Ref, the stacks in the cornfield. Actually the area under wheat & barley was about the same, & the crop makes 4 stacks, 2 of 30’ x 18’ x 24’ (high) & 2 of 18’ x 15’ x 20 (high.) This works out at about 28, 000 cubic feet of stack for 22 acres. Yesterday fine and rather windy. A fair number of ripe blackberries. Elderberries changing colour rapidly. Hazel nuts almost fully formed. Valerian & mulleins over. For improving finish of cement.

NEWSPAPER CUTTING

London, W.C.1. You can, however, hasten the setting, improve the strength and wearing qualities, and reduce porosity, by treating the finished work with a special solution after the cement has set. These solutions have the effect of slowing up the drying if mixed with the gauging water, but they increase speed of curing or final setting if applied in the form of a wash. Common washing soda 1lb. To 2 gallons of water is one method of hardening. A superior result can be got by a wash of sodium silicate (water glass) by adding 1 part of liquid sodium silicate to 4 parts of water (5 parts altogether). The tiles are washed with a rose can a week after making, and the silica sinks into the pores of the cement and forms a “gel” which chemically hardens and renders the cells further water and oil resisting. A second was a few days afterwards gives still further improvement. (7363)

Weather today cold, blowy & rather wet. Haws getting quite red. Some rain in the afternoon.