BARNS AND STABLES. 



203 



in the middle made of two inch plank for taking down the 

 fodder, and the inner row of beams rest on this; the beams 

 being for the size of building mentioned, eight inches wide 

 and two thick. It is well to support these beams in a sutii- 

 eient number of places by braces at each alternate post. 



The plates are eight by two or three inches, halved to- 

 gether as the floor sills are, and secured by bolts held by 

 screw ends and nuts. The upper part has the usual pudine 

 plates over the rows of posts below, and these are well bolted 

 together. The rafters are in two parts, the lower set hav- 

 ing a high slope so as to afford as much storage space as 

 possible above. There is a hay shoot in the center, down 

 which the fodder is sent from the hay floor on the top, 

 and shoots are made in convenient places to send down the 

 grain, which is distributed through the feed troughs below 

 by means of spouts made of common bagging cloth, placed 

 at convenient distances, by which the grain from the bins 

 above is shot down into the feed troughs on either floor, 

 being guided by an assistant below who leads the spout 

 from place to place as he may desire. 



This kind of barn has been found very convenient and 

 cheap to build, two men having fully completed one of the 

 size mentioned in a week, the roof being quickly and well 

 made by the use of the 

 metallic roofing plates, simply 

 nailed to the rafters without 

 any sheeting under it, unless 

 this is desired. But as the 

 roof is quite steep it may be 

 made of the plain weather 

 boarding, lapped two inches 

 and painted. The top should 

 be covered for two feet or so 

 by a cap of sheet zinc or gal- 

 vanized iron. The cut shows 

 the arrangement of the hay 

 spouts and the feed racks. 



Figure 2 is that of a cheap frame building of light 

 materials put together in the strongest manner by means 

 of the bracing shown. It has a clear floor above, and it may 

 be made of three stories, two floors being occupied by sheep, 



FEED RACKS AND SPOUTS. 



