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THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



ments are made a very easy matter by gauging the wheel- 

 barrows. For this purpose use a bottomless box holding 

 one cubic foot. A shallow bottomless frame is also a con- 

 venient means of measuring. Such a frame, when set 

 on the mixing board and rilled, should contain the full 

 amount of sand or one-half the quantity of gravel, or 

 crushed rock, required for one batch of concrete. 



USING A "TWO-MEN BOARD." 

 The size of the batch is dependent upon the amount 



Men Shoveling Concrete. 



of help and the dimensions of the mixing board or plat- 

 form. For work of ordinary size, sufficient room will 

 be had on a "two-men board," 8 by 14 feet, framed solidly 

 and covered with one-inch stuff with tight joints the short 

 way of the board. A wooden strip nailed around the 

 outer edges will prevent the loss of liquid cement. For 

 such a board and the proportions designated above, make 

 the bottomless frame of the clear dimensions given in the 

 table below: 



TABLE NO. 1 FOR TWO-BAG BATCH. 



*For bank-run gravel use the same table, but no sand is required 

 except that which is already in the gravel. 



LABOR-SAVING FACTORS IN MIXING. 



All the materials (slightly more than the computed 

 quantities) should be on hand before beginning the 

 work. They can often be hauled at odd 

 times. The sand and gravel or stone should 

 be "iled so as: 



To cause the least amount of wheeling. 



To make the mixing most convenient 

 to the water supply. 



To allow room for the future location 

 of the mixing board. 



If the gravel does not need screening, 

 place a bottomless frame, previously de- 

 scribed for a 1:4 mix, on the mixing board 

 and fill it level full with gravel. Lift the 

 frame, spread the gravel slightly with the 

 garden rake, and upon it distribute evenly 2 

 bags (the full amount) of cement. Set the 

 frame upon the leveled surface of cement 

 and gravel and again fill it in the same way. 



MIX CAREFULLY WITH A RAKE. 



. Remove the frame and spread the entire 

 mass by dragging it back and forth with 

 the rake. Two men. opposite each other, 

 then turn the batch with the square pointed 

 shovels. Again use the rake. Keep turning 



until the cement no longer shows in streaks, until 

 the mixture has a uniform color. Throw up the ragged 

 edges and, with sprinkling can or hose with spray nozzle, 

 apply water in quantity, according to special directions 

 given later for each particular kind of construction. Turn 

 again and add so much more water as may be required. 

 If dry streaks are still evident, continue the turning until 

 they disappear. With wheelbarrows quickly remove the 

 concrete and immediatly use it in the work. 



If crushed rock or screened gravel is to be used, fill 

 the bottomless frame with sand and dis- 

 tribute upon it 2 bags of cement. Drag the 

 materials back and forth with the garden 

 rake, then turn, as described above, until the 

 mass has a uniform color. Spread the mix- 

 ture so that 2 framefuls of crushed rock or 

 screened gravel may be placed upon it. Wet 

 the mass and turn as tor bank-run gravel 

 until each stone is coated with cement 

 mortar. Remove as for the gravel concrete. 

 For the proportion of 1:2}4:5 or 1:5 the 

 method of mixing is .the same. 



Since crushed stone is more or less 

 porous, in dry, hot weather it is advisable 

 to keep the stone pile wet or at least to 

 water the stone well as it stands on wheel- 

 barrows ready for the mixing board. 

 NO VAST AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE 



NECESSARY. 



No vast amount of knowledge and ex- 

 perience is necessary to do first-class work 

 in concrete. Success is dependent upon the 

 care and thoroughness exercised in the 

 Selection of the materials. 

 Mixing of these ingredients, and 

 Protection of the freshly placed concrete. 

 The placing and protection of concrete and simple 

 schemes for saving time, labor, and lumber in the con- 

 struction of forms will be considered in the next article 

 on "Forms for Concrete.' 



AN IDAHO BOOSTER. 

 Major Fred R. Reed, general 

 agent for the Kuhn enterprises in 

 Idaho in the celebrated Twin Falls 

 rountry, whose photo is shown here- 

 with, is one of the best known land 

 men in the west. 



Major Reed is thoroughly a 

 western man and his efforts in the 

 way of colonization have produced 

 excellent results. 



It can he said of Major Reed 

 that his unselfish loyalty to the land 

 Major Fred R. Reed of his adoption is part of the history 



of Montana, Washington and Idaho. 



The Twin Falls country, Idaho, owes to Major Reed 

 friendship and good will. His brand is on many of the 

 best irrigation enterprises in the west. 



Men Shoveling and Man Raking Concrete. 



