352

PRACTICAL CONSTRUCTION.

straw from the thrashing-machine when the doors are shut, which they shouldbe whenever the wind happens to blow too strongly through them into themachine against the straw. Instead of dividing straw-barn doors into twovertical leaves, as is usually done, they should be divided horizontally into anupper and lower leaf, so that the lower may always be kept shut against in-truders, such as pigs, whilst the upper admits both light and air into the barn.One of the doors at each end should be furnished with a good stock-lock andkey, and thumb-latch, and the other two fastened with a wooden hand-bar fromthe inside. The floor of the straw-barn is seldom or never flagged or cause-wayed, though it is desirable it should be. If it were not so expensive, theasphaltum pavement would make a good floor for a straw-barn ; but the mosteffective floor is made of small broken stones to the depth of 15 inches, andblended with gravel. It will prevent moulding, and resist rats. Mouldy strawat the bottom of a heap superinduces throughout the upper mass a disagreeableodour, and imparts a taste repugnant to every animal. That portion of thefloor upon which the straw first alights on sliding down the straw-screen of thethrashing-machine, should be strongly boarded, to resist the action of the forkswhen removing the straw. Blocks of hardwood, such as the stools of hard-wood trees, set on end causewaywise, and sunk into the earth, form a verydurable flooring for this purpose. Stone flagging in this place destroys theprongs of the pitchforks. The straw-barn should communicate with the chaff-house by a shutting door, to enable those who take away the straw to seewhether the chaff accumulates too high against the end of the winnowing-machine.

1327. The Corn-Barn .—Its roof is formed of the floor of the upper barn,and its height is generally made too low. The higher the roof is, the moreeasily will the corn descend to be cleaned from the thrashing-machine downthe hopper to the winnowing-machine. Nine feet is the least height itshould be in any instance. The corn-barn should have in it at least twoglazed windows, to admit plenty of light in the short days of winter, andthey should be guarded outside with iron stanchions. If one window cannotbe got to the south, the door when open will answer for the admission ofsunshine to keep the apartment comfortably dry for the workpeople and thegrain.

1328. The door is generally divided into upper and lower halves, which, asusually placed, are always in the way when the winnowing-machine is used atthe door. A. more convenient method is to have the door in a whole piece, andwhen opened, to fold back into a recess in the outer wall, over the top of which aplinth might project to throw off the rain. In this case the ribats and lintel mustbe giblet-checked as deep as the thickness of the door, into which it shouldclose flush, and be fastened with a good lock and key, and provided with athumb-latch. The object of making the corn-barn door of this form is to avoidthe inconvenience of its opening into the harn, where, unless it folds whollyback on a wall, it is frequently in the way of work, particularly when winnowingroughs, and taking out sacks of corn on men’s backs. As to size, it should notbe less in the opening than feet in height and 3£ in width. A light half-doorcan be hooked on, when work is going on, to prevent the intrusion of animals,and the wind sweeping along the floor.

1329. The floor of the corn-barn is frequently made of clay, or of a com-position of ashes and lime; the asphaltic composition would be better thaneither; but in every instance it should be made of wood—of sound hard red-wood Drahm battens, ploughed and feathered, and fastened down to stout joists