mixed throughout the mass. The whole secret of good solid work is in the 

 quality of cement and sand, and in the most thorough mixing. When in 

 a soft condition it should be thrown into the frame and well tamped. It 

 will require a day or two for the wall to set, when the frame can be re- 

 moved and the trench filled in with earth. 



The cement floor is drier than any other and, as it is more durable, 

 great care should be taken in laying it. Your floor should have a properly 

 drained foundation, which is provided for by filling in with fine stone to 

 within two inches of the top of the foundation walls, and over this should 

 be spread the same kind of grout used in the foundation walls. Then lay 

 your sills on the foundation walls perfectly level. On top of the floor lay 

 a dressing of one part of cement and four parts of sand. This should be 

 troweled perfectly smooth and level, and should be well flushed up against 

 the sills to prevent the entrance of moisture between the sills and founda- 

 tion. Some prefer to embed the sills in the top of the wall, making wall 

 flush with top of sill. 



ROOSTS Roosts should be made of 2x3 stuff set edgeways with cor- 

 ners slightly rounded. Many patent roosts have oil cup attachment to pre- 

 vent mites from crawling on the fowls at night, but while they are excellent, 

 they are not absolutely necessary, as the poultryman can keep the houses 

 entirely free from mites and other vermin by using the proper exterminators 

 and attending to them frequently. 



DROPPINGS BOARD 

 One of the greatest necessities 

 is a droppings board under the 

 roosts. It should be made eas- 

 ily removable for cleaning and 

 is one of the best safeguards 

 for sanitation. The usual way 

 of arranging the roosts is to 

 have them close to the north 

 wall, and at about half the 

 height of the wall. Below the 

 roosts is the movable droppings 

 board and below the droppings 

 board are the nests. 



NESTS These should be 

 easily movable and rest on the 

 floor. The entrance should face 

 the rear of the house which 

 will prevent the fowls from 

 throwing litter into the nests 



while scratching, and it will also help to keep the nests dark and prevent 



the egg eating habit. 



TRAP NESTS Trap nests are different in construction from ordinary 

 nests. They should be located along the side wall. One trap nest for every 

 five hens will be plenty. : Trap nests are not easily removable so will require 

 extra care to keep them clean. These nests differ from ordinary nests in 

 having no way of escape for the hen after she once enters the nest. There 

 are many styles of trap nest on the market. The poultryman can take his 

 choice the simplest being the most practical or he can make his trap nests 

 at home at small cost. Of course there is some extra labor connected with 

 the trap-nest system. The nests must be visited at frequent intervals during 

 the day and the laying hens liberated. But in these days the trap nest is a 

 necessity. It weeds out the non-layers and the lazy layers, or rather it gives 



VESTS IN REAR 

 Illustration No. 7. 



10 



