128 PRACTICE OF POULTRY-HOUSE CONSTRUCTION 
tamped enough to bring the water to the surface. The frame should 
be filled to within about an inch of the top (Fig. 81, d, e), and the 
remaining space should be filled with a wearing coat composed of 
one part of cement and three parts of sand, mixed in the same way. 
This should be smooth and the corners bevelled to prevent chipping. 
During the process of pouring the concrete, anchor bolts should be 
imbedded every ten feet, allowing them to project above the frame 
about five inches if a 4 x 6 inch sill is used. It will require from 
two to three days for the mixture to harden before taking the 
frames away, but before much pressure is put on the wall it should 
be allowed to season. It will season more quickly and become 
harder during moist weather than when it is exceptionally dry. 
For this reason, it is desirable during very dry weather to wet the 
wall down occasionally. Fifteen days is usually required for proper 
seasoning before the operation of building the house should be 
commenced. 
Construction of Frame.—After the concrete wall is finished, 
the guide lines should be re-stretched in order that the sills may 
be laid true. They should be laid to the outside string, as they are 
apt to vary some in width. The sills should be bolted firmly to 
the foundation, washers being used so that the nuts may be set 
very tight and not wear into the wood. The corner stud posts 
should be nailed to the sill, flush with the outside of the sill. The 
corner posts should be made plumb and held perpendicular by 
nailing scantling braces running each way; if these four posts are 
properly plumbed, the plates being nailed on them, a perfectly 
upright building is secured. It is possible by the use of the square 
to insure perfect fit when marking and cutting the rafters. But 
usually it is desirable to cut one pattern rafter, putting it in place 
to see if it fits properly, then using it to cut the others by. 
Plans and Specifications of Laying Houses.—The following 
description of the plan shown in figure 85 gives the important 
features for a standard-unit laying house. 
Double-Unit House.—The outside dimensions are 40 x 20 feet, 
sills to be 4 x 6 inches, and to be bolted to a concrete foundation 
wall eight inches wide and twenty inches deep. This is laid on 
tamped cinder or crushed stone, the entire depth of the foundation 
trench being three feet. 
The shed-roof type of construction is used, with nine-foot 
studding in front and a height of four and one-half feet in the 
back (Figs. 83, 84, and 85). All studding and rafters are 2 x 4 inch 
