HOUSING 61 
amount of effort. It has been used success- 
fully as far north as the northern part of New 
England. There is no apparent reason why it 
should not be successful farther north. It will 
be equally satisfactory in a warmer climate. 
Height Aboveground. Any henhouse 
having a board floor should be placed at 
least a foot and a half above the ground. 
If it is so built it will be practically rat-proof, 
because rats will not live under a floor which 
is built up that high above the ground, since 
cats and dogs can easily get under the floor 
and drive them out. A floor so built will 
be more nearly dry because there is a free 
circulation of air under the floor. The house 
should not be banked up in winter, because 
if this is done the ground underneath the 
building will not freeze, and as capillary action 
pumps up moisture all winter the floor will 
always be moist. 
Foundations and Floor. The best 
foundations are cement piers, although posts 
of cedar or chestnut may be used. The floor 
is best made of single, matched spruce or 
pine flooring. With plenty of litter on the 
floor it will be sufficiently warm. 
