1881 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
61 
two planks perpendicularly at right angles 
to each other and touching, or being nailed to¬ 
gether at the inner edges, as in fig. 1. The dot¬ 
ted lines show the walls. Oak pins may be 
thrust through the 
planks, or strong nails 
may be driven into 
them, to hold the con¬ 
crete and the planks 
together, especially at 
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Fig. 1. —the corner, planks inside and 
outside between which the concrete for the 
wall is laid. They are held in place by rods 
and nuts, the rods running through the wall. 
Another plan similar in principle but differ¬ 
ent in architectural effect is to construct 
Concrete Houses with Brick Corners, 
which may be so built as to be very beautiful. 
The foundation, and comers, with the fire¬ 
places and chimneys, and the surroundings of 
the window and door frames are all of brick, 
“ bricks ” may go on at times when the work 
on the walls cannot. In making this arti¬ 
ficial stone some pigment may be added to 
give the cement “stones” or “bricks” an 
agreeable tint. A little lamp black, ochre, 
and brunt umber will produce a pleasing 
effect. The coloring material may be sprink¬ 
led in hap-hazard, and no pains taken to 
thoroughly mix them with the cement, nor 
indeed with one another. Thus with a little 
the corners. Planks 
experience a streaking like the natural grain, 
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thus used form up- 
so called, of sandstone, may be imitated, and 
a 
right supports for 
the different stones when laid up will vary 
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Fig. 3.— ARRANGEMENT OF THE PLANKS. 
and the fillin g in between is of concrete, the 
brick work being the guide in placing the 
planks in which the concrete is laid. Twelve 
inches is a proper thickness for the first story 
outer walls, and ten inches or a little less for 
those of the second story. 
It is often the most convenient plan to form 
the concrete in molds, and when it sets firmly 
in the molds, to remove them and go on with 
the manufacture of what we may designate as 
“Concrete Bricks.’’ 
These are formed in molds made of boards 
nailed together, which are almost impercept¬ 
Flg. 4.—METHOD OF LAYING THE CONCRETE. 
ibly contracted towards the top, so that when 
filled with the concrete and set, after an en¬ 
couraging rap or two the mold may be lifted 
off from the “brick.” The width of these 
should be the thickness of the wall, their 
hight about a foot, and the length 20 to 24 
inches. Window caps and sills, simple cor¬ 
nices, and such things, may be molded in the 
same way, and the work of making the 
slightly in tint. Great variations or marked 
streaking should be avoided. The object is 
to produce a barely perceptible effect, which 
will break up the monotony and artificial 
appearance of stones all of one color. 
One of the best methods of laying con¬ 
crete is by means of planks to form the mold 
to hold the mortar—the planks being held 
in place by posts set at the angles of the 
wall, and at other points if necessary, and by 
clamps, both the planks and the clamps being 
held in place by wedges, all of 
which is shown in the accom¬ 
panying engravings. Figure 2 
represents the planks in posi¬ 
tion, and the posts set, held to¬ 
gether at their tops by strips 
nailed upon them, while at the 
ground they should be held in 
—- . position by stakes and braces. 
_f Figure 3 is a diagram showing a 
- ——— section or ground plan of the 
same things; a, b, are iron 
clamps holding the middle of 
the planks in position in case they are likely 
to spread apart. Figure 4 is a representation 
of the walls while in process of erection. 
Planks, planed on the side towards the 
walls, are provided sufficient for the entire 
circuit of the building, and when in position 
the space between them is filled with the 
mortar. (It is pre-supposed that a proper 
cellar is dug, and cellar walls laid either of 
stone or of concrete). When the mortar 
sets, which, with a proportion of cement it 
will do very soon, then the planks are raised 
and fixed in position by driving wedges 
between the posts and the wall, 
as shown in figures 5 and 6— 
in which a, a, are the wedges, 
b,b, the planks, c, a clamp hold¬ 
ing the planks together, and 
wedged on one side, and d, d, 
the posts. The posts will usu¬ 
ally need to be braced well to 
prevent their springing when 
the wedges are driven tight 
enough to support the planks. 
Floor joists are laid in places 
left to receive them, as the 
walls go up, by setting and 
tacking blocks of the proper 
size to the inner planks at the 
correct level. Afterwards,when 
that course has hardened, the 
joists may be placed in posi¬ 
tion. Door and window frames 
are introduced in then- places and held by 
braces until the walls rise around them. 
Materials Used. 
■It is best, unless indeed some one in the 
neighborhood has had experience, to test be¬ 
forehand the proportions of sand, gravel, and 
lime, or cement, which are best suited to the 
proposed work. There is so much difference 
in the various kinds of lime that propor¬ 
tions can only be given approximately. A 
platform of boards will be needed whereon 
to mix the materials ; one measuring 7 by 12 
feet will answer. This is shown in figure 7, 
and from it planks are laid in various direc- 
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Figs. 5 and 6 .—raising the planks. 
tions, for going back and forth with wheel¬ 
barrows. Thus, a leads to the house to be 
erected, 6 to the lime and cement, c to the 
sand, d to the broken stones, and e to the 
gravel. When these are brought together, 
the materials are heaped as in figure 8, the 
letters as well as the shading indicating the 
layers of different materials. Theoretically 
there should be gravel enough to fill the 
spaces between the broken stones, sand 
enough to fill the spaces in the gravel, and 
the lime and cement should fill in all the 
Fig. 7.—MIXING BOARD FOR CONCRETE. 
chinks and not increase the bulk, but prao- 
tically we cannot work so accurately and we 
use more lime and sand than would be re¬ 
quired by that rule. Roughly the proportions 
may be stated as one part lime to seven parts 
of other materials, half of which should be 
clean washed sand. When sufficient mate¬ 
rials are accumulated upon the mixing board 
they are first mixed dry by repeated shovel¬ 
ing, then the lime, slaked to a creamy con¬ 
sistency, is added, and well mixed through 
the whole, adding more water if necessary. 
The addition of one-fourth cement (the lime 
Fig. 8.—THE MIXING HEAP. 
being reduced to three-fourths of one part, 
and the cement being added after the mortar 
is mixed) makes a much quicker setting and 
harder concrete. When all cement and no 
lime is used, but a small quantity can be 
mixed at a time, for it sets so quickly that it 
could not be placed in position before it be¬ 
came solid. The proportions for a smooth, 
solid concrete are : one part Portland cement 
to five parts sharp sand. If mixed rather 
