The Shoet Span to the South. 25 



there art- others which awaken distrust; nor will the 

 objection produced by these features be removed from 

 the mind without further investigation and trial. 



The claim for this method of building is, that the 

 short span and the sun are at right angles during the 

 shortest days, and that this position admits the greatest 

 amount of sunlight and warmth, while the more either 

 the sun or glass vary from a right angle, just in that 

 proportion are the sun's rays deflected and the heat less- 

 ened. The feeling of the sun upon the face and person 

 as it comes through the sharp roof, is both marked and 

 jjleasant, as compared with that of a roof at the com- 

 mon angle, and so far as appearances go, would seem to 

 prove the theory correct. The roof being so steep, snow 

 cannot remain upon it, and it is quickly free from frost 

 on a sunny day, though the air is keen outside. Added 

 to this is the fact that owing to the sharpness of the 

 roof the strain on the bars lessens as they approach the 

 perpendicular, rendering it possible to use less wood 

 and more glass, thus securing the maximum amount 

 of light. 



On the other hand, if the weather is severe the north 

 roof is a sheet of snow and frost, and this is removed 

 only as the heat from the interior melts it, no rays of 

 the sun touching its exterior surface during the en- 

 tire day. This state of things of course causes the plants 

 to turn toward the light, but how much it has a tend- 

 ency to draw them in long continued cold weather, the 

 writer is unable to say. 



