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KOO 



ftantly right themfelves, and fet forwards again with their 

 load without impediment, and without groaning. A cranked 

 bar attached to the piece E, and bending below a ring, fall 

 to the bed I, but not Ihewn in the figure, prevents the dome 

 from overturning by either accident or violence, and by the 

 aid of a thumb-fcrew fixes it in any given pofition. This 

 conftruftion was, we believe, fuggefted firft by Mr. Trough- 

 ton, and as it has not been long in ufe, we cannot forefee 

 what objections may hereafter apply to it ; but we give the 

 particulars of it from a perfuafion, that it will be found to 

 be a confiderable improvement on Smeaton's, and that it 

 may ultimately be generally adopted. 



Roofs, in Rural Economy, are formed of many different 

 forts of materials. Thatch was formerly almoft in general 

 ufe for covering the roofs of farm-buildings; but it is ob- 

 vioufly objectionable on many accounts ; it not only ferves as 

 a hiding-place for rats, mice, infefts, birds, and other forts of 

 vermin ; but it is extremely perifhable in its nature, fubjeft 

 to be much damaged by high winds, and of courfe liable to 

 frequent repairs, and, above all, highly dangerous from its 

 combultible nature ; it is, therefore, probably the moft im- 

 proper, the leaft fafe, and, in the end, the moft expenfive 

 material that can be employed for the purpofe. Mr. Middle- 

 ton, however, thinks that it keeps out the fummer's heat and 

 winter's cold more effeftually than any other material now 

 in ufe ; but that, as it is not quite fo compaft and lightly as 

 dates or tiles, and the ftraw being of fuch value for other 

 purpofes, it will probably be fuperfeded by them. Tiles, 

 though little expofed to danger from fire, do not, by any 

 means, conftitute a good roof, being ill calculated for pre- 

 ferving grain or other farm produce. In fummer they ad- 

 mit a heat very unfriendly to hay, corn, or ftraw, while, in 

 winter, they are equally objeftionable, on the ground of 

 tranfmitting moifture in a high degree, while flates, though 

 more expenfive at firft, are liable to none of thefe objections, 

 efpecially when of the more thick kind. A roof covered 

 with them, therefore, anfwers every ufeful purpofe, and is 

 very durable, lading half a century, with very flight repairs 

 in any way. 



In the Middlefex Report on Agriculture, it is remarked 

 en this important fubjeft, in fpeakingof the roofs of houfes, 

 that pantiles are fo eafily heated through by the fun during 

 the fummer months, that the rooms underneath are as hot 

 as an oven ; while, in the winter feafon, in every common 

 froft, thefe tiles are fo completely frozen through, as to be- 

 come as cold as a covering of ice. Thefe extremes mull 

 eonfequently have a very bad effeft on the health of the 

 inhabitants. The blue flates are fo very thin, as to be 

 equally liable to the fame objeftion, particularly as they 

 are now laid on moft of our fafhionable houfes, under 

 Wyatt's patent. They are rather better when laid on 

 in the common manner, that is, on double laths, but much 

 better on boards. Plain tiles make a confiderably more 

 temperate covering for houfe6 than either pantiles or flates, 

 by reafon of their being laid double and in mortar, and 

 thereby forming a much thicker and clofer roof. In this 

 they are nearly equalled by the thick or ftone Hating of the 

 midland counties ; they might alfo be glazed of a flate co- 

 lour ; in which cafe they would make a roof more handfome, 

 temperate, and durable than any other covering material 

 now known. 



Some other fubftances have been had recourfe to in this 

 intention. In different parts of the country, cements of 

 various kinds, and coarfe paper laid over with refin, tar, &c. 

 and other fimilar matters, have been tried, but with no very 

 promifing fuccefs as to their application. In fome parts of 

 Devonfliire, though flate is by no mean3 difficult to be pro. 



cured, a fubltitute for that fort of covering is, Mr. Van- 

 couver afferts, getting very much into ufe, which is prepared 

 in the following manner : — three parts of whiting, five of 

 fand, one of pounded charcoal, and one of bone-afhes, to 

 a barrel of common tar, to which are added four pounds of 

 black refin ; the two laft materials ar>.' to be melted together, 

 and, when boiling, the other ingredients are to be added in 

 fmall quantities, keeping them conftant./ ftirred and in mo- 

 tion over the fire, until the whole mafs becomes of a confift- 

 ence fit for ufe. Then the roof, being previoufly covered 

 over with fheathing-paper fecurely nailed down, is to be 

 carefully and evenly fpread with the liqu:i hot from the 

 copper, to the thicknefs of about three quarters of an inch ; 

 which will coft, at the cauldron, about thirty-five (hillings 

 for each fquare often feet. The fame meafure of the com- 

 mon flate roof will coft about thirty-two (hillings. The 

 roofs for this fort of compofition are pitched very flat, and, 

 from the lightnefs of the fcantling which is neceffary in 

 their conftruftion, come confiderably cheaper than thofe 

 required for carrying flate or tiles. 



Materials of the reed and heath kinds have alfo been tried 

 as coverings for the roofs of farm-houfes and cottages, in 

 places where they are capable of being procured in fufficieDt 

 quantities for fuch purpofes ; and, though they are con- 

 fiderably more durable than common ftraw thatch, they are 

 fubjeft to all the inconveniencies and objeftions of that fort 

 of covering. Indeed, no kind of material that has hitherto 

 been made ufe of for forming the coverings of the roofs of 

 buildings are quite free from imperfeftions of fome fort or 

 other. It is eonfequently a matter of great individual, a* 

 well as national importance, to be acquainted with a fubftancr 

 which is not liable to any fuch defefts, as a good, cheap, 

 and durable material of fuch a nature, for this ufe would evi- 

 dently be a moft valuable difcovery, as fuch a material is ftill 

 clearly wanting for this purpofe. 



Roof, Auk of a. See Attic. 



Roof, Falfe. See False. 



Roof, Hip. See Hip Roof, and Roof, fupra. 



Roof-7>w, or RuFF-Zrw, are the timbers, in a (hip, 

 which go from the half-deck to the forecaftle. See RouGH- 

 Tree. 



The term is alfo ufed for the upper timbers of any build- 

 ing ; whence, in the northern counties, it is common to 

 fignify a whole family, by faying all under fuch-a-one's 

 roof-tree. 



Roof-7j^/m. See Tyle. 



ROOFING, in Rural Economy, fometimes a word ap- 

 plied provincially to the ridge-cap of thatched roofs. It alfo 

 lignifies any fort of material employed in forming the roof 

 of a building, whether in the frame-work, or covering. In 

 the bufinefs of roofing farm or other buildings, the «hief 

 circumftance neceffary to be attended to, is that of tying the 

 two fide-parts well together, and in a fafe manner, by means 

 of the wall-plates and binding-beams ; efpecially thofe 

 ereftions which are of the more long kind, without any crofs- 

 walls to ftiffen and fupport them. It has been remarked, 

 that it is generally for want of attention to thefe matters that 

 farm-buildings, as well as thofe of other forts, are fo fre- 

 quently feen propped up with (hores and buttreffes ; or 

 fallen to the ground half a century fooner, perhaps, than 

 they would have done under a better and more judicious 

 management. And it ought, indeed, to be a general prin- 

 ciple, or line of conduft, which every careful and intelligent 

 manager fhould follow in ereftmg fuch buildings ; — a prin- 

 ciple which is equally applicable to the other parts as well 

 as the timber and the covering : which is, that of fparing no 

 requifite expenditure ; a? a few (hillings, or pounds, of addi- 

 tional 



