Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/420

 39(i COTTAGE, FARM, AND VILLA ARCHITECTURE. On the eighteen pillars, presenting on their upper extremities eighteen tenons, is placed, first a frame of carpentry composed of three sleepers the wliole length of the structure, which may be easily cut out of trees of Italian poplar ; and, secondly, six sleei)ers of twenty-four feet long each, crossing the three long sleepers, and let into them by notch- ing out each to the depth of one third. The three long sleepers contain, on their under sides, mortises to receive the tenons of the oak pillars, and these are made fast by wooden pins. On this frame is placed the skeleton of the building, which is rendered plain by the sections and elevations represented in fig. 809 to 813. The skeleton of the superstructure consists of twelve upright posts, each twenty-two feet high, framed into two top plates extending the whole length of the barn, and into six cross plates. This framework completes the skeleton of the rectangular part of the building. The roof is composed of twelve principal rafters, on which are placed two purlins ; and on these rest the secondary rafters, to which are nailed the laths for receiving the slates. The eaves of the roof project about four feet on each side, to protect the unthreshed corn or straw from the rain ; it also projects about two feet at each end, for the same purpose. This is the more necessary as the sides are not covered with boards. AU the joinings of the timbers in this building are l>y tenon and mortise, and all the pins used are of wood, with the exception of those employed for nailing on the laths for receiving the slates, and the nails used in fastening them. With these exceptions, there is not a single piece of iron in the whole of this structure ; and there is no other metal used, except four pieces of lead for the four openings in the roof. In order to make certain of excluding the rats and mice, by rendering it impossible that the thresher should ever forget to turn up the folding stair when he leaves his work, two chains or ropes are attached to it, one on each side, counterbalanced by heavy weights, as shown at m, in fig. 815. In case of the roof requiring repairs, twenty-four hooks of iron may be placed at equal distances along the ridge, to which the slater's ladder may be hooked on. Instead of painting or tarring the ti.nber work, it may be covered, on the exterior sides, with slates. We examined this barn and the other buildings at Celle, with M. Bailly dc Merlieux, in 1828, and were highly gratified with it. We consider it a model for economy and usefulness, and would strongly recommend it to the American farmer. 777. The Straw-hottse is generally the end of the barn opposite to that in which the unthreshed corn is placed ; but in large farms it forms a separate building, adjoining and connected with the barn, and opening into the different cattle-houses and cattle-yards. 778. The Granary, where the barn is not sufficiently high to admit of its being placed in the roof, is commonly placed over the cart-shed, or some other building. It is some- times built apart ; but this is a needless expense, and seldom incurred in wooden construc- tions. A detached granary should be built on pillars with projecting caps, to prevent the ascent of rats and mice ; and it should have windows filled in with lufFer-boarding on all sides, for thorough ventilation ; it should generally be placed exterior to the cattle- yards, in any open situation not far from the barn. When the granary is placed over any other building, it is always convenient to have a windlass fixed in it ; either im- mediately over a trap-door in the floor, or over a door in the outside wall ; through the first of which, sacks of grain may be hoisted up from the corn-room of the barn, should the granary be placed over it ; in the other case, be raised up from, or let down into, a cart.