526 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
A Country House, Costing $500 to $800. 
As Here Shown and Described, 8724.43. 
CLASS I—FROM PRIZE COMPETITION PLANS—BT 
EDWARD PRATT, IIANOVER, MICH. 
In selecting from the 183 Farm House Plans com¬ 
peting for the American Agriculturist prizes, the 
Judges found it very difficult to decide between 
quite a number in each class. A plan submitted 
by Mr. Edward Pratt possessed many points en- 
n !H O Q 
Fig. 3.— PLAN OF CELLAR. 
titling it to be chosen as one of the first three, but 
the judges in their report say: “We deem the 
estimate of cost too low for average localities.... 
The plans are very neatly executed_The rooms 
are rather small. A trifle more expense would add 
to the size and liight, and largely increase the con¬ 
venience of the rooms—a foot additional would 
make much difference in this respect... .Tlie cellar 
better go under the whole house, as the excavating 
would be but a trifle, and the extra cross founda¬ 
tion would cover part of cost of extending the side 
foundation down to full depth... .Giving the stairs 
a turn, would save room in both the lower and up¬ 
per halls ”—We give Mr. Pratt’s specifications 
nearly as written: 
The building is a balloon frame. The studs, 
floor, joists, rafters, and collar joists are placed 16 
inches from centers; sills, 6 by 8 in., framed to¬ 
gether ; floor joists gained in and studding tenoned 
into sills. Corner, door, and window studs, 4 by 4 
in.; other studding, rafters, and collar joists, 2 by 4 
in.; floor joists, 2 by 8 in., and bridged. All of good 
timber, and well nailed. The frame is boarded on 
the inside with mill-worked boards, well nailed, and 
covered with felt paper, and furrfed off with lath, 
placed 16 in. from centers. The outside is covered 
with a good quality of 6-in. clapboards. The floors 
are covered with good mill-worked pine, or spruce 
I boards, 6 in. wide. The roof is boarded with mill- 
worked boards, and covered with best 18-in.shingles, 
laid 5 in. to the weather. The windows in the lower 
story have four lights each, 14 by 30 in. glass ; in 
second story, four lights each, 14 by 28 glass ; frieze 
windows, two lights each, 14 by 16 in.; cellar win¬ 
dows, two lights, 14 by 14, double glazed. Cellar 
windows are hung with butts at top. All windows 
' to have suitable fastenings. The front door is 2 ft. 
8 in. by 7 ft., 11 in. thick; closet doors,2ft. by 
6 ft. 6 in.; cellar door, 2 ft. 6 in. by 6 ft. 8 in.; other 
doors, 2 ft. 8 in. by 6 ft. 8 in., and If thick, hung 
with 3J^-in. loose pin-butts. Outside doors are 
provided with locks ; other doors, mortice latches,, 
all trimmed with porcelain knobs, and japanned 
furniture. The casings are 5-in. wide, moulded 
edge; first story to have band mouldings and 
mouldings on base ; second story, bevelled casings 
and base; kitchen to be wainscoted, 3 ft. high. 
The stairway is with easy rise and tread, made 
substantial, with turned newel balusters and rail 
around, opening in chamber. The cornice is pro¬ 
vided with suitable gutters and leaders to carry 
the water into the cistern. Stairs lead to the cel¬ 
lar, made of 2-in. plank. A cast-iron sink is set 
in the kitchen, inclosed with door underneath, and 
provided with waste pipe. A suitable pump is 
provided. All woodwork usually painted has two 
coats of best white lead and oil, as a basis, with, 
such colors as may be chosen. 
The cellar is excavated as shown in plan, fig. 3 r 
with trenches dug below frost, and dirt levelled off. 
Cellar walls and foundations are of field stone prop¬ 
erly placed, and laid in lime and sand mortar. 
Fig. 5.—PLAN OF SECOND STORY. 
The joints are pointed, and the cellar made 61 feet 
high. A cistern is excavated 6 feet in diameter by 
9 feet deep, arched over with brick with suitable 
man-hole and openings for inlet and outlet pipes; 
