1905. 
TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
223 
CONCRETE FOR FARM USE. 
Part II. 
In building a house first get down to solid ground. 
If there is to be a cellar under the house the wall should 
go at least four to six inches below the cellar floor. In 
dry soils similar to parts of Minnesota and the Da¬ 
kotas the earth can be cut straight down flush with 
the outside finished wall and the concrete built against 
it, no forms being needed till, the surface is reached: 
In a climate like New York or Pennsylvania, where 
there is a liberal rainfall, or on soil that is apt to hold 
moisture, the excavation should be two feet larger than 
the house is to be, so that the wall can be plastered and 
coated with asphalt to exclude moisture. In wet soils 
drain tile should be laid just below and outside the 
wall, and connected with a drain leading away from 
the house. Planks should be set up inside and outside 
where the wall is not built against the earth and well 
braced, for the accuracy of the wall depends on the 
location of those planks. Set posts about four feet 
apart clear around, and brace them well. Put down 
one course of planks on edge, and you are then ready 
for the concrete, which should be mixed as follows: 
Cement, one part; clean sand, three parts; and if gravel 
can be secured as above described, six parts. If gravel 
is all of about the same size not more than four parts 
can be used. 
Spread the gravel evenly and about six inches thick 
on a smooth floor. Next spread the sand on the gravel, 
and follow with the cement. Then two men with 
shovels, facing each other, begin at one side of the 
pile, and turn it over, shoveling from the bottom, so 
as to let all parts mix thoroughly. Repc * the turning, 
dry, and then wet, and turn twice more. If the work¬ 
men are careful the mixing will be well d<?ne. It will 
be turned once or twice more before it is left in the 
wall. Put from six to 12 inches in the wall at a time, 
tamping as put in, being careful not to tamp enough to 
bulge the planks. When tamped, if enough mortar 
comes to the surface completely to hide the gravel, then 
more gravel can be used. If the mortar does not come 
to the top, that is, if there is so much gravel that the 
mortar does not fill the voids, less gravel should be 
used. If the planks are left in place the work may 
progress rapidly. If the planks are removed each course 
one foot thick should be 48 hours old before the next 
course is applied. 
Window and door frames are put in position and the 
wall built around them. The remainder of the walls 
may be built in this way, but it will require a lot of 
planking. If this lumber can be used for barns or other 
buildings that is is no objection. Another method is 
shown in the illustration, Fig. 95, which needs very 
little explanation. The planks are held in position by 
bolts at top and bottom about two inches from 
the edges. These bolts should be about four feet 
apart. Place the inside of the outer plank just 
flush with the outer face of the wall. Cut blocks 
as long as the wall is to be thick and set them 
between the planks at points near the bolts. Screw 
the nuts up snug, remove the blocks and you are 
ready for the concrete. There should be enough 
of these molds to reach clear around the build¬ 
ing or at least for two days’ work. For sub¬ 
sequent courses the lower bolts should rest on the 
finished wall, which spaces the bottom of the 
planks. The top can be spaced with blocks as 
before. The planks will warp slightly, but this 
can be remedied by reversing the sides each time. 
There will be small holes left by the bolts, but 
they will be filled by the plastering. 
For the plastering mix mortar about 2 r /2 to 
one. Let it stand over night, and then break 
if mixed fresh, but it will set slower the sec¬ 
ond time, and that is what the plasterer wants, 
for it gives him time to work it. After it is 
finished, well set and dried, then paint and sand. 
It is important that the walls be kept damp till 
the plastering is done. If the concrete is molded 
in blocks and properly set before it is put into 
the wall the wetting is not so important. The 
outer walls of any house in any climate should 
have an air space. It was my pleasure—I say pleasure, 
for an important point was impressed on my mind— 
to sleep in a south room of a solid concrete house 
several nights last Summer, and it was almost an 
oven. Furring strips should be placed on the inside of 
the wall, and lath and plaster on them. To remove the 
danger of the walls cracking, continuous belts of tie or 
angle iron may be built into the wall at points just be¬ 
low the floors and plates, and above the windows. 
This is the cheapest way to build a concrete house, 
for the molding is done in the wall, and requires less 
handling and larger stones can be used, thus requiring 
less cement. With brick cheap and sand and gravel 
inconvenient, a brick house should be cheaper. Tf a 
farmer is enough of a mechanic to put up the' wall and 
has teams and boys to help, the concrete may be best 
for him, for he will not require the expensive skilled 
labor. If the water used in construction carries salt, 
alkali or any mineral substance in quantity the salt 
will exude from the walls and color them. Sand from 
the ocean beach or brick that has been in salt water 
will do this. Concrete mixed with the same water that 
lime mortar is mixed will not exude any more than 
the brick wall would. This exudation is caused by 
moisture in the wall. If the wall is painted when 
thoroughly dry the trouble will be stopped. If anyone 
is interested in this subject and doubts my statements 
let him get a barrel of cement and experiment for him¬ 
self. If he goes at it intelligently he can learn a whole 
lot. E. j ■ HERMANS. 
FEEDING A STOCK OF BACTERIA. 
At various limes I have seen articles in the different 
agricultural papers in reference to the use of nitro-culture, 
or of applying to the Department of Agriculture at Wash- 
NITRO-CULTURE IN ORIGINAL PACKAGES. Fig. 96. 
ington for a trial package of these germs. The stuff is com¬ 
pared to a yeast cake, and is to be soaked in a certain 
amount of water, that to be sprayed on the seed. The 
amount obtainable is described as “enough for one acre." If 
the cake of germs is like a yeast cake, then the volume of 
water becomes a germ culture. If this is the case, then 
a portion of the infected water can be added to another 
barrel or tub of water, and this entire quantity will become 
fully infected and permeated with the desired germs. This 
being done, the first little cake has been the “seed” or 
“starter” of enough infected water to spray the entire 
amount of leguminous seeds. Is the above the true course 
of events, or is it a theory? If the germs multiply in the 
water, then this would be the natural course of events. But, 
on the contrary, if the water is a medium of separation and 
division into smaller parts, then, of course, this is simply 
a theory. c. t. p. 
Cazenovia, N. Y. 
How the Bacteria Acts. 
% 
There is some misapprehension about the way in 
which these bacteria are sent and handled. It is hardly 
fair to say that they come in the form of a yeast cake. 
soil or seed or spreading in other water. That this 
can be done is shown by the following letter from 
Prof. J. B. Lipmar, of the New Jersey Exp. Station. 
Fig- 96 is taken from the bulletin issued by Prof. Geo. 
1. Moore, of the Department of Agriculture. It shows 
the exact size of the packages and the box which con¬ 
tains them. 
Breeding the Bacteria in Water. 
It is quite feasible to secure large quantities of in¬ 
oculation material on the farm by furnishing the proper 
conditions for the growth of the bacteria contained in 
the original culture. Your correspondent’s suggestion 
as to the increase of the bacteria in a rain parrel filled 
with warm water would be essentially sound provided 
that this water contained in solution the necessary ma¬ 
terials which the bacteria use as food, and which they 
must have, in order to multiply to any extent. You 
are aware of the fact that the Department of Agri¬ 
culture in sending out cultures of legume bacteria en¬ 
closes also the necessary nutrient salts. Moreover, the 
salt solution, if too concentrated, will inhibit the growth 
of the bacteria, and if too dilute will make possible only 
slight development. Hence, with the nutrient salts sup¬ 
plied in proper quantity, and with the temperature of 
the liquid at 70 to 80 degrees, the farmer could se¬ 
cure unlimited quantities of inoculation material by 
starting with a pure culture from some bacteriological 
laboratory. One possible or even probable difficulty 
might be encountered, however, under these circum¬ 
stances. This difficulty would be due to the fact that 
the nutrient salts thus dissolved would furnish favor¬ 
able food, not alone for the legume bacteria, but also for 
many other species which might get into the barrel from 
the dust particles floating in the air, or from other 
sources of contamination. The contaminating bacteria 
could under conditions favorable for their development 
increase very rapidly, and thus reduce greatly the value 
of the whole material for inoculation purposes. By pre¬ 
viously sterilizing the rain barrel, or other vessel used 
for the purpose, and by keeping it covered, this difficulty 
might be largely overcome. Jacob g, lipman. 
Soil Chemist New Jersey Station. 
THE NE PLUS MEURIS PEAR. Fig. 97. 
See Ruralisms, Page 232. 
I*ig. 96 shows the box in which they are sent. There 
arc three packages. Instead of a “yeast cake,” when 
you open the package of bacteria you find a small wad 
of cotton, dry and slightly stained. Those who ex¬ 
pected to see the bacteria crawling about will be dis¬ 
appointed. This cotton was soaked in a liquid full of 
bacteria, and then dried; when dry it still contained 
the bacteria in a condition not unlike that of dry seed— 
alive, but useless until supplied with moisture and food. 
The other little packages contain food for the bacteria. 
When the cotton is put in clean water one package is 
emptied in. This contains granulated sugar, phosphate 
of potash and sulphate of magnesium. The other pack¬ 
age contains phosphate of ammonia, and is put in 24 
hours later. These substances simply provide food for 
the bacteria, which, when put in water with their food, 
wake up and begin work—that is, they multiply and 
spread all through the water, giving it a milky appear¬ 
ance. Here you have them in condition for inoculating 
FIT PUNISHMENT TO CRIME. 
A few weeks ago you had an editorial advising 
punishment for reckless automobile driving by imprison¬ 
ment, as the fine to wealthy auto owners was no 
punishment. For a long time I have felt that all our 
laws regarding misdemeanors should be changed. 
“Punishment should fit the crime,” but should be as 
near equal to the rich or the poor. Our present system 
of fines is wrong in principle and unjust in practice. 
A man earning two dollars a day gets drunk and is 
fined, $10, which is, with the costs, more than a week’s 
wages working hard. Another man with an in¬ 
come, in idleness, of $2 a minute, gets drunk; 
if he is arrested—which is very doubtful—and 
fined—still more doubtful—the fine of $10 is no 
punishment or preventive. In the first case not 
only is the man a sufferer, but his whole family. 
A rich man gets drunk, attacks a workman, in¬ 
jures him severely, is arrested, fined $20. Hi* 
victim loses days of pay which he may recovef 
by suit at law, but he is poor and can’t employ 
counsel or pay legal fees or get bondsmen to 
guarantee costs of action. Supposing that fine? 
were assessed—if we must have fines—at so many 
days’ income; the laborer five days’ income $io; 
the rich five days’ income; would it not be more 
equable? For myself I don’t believe in bribing 
justice in any way. Rich or poor, let all be 
treated alike before the law. Imprisonment with 
labor for the county, would soon reduce minor 
crimes, and our jails, instead of being too small, 
would soon be too large, when everyone under¬ 
stood that imprisonment was the sure outcome of 
wrong doing. Again, why should one man be 
bailed by money and another forced to await 
his trial in prison? Do away with the bail bond 
and you do away with one incentive to put off 
trials. I remember a case where a witness, a poor 
man, was kept in prison two years while the cul¬ 
prit was out on bail, and in the end only got four years 
as librarian of a prison library with his luxurious 
living sent in from outside. george l. clark. 
A Nevada man recently died at the age of 83. who attrib¬ 
uted his good health to total abstinence from bathing for a 
period of 20 years. According to his own statement, he had 
not even washed his hands and face for that period. No 
doubt his premature death may be attributed to ablutionary 
indiscretions in early life. 
M.v farm consists of 100 acres, two miles from the village 
of Bothwell; 75 acres cleared, 25 in timber. The soil Is a 
sandy loam. On the high ground the soil is a little thin; 
it produces from 50 to 75 bushels of corn per acre. Under 
proper management we get fair crops of oats and hay. Hogs 
and stock are the principal crops raised. I am trying to 
If 1 su< i cee<J I s hall go entirely into stock, but 
all my. neighbors so far have made a failure of it The 
farm gives me a profit of $300 to $400 per vear Some of 
my neighbors make more and some less. This section of the 
country has fine grazing lands: the pastures remain green 
when farms on the clay are dried up. Land without anv 
buildings runs from $25 to $30 per acre. Mv living expenses 
d0 B n o°thwTn U Ont 0 mUch ’ my boy and myself do all the work. 
