FLOOR 117 
A good foundation is made as follows: A trench is dug about 
one foot wide and from two to three feet deep, depending on the 
climate and the nature of the soil. The bottom should be filled 
to a depth of one foot with loose stones or cinders to give drainage. 
The rest is filled with concrete, the wall being carried about six 
inches above the level of the ground. Bolts are imbedded in it 
every fifteen feet, to later hold the sill-in place. 
Floor.—There are three different types of floors used,—earth, 
wood, and concrete. In deciding which one of these floors to use, 
the following factors are to be considered: (1) Dryness; (2) a 
smooth, hard surface which can be easily cleaned; (3) rat and 
mouse proof; (4) economy of construction. 
The floors should be a few inches above the outside grade so 
that surface water will not run into the house. An improperly 
constructed floor means damp houses and an unhealthy flock. 
The earth floor is not generally desirable, because soil water is 
brought to the surface by capillary action, and there is the possi- 
bility of surface water soaking under the foundation and dampen- 
ing the litter or flooding the floor. 
On high, well-drained sandy soils with a low water table, the 
earth floors prove satisfactory; but it is necessary, if the house is 
to be kept perfectly clean, to expend an excessive amount of labor 
in cleaning at frequent intervals by removing four or five inches of 
top soil and replacing it with clean sand. Even with this precau- 
tion there is always danger of disease germs lurking in the soil and 
at some future time causing infection. 
Board floors are undesirable, for the following reasons: They 
rot out quickly if they are not raised above the ground so as to 
allow the air to circulate freely under them. If raised very high 
the house is much colder, which is not desirable in winter. If the 
floors are raised only a few inches above the ground, they offer 
harbor for rats. They are also hard to keep clean, no matter how 
carefully they are constructed, as there are always crevices which 
offer hiding places for lice and mites and disease germs. 
A cement floor, if properly constructed, offers ideal conditions, 
and it is unquestionably the most desirable for laying houses. It 
is absolutely moisture-proof if it has the moisture insulation, prac- 
tically rat-proof, easily cleaned, and quickly and thoroughly dis- 
infected. It costs no more to build than a good wooden floor and 
remains good for all future time. 
The following construction for concrete floors is recommended: 
