112 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



inches square, of hard, strong wood, and have 12 feet run 

 from the post on top of the beam, and 10 feet run up the 

 post, reaching nearly to the top. (See fig. 14.) 



These braces should be framed into a shallow boxing at 

 each foot on beam and post, and firmly held in its place by 

 a M-inch iron bolt through the foot of the brace and beam 

 or post, and the nut turned up on a broad washer on foot 

 of the brace. The nut may be tightened when the timber 

 shrinks. This will hold the foot of the brace very firmly, 

 and the brace, being so long, will hold the top of the post 

 rigidly in place and prevent the plates from spreading. 



Then let the roof be between a quarter and a third pitch ; 

 the rafters, 3x6 inches, and spread not more than 28 

 inches from center to center. Collar-beam each pair of 

 rafters, 4 feet below the ridge, with 1M x 4-inch stuff, well 

 nailed. This will hold the roof as safely as purlins, and it 

 will be practically free from obstructions above the beams. 

 It is true these cross-beams over the floor will be somewhat 

 in the way, as compared to the self-supporting roof of the 

 octagon ; but there is always room to elevate the horse-fork 

 between the beams, and, there being no obstruction above, 

 the fork may be run to the roof without hinderance. 



These strong braces from beam to post running to the 

 back side of the bay, and at right-angles with the floor, will 

 not at all obstruct filling or pitching out from the bay. 



Let us call attention to the great economy as well as 

 convenience of this improvement of the long barn. If this 

 long barn be 40 x 180 feet, to compare with a 90-foot 

 octagon, it would require 12 bents; and, consequently, 

 there would be 24 outside posts, requiring 24 strong braces, 

 bolted as described. The labor of framing these 24 braces 

 would be less than framing the 24 purlin posts. Forty- 

 eight bolts, 16 inches long, required to hold the braces, 

 would cost, with washers, 16 cents each, or $7.68 only, for 

 this large barn. Now, let us see what timber it would 



