WHITEWASH THE COW SHEDS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 448, 16 March 1912, Page 3

WHITEWASH THE COW SHEDS.

Part, of the regular w«rk on a dairy farm should be the periodical whitewashing of the cow sheds, bails, milk room etc., and the oftener this is done the better. The best and quickest way of applying the whitewash is by means of a spray pump, many of which can now be cheaply obtained. The following directions for preparing whitewash are taken from a bulletin of the Illinois Experiment Station: —"Take a half-bushel unslaked lime of good quality, slake it with boiling water (cold will do), cover during *he proces-i to keep in steam, and add water as the process goes on. To do this, the linae should be placed in a tight barrel, and water enough added to partly cover the lime. Never cover the lime entirely with water, else the slaking process will go on too slowly. Soon after the water ia added, the -lumps of lime, which are exposed to both air and water, begin to crumble, and soon the whole mass begins to steam. More water should be added, and the barrel kept covered. After the slaking process is over, several pails of water should be added, and the whole thoroughly stirred. This mixture should be strained through a fine sieve before placing in the barrel to which the pump is attached, and, if necessary, more water may be added, to secure a mixture which the nozzle will deliver well. The contents of the barrel or bucket must be kept well agitated, fnr the lime tends to settle upon the bottom. The spray must be fine, and not allowed to play upon one place until the wash begins to run. When applied with brushes, a slightly heavier wash can be used, as it frequently generally well rubbed down. Light coats frequently applied are better than heavy ones, as the latter are more apt to scale off. While still wet a light coat seems to have failed in its object, but when dry the whole becomes perfectly white. One bushel of lime will make thirty gallons of white wash. Many formulas for making white wash are published, involving the use of salt, oil, grease, glue, rice, etc., together with the boiling of material at different stage-? of its preparation. These are too much invovled for the ordinary man, besides taking too much time. The addition of a small quantity of salt and oil is said to increase the life of the white wash. If convenient, they should be added, but boiling is not essential where light coats are put on often, as indicated above. When • once understood, white wash can be made and applied with little trouble, yielding a large return in the improved condition of the stables. Most satisfaction is obtained by keeping the mixture well agitated and making light applications."