1363 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
45 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Cheap and Convenient Barns for New 
Countries. 
Where durable timber can be procured, such 
as locust or cedar, cut posts four feet longer than 
the higlit desired for the barn; frame a tie on the 
tops of each four posts; let the tie project eight 
inches beyond each outside 
post, let the ties be one 
foot and 4 inches longer 
than the width of the barn). 
On top of the ties cut in a 
boxing or groove, li to 2 I 
inches deep, for the plate to 
rest in. Now sink holes in 
the earth, three or three aud- 
a-half feet deep, bringing 
the bottoms of the holes all 
to the same level; which 
holes are to receive the lower 
ends of the posts. Eaise 
the bents one by one, tam¬ 
ping the earth firmly around 
the posts as the holes are 
filled up; pin the plates t 
the top of the ties; and finish 
the roof as for a frame barn. 
For side covering, take 2x4 
inch scantling, and spike 
them on the posts firmly, 
with G inch spikes, as far 
apart as is desirable, (say 
4 feet), and nail the siding 
to them. If the two end ties 
and the two plates are al¬ 
lowed to project two inches over the posts, out¬ 
side, it will save scantling in those places. For 
the floor foundation, lay down three or four 
pieces of hewn timber across the width of the 
floor-way; on top of these lay a sufficient num¬ 
ber of hewn timbers lengthwise of the floorway,* 
and lay the flooring plank across them. A piece 
of timber framed in the posts just under the 
plates, and over the floorway, will receive and 
hold fast the top end of the posts to which the 
doors are hung, while the lower ends are mor¬ 
ticed in the floor foundation. Hang the doors 
and the barn is finished. Though so little of a 
carpenter that I do not know the names of the 
timbers to a barn, I have just erected one, 
without aid from a carpenter.-In this con¬ 
nection I would suggest a plan for a convenient 
and economical barn, for a large farm, viz.: 
40 by 64 feet, divided into four bays, each 16 
ft. wide, by 40 ft. long. Make threshing floors, 
and hang doors, to the two middle bays ( b , c ). 
thousands of barns, but have never seen any 
which economize space like one on this plan. 
Such a barn, built with posts set in the earth, 
would require 20 posts; which planted 3t feet 
deep, with the soil well rammed down, would 
withstand any wind, without braces; for 
there would be 20 trees (posts) to be upturned. 
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Drive on one floor (&,) and unload the hay or 
grain in one bay (a) at the end ot the barn: 
close the doors to that floor, and drive the loads 
on the other floor (c); fill up the other bay (tZ), 
and the floor first used (6), and still there is a 
threshing floor (<•) for use. A stable can be made 
in the bay (d) at the end of the barn next the un¬ 
filled floor, and by building the same floor a 
little higher from the ground, a convenient cel¬ 
lar for roots, can be constructed. I have seen 
Farm Gates- 
Among all the improvements which have been 
made in farm conveniences, there is still a lack 
of a simple, cheap gate; one which will be suf¬ 
ficiently strong to stand constant and rough 
usage, and yet not so heavy as to sag. Nothing 
is more annoying than to be obliged to carry 
half the weight of the gate in the hands, 
every time it is required to be opened or closed. 
Isaac P. Allen, Whiteside county, Ill., sends us 
a plan of a gate, tvhich he claims is free from 
the usual objections. It is certainly very simple, 
and can readily be made by one of slight me¬ 
chanical skill. The head piece, A, is made of 
4 inch scantling. The brace, B, and the bars are 
mortised into this and secured by pins or bolts. 
The heel piece, C, is made of two pieces of inch 
boards, fastened one on each side of the cross 
bars. The latch D, is a simple bar of hard 
wood, sliding on the cross bar and between the 
boards of the tail piece, and kept in place by 
the strip placed at E. The latch is kept closed 
by means of a hickory spring F, which is fas¬ 
tened by staples to the latch, and to the 
gate; the end of this spring projects above the 
latch and serves as a handle by which to draw 
it back. To hang the gate, pins of I inch iron 
are placed in each end of the head piece, and 
irons G and H, with a hole punched in the end 
to receive the pins, are fixed in the gate post. 
These are fastened by an iron wedge driven in 
by the side, or what would be better, may have 
a nut fitted so that they may be secured in 
place. The catch is represented at I; it should 
be made of hard wood, and be bolted to the 
post at the proper higlit to receive the latch. 
This will allow the gate to be opened both 
ways. There are now several weeks in which 
much can be done in making gates and similar 
work. They should be made of hard wood and 
well seasoned, the mortises put together with a 
tight fit, and every tenon thoroughly pinned or 
bolted. The slats and brace may be 4 of an inch 
thick and 4 inches wide. The posts should be 
well seasoned, with all the sap-wood cut off and 
the portion which enters the ground well char¬ 
red. They should be set at least 3, and better 
4 feet in the ground, with the earth well 
pounded in to hold them firm. 
Brush-harrowing Potatoes. 
Mr. Jonas "Weed, of Fairfield Co., Conn., 
writes to the American Agriculturist , that much 
time and labor may be saved, and weeds 
effectually destroyed in potato culture, on dry, 
light soils, by turning furrows from both sides 
upon the rows when the potatoes first appear, 
following immediately with a brush harrow, 
which he constructs as follows: In a stick of 
timber about 4 inches square, and 8 or 9 feet in 
length, lie bores 2-inch holes 18 inches apart, 
and fastens the butt ends of tough saplings, or 
brush, in these holes. The timber follows the 
team at right angles, the brush projecting 
behind it. The draft should be attached to 
the underside of the timber, so as partially to 
raise it from the ground and throw its weight 
upon the brush. The covering of dirt kills the 
weeds, while the potatoes are not injured by it. 
Mr. J. further says that an implement made 
in the same manner, with the exception of sub¬ 
stituting a plank, instead of the timber, so ar 
ranged as to incline forward, is excellent for pre¬ 
paring for clover, and other fine-seeded crops. 
Implement for Cutting Hay. 
An unknown correspondent, modestly signing 
himself “J. C. M.,” sends us a neat model of the 
implement illustrated below, of which he writes: 
1 It has long been in use in England and in some 
parts of this country, and is so much superior 
to the common hay-knife that it ought to take 
its place. It is called the Hay Spade. It is 
made of steel plate about | of an inch thick, or 
less, cut in the form here represented, and 
thinned from the middle to each side until the 
edges are sharp. When finished it measures 
about 10x14 inches, more or less, as desired. 
The socket for the handle is bent slightly for¬ 
ward, to prevent rubbing the back of the hands 
against the hay when cutting. The handle is 
of wood, about 2 or 2i 
’ feet long, made wide at 
the end for the socket, 
and about the size of a 
stout fork handle at the 
upper part, with a piece 
the same thickness about 
five inches long, across 
the top. The handle is fastened in its place by a 
screw nail from the back of the socket. I would 
not give mine for a cart load of the common 
kind, if I could not replace it with another; it 
saves time, hay, and labor,'is cheap, strong, dur¬ 
able. One will last a lifetime if used with care.” 
SPLiTxrNG Wood. —S. Parsons, says, the boys 
engaged in splitting the year’s fuel, can make it 
easier, and lessen the danger of cutting their feet 
by the following arrangement: Take a large 
block of hard wood, say two feet or more in 
diameter, and of convenient length; set it up 
endwise, and in the middle dig out a hole seven 
or eight inches in diameter, and about six inch¬ 
es deep. This will hold the sticks upright, and 
they can be split into several pieces without 
handling. The hole can be easily made in 
a very little time with an auger and chisel. 
