Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 499 



cheese factory. We had the floor covered with cement and sand, 

 mixed in the proportion of between two and three of sand to one of 

 cement. It froze before becoming hard, which we considered the 

 cause of failure. "We then got some good Kentucky cement and had 

 the work done over again, but it did not get hard enough, but what 

 it would sweep up and also wear into holes above the vats. "We would 

 much prefer a cement floor, as being sweeter than wood ; but unless 

 we can get a better floor of cement than we have yet been able to do, 

 it is useless to try again. What does the Club advise ? 



This letter was forwarded to the Hon. X. A. Willard, Little Falls, 

 3ST. Y., and by him replied to as follows : Cement floors for cheese 

 factories are not common, at least in the dairy district of New York. 

 They can, however, I think, be made a success if properly constructed. 

 In the first place, the ground, where the floor is to be laid, should be 

 thoroughly underdrained, then small cobble stone, or quarry stone, 

 broken up, should be pounded down into the ground, making a per- 

 fectly solid bed. This being leveled off is ready for the cement, which 

 is made by mixing eight or nine parts of clean, sharp sand with one 

 of water-lime. The lime should be of the best quality, and fresh, or 

 newly made. Add water and mix thoroughly, and' sprea^l it upon 

 the stone bedding, smoothing it off, and do not allow it to be used until 

 perfectly dry and hard. I have seen good cement floors made in this 

 way ; floors that would do good service, and were lasting. Probably 

 the trouble with your correspondent arose from an imperfect prepara- 

 tion of the floor bed, a too large proportion of lime to the sand, and 

 in not allowing the cement to harden. Possibly the cement may have 

 been of inferior quality. I do not pretend to give you the best method 

 for laying down cement floors ; I only speak of the manner of laying 

 down those which have proved efficient for buildings other than cheese 

 factories. 



Mr. Henry Stewart — These directions are excellent. Roman cement 

 is best, if any is used, but I prefer a floor of brick. This costs less 

 than half as much as cement, but I would rather have it if it cost 

 twice as much as cement. 



A Simple System of Testing Soils. 

 Mr. Hauser showed a little apparatus, which originated in Germany, 

 and is indorsed by well-known agriculturists of that country, the use 

 of which, he said, will enable the farmer to arrive at an approximately 

 correct conclusion regarding the character of the soil composing, and 

 the crops and cultivation best suited to any particular field. The 



