THEIRRIGATION AGE. 



27 



HOW TO BUILD CONCRETE WALLS ON FARM 



ONCRETE walls are easily constructed and at 

 low cost. These walls are especially suitable 

 for farm entrances or enclosures about farm build- 

 ings. Where merely serving the purpose of an en- 

 closure, such as a barnyard or poultry yard, it is 

 not necessary to construct the wall more than 6 

 inches thick. Simple methods of construction are 

 as follows : 



The most im- 

 portant consider- 

 ation in the con- 

 struction of any 

 wall is a firm 

 foundation, suffi- 

 ciently deep to 

 prevent heaving 

 by frost. In most 

 localities this dis- 

 tance is 3 to 4 

 feet. When the 

 earth is firm and 

 the sides of an 

 excavation will 

 stand up vertic- 

 ally, it is unnec- 

 e s s a r y to use 

 wooden forms for 

 the portion of 



wall beneath ground level. A trench of the required 

 width is dug, taking care that the sides of the trench 

 are straight, vertical and fairly smooth. The width 

 of all walls below ground level should be at least 

 12 inches. Where sandy or crumbly earth is en- 

 countered, it is best to use wooden forms below 

 ground level. In depositing the concrete in the 

 foundation tranch see that no dirt falls into it, as 

 this -would weaken the wall. The proper propor- 

 tions for walls below ground are 1 bag of Portland 

 cement to 2 l / 2 cubic feet of sand to 5 cubic feet of 

 crushed rock or pebbles. When the trench is filled 

 with concrete to ground level, a simple form, as 

 shown in the drawing, is set in place. The surface 

 of the foundation at ground level must be entirely 

 free from dirt, chips or other foreign substances and 

 the concrete roughened before depositing upon it 



A simple form for the construction of concrete walls. 



the above-ground portion or wall proper. The 

 minimum thickness of walls for very light struc- 

 tures may be 4 inches, although it is very difficult 

 to deposit concrete in a wall this thin. A thick- 

 ness of 6 inches is better for most purposes. The 

 proportion of walls above ground should be 1 bag 

 of Portland cement to 2 cubic feet of sand to 4 



cubic feet of 

 crushed rock or 

 pebbles. Bank-run 

 gravel may be 

 used if the peb- 

 bles are separated 

 from the sand by 

 screening through 

 a y$ inch screen. 

 For the above- 

 ground portion of 

 walls the forms 

 sfibuld be made 

 with care, the 

 boards being 

 carefully matched 

 so that a smooth 

 surface will be 

 obtained in the 

 finished wall. This 

 result is obtained 



by spading the concrete as it is being placed in the 

 forms. Spading consists of thrusting between the 

 form and the fresh concrete a thin wooden paddle. 

 This serves to force the stone back into the con- 

 crete, allowing a rich mortar coat to flow against 

 the forms. In walls above ground it is well to 

 reinforce with small steel rods or wire mesh. This 

 reinforcing runs in both directions and serves to 

 prevent any cracks due to settlement or other 

 causes. 



Walls for buildings can be constructed as de- 

 scribed, but for buildings of considerable size the 

 thickness of the walls should be 8 inches, and one 

 or two lengths of rods should be laid about 2 inches 

 above the tops of windows, doors and other open- 

 ings. 



COURT RULES ON SEEPAGE DITCH WATER RIGHTS 



FOR the first time in the history of irrigation law 

 in Colorado, an adjudication of seepage ditch 

 water rights has been filed as a part of an adjudica- 

 tion case. This new irrigation finding has been filed 

 by Referee W. R. Kelly in the adjudication of sixty- 

 seven water rights in District No. 2, and will be up 

 before Judge Perry in Denver for final action De- 

 cember 16. 



Referee Kelly held, first, that the rights of seep- 

 age ditches may be adjudicated in general proceed- 

 ings ; second, that twenty years' undisputed use of 



such seepage ditches gives title thereto by adverse 

 possession, and, third, that such long continued use 

 of such seepage water compels a court of equity to 

 recognize same by reason of the equitable doctrine of 

 estoppal. One of the parts of the decision is that 

 the normal evaporation during the three months of 

 June, July and August, from a field of 300 acres cov- 

 ered with seepage water, would be equivalent to a 

 depth of three feet of water over the entire covered 

 area, and that, therefore, such an amount of water 

 so evaporated could be diverted by the seepage ditch 



