank. To make this floor in the best 



