714 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



and airing doors, make possible considerable of overhead space, add 

 substantially to the general attractive appearance, and encourage ease 

 of moving. 



In moving houses with upright walls a very successful method of 

 procedure is to take a strong heavy rope, throwing it entirely over and 

 around the house so that it is snug up against the walls; fasten same 

 to a clevis, hitch a team on, and take the house where wished. 



The framing structure of the Iowa house is rigid and substantial, 

 this insuring durability. 



The roof doors, preferably placed on the east or south roofs and 

 attached at the side, enable one to open the house for sunlight and 

 aeration, thus increasing sanitation. 



The entrance door may be placed either in the front end or in the 

 side of the house, according to the wishes of the herdsman; the location 

 of the door in the "A" house has the disadvantage in that it must neces- 

 sarily be placed in either end. 



CONSTKUCTIOX DETAILS. 



In the building of movable hog houses there are a number of features 

 of construction which should be thoroughly understood; these follow: 



1. RUNNERS. 



The runners or skid.s provide the foundation of tlie movable liou.se. The run- 

 ners should be of sufficient dimensions (4x4 of tiie more durable woods like fir 

 and cypress are good) to hold the house well off the ground. The use of short- 

 lived 2-inch material, which decays when placed in contact with ground, can- 

 not be advocated. Shoeing the runners with steel of about the thickness of the 

 ordinary farm wagon tire is sometiines practiced, but this is quite expensive 

 and hardly worth the extra cast ; in truth, unless the houses are moved very 

 often they are of scarcely any advantage. 



Concrete runners have been quite successful when constructed so 

 that they may be fastened to a floor by means of an attached dimension piece 

 placed lengthwise thereon. These concrete runners commend themselves when 

 a large number of houses are to be built, inasmuch as the cost of making is 

 thei-eby decreased considerably in that the initial expense for foims and other 

 concrete making accessories is distributed over more runners. 



2. FLOOR. 



All of the houses described, with the exception of the "Economy," have 2- 

 inch floors. If desired, 1-inch material may be used if joists are used to stiffen 

 the floor. The use of inch material somewhat reduces the cost of the house ; 

 generally .speaking, however, the 2-inch floor is preferable. 



The material which enters into the construction of the floor should be resistent 

 to decay. White or yellow pine. No. 1, is figured on the bills of material ; the 

 white is more satisfactory than the yellow, especially if the ground is damp. 

 Many of the experiment station houses have floors made of fir, a very substan- 

 tial durable wood, but fir is somewhat more expensive, although better, than 

 pine under average Iowa conditions. A few hemlock floors have also been used 

 with fair satisfaction ; the hemlock gives good service if not kept in contact with 

 the ground. 



One can do without wooden floors if wished, the cost of a 6x8-foot house 

 being decreased thereby about $3.00, or actually with $30 lumber, $2.88 ; the 

 cost of laying the floor would also be eliminated. 



Earth floors kept dry, free from dust, and sanitary, are most excellent in sum- 

 mer as well as in winter if the houses are well banked to prevent under drafts. 



