422 AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING 



is obviously the best of all, as a solid band of sunlight must 

 pass across the building every day, striking every part. With 

 windows, only spots of direct sunlight enter the building, and 

 even when great care is used in the design of the building this 

 light strikes but a relatively small proportion of the total 

 floor space. With this new type, the only portion of the entire 

 building not covered is the south end, and windows may be 

 provided to light this portion thoroughly. 



The objection has been raised that this skylight would be 

 damaged by hail. An investigation shows that the loss of 

 greenhouse glass is not great, and it would be possible to pro- 

 tect the glass with a wire net if thought best. This construc- 

 tion is the cheapest of all, as the building may be built quite 

 low and the cost of the sash for the skylight is not much 

 greater than the cost of regular roofing materials. In some 

 instances it may be necessary to arrange a shade under the 

 skylight if the house is to be used much during the summer 

 months. 



The Foundation. The foundation of a hog house need 

 not be heavy. A 6-inch concrete wall or an 8-inch brick 

 wall will be found adequate if placed on a 12-inch footing. 

 The foundation should extend below the frost line if the 

 building is to retain its shape well. 



Floors. Earth, plank, and concrete are used for the hog 

 house floors. Earth is objectionable on account of the diffi- 

 culty of cleaning the house thoroughly. Plank is not desir- 

 able, for it furnishes a harbor for rats. Concrete makes a 

 very desirable floor, but has the objection of being cold. 

 Many practical breeders find that this objection has little 

 weight if the floor be placed upon thoroughly drained soil and 

 the hogs are provided with a liberal amount of bedding. A 

 portion of the floor may be covered with boards. The usual 

 sidewalk construction should be used for concrete floors. 



