SECRETARY'S REPORT. 267 



are cut in floor behind cattle, one inch wide and of length to pass a 

 shovel, for venting liquids. 



One-half the earth in cellar excavation, it will be noticed, is left 

 to be incorporated in the manure, and eventually carried to the 

 tillage land. We find the hosrs not averse to this sort of sub-soilinsr, 

 and' the dirt, although not the best for an absorbent, is being removed 

 quite as fast as we desire. 



The outer sills, girts and plates are all of the same size, and in 

 framing are cut to a board pattern, the ends without tenon or mortice, 

 at the right angle to fit together, and are secured at the corners 

 with bolts of half-inch refined iron, fourteen inches Ions;, a nut 

 worked on a full thread screw at one end, and a large head at the 

 other. These bolts, passed through the timber at such an angle 

 with the grain, with a well fitted heading, are stronger than any 

 device for a union of the wood ; indeed, we think even these bolts 

 superfluous in our manner of boarding, except in the plates. The 

 corner posts have their outer sides hewed to the shape of the corner ; 

 their ends, cut without tenons, rest on the plank top of sills, and 

 having the girts resting on their heads. Posts above the girts have 

 the plates resting on them in the same manner. The door posts are 

 of the whole height of the wall, and tenoned in the plate. 



The door cap has two braces of three feet run above it. These 

 are the only braces in the frame. 



The studs are 4 by 3 inches, without tenons, except those on each 

 side of the corner posts, which are of the whole .height, halved to 

 the girts, and tenoned in the plates for the convenience of raising. 

 The girts on each side of barn floor extend across the barn, tenoned 

 in door posts and girt opposite; being over corresponding cross sills, 

 these four are the only long timbers required in the frame ; and 

 these, from having intermediate supports, may be spliced without 

 detriment. 



To raise the frame, put together door posts, cap, plate, studs and 

 braces between them, and the short girts tenoned in door posts and 

 reaching the corner, and raise it ; set up all the corner posts, and 

 stay them in place ; put on the girts ; set the studs in place, and 

 nail them at the ends ; then proceed to board up the walls to the 

 girts ; provide boards of the proper length for the sides where no 

 door or window occurs, so there be no waste ; saw them three-fourths 



