THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 55 



one stick only. Use nails just long enough to extend through 

 the studs and joists, and drive in twice the number of small nails 

 that would be necessary of large nails, which would protrude 

 through two inches. 



54. "When a balloon frame is not built on a substantial wall, 

 the superstructure should be erected on sills eight inches thick. 

 No young farmer need hesitate to build after this style ; for there 

 are more than thirty thousand of such buildings in the Western 

 countries ; and they give most complete satisfaction. Almost 

 any kind of timber may be used for studs and joists; and if a 

 man is possessed of but a small amount of mechanical skill, he 

 can get his frame timber all sawed in the winter, and dress out 

 the siding, &c., when he cannot labor on the farm, and if he is a 

 good economist, his house or building will not cost three times 

 more than it ought to cost for the labor alone. 



55. When such a house is erected by the job, the young 

 farmer should not neglect to see that not less than five good nails 

 are driven in at the junction of each joist and stud ; and that 

 every other part of the frame is well nailed. 



HOW TO INCREASE THE HEIGHT OF ROOMS WHEN THEY ARE 

 TOO LOW. 



56. It is frequently very desirable to make the rooms, both 

 below and above, one foot or more higher between the joints 

 than it was originally made. When the attic story is to be made 

 higher, if the roof is a poor one, it would be the best and cheapest 

 operation to take it to pieces and raise the sides to the desired 

 height ; and then erect the roof as when a new house is built. 

 But when a roof is a good one, and it is desirable to raise it any 

 number of feet, let collar pieces be spiked to the rafters to keep 

 them from spreading, and then raise it bodily with screws, with 

 or without the plates, to the desired height. If the rafters are 

 spiked very tightly to the plates, it will be better to raise the 

 plates with the roof, and then put another set of plates in the 

 place of the first ones. 



57. I once performed a job in less than one day, by the as- 



3 



