CHAPTER VIII. 



THE CONCRETE COW YAED. 



The cow yard had always been an unsolved 

 problem with me until the autumn of 1904, 

 when, after making estimates as to the compara- 

 tive cost of paving with brick and concrete, I 

 decided to pave a part of two cow yards with 

 concrete. My experience with gravel in the 

 cow yard had been quite unsatisfactory, and 

 plank, I had learned, would last only about five 

 years. I was able to purchase Portland cement 

 delivered at DeKalb for $1.35 per barrel and 

 the gravel cost me 40c per cubic yard one mile 

 from my farm. I employed one skilled man in 

 cement work, assisted by the farm help. A part 

 of this work we made the same as a sidewalk, 

 using one part of cement to seven of gravel in 

 the foundation and finished it the same as a 

 sidewalk is finished, and with another part of 

 the work we used one part of cement to five of 

 gravel and did not put on the finishing coat. 

 We found very little difference in the amount of 

 material used by the two methods, but there 

 was a saving of labor by putting it down at one 



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