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Show LEAVES' from V"" y.-,,.. 5iLHa!IR!ET MAY WILSON Why Not Use Adobe? All over our great Southwest, the use of adobe for building purposes is widespread. It has been in general gen-eral use ever since the days of the early Spanish settlers and. as a matter mat-ter of fact, 80 per cent of all structures struc-tures in Las Cruces, New Mexico are, at the present time, of 'dobe. or sun-dried brick. Some facts in favor of adobe construction con-struction are, (1) it is inexpensive, requiring very small cash outlay; (2) it can be used without hiring any skilled labor; (3) it lends itself well to certain attractive styles of architecture; archi-tecture; (4) it affords effective insulation insu-lation against both cold and heat buildings of adobe brick are noticeably notice-ably warmer in winter and cooler in summer than are those frame or stucco; and, (5) it is fire-resistant. The word "adobe," pronounced a-do-be, is a Spanish word meaning mean-ing sun-dried brick, and is applied both to the bricks themselves and to the sticky clay loam from which they are commonly made. A general gen-eral impression prevails that only this particular loam, peculiar to the Southwest, can be used for building, build-ing, but this is not the fact: Most clayey loams are suitable for the manufacture of sun-dried brick. Very often the clay excavated from cellars is well suited to this purpose. pur-pose. A very heavy clay can not be used, since it cracks and warps when dried, and a very sandy soil will not hold together, but a good building material can be made by mixing the two. Perhaps the only way to tell in what proportion to mix the sand and clay is to form a brick and let it dry: If it cracks, you have too much clay; if it disintegrates, dis-integrates, you have too much sand. Experimentation will result in the proper mixture. Although adobe bricks are frequently fre-quently made without straw, it is advisable to add straw at the rate of about 1 bales to 1,000 bricks. Since long straw is difficult to handle, han-dle, some builders use chaff, horse manure or grass as a binder. PREPARING THE MATERIAL Mix only enough each day for that day's work. Pile the required amount in a layer, three inches or four inches deep, wet it well and "puddle" thoroughly, by the use of a mortar hoe. In many places the puddling is done by men, barefoot, trampling the mud. When the soil is wet to a uniform consistency, throw on straw or other binder, in a layer lhi to 2 inches thick. Mix, adding enough water to make the mud thoroughly plastic, yet leaving it stiff enough to stand up when removed re-moved from the form. FORMS FOR MOLDING The molding forms are made of lightweight, dressed lumber, the inside in-side dimensions being those of the desired bricks. Small bricks (4 by 8 by 16 inches, weighing 28 pounds; 4 by 10 by 16 inches, weighing 35 pounds) are suitable for poultry houses and other small structures. Larger sizes (5 by 12 by 16 inches, weighing 53 pounds; 5 by 10 by 20 inches, weighing 55 pounds) are used for dwellings. MOLDING AND CURING If a smooth sod is not availahle for use in molding, level a .suitable site and cover with straw to lay the bricks on as they are removed from the molds. This is done to keep them from sticking to the ground. Press the mud into the form, taking care to fill all corners; smooth the top; then lift the form away, refill, and repeat. If the form does not clear from the mud easily, tap the sides of the mold to loosen it. In a few days, if the weather has been favorable, stand the bricks on edge to give equal exposure of the sides to the sun and allow them to dry for a week. When they are dry enough to handle, scrape off loose dirt and straw from the bottoms bot-toms and pile them where they will be protected from rain. In about three weeks they will be ready for use. METHOD OF LAYING THE BRICK Adobe brick are laid in a manner similar to thr,t used in laying ordinary ordi-nary brick. Mud without straw is used for moriar, or, for permanent structures, a mortar is used made of one part lime to three psrts sand. About a cubic foot of mortar is ue.l in layiijg 25 to 30 bricks in the size 4 by !0 by 16, and a crew of three men should place from 600 to 700 bricks in eight hours. For more specific information in this Geld, send five cents to the Superintendent of Documents. Washington. D. C, asking tor Farmers' Bulletin 1720. PRESERVING EGGS I Eggs may be preserved either in ' water glass or lime water. Water ; glass is obtainable from drug stores and is mixed with nine parts of ! boiled water and poured in an earthenware earth-enware receptacle or galvanized can. Fresh clean eggs, free from cracks, should be chosen for preserving. At least one inch of liquid should be kept above the top layer of eggs and the container should be kept tightly covered. A limewater solution is made by slaking three pounds of lime in five gallons of water. |