68 ‘COMMON SENSE 
lower the roof, the better for the hens in winter: The roosting 
place was reached by a passage from the alley way, and there was 
a small opening (about 2-feet square) through the wall, through 
which dry earth could be thrown in, and the soiled earth removed. 
This opening was of course provided with a substantial shutter. 
The shed was entered by a separate door, which served, not 
only as an entrance for the attendants, but as a way through which 
clean and soiled earth might be passed. . 
Such were the construction and appointments of this model 
poultry house. I made a careful study of all its features and 
workings, and found in it the germ and suggestion of my future 
buildings. 
My first efforts were directed towards simplifying and cheapen- 
ing the structure. ‘The house could not have been called an ex- 
pensive one ;\indeed, when compared with many that I had seen, 
it was a cheap affair, but when multiplied by fifteen (the number 
that I expected to build), the cost was too much. And, besides, it 
was larger than I needed. I expected to get rid each year of all 
my surplus stock before very cold weather set in, so that each 
house would have to winter only its complement of 75 hens. 
For this purpose 60 feet of perch or roosting poles would be 
ample, and this could easily be put-into a space 8 x 14 feet—just 
about half the size of the large house. Moreover I determined to 
do away with the passage at the rear of the nests, and allow the 
latter to be entered directly from the outside. If poultry was to 
be made a dusiness, somebody would be on the ground all the time, 
an: consequently there need be no fear of sneak thieves. 
I therefore designed my houses 8 X 14 feet on the ground, and 
quite low—partly to save lumber and partly to economize heat. 
After making careful working drawings of all the parts, I sent to the 
mill and procured the necessary lumber, and my man and myself 
went to work. As we were both unskilled, to a certain extent, we 
adopted very simple, and what carpenters would probably call, ab- 
surd methods. Instead of making a frame, we sunk four posts in 
the ground, sawed them off to the right height, connected ‘the 
