456 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
July 21 
method of takinjjf samples for 10 days at a time, treat¬ 
ing these combined samples first with diluted potash 
or other substances to neutralize the acid of the milk, 
then taking a sample from this and “ Babcocking" it, 
and multiplying the result by 10, the testing of single 
cows, or herds for that matter, has been wonderfully 
simplified. No reason exists why the man who is 
engaged in butter or cheese making should not know 
the exact individual merit of each cow, and thus put 
himself in the way of knowing which of hi6 cows are 
making the money and which are the boarders. Qiven 
a correct sample of milk and a good manipulation of 
the test, there is no doubt that the Babcock test has a 
place in every dairy, and is a check on every person 
who makes butter and cheese. john gould. 
A LOW-COST CEMENT FLOOR. 
CHKAPEB AND BKTTBR THAN BOARDS. 
The first cement fioor I ever laid was in my dwelling 
house cellar, 22 years ago last fall. It is as solid 
and good to-day as ever. Farmers generally wish to 
know the cost first. As nearly as I can figure, the 
money outlay for material does not exceed 2}^ cents 
per square foot. 
How the Material is Prepared. 
Fresh Akron cement and good coarse gravel are 
mixed in the proportions of one part cement to 3}^ 
parts gravel. There should be enough sand (say 
about one-fifth) in the gravel, so that when mixed 
with the eement it will bind the whole together solid. 
Gravel as it is usually dug from the pits, will contain 
enough sand. Care must be taken that this sand is 
such that if sifted from the gravel, it will make good 
plastering mortar and is not quicksand ; this is a very 
important point. The gravel should not contain 
stones more than 1% inch thick. Mix the gravel 
and cement thoroughly dry, seven shovels gravel and 
two of cement. This is for coarse gravel not more 
than one-fourth sand ; more cement will be required 
for fine gravel. After getting a good pile well mixed 
dry, care must be taken that all the mixture is thor¬ 
oughly wet (no dry lumps), and about the consistency 
of good plastering mortar when ready to put on the 
lath. It will take two or three good hands to pre¬ 
pare and bring the cement to one man to lay it, ac¬ 
cording to the distance it has to be carried. 
How to Lay the Floor. 
For a common house cellar or any other place not 
exposed to frost, if the soil be firm, all that is neces¬ 
sary is to grade it level—sloping a very little to one 
side to faciiitate cleaning—taking care to fill all de¬ 
pressions with clay and tramp down solid. If the 
bottom is springy, it is better to lay some tile just low 
enough so that the tops will be level with the grad¬ 
ing, taking care that they connect with drains. I use 
a good strong ditching shovel and a brick trowel to 
lay the cement. If there be any slope to the grading, 
begin at the upper side, lay down a good straight 2x4 
inch scantling flatwise 20 inches from the wall and 
parallel with it; fill in this space between the wall 
and scantling with the wet cement and pound down 
solid with the back of a shovel, settling all the coarse 
gravel and stone well to the bottom of the layer. 
This will force the fine sand and cement to the top ; 
level with the shovel to the top of the scantling, and 
then smooth off with the trowel. This makes the 
floor two inches thick. Now move the scantling out 
another 20 inches and proceed as before, and so on 
till the whole is laid. There will be no trouble about 
the cement staying in its place when moving the 
scantling if it is mixed right. 
How Long WiJl it Last? 
I knew ttiis cement was all right for house cellars, 
grain barns and cisterns, for I had thoroughly tried 
it; but I was a little troubled about its use for stables 
and liquid manure, when four years ago last autumn 
I overhauled my horse stables, box stalls and cow 
stable, and built on adjoining them a building two 
stories high, the lower story to be used for storing 
manure as it was thrown from the stables and box 
stalls. However, I chanced it, and laid the whole 
floor, 30x75 feet, with this cement. I have watched 
it with considerable anxiety from year to year since. 
It seems to have grown harder and harder, and so far 
as I can see, not a drop of liquid goes through it. I 
have looked carefully for any cracks or flaws; none 
has appeared except in one place in the angle near 
the walls, where the watering of stock is done. I 
noticed last year when we cleaned out the manure 
that the floor had cracked off from the side wall for 
three feet or so. This, I think, was owing to a slight 
settling either of the floor or wall at that point, as it 
was filled in some at that place with small stones to 
give the floor a slope away from the watering trough. 
This was very quickly and easily repaired. 
The Advantages Summed Up. 
A number of advantages are to be gained from the 
use of these floors. Cheapness. I fear a good many 
have been deterred by the probable cost; 2)^ cents 
per square foot for material is only about one-half the 
cost of good hemlock plank and scantling. One can 
do all the work at odd spells when work is not press¬ 
ing, with ordinary farm hands. I have done all of 
mine in this way. You will have a floor that will last 
indefinitely, for about one-half the cost of a poor 
hemlock floor that will last only a few years. 
Such a floor is rat proof, which is no small advan¬ 
tage. I would not have the rats harboring and 
burrowing under my floors for a good deal; espe¬ 
cially in my house cellar. Such floors also prevent the 
pollution of wells and springs of water, which is the 
direct cause of fevers, diphtheria, etc. in many in¬ 
stances. They are much easier to keep clean ; espe¬ 
cially is this true of cellars. They absolutely prevent 
the waste of manure. My stables and the new build¬ 
ing, 14 X 75 feet join, so that we throw the manure 
directly into the latter with but one handling. This 
manpre part is all tight, with plenty of glass windows. 
My colts and cows—a part of them at a time—are 
allowed to run on this manure night and day, which 
effectually prevents all escape of ammonia and renders 
the air wholesome at all times. Doors are provided 
every three feet, opening into the barnyard, so as to 
load manure directly on wagons or sleighs. 
This cement is made at Akron, N. Y., is put up in 
good tight barrels, and sells at retail for $1.25 per 
single barrel, or $1.20 for 5 to 10 or more barrels.. It 
sets quickly, but requires some time to thoroughly 
harden, and is better to be covered with damp straw 
for some time after being laid, or in case of horse 
stable, a cheap temporary board floor ; one may then 
use at once. For a wagon house or grain barn, fill in 
with a foot of cobblestones and then lay cement. 
One is then safe from frost, and there is no harbor 
for rats, skunks, mice, etc. If the farmers through¬ 
out the country would adopt this one improvement in 
farm buildings, the pecuniary gain, directly and in¬ 
directly, would be almost beyond computation. 
Geneva, N. Y. A., y. v. b. 
« UNCLE SAM AND HIS CASH.” 
HOW MUCH IN ACTUAL CIRCULATION? 
The R. N.-Y. of January 20, under the caption. 
Uncle Sam’s Cash, gives as facts a set of figures which 
seems to me to be very misleading. The table makes 
the per capita amount in circulation increase from 
decade to decade until, in 1892, the per capita amount 
of money in circulation was $24.44. Let us examine 
the real facts in the case. On page 111 of the Secretary 
of the Treasury’s report for 1892 he says that: 
The amoant of money coined and Issued In the U. S. is....$2,872,599 501 
And that the amount now In the Treasury Is. 771,2521314 
Which would leave outside of the Treasury.11,601,347,187 
thus counting as in active circulation every dollar ever 
coined or issued that has not been redeemed by the 
United States Treasury. Now let us see ; the National 
Bank Law says that banks in reserve cities shall keep 
25 per cent of their deposits and issues in reserve, and 
the country banks 15 per cent for the same purpose. 
This money cannot go into circulation except as the 
banks reduce their circulation or deposits. 
On page 155 of the Comptroller’s report for 1892, he 
reports the reserves held by National banks alone to 
be $570,953,219. Any fair minded man will acknowl¬ 
edge that this amount should bo deducted from the 
$1,601,347,187 that the Treasurer’s report says was in 
circulation; this would leave $1,030,393,948 if there 
were no other banks to lock up money through a busi¬ 
ness reserve. On page 81 of the Comptroller’s report it 
is stated that there were over 5,000 other banks than 
National banks which had deposits to the amount of 
$2,911,594,571. It is not unfair to figure that these 
banks held as much as 20 per cent of their deposits as 
a business reserve ; this would amount to $582,318,914 
that certainly could not be in circulation and should 
be deducted from the $1,030,393,948, which would leave 
but $448,075,034 that could possibly be in circulation 
among about 67,000,000 of people or a per capita circu¬ 
lation of only $6.68 in 1892. If I had the figures for 
January, 1894, they would probably not differ materi¬ 
ally from those of 1892. 
KKCAPITULATION. 
General stock coined or Issned 
July 1. 1892. 
, as per Government report 
Money In United States Treasury as per state¬ 
ment July 1, Treasurer's report.$771,252,314 
Hold as reserve by National banks. 570,953,219 
Held as business reserve by other banks. 682,318,914 
$2,372,699,501 
Amount not In circulation. 
$1,924 524,447 
Deducted from total issued leaves in circulation. 
Divided among 67,000,000 gives as per capita circulation... 
$448,075,054 
$ 6.68 
In the above statement I have made no deduction 
for the vast sum of paper money that has been lost or 
destroyed by fire or in other ways, or for the gold 
and silver money which has been lost or melted up for 
other purposes while out among the people during the 
last 30 years. In fact I do not believe that it can be 
proved that we have in the United States to-day to 
exceed $5 per capita of real money in circulation, and 
yet people do not seem to understand why prices of 
all things have gone down, down, down. 
WEBSTER EDMUNDS. 
R- N.-Y.—In order to understand what we are talk¬ 
ing about, we repeat the figures previously given : 
Amount of Amount In 
Vent, money In U. 8. circulation. 
1860.. .. $442,102,477 $435,407,252 
1870.. .. 722.868,461 675,212,794 
1880.. .. 1,206,929,197 973,382,228 
1890.. .. 2,144,226,159 1,429,251,270 
PODulatlon Money Circulation. 
Junel. per capita, per capita. 
31,443.321 $14.06 $13.85 
38,568 371 18.73 17.50 
60.155.783 24.04 19.41 
62,622,260 34.24 22.82 
In 1892 the money had increased to $36.21 per capita, 
or $24.44 per capita in circulation. It will be noticed 
that while the amount of money per capita has greatly 
increased, the proportionate amount out of circulation 
is also much greater. Again, this per capita amount 
is very misleading, since the banks and a few very rich 
families control a larger proportion than ever of the 
actual cash. As to the different kinds of money in 
circulation, the following table shows that: 
Gold coin. 
Silver dollars. 
Subsidiary silver. 
Gold certificates. 
Sliver certificates. 
CurrencT certificates (act of 1872) 
United States notes. 
National bank notes. 
Fractional currency. 
State banknotes. 
1872. 
$25,000,000 
346,168,680 
329,0.37,005 
36,402,929 
1,700,935 
1892. 
$408,568,824 
66.817,462 
63,293,704 
141,093,619 
326.693,466 
29.840,000 
407.818,596 
167,221,517 
From this we see how our money has changed. Most 
of our present cash is of kinds not known 20 years ago. 
As to the money actually circulating in the hands of 
the people, we have referred the matter to persons 
who ought to know what they are talking about. The 
R. N.-Y. does not pretend to be a financial expert. 
Senator W. A. Peffer, of Kansas, has this to say: 
Editoes Rural New-yokkkr: 
Dear Sir—The report of Comptroller of the Currency, 1893 , at page 
132, shows reserves held by National banks, October 3 of that year of 
$513,910,270. The same report, page 7, gives " cash on hand ” In all 
other banks as $205,645,203; and in a table at page 240, " cash and cash 
Items ” In these other banks are put at 3137,026,652. 
How the difference between these two statements Is to be accounted 
for I do not know. But taking the smaller number, and we have 
In National banks.$513,910,270 
In other banks. 137,024.652 
Total. 
The statistical abstract for 1893 puts the 
July 1,1893, at. 
Deduct. 
.$650,936,932 
aggregate circulation 
.$1,596,701,245 
. 650,936.932 
Leaving a balance of. $945,764,313 
In treasuries of States, cities, counties and other municipalities. It 
la safe to say there are held $250,000,000. This would leave In actual 
circulation, $695,764,313. Respectfully, w. A. PKFEaa. 
The Secretary of the Treasury refers us to the same 
report and figures that Senator Peffer has quoted, 
which accounts for the fact that other authorities are 
not quoted. These figures may be found in the reports 
of the Secretary and Comptroller of the Treasury. 
As to the money so held, the following note will 
be of interest: 
I am not able to state what amount of money Is held In reserve by 
the banks, but think It must be about $400,000,000. This money Is Just 
as much a part of the active circulation of the country as that carried 
In the pockets of individuals, perhaps more so, as the checks dally 
drawn by depositors and deposited again In bank far exceed the 
amount of money apparently lying Idle In the vaults of the banks. 
President Market and Fulton Bank, N. Y. B. ba ylbs. 
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WhatWas the Matter with These Oows P 
F. H, L„ Elk View, Pa .—Several years ago, I bought 
a Jersey heifer carrying her first calf, and also a 
Guernsey with her first calf. I kept the Jersey until 
after she had her third calf. While carrying this, in 
middle of the winter, she went off her feed all at once, 
got down in the barnyard and could not get up for two 
days. She seemed to have lost the use of her hind 
parts. She did not eat or drink for two or three days, 
and then gradually came back apparently all right. I 
sold her a year after. I understand she has similar 
attacks nearly every year. She makes 10 to 12 pounds 
of butter per week. After the Guernsey had her 
fourth calf, and after I had sold the Jersey, she went 
partially off her feed, got thin, had something like the 
garget, and finally broke out in little sores over her 
udder. I dried her off, fed her up as best I could, 
and a butcher in Philadelphia bought her. He 
said her lung had grown fast to her side and that she 
would not have lived a great length of time. She had 
been dull for some time, but revived and seemed in 
good health except that she would not eat fast at all. 
I bought another young cow, and in the winter she 
went off her feed a little, but soon revived. The next 
winter, I bought another Jersey about six years old, 
and in winter she went off her feed altogether for two 
or three days, and then gradually came back. She 
would shiver and seemed stiff and grunted a good 
deal; did not want to be rubbed or pressed on her 
back at all, and she got over it in about two weeks. I 
