ij WIRE HOUSES 15 



exception being the back of the lean-to house 

 composed of wood. 



No mention has hitherto been made of the 

 use of what is known as " principal rafters " in 

 the building of houses, and the reason for this 

 omission is, that there is no necessity for them. 

 Where a good purlin is used, and supported by 

 iron columns 8 or 10 ft. apart, no principal rafters 

 are needed. After aU, they only help to shut 

 out the hght. A builder, having a plan of house 

 submitted to him, might say, " Oh, this class of 

 house will not be strong enough ; it will soon col- 

 lapse ; " but I can truthfully say that the cultiva- 

 tor will be perfectly safe in having one erected 

 according to plan. There need not be any fear 

 as to its being a collapsible structure. There are 

 many houses of this class which have done twenty, 

 thirty, and even forty years' good service, and 

 stiU promise to weather the storm for many years 

 to come. I can substantiate these statements. 



These remarks apply to the class of house as 

 shown in the plan, and not to the less-expensive 

 houses, although the last-named structures wiU last 

 a great number of years. 



Wire houses. — Another very useful structure 

 is a house or enclosure, out-of-doors, for the pur- 

 pose of growing hardy fruits, especially pears and 

 apples, during the summer and autumn. It will 



