and Other Concrete Improvements for the Farm and the Home 
Y OU arc tired of buildings and other improvements 
that rot, burn, wear out or require constant repair 
and [tainting. You know that, in the long run. it 
is cheaper, as well as more satisfactory, to have solid, 
sanitary, permanent structures. 
No other form of construction 
costs so little, by the year, as con¬ 
crete. This holds good whether 
the job is a driveway, a walk, a 
porch, a silo, a door, a foundation, 
a garage, a milkliouse, a green¬ 
house, a pump platform or any 
other of the scores of improve¬ 
ments that are nowadays built the 
‘ ‘ everlasting way. ’ ’ 
Consider concrete for every 
structure contemplated for your 
farm or around your home. It is 
a wonderful and yet a simple 
method of construction. The only 
material required, outside of wire, 
bars or rods for reinforcement, 
are gravel, crushed stone, or other 
hard material, good sand, and 
high-grade Portland Cement. Mix 
these with water in the proper 
proportions, pour into forms and 
the cement does the rest. In a 
short time the mass is like solid 
stone, and it grows stronger 
with age. Dampness does not 
injure concrete; it hardens and 
holds as well under water as out 
of it. No longer need fires be 
feared; as the cement has already 
been burned at 3,000 degrees Fah¬ 
renheit, it will, when combined 
with the proper kind of stone, 
stand intense heat without injury. 
Insurance rates on concrete are 
low. Concrete walls are slow con¬ 
ductors and therefore help to 
keep buildings warm iu winter 
and cool iu summer. Rats and 
mice can 't burrow iu concrete. 
Concrete improvements will be 
improvements for generations to 
come. Railroads, realizing this, 
are even replacing wooden fence 
posts and telegraph poles with 
concrete ones. 
Concrete construction is sub¬ 
stantial aud attractive; it adds to 
the value of property—is a gilt- 
edged investment. 
But in building the “ everlast¬ 
ing way, ’ ’ be sure your materials 
are right. Inferior cement, sand 
or stone may ruin the job. Don’t 
use sand that is loamy or all fine grains. Don’t use crumbly 
stone. Don’t use crushed limestone where the structure may 
be exposed to fire, or use cinders where considerable strength 
is required. 
'* Don't think that all “Portland Cements” are the same. 
“Portland” is only a class name for cement. The first 
maker of this cement—an Englishman—thought the “manu¬ 
factured stone” he produced resembled stone that came 
from the island of Portland off the coast of England, hence 
he named it ‘ ‘ Portland Cement. ’ ’ Portland Cement is made 
by different processes, by different manufacturers, of various 
materials, and at many different places. There are va¬ 
rious grades and brands. The U. S. Government, in Bul¬ 
letin 481, advises you to use a Portland Cement guaran¬ 
teed to meet government specifications. 
ALPHA, the Guaranteed Port¬ 
land Cement, has for 24 years 
been regarded as the high-water 
mark of quality. It has steadily 
taken the place of European Port¬ 
land Cements formerly imported 
for important work. The U. S. 
Government has used ALPHA 
freely in building its fortifica¬ 
tions, dry docks, sea walls, break¬ 
waters, dams, Naval and Mili¬ 
tary Academy improvements, etc. 
One and a quarter million barrels 
of ALPHA were used in building 
the Catskill Aqueduct, the great¬ 
est water tube in the world. 
ALPHA is used by engineers, 
architects and builders in work 
that requires cement to meet the 
most exacting demands. 
The making of Portland Ce¬ 
ment, as Government authorities 
and others point out, is a process 
requiring the greatest of care and 
long experience. 
The name ALPHA on a bag of 
cement represents to-day the ex¬ 
perience of nearly a quarter of 
a century in cement making— 
stands for the highest quality 
that human skill, aided by the 
most modern equipment, can pro¬ 
duce from quarries that are fa¬ 
mous in the cement-making world. 
The ALPHA chemists are su¬ 
preme in all ALPHA plants. 
They make hourly tests, to in¬ 
sure correct proportioning of ma¬ 
terials, thorough burning and fine 
grinding. The result is that 
ALPH A cement is exceptional for 
uniformity, fineness and strength. 
Every bag of ALPHA is of full 
binding power. You can be ab¬ 
solutely sure that the grip of the 
concrete will be everlasting when 
ALPHA Cement is used. Don’t 
accept something said to be “ just 
as good.” A little difference is 
a big difference in a product like 
cement. Use ALPHA and be 
SURE. 
“ALPHA Cement — How to 
Use It” is a practical 80 page 
Handbook on the making of con¬ 
crete improvements around home and farm. It is freely illus¬ 
trated and gives construction details for walks, small build¬ 
ings, barns, silos, troughs, steps, floors, etc. Ask the ALPHA 
dealer in your town for a free copy of this valuable book. If 
vou don’t know him, write us, mentioning what you are 
planning to make or build. Address Department R. 
ALPHA PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 
General Offices: Easton, Pa. 
SALES OFFICES: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, 
Buffalo, Baltimore and Savannah. 
Silo, 18 Feet in Diameter, 50 Feet High, onWoodlawn 
Farm. Avon, N. Y. Built October, 1911. ALPHA 
Cement used. Mr. W. E. Dana, the Owner, writes: 
“ It is in perfect condition. The ensilage has kept 
perfectly to the edge.” 
Combination Sheep and Hay Barn on Farm of Albert Peck, Geneva, Ill. Largest of 
its kind in the State. ALPHA Cement Used for Foundations and Walls. 
Concrete Manure Pit on Farm of Haverford College, Haverford, Pa. 
ALPHA Cement Used. 
