TYPES OF MODERN HOUSING 159 



experience, health, and egg yield. The concrete founda- 

 tion disposes of this difficulty effectually. 



Edgar Warren, a New Hampshire poultry raiser of 

 some reputation, describes one of his houses, newly built, 

 which he regards as " a model." It is twelve by twenty- 

 four feet on the floor, seven feet high at the front, four 

 and one half feet high at the rear. It faces south, 

 having three glass and two curtained windows. The 

 glass is at the south and east. The curtained windows 

 are three by four feet in size, fitted with frames hinged 

 at top and covered with heavy duck. The roof is double- 

 pitch, the short rafters being three feet, the long ones 

 ten feet, in length. The floor is of boards, and the house 

 is covered with patent roofing of red rope on sides and 

 ends, the roof being shingled. The material cost ^50, 

 and it was intended to house fifty hens. Mr, Hunter, 

 a poultryman and editor for almost a lifetime, criticises 

 adversely the short front pitch, the low back, and the 

 shingle roof ; also the east-end window. Many poultry- 

 men like the quickly laid cheap patent roofings for roof 

 as well as sides. They keep drafts out more surely. 

 But the Beginner can see, by this difference of opinion 

 between experts, that there is room for the exercise of 

 his own judgment, and for adaptation to circumstances. 



Five square feet of floor space is counted a fair 

 amount of room for each hen, when the flock is con- 

 fined. Professor Halpin calls attention to the fact that 

 while each hen might be satisfied with five square feet, 

 or less, if she could also use the space belonging to other 

 hens, by moving about a large house, if confined alone in 

 a space of five feet or less, she would not thrive ; that is, 

 the larger the house, the more safely can the space per 



