VOIi. XXXVIII. No. 20 
WHOLE No. 1529. 
PRICE FIVE CENTS, 
#2.00 PER YEAR. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1879, by the Rural Publishing Company, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.! 
FAULTY PROPOSITIONS IN REGARD TO 
BARN BUILDING. 
DESIGNS OF A COUNTRY HOUSE 
In the Rural of February 15th, was au arti¬ 
cle entitled, “ A few axioms in baru building.” 
The propositions which are stated in the first 
and second axioms as general and self-evident 
truths, are true only when certain conditions 
exist. For fear that the so-called axioms may 
be taken for what they are represented, I will 
proceed to point out the errors involved in 
them : 
The First Axiom 
was as follows : “ Money is saved by increasing 
the contents perpendicularly (vertically) not 
horizontally. “LetFig. 1, (page310) be an end 
section of frame with posts 13 feet high—the 
statement is then made that if the hight is dou¬ 
bled, the capacity is doubled without a corres¬ 
ponding iuerease of expense. It is evident as he 
says, that no extra expeuse for roofing will be 
required, and he apparently assumes—other¬ 
wise his proposition could not be true—that 
the cost of framing is directly proportional to 
the hight; that is, that it will simply cost 
twice as much to construct a barn-frame 26 
feet high as to construct one 13 feet high. 
Now, a very little study of the experiments 
made regarding the strength of materials, and 
of the mechanics of framing, would have shown 
him that to construct a barn frame 2d feet 
high equally as strong as one 13 feet high, 
would have taken for all upright pieces, nearly 
four times as much mate7~ial. The labor of 
constructing the upper 13 feet is much iu ex¬ 
cess of that of building the lower 13 feet, so 
that iu practice the cost of the vertical pieces 
of a barn frame 26 feet high, is four times the 
cost of those iu one 13 feet high. Then, it is 
found that the breaking load on the end of a 
post 13 feet high aud 5 inches square, is 11.4 
tons, while that of a post 26 feet high and 5 
inches square is but 3.4 tons. 
It is thus seen that his proposition which he 
calls “ a self-evident truth.'' is not true at all, 
unless a man can build the vertical portions 
of three baru frames cheaper than he eau one 
roof. That he can do this, as a general thing, 
I do not doubt, especially when the hights are 
uot excessive ; but iu accordance with the 
axiom, a barn a mile high 
would be cheaper thau 
one a mile long, oi the 
same capacity, whereas 
the fact is, that the cost 
of the timber increases 
■ js. much faster than the 
hight, aud in a short time 
^ sufficient to overbal- 
aucc the saving trom 
less roof. In regard to 
The Second Axiom 
that it pays to build one 
hftrn rather than several 
covering the same space, 
t would say. that so far 
r-. ■ ils the mere quostiou of 
economical construction 
v ' is coucerued, this is sd- 
l **‘ s ax *o ,n > 
___ l°°ked that large struc- 
tures arc more weak rel- 
atively thau small ones, 
iUli tliat luucl1 heavier 
timber must be used in 
great loss iu the timber- 
sent a barn-frame, equal 
in width to two smaller 
bams, showu by dotted 
lines; if the frames are 
Now that the building season is at hand we 
give to our readers another original plan of a 
handsome country house designed by our ar¬ 
tist, L. F. Graether, C. E. The description of 
the plan is as follows: 
First Story; A, piazza; B, balconies ; C, 
vestibule; D, hall, with main flight of stairs; 
E, library, 10x15 feet, with bay window, a; F. 
F, bed-rooms, 15x20, and 12x15 feet: G. par¬ 
lor, 15x15 feet; II, diniug-rootu, 15x30 feet, 
with bay window, a; I, kitchen, 12x15 feet; 
K, back stairs to servants' bed-room; L, pantry, 
10x15feet; M, passage-way from dining-room 
to kitchen with wash-staud and drawers ; N. 
N; closets. Au open arch between C and D, is 
marked by dotted lines. 
Second Story; A, represents the hall; B, 
balconies; C, C, bed-rooms; D, servants’ bed¬ 
room ; E, bath-room aud water-closet; H, sky¬ 
light; N, N, closets. As will be seen, there are 
open fire-places iu E, F, G and also in II and I. 
The design of the elevation is readily intelli¬ 
gible on comparing it with plans. 
Just a few hints to those who intend build¬ 
ing homes the present season. Before deciding 
on a plan take the ladles of the household into 
council. It is they who will have the chief 
control of the dwelling-house and upon whom 
its comfort will mainly depend, and it is but 
proper therefore that their opinion should have 
due weight iu deciding upon its situation, sur¬ 
roundings,and especially on itsinternal arrange¬ 
ment. Mature your plans carefully so that no 
subsequent alterations will be rendered neces¬ 
sary through errors in the origiual design, for 
by such changes the contract with the builder 
is brokeu aud the door thrown wide open to 
charges for “extras,” than which few things 
are more unsatisfactory, however trilling they 
may be. The best time for examining the pro¬ 
posed site of the building is in the worst kind 
of weather; for its faults are then most ob¬ 
trusive, while whatever advantages it may pos¬ 
sess at such a season, will be certainly in¬ 
creased under more favorable conditions. 
While a house crowuiug an elevation com¬ 
mands the widest pros¬ 
pect, and would therefore 
be in the best position, if 
alone is to be considered, 
winds, aud dashing rains 
the weather, while its ap- 
spicuous position is gen- |jro,iri^ 
sewerage a n d BUrfECC 
exempt from the malaria , 1 
and other frequent an- jVjj^siS 
noyauces of a low or IlcjP/EHlI 
level site. 
If the buildin 
refinement. A heavy, tenacious clay should 
be by all means avoided, as ou such a founda¬ 
tion it is almost impossible to keep the house 
dry unless at a heavy expense. A gravelly soil 
is the best site, but whatever the nature of the 
place chosen, thorough drainage ,is essential. 
A house built near the road is made cheerful 
by the passing travel, but there are other con¬ 
siderations that often should outweigh this. 
There is a vulgar boldness iu the position of a 
house pitched close to the road aud obtruding 
itself ou the notice of the passers-by. While large 
trees close to the house are insalubrious, a back¬ 
ground of trees aud shrubbery is desirable. 
g fronts 
towards the southeast, 
the most pleasantly sun¬ 
ny aspect is generally 
secured. Caro should 
also be taken to so place 
it as to comrnaud the 
finest view in the neigh - 
borhood.when other con¬ 
ditions Will permit, aud 
thus enjoy a pereunial 
source of pleasure aud 
