Building Cement Steps 
I wish to build a flight of cement stops up a terrace 
leading from the street to the front porch of a dwelling. 
The steps are to be 4 feet wide, 10-inch tread. The 
terrace is 4*4 to 5 feet high, requiring six steps. Steps 
to be built of cement, sand and cinders. Gan you give 
me some idea as to how I should build my form, also 
what is necessary to be done to make the foundation, 
so the steps will be substantial and stand up under 
stress of weather? In what proportion should 1 mix 
my material? Especially I would like to know how to 
put a facing of cement and sand on the steps so it will 
stick. I have any quantity of field stone of all sizes 
and shapes. Can I use any of this stone economically 
in the construction of these steps? About how much 
material will I require for the above work? I would 
also like you to give a formula for mixing the sand, 
cement and cinders for work of this character. 
Hasbrouck Heights, N. J. f. r. b. 
F properly put in so that there is no trouble from 
heaving and cracking concrete makes a very dur¬ 
able material for exposed work of this kind, and a 
material that fits in well with the surroundings. 
The earth directly beneath the exposed stairs should 
he excavated to a depth of from 6 to 12 inches, 
depending upon its nature, a porous soil requiring 
less depth of excavation than one more retentive 
of moisture. The bottom surface of this excavation 
should be smoothed off. and from the lowest point 
drainage openings made to permit the escape of 
water that may collect beneath the steps. "Where 
the soil is sufficiently porous this drainage opening 
may be directly into a pit filled with 
cinders or cobble stones at the base of 
the stairs. 
The excavation so made is then filled 
with screened cinders or similar coarse 
material, and after wetting 
thoroughly to make a 
the concrete work. This 
being porous and provided with drain¬ 
age prevents the collection of water 
beneath the work, with the consequent 
freezing and heaving in Winter. The 
above work is not always necessary, as 
sometimes the ground is sufficiently 
porous to permit placing of concrete 
directly upon it after removing the 
turf. Standard sidewalk construction 
in your town should guide you in this. 
Tf the steps are to be made without 
side walls, the most simple kind, place 
two planks at the required distance 
apart and with the proper slope, as 
shown in (he drawing. These should 
be fastened in place by nailing to the 
stakes AAA. placing the nails so that 
they may be easily withdrawn when it 
is wished to remove the forms. Lay 
off the positions for the risers on the 
side rails, and after cutting the forms 
for the risers to the proper length fas¬ 
ten them lightly in place by means of 
the cleats BBB. 
The riser forms should be made of 
plank with the upper edge rabbeted out. 
and the lower edge beveled, as shown 
at C. The rabbet forms a nosing at 
the outer edge of the tread, while the 
beveled lower edge permits finishing 
the tread beneath and also facilitates 
removal of the form. Pieces of %-incli 
material are cut like D. and after oil¬ 
ing are placed directly back and in 
contact with the pieces C before placing the con¬ 
crete. As soon as the concrete has stiffened slightly, 
but before it has dried at all, these boards are re¬ 
moved and the space left, by their removal, as well 
as the top of the tread, covered with a cement mor¬ 
tar to give a hard wearing surface. This will be 
better understood by referring to the section EE. 
Mortar for this purpose can be made by mixing 
Portland cement and clean well-graded sand, using 
a sand that has many coarse particles. This should 
be mixed in the proportion of one part cement to 
two parts sand, and used immediately after the 
water is mixed with it. To insure a bond with the 
concrete work of the steps it must be placed before 
the other work shows the least signs of drying, and 
the work to which it is applied must be kept abso¬ 
lutely clean as well. To secure a good surface on 
the risers of the steps see that the mortar is worked 
well down back of the form with a shingle or trowel. 
The use of cinder concrete is not advised for the 
base. There are too many chances of failure from 
dirty cinders, etc. Better use a good gravel or 
crushed stone and sand if available. If good gravel 
can be obtained it can be used in the proportion of 
four parts gravel to one of cement (a 1. : 4 mix), 
or if the gravel is screened it can be recombined in 
the proportion of one part cement, 2)4 parts sand 
and five parts gravel. To insure against shrinkage 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
cracks woven trirc fencing or similar material may 
be imbedded when placing this concrete. 
If side wall are desired the general arrangement 
of the forms will be the same, except that an inside 
form for the side wall must be made, cut to conform 
to the treads and risers as shown at F. The riser 
forms are then fastened to these pieces, and they 
in turn are supported by the outside forms. As to 
the material required, if the stairs are laid without 
side walls the rough concrete work will contain 
about a cubic yard of material requiring approxi¬ 
mately a load of gravel and six bags of cement, 
while the 1-inch mortar surfacing will require ap¬ 
proximately four cubic fe’et. of sand and two bags 
of cement. 
This work being in the nature of a thin slab I 
would not advise the use of many cobblestones. A 
few can be used in the steps and some in the drain¬ 
age base, if one is used. The work, of course, must 
be protected from the sun and wind to prevent too 
rapid drying after placing, and if it can be given an 
occasional sprinkling so much the better. r. ii. s. 
Another Good Strawberry Record 
I WILL give you a little description of my straw¬ 
berry crop again this year. My yield was not 
quite so good as last year. I picked from 11 rows 12 
rods long 1,800 quarts of berries, which would be at 
the rate of about 10,800 quarts per acre, compared 
with 12,600 quarts last year. My average price this 
year was a little over 19 cents per quart, compared 
with 27% cents last year, or $2,052 per acre, which 
is not bad for a poor year. As I claimed last year, 
I calculated to raise berries that would average from 
10,000 to 12,000 quarts per acre last year, which 
some seem to think was a pretty big yield, but I 
have done it for several years. 
Fig. 475 is reproduced from 'a picture that was 
taken when we were picking, which gives a very 
good idea of the bed. The quart boxes, as seen in 
the rows, are as they actually were when picked. 
The eight quarts, as shown, were picked from 12 
feet of row. The rows are 3)4 feet apart. The 
plants average about 65 to the rod. 
I have raised the l’ocomoke berry for several 
years, as they do better than any other kind that I 
have tried—for me. I raise my own plants for set¬ 
ting. JESSE L. MOREHOUSE. 
Seneca Co., X. Y. 
How to Grow Potatoes 
REPARING THE LAND.—Good land is best 
for potatoes, and a tough witch-grass sod is 
best of all if properly handled. The grass should 
1125 
lie cut when first in blos?OTh : then it makes the best 
of hay. As soon as the hay is harvested harrow the 
field with a sharp cutaway. If there are not many 
rocks weight the harrow and use three or four horses 
abreast, and the work can be done in much less time 
than with two horses. Cut deep enough to get all 
the roots. Go over the field both lengthwise and 
crosswise; then harrow again as often as any grass 
or weeds show, and in the Spring plow and harrow. 
All land should be plowed not less than eight inches 
deep, and if not worked as above, plow as soon after 
haying as possible; then harrow as often as any 
grass or weeds show. This will kill the weeds and 
go a long way towards killing the witch grass. 
FALL FLOWING.—If the land is clay loam Fall 
plowing will give the frost a chance to work, so that 
the land will be in better condition to plant than if 
plowed in the Spring. Light sandy soil plowed in 
the Fall will settle down so that it will retain the 
moisture better than if plowed in the Spring. If 
land is plowed in the Spring it helps much to go 
over it with a heavy roller. With all the plowing 
take time to do it well; it will increase the yield 
and decrease the labor of cultivation. 
SPRING TILLAGE.—Harrow in the Spring as 
soon as the land is dry, and harrow every week or 
lb days until time of planting. Don’t plant the late 
crop too early. Have a good seed bed, tine and 
mellow, and the seed well prepared. 
Be sure to have good seed, such as you 
would get if you buy Maine certified 
seed, where bag inspection is required 
i-i order to have the blue tag attached. 
SEED TREATMENT.—Three weeks 
before planting treat the seed with 
corrosive sublimate (which is poison to 
man or beast) or formaldehyde, and 
spread the potatoes out on the grass, 
not over two deep, not exposed to the 
hot noonday sun. Our best place is on 
the north side of the barn, where they 
get the forenoon and afternoon sun. 
If you want them very early spread 
them on the floor in a warm room, ex¬ 
posed to the light, where they will grow 
a tough green sprout which will come 
up quickly when planted. They should 
not be allowed to take root in the 
ground, but turned over often enough 
to prevent it, and they will keep in 
perfect condition for planting for a 
long time. These potatoes, cut in pieces 
as blocky as possible, weighing about 
one ounce, with one or more good, 
strong green sprouts, will give a good 
stand. As fast as the seed is cut 
sprinkle it with land plaster (gypsum), 
being sure to get all the cut surface 
covered. Sulphur, air-slaked lime or 
road dust, will answer to dry the wet 
surface of (lie potato. Potatoes treated 
in this way will keep in good condition 
for planting if spread out not over six 
inches deep in a cool, dry place. 
PLANTING.—Plant in rows three 
feet apart, and 10 to 14 inches apart in 
rows. This is done with a two-liorse 
planter, which at the same time dis¬ 
tributes the fertilizer, mixes it with 
the dirt and covers it. Be sure that no 
fertilizer come in contact with the seed. Lse from 
1,500 to 2,500 pounds of high-grade fertilizer to the 
acre. Where more than 1.5(H) pounds are used it is 
best to put one-half on broadcast before the last 
harrowing, or it may be put on with a one-horse corn 
planter between the rows before you cultivate the 
first time. Set the planter so that the seed will be 
'about two inches below the level of the land. The 
planter makes considerable of a ridge, and before 
the sprouts get started much go over the field with 
a weeder or a drag miyle of plank fastened together 
with boards. That will level the land and kill most 
of the weeds which have started, and if you have 
witch grass to contend with the horse hoe will bury 
it deep enough so that the second burying will nearly 
if not quite kill it. 
CULTIVATION.—-As soon as the potatoes are up 
sc- that you can see the rows start the cultivator, 
and as soon as they are up one or two inches cover 
them with the horse hoe two or three inches deep. 
This appears to help the potatoes, for they come up 
strong when this is done, and it has a very dis¬ 
couraging effect on weeds and grass. After this go 
over the field with the cultivator and horse hoe once 
a week as long as you can get through without break¬ 
ing the tops; then use a one-horse spade or short 
winged cultivator and finish the job. Be sure to 
spray or dust often enough to keep the bugs down. 
is tamped 
foundation for 
foundation 
H eve/ 
be mo.de 
2pcs. board 
\ D in. direction of arrow 
and ftll with facing mot-tar 
CONCRETE'LAWN STEPS 
d.d.S. 
State S ckooI Ayr. 
/■ Canton Y! 
Building Cement Steps. Fig. 47/f 
Piclcina ,70 Quarts of Berries an flour. Fin. h7,7 
