i;:^ ^er .LVP ^H ^^^^^^^^^^^^■'f'^ "^ 4^^^^^^^^^^^^l ^^^1 ' ^^^^^^^^^^^^H ^^^HlBlK' '.^^^^^^^^^^^^H^^^l ^^^^^^Hr^; ^^^^^^^^^^1 l^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H ^^^^^^^^^^■f ,:_ ■■ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H ^^^^^K,V*! . A '- '""^ I^H ^^M Ii'''!:i:t:!i -S-, «,-■ "^^ v^^ =V oS^- o>-' ':r.. .■.■i^ %,.^- .i* "^^ V^' ,!-^' "-P. .-J.^ ' ^J -^''os •^c o'^' %^ '^ ^^. ,^^ % o it s ^ . -J' -V, c"^ ..^'' "bo^ > .O- ^^.- v^'' .0^. .*'' "t*. ^^y^ v-i^ ''^. ^ -v^-^. ^ -^. --^ .^- I? ^ .'^':*. ' " ■ ' '^'J*' A A .-^^ ^^. .^•^' 0' . ->-' ^v ^^^ v^' ■^c 0' iiiiiiNiiiii^iiii Niiiii^iiiifeaiiiia |i|Np ^ MBIIIISIIIIIsllimeilllSillSI IIIIIIISIIIHilSllieilllfellllSlllieilltM SoMesFlge^ iDeAs PRSCTICSL HINTS FOR THOSE WHO ¥OULD HELP THEMSELYES IN THE CONSTRUCTIOX OF CONVENIENCES FOR USE ABOUT THE YARD, THE GARDEN Md THE FARM, ■f-. 1 WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO POULTRY-KEEPING. * ♦ ♦ BY ♦ » » / y J. HENRY LEE, INDIHNHPOLIS IND. m Published by the Author: 1894 Copyrighted 1894. *** This Book is Copyrighted to protect my rights as Author, Artist and Publisher. Others cannot copy or otherwise use any of the contents.— whether text or illustrations, in whole or in part, — without rendering themselves liable to prosecution under the laws of the United States. But the Copyright is not intended to prevent the construction and use of the conveniences described, by any purchaser of the book. The Copyright is a necessary protection against dishonest publishers and artists. J_. Henry Lee. Electrotvped bv the indianapolis electrotype : : FOUNDRY INDIANAPOLIS : INDIANA Printed at ofeice of THE OHIO : : : : : POULTRY : : : : : JOURNAL, : : : : : ROB'T A. BRADEN : DAYTON, o. : : : : INTRODUCTORY. Thk one great idea with an American, in any enter- prise, is that it must paj- ; and the constant study is to make it pay well. That business pays best in which the resources, of whatever nature, are managed with e- conomy, — and by economy I do not mean merely an expenditure of the least possible amount of monej-, (which idea too often results in neglecTl and consequent waste,) — but I refer to the proper admixture of brains with business, so as to secure the best results obtaina- ble. And if these results can, by more careful study, be reached with a smaller expenditure of cash than had before been considered necessary, so much the better for the business. That is what the average American aims at every time. An example from the following pages will serve to il- lustrate my meaning fairly. The small wooden button, with a screw or nail in its center, has been used from time immemorial to fasten doors, because it is cheap and handy: to use it is economy. Yet, with a little thought, the idea is immensely improved by simply- driving a small nail above the button : it is therefore truer economy to use this small nail, notwithstanding it is an added expense. That is the key-note of this book, — to present ideas that are useful, cheap, con- venient, and (what is these and more ) economical in the truest sense of the word. Many of the ideas ad- vanced are original, — I cannot claim that they all are; possibly some are not the best of their kind, — there may be a difference of opinion as to that. It is not within the province of this work to argue that poultry-keeping pays ; those who have kept poul- try, with brains, know that it pays, while those who have failed at the business are past all hope and this book will never reach them. That it will be a practical beneiit to those who are now keeping poultry, and to others as well, is the hope of The Author. HOUSE DESIGN No. i. 'Some of Lee's Ideas. ' GeNSRHL OBSSRYfiTIONS. A CARPENTER need not be hired to make the con- veniences about to be described; the average owner of a home will prefer to make the improvements himself, at odd times, and they are specially designed with this in view, - even the buildings will not be found beyond the capacity of ordinary intelligence. And there is a satis- faction in applying the improvements one's self, — not to mention the saving of expense. The tools needed are generally the property- of any householder, but they can be purchased at small cost as compared to hiring the work done. The necessaries are a saw, a hatchet, a square, a screw-driver, a three-corner file and a pocket knife, — a surprisingly short list, — to which might be added for convenience, a pair of combined wire-cutters and pliers and an anvil ; however a very ser\iceable substitute for these can be made by driving an axe into the end of a heavy block for the anvil and two large spikes driven deep at one corner of the same block, a- bout an eighth of an inch apart, will serve for shaping wires and holding them while being filed. A smooth- ing plane and a brace, with two or three sizes of bitts for it, might be added. All of these tools, of good qual- ity, including the axe, can be bought for not to exceed ten dollars. The lumber • ^^ 3 2x4 scantling, ten feet long. 21 2 bundles lath. 30 2 second-hand sash i 00 20 pounds of tarred paper, at 3 cents per pound 60 I pair half-strap hinges, with screws 15 Nails, etc., and paint S^ Total $10 00 Buildings. The fencing and flooring came in six inch widths. To begin the construction, first saw 20 of the fencing boards to a uniform length of six feet; these are for the rear wall. The scrap ends are then to be trimmed all to two-foot lengths, for the lower part of the front wall, a fencing board being ripped in two strips, to which. these scraps are nailed, as shown in Fig. 2 ; two boards near each end, are left for the doors for the fowls. This done, all is ready for nailing together the base of the whole house ; three of the wide boards are used for the base and the fourth for the partition. The front base slants outward, as shown in Fig. i. 'Some of Lee's Ideas.' 8 . Buildings. The frame is then constructed by erecting a long fenc- ing board at three feet from the front end of each side base and a shorter one at the rear ends, as shown in Fig. I, (which shows these boards trimmed to fit under the roof.) These two sets of uprights are then con- nected by scantlings, for the roof, scantlings being re- quired to give the necessary strength to the roof; under the ends of these scantlings, fencing boards are nailed, uniting the uprights ; the third scantling is then fas- tened in place, midway between the others. The top of the two longest uprights is then connected with the front base, by a fencing board, and two boards nailed across the front, to support the sash. The whole frame is then complete and ready to be enclosed. Figs, i and 2 show side and front details of the frame. Fencing boards are used on the sides and back and flooring for the roof and front ; flooring is best for roof and front, because, being smooth, it sheds the rain readily, and being tongue-and-grooved, there is no trouble with leaks. The sash are adjusted in their proper places, with strips of tin above them to turn water, before the boards are nailed on. The cracks on the sides and back of the house are stripped with lath ; the inside of the house is lined with tarred paper; and the roof and front are painted with a cheap mineral paint. This makes tjie house sufficiently warm for winter in almost any northern latitude ; for the South the tarred paper might be dispensed with, but it is an advantage any- where as a disinfeAant and also because it is very dis- agreeable to all kinds of vermin ; and preventive meas- ures must be taken against lice wherever the English sparrow is found. The roof might be painted with tar, instead of mineral paint, as the slant is not enough to run it off in hot weather. The partition is made of lath, nailed closely, on the broad base board, a narrower board being used for the top. Enough scrap pieces will be left to make dust and nest boxes, roosts, etc., and the arrangement of these can be made as best suits the convenience of the owner. 'Some op Lee's Ideas.' 9 . Buildings. The gate in the partition rests on the top of the base- board ; this prevents sagging and leaves the base-board xmweakened. The same principle is applied in the construction of the 3-ard gates, as will be explained later. The small doors in the front base are raised and lowered by cords, which can be reached while standing at the main door ; these cords pass over home-made pulleys, and each is attached to an iron bolt on its door which is heavy enough to fall into its socket when re- leased. I arranged this to fasten or unfasten the door by the lifting-cord, and it was verj- satisfactory ; but I found, in use, that the mud from the feet of the fowls in moist weather, would accumulate in the socket into which the bolt was e.xpected to drop, and thus interfere sometimes, with its free movement. For this reason, I liave practicalh- abandoned these doors, adopting a vertical door, which is so construdted that no lever can be inserted under it by a thief, or has an automatic fastening above it, which will be described and illus- trated in that part of this book specially devoted to the subject of doors. Ventilation can be provided in either of two ways. Holes can be cut at the top of each side wall, thus sup- plying "top ventilation." and these holes may be cov- ered with a movable shutter, by which to regulate the size of the opening, according to the temperature, the number of fowls housed, or any other condition which may arise. However, the ventilator most commonly employed is a tube made by nailing together 4 boards long enough to extend from a point near the floor at the center of the house, out through the roof. Each style of ventilator has its special advantages, and the builder can choose for himself ; the important point a- bout a ventilator is to avoid subjectiug the fowls to a draft at night. My perches are placed at the center or each compart- ment ; they rest on blocks nailed to the side walls and to the partiton. The perch is two inches square, -with the corners rounded off, made of proper length to spring into place firmly. They can be removed when occasion requires, and are not in the way, like benches, when not in use, as they can be leaned up in one cor- ner of the house. Young birds of the .Asiatic and A- merican classes should not be permitted to sit upon perches of any sort until the "keel-bone" is well past the gristle state. The dust-bath must be placed under the window, as chickens will not use it in a dark or cold place, in winter. It will be readily seen that this house can be ex- tended to any length desired, by using three posts every ten feet, to support the roof, a partition at these posts taking the place of the end wall in the original plan. HOUSE DESIGN No. 2. • • • H MODEL HOUSE. « • • ~> BUT a thoroughly good and convenient house • is more often desired than one iu which the greatest recommendation is its cheapness. I have therefore designed a house which pos- sesses about all the features really desirable in a house, I think, and which can be built at a small cost, also. In connection with the other conveniences which I shall describe, I believe little is left to be desired, iu the ordinary range of poultry keeping. The illustra- tion on the opposite page gives a perspective view. Xo attempt at architectural beauty has been made, but a careful reading of the description will, I thiuk, con- vince anyone that it is "built for business." Reasons why are all pointed oiit. This building is of the same dimensions as the one first shown, viz., lo by lo feet, and is 12 feet high at the rear, the roof sloping to a height of eight fett from the ground, at the top of the sash. The change in the di- rection of the slope of the roof is practically the only difference in the external design of the two houses; the slope and length of roof are the same, the slope of front the same and the windows are in the same position. The reason for the change iu the diredlion of the roof was hinted at a few pages back. I noticed, in winter, that the snow or sleet would stay on the roof of house No. I, long after the front had become perfedtly dry in the sunshine. The difference in angle would make a less amount adhere to the front, of course, but this did not fully account for it all; investigation developed the fact that the sun's rays touched the roof at such an angle as to make them powerless. This is true of any roof having a northern aspect. It therefore became advisable to reverse the slant of the roof, to give the sun a fair chance. Warmth is desirable, and, if the elements can ser\-e or harm us, they should he looked after. If the sun shines squarely against the roof, it will remove the snow or ice or morning's frost quickl)', and a dr}' roof is certainh- better, in eveiy waj-, than an icy roof. We therefore find that house design No. 2 not onl)- admits the sunshine, for light and warmth, to almost the whole floor of the house, but also takes ad- vantage of the same element to secure the best possible conditions all around, in the winter season. The prin- ciples I have pointed out apply, also, to our advantage, in summer, in house design No. 2. Glance at Figs, i and 2, next page, — the dotted lines representing the •So«E OF Lee's Ideas.' 12 , ... A Model House. Fi. :^--^ Winter Sun. suu's rays, the others representing the slant of the roof and windows, of house Xo. 2. It will be noticed that iu winter the rays enter the window and also strike the roof squarely ; but, in summer, when the sun is much further to the north, its beams cannot enter at the win- dow and the}- touch the roof at the angle at which our winter experience demonstrates they have the least power. Thus this design utilizes the sun's warmth to ^ z M'MMER hUX. the best advantage, in winter, and avoids it, as much as possible, iu the heat of summer. In this design the roof projeAs out over the top of the windows sufficient to shed water, but does not ob- stru(5l the light ; this makes the tin flashing used above the sash in house No. I, unnecessary in this design, which is an advantage, because such work, even when done by a practical roofer, is not always free of leaks. ■Some of Lee's Ideas.' 18 If it seems inadvisable to allow the water from the roof to flow over the windows-, the common form of cheap gutter can be erected on the roof, without obstructing the light in the least. This gutter is made by fastening a narrow board vertically on its edge, near the lower edge of the roof and filling the angle with a board, which has been tapered to about a half-inch width at the outlet end. Tin is then shaped over these strips and tacked to them and to the sheathing of the roof. The shingles, or other roofing materials, are then made to lap over the upper edges of this tin covering. No doubt the water can, in most cases, discharge from the end of the gutter, no spouting being necessary. As before remarked, a poultry house should front to- wards the south. If located on a city lot which fronts north, I find some will cling to the idea that the house must be placed at the rear end of the lot, and conse- quently cannot have a south front ; this is a mistake, because, if a space is to be allotted to the fowls, their house can be located at the front of that space, or in the middle of it, and would be more .safe from depreda- tors, if so located. On a lot w^hich extends east and west, the building may be located at the side of the space set apart for poultry. In this, as in other affairs, "what is worth doing at all, should be done right." Perhaps the most important difference between the two designs is in the floors. No. I has an earth floor, .... A Morel House. which is kept covered with straw or other litter. No. 2 has a floor made of tongue-and-grooved stuff, and this floor is two feet above the ground. If we study the subject of floors, we find the first essential is dryness; this is secured by an elevated floor better than in any- other way. Again, the trouble with rats is avoided; the precautions against these pests, detailed in the last chapter, are unnecessary with design No. 2. A board floor on, or a few inches above, the ground, forms a capital retreat for the rat, as well as for other small an- imal pests ; the elevated floor, with dust underneath it, as is contemplated in this design, furnishes no such harbor, and the animal, of whatever kind, which at- tempts to burrow into this house, finds the dust in its nose anything but agreeable ; however, if it should be courageous enough to not turn back, it would find it- self in an empty room, no nearer the fowls than before entering, and its place of entrance clogged with dust. The floor is made tight to avoid drafts about the fowls, thus insuring their comfort, and to keep the litter and droppings where they should be, — which is not in the dust-bath. The location of the floor is indicated by the dotted line, in design No. 2. If the flooring boards are sawn into short lengths, to be put in the house crosswise, only three joists will be needed for each half of the house ; and 2x4 scantlings win answer verv well for joists. My idea is that the ■Some of Lee's Ideas. " li ~) . A Model House. partition should be made to extend from the ground up through the floor, be made of lath nailed to a board at the ground but not at the floor ; the lath to be about a half inch apart, or so close that the fowls cannot pick at each other, or very small chicks creep through the cracks. The ordinary length of lath is four feet ; this places the strip to which the upper euds of the lath are nailed, at two feet above the floor, — the proper height for the perches, where my method of arranging the perches is adopted. A second course of lath is placed above this, to make the partition of proper height ; it will then extend al)Ove the floor six feet, which is just the height of the roof at its lowest part, and suflicient to turn back almost any "flyer." A partition thus constructed, leaves a series of small holes, at the floor- line, which form a part of the system of ventilation employed in this house ; this will be fully explained later on. The believer in no ventilation is at liberty to make the floor solid, and ereft the partition above it. Fig. 3 shows the end elevation of this house. The door can, of covirse, be placed at whichever end is most convenient. The line of dashes, marked F, shows the location of the floor, two feet above the ground. The roof, at its highest point, is twelve feet from the ground and at the lowest, eight feet. The door is six feet high and three feet wide. A battened door, as here shown, answers every purpose as well as a more expensive 1 ' R ... a 09 ~~'"^^^^_5l-v r 1 K r 3 :j S \ \ i StCf Fig. 3 : — End Elevation. style. It is made of the same material as the sides of the house, — tongue-and-grooved stuff, — and the bat- tens which are nailed very firmly at about a foot from the bottom and eighteen inches from the top, may be of the same material, also. The position of the perch is indicated at R, with drop-board db beneath, covering nest-box N, which has a lid, L, to open outward when 'Some of Lee's Ideas." 16 . A Model House. 1 - - - r — 1 II II n — fl -—^--7; Fig. 4: — Front Elevation. gathering the eggs. This is the usual method of ar- ranging perches and nests, and is not objectionable in any way ; but I ■ will explain a better arrangement, when I touch that subject, in its proper place. The closed end of t!ie gutter described on page 13, is shown at G. At A the front base of the house is shown raised to keep the house cool, in summer; i:i winter this front "® 1 O Fig. 5 : — Rear Elevation. is fastened down, for warmth. One of the upper ven- tilators, V, is located at each end of the house. The, references F and G, are the same in Fig. 4 as in Fig. 3. The dotted line in G shows the position of the tapered strip which foims the bottom of the gutter, (see p. 13.) In Fig. 5, F is the floor-line and v v the lower ventila- tors. All the ventilating holes should be covered with "Some of Lee's Ideas." ■\vire-cloth, such as is used for window and door screens, to keep out small animals and birds. Fig. 5 shows the method of cutting the boards to best advantage and ap- plying them to avoid weakening the structure ; this is technicall}- known as "breaking the joints." The ends of the boards are made to meet alternately upon the two scantlings, (represented b\- the dotted lines at s s,) to which they are nailed. The height of this wall is twelve feet, and the two scantlings give the necessary firmness to that length of tongue-and-grooved stuff. The upper ends of these boards will be nailed to the scantling which supports the roof, and an inch board will be strong enough for the lower ends. In other respe(5ls than those noted in this chapter, house No. 2 is to be constru(fted by the details given for No. I ; no foundation, no sills, no posts. If a brick or other foundation is deemed desirable, it will onh- be necessarj- to add eight short posts, (at each corner and at the center of each side,) extending from the joists ■which support the floors down upon the foundation. The roof is supported by three scantlings ; is made of •ommon boards covered with roofing-paper or shingles, and the slanting front is made same as the roof. In the floor plan. Fig. 6, D is the door, R r the perches, DB db the boards under the perches to catch the droppings, and beneath these boards a place for the nests. This is the usual arrangement, but my plan . A Model House. D DB OS ., -E? b- " Fia 6 : — Floor Plan. is different. As only a few fowls are expected to be kept in each side of this house, — a "breeding-pen" consists, ordinarily, of from seven to twelve birds, ac- cording to the variety, and not over twenty birds should ever be housed together, at any time, — it will be a waste of time to clean up the house daily. But the dropping boards soon become ver>- unsightly ; I therefore discard them altogether. My plan is to fasten a strip on each outside wall at the proper height to support the end of the perch, — see the dotted line un- "Some of Lee's Ideas.' 17 tier R, in Fig. 3, p. 14. This is the same height as the top of the first course of lath iu the partition, as men- tioned ou p. 14 ; and the inner end of the perch is to rest on the cross-piece of the partition, or on a strip fastened to it. The perch is long enough to spring into its place firmly, and it should be removed during tlie daytime to be located at a different point 'for the next night. I recommend the removal of the perches during the daytime, when the fowls are confined to the house by severe weather, as they will take more exercise if there are no convenient perchiug-places. Exercise is absolutely necessary to keep the fowls in good health, and it is a noticeable fact that they will not move about as much as is good for them, in gloomy weather. The perches are to be set at a different place each night to avoid an accumulation of droppings on the floor. The floor is to be kept covered at all times with chaff, or some such litter, which will readilv absorb the moisture from the droppings, and the fowls are to be encouraged to scratch this about, by grain scattered through it. Managed in this way, there will be no necessity for cleaning up the house every day, or even every week, as the floor is always dry, and the litter can be used a long time before it becomes so foul as to necessitate its removal. The safe rule is to clean up and supply fresh litter whenever a bad odor is noticed on opening the house, in the morning ; that is all . A Model House. the trouble one need take, in the matter. Of course, in damp weather the litter will have to be changed fre- quently, while in dry warm weather it may not require attention for many weeks ; hence no definite time can be set apart for this work. A ten-foot 2x4 scantling, ripped through its center, makes four perches for this house. These will be two inches square, and the corners should be planed or whittled off, to permit the fowls to grasp the perch, without discomfort. A more thorougli consideration of the subjedl of perches will be given in a special ■chapter, later on. Instead of building the nests in, as a part of the house, I advise the separate nest-box described in the special chapter on that suljjedt ; this is best located at the space designated nb, in Fig. 6. It should be made double, with the entrances at the end which is to be placed toward the outside wall. This is away from the dire<5t light of the windows, — the hen's in- stinct causes her to seek a secluded place for her nest, and when once accustomed to the arrangement which I have described, there will be no trouble about stolen nests. This makes a dark nest, which is the best pre- ventive of the egg-eating habit ; for an innocent hen sometimes learns that habit by seeing the vicious at the nest, and generally an egg accidentally broken by a hen that is innocent of the habit, is considered "Some of Lee's Ideas." ■ X, a feast, if it is iu sight, — and thus the pernicious hab- it is started ; but, if broken iu a dark nest, it is not discovered. I have so far said nothing regarding the entrance for the fowls. Of course the ordinary- entrance, a hole iu the wall with some sort of an arrangement for closing it at night, will meet the wants of most poultr}- keepers but, for the benefit of any who may wish to use it, I will explain an inexpensive plan by which to shut out the cold wind of winter, as much as possible, while permitting the fowls to pass in and out 'at will. Re- ferring to Fig. 6, B is a box which may be eighteen inches square, more or less, according to the size of the fowls kept, and should be a foot or more in height. Two of these boxes are shown iu Fig. 6, one for each side of the house, and the description and references are the same, but as they adjoin the partition thev are made to open right and left into the house. The open- ings in each box for the fowls to pass through, are marked E E, while P is a partition which shuts off the direct course between the two openings. In Fig. 7 this is more clearly illustrated. The partition is seen at P, and the arrows indicate the course of the fowl, in en- tering. That side of the box next to the outside wall is removed, since it would be useless and inconvenient to match an opening in the box with an opening in the wall. The five vertical dash lines indicate the boards Fig. 7. c o o o o A Model House. Storm-Proof ::; Entrance. of tlie outside wall, with the opening. The opening for the use of the fowls is usually about a foot wide, as here represented, and a foot or more in height, accord- to the size of the fowls which are to use it ; Leghorns and other fowls haviug large combs liable to injury, should be given ample room to pass through. It might be well to proteift the fowls against the drip from the slanting front, at the entrance. This can be done in a variety of ways. Perhaps the handiest meth- od is to fasten a strip, on the slanting front immedi- ately above the entrance, in the same manner as in construAing a gutter for the roof, (see p. 13.) But if one end of the strip is placed a trifle lower than the other, the water will be turned off, and there will be no ne- cessity for the complete gutter ; the vertical strip used need only be about two feet long. A joint of old stove- pipe, split in half and tacked on at one edge, would furnish the necessary prote(5tion for both openings. •Some of Lee's Ideas. " 19 A Model House. Having passed through this box entrance, the fowl is in the lower part of the house. To reach the floor, the fowl immediately climbs toward the light, first hopping upon the box through which it entered, then to the floor. The opening in the floor above the box- entrance is of the same size as the box ; this opening is it.self boxed up to a height of eighteen inches and a trap-door, falling to an angle of forty-five degrees and secured there bj' a drop-bolt, closes the fowls in safely at night. The outer entrance-hole is also closed by a drop-door, so that, if desirable, the fowls can be let in- to the lower part of the house but not permitted to go outside, in stormy weather. Both of these methods for closing up entrances, will be found explained in detail, in a special chapter, later on. Of course an ar- rangement of the vertical drop could be made to close the inside entrance of the box and the floor opening at the same time ; but I do not consider this desirable, for several reasons. For example, by having the floor- opening with a slanting top to the boxing around it, the light from the windows will penetrate well under the house, which would not be the case if the boxing w'ere vertical and open only at the front. In summertime, when the front base is raised per- manently, (see Fig.3,) to keep the house cool, the box- entrance should not be removed ; it will still be needed by the fowls in reaching their roosting-places. Fig. S :— Fig. 9 :— Upper Ventil.\tor. Lou'er Ventilator. The two holes under the floor at the back of the house, two at the highest point in the side walls, and the small open spaces along the floor at the partition constitute the system of ventilation, along with the box -entrance, in winter, and the open front, in sum- mer. In Figs. 8 and 9, v is the wire-covered opening, c is the board or tin cover, working on a round-head screw, and s is the cord which operates it. To open the upper ventilators, the cords are pulled down, — when re- leased the cover falls over the opening, where it is held by the nail, p ; to open the lower ventilators, the cord (which passes up through the floor,) is released, — to close, the cords are pulled until nail.d, stops the cover. Each of the cords should have a loop to slip over a nail ; it will be necessary to regulate the tension of the cords to hold the upper ventilators open and the lower ventilators closed. 'Some of Lee's Ideas.' 20 . A Model House. Wheu the front base is up and all the ventilators open there will be a noticeable draft up through the small holes in the floor at the partition ; and the warmer the weather, the stronger this action will be, of course, since the heat rises naturally to the highest part of any house and this movement is accelerated in house No. 2, by the location of the upper venti- lators at the points where they will most readily carry off the heat. With a tube ventilator, starting near the floor, cooling the house is out of the que.stiou. The principal idea, in a tube ventilator, is to remove the foul gases which, being heavier than the air, settle at floor. But, like the contagious diseases which they en- gender, these gases are better prevented than cured, and the high, drj' floor, with dry and dusty air be- neath it, is an effectual preventive, along with the sanitary precautions which I advised on page 17, — q.v. In wintertime, it will doubtless be best for the health of the fowls to keep the lower ventilators closed and have the upper holes half covered, at least; for, no matter how carefully built, a house that is not plas- tered permits some air to enter below and escape above. With a fair amount of judgement in such matters as these, there is no good reason why house No. 2 cannot be kept comfortable and healthful, at all seasons of the year, and in almost any climate in which fowls can be profitably kept. I have made frequent mention of dust under the house. This is a very important item and should be fully provided for. The spot upon which the house is built should be higher than the level of the ground around it ; or a load or two of earth should be filled in to make it so, if need be. With this precaution in the beginning, there will be little trouble to keep it dry afterwards ; and, if thorough!)- spaded up and pulver- ized at first, and given an occasional stirring up, the earth under the house will quickly- be reduced to what is wanted. In addition to always supplying the dust- bath, which is indispensable in keeping the fowls in good health aiid free of vermin, the dust aids in keeping the air dry in the house, thus avoiding, so far as can be, the unhealthy vapors which are created in a damp house. In winter, the only moisture that can get under the house is what is carried in by the fowls through the round-aliout box entrance ; in summer the open front renders it an easier matter for the fowls to destroy the dust ; but when the front is raised, there is pfa Fig. 21. The loiig and narrow form is best for all yards, for many reasons, where the fowls are kept confined ; the principal reason is that the same area will afford more range for exercise, if long than if nearer square in form. ON THE GHTE. DEALING, as we are, with exadlly the same kinds of materials, in the construction of gates, as in the construction of fences much of what was treated upon in the chapter on fences applies here and need not be repeated. I sup- pose it is scarcely necessary to remark that for the sake of appearances it is wisest to use the same ma- terial in the gate as is used in the fence ; or, in other words, a gate made of wire-netting would not look well placed in a lath fence, or vice versa. As before stated, I think it best to continue the base- board of the fence across the opening made for the gate, as this will add firmness to the posts. This base- board is a famous perching-place for the chickens, when the gate is standing open, and for that reason it is advisable, where the heavier breeds are kept, to nail a strip on the base-board to make the top edge wide enough to avoid an injury to the breast-bone. I had a practical lesson on this subje(5t once, and several nice young Brahmas went to pot. Another advantage in having the base-board across the opening is that it affords a support to prevent the Fig. 22. sagging which occurs in a greater or less degree in all gates of the ordinary construction. ■SoMBOP Lee's Ideas." K K K \ K K K ^ N "Ml^^ KK Fig. 23. How to prevent sagging is perhaps the most import- ant question to be considered, in connection with the gate. The plan most commonly employed is that illus- trated in Figs. 23 and 24. The brace may be doubled, as shown in Figs. 25 and 26, which, of course, adds to the rigidity. Another plan is to suspend the gate b)- a wire, as shown in Fig. 22. This wire serves for a hinge n On The Gatb. ^t S II Fig. 24, as shown in the sketch, which calls for no further ex- planation, I believe. For a lath gate no frame is needed. The laths are to be merely nailed upon boards in the same manner as in building the fence itself. Then, if properly braced, such a gate, with reasonable care, will be as durable as the fence itself. "Some of Lee"s Ideas." Fig- 25- The brace, as well as the two batten's, should be inch strips. The brace, being bevelled at the ends, is to be toe-nailed to the battens, and the laths are to be nailed to the brace as well as to the battens. Made in this way such a gate is very firm, considering the materials. Figs. 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 show various styles of lath gates, under the method of construction which I have recommended. Fig. 26. In construdling a gate with wire-netting, a frame must be made, and it is well to brace this in both di- rections, as shown in Fig. 27. In making this frame there is no necessity for mortising at the corners ; the use of long wire nails will make it strong enough for the purpose, where two braces are employed as shown in the drawing. The upper and lower pieces of the frame should be a trifle longer than is needed for the ■Some of Lee's Ideas.' 3S On The oate. Fig. 27. frame, to allow for the fastening, the nails being driv- en through these pieces into the ends of th.e uprights. Some hints on the subject of fastenings will be given later, in a special chapter. As a rule, a gate is handiest if it is hung so as to be pulled open with the right hand or pushed open with Fig. 2S : — Another ^Method of Bracing the Frame. the left. But circumstances often make it necessary to reverse this. F^or instance, it is better to hang the gate to swing against a wall than to swing away from it, be- cause the passage opened is more free and the fasten- ing is more conveniently reached. On general princi- ples, the hinge at the wall is firmest, anyway. ABOUT DOORS. /^"^ VERY-DAY DOORS are made of common ^^^■bJ tongue-and-grooved stuff, applied vertically % jj and held together by "battens." These are "^V generally an inch thick and about six inches wide, very secureh" nailed at about twelve inches from the bottom of the door and eighteen inches from the top. Sometimes a diagonal brace is inserted, in the same manner as in a gate, but for ordinarj- use the battens make the door strong and firm enough, if well nailed on. Figs. 29 and 30, (next page,) explain this style of door and the method of construeling it, with and without a diagonal brace. The ordinary size for a door of this kind is about three feet wide and six feet or more high. What was said in the last chapter as to hanging a gate will apply to a door as well. If the door is located near one cor- ner of the house, as in Design No. 2, then it should open outward away from the corner or inward against the north wall. The reasons for this are, — first, if the door were hung to swing out past the corner it would be liable to injury if opened violently by the wind or through carelessness ; but if a fence were attached to that corner, either at a right-angle to the door or in line with it, then there might be no serious objection to having the door swing northward, and probably that wouUl be most convenient where the fence joined at a right-angle : secondh', if the door were made to swing in toward the center of the room it would, of course, be in the way for several reasons. An extra board should be nailed so as to cover the crack at each side of the door. In Figs. 29, 30 and 31 the extra boards are num- liered i and the wall boards 2 ; the dash lines on boards i i represent the edges of the door, in Figs. 29 and 30. These extra boards ser\-e a good purpose, also, in making th* hinges and fastenings more secure than they would be on only one thickness of board. Fig. 31. In applying these extra boards notches may be cut to fit the battens of the door, (Fig. 29,) or the ends of the battens can be trimmed off to make this unnecessary, (Fig. 30.) "Some o f Lee's Ideas." Fig. 29- W^kK"^ .About Doors. Fig. .>fJl./<«Jv 'Some of Lee's Ideas.' r*> - 1' \ \ JuuuL About Doors. Fig- 31- Doors for partitions are made like gates, — Figs. 31 and 32, — either of long strips, (31,) or of lath, (32.) Fig- 32- It would be wise, also, to use such a door to close the main entrance, duriug warm weather. In winter, when 'Some of Lee's Ideas.' 40 . About Doors. 5. not needed, it can remain swung back against the wall out of the way, or it can be removed entirely. The wire hinge described in the next chapter is very handy where the door is to be removed, and it will support these light doors as well as gates. Such doors may be braced in the ordinary way. Fig. 31, or by a wire like the gate shown in Fig. 22. This method is shown in Fig. 32, which is, to my mind, a ver)' attractive design, in several ways. Full-length lath, above the nearly solid base which is made of half-lengths, brings the height up to six feet. A nar- row strip, or a lath, will answer for the cross-piece to join the laths upon. In applying the suspending-wire the upper end should be shaped for the hinge and then the lower end filed to a point and bent to a right-angle. The door is then to be adjusted squarely and this point- ed end driven in to hold it so. A staple, such as used for putting up wire netting, or a hand-made staple of about the same size, should then be driven down over the wire near where it enters the wood, and the wire may also be secured with staples at each lath. If the points go through the lath they can be clinched into the wood by holding an axe, or any weighty piece of iron, against the lath where the points will emerge. This is better, and much neater, than to attempt to clinch the points after they are driven through. HBOUT HINGES. POR HANGING a door or a gate the ordinary strap or half-strap hinge can be used, but if a number of hinges are needed it may be wise to adopt something more economical. In applying a hinge care should be taken to adjust it to move freely; if "on a strain" caused by crooked ad- Fig- 33-— Strap Hinge. Fig- 35- justment, the hinge will in time become loose or other- wise occasion trouble. In applying a half-strap hinge the broad end is fastened to the gate or door. A hinge is always fastened to the gate or door first ; then, after adjusting the gate or door to its opening, the hinge is permaneutl)' fixed to the support. With the idea of a ser\^iceable hinge which would be cheap and easilj- made by hand, I have designed a Fig. 34,— Half-strap Hinge. Fig. 36- hinge to be made from any heavy wire ; two pieces of old telegraph or telephone wire, each about three and •Some of Lee's Ideas.' iS . ABOUT Hinges. one-half inches in length, bent as shown in Figs. 35 and 36, will make a hinge that will answer as well for the light gates and doors recommended, as something more expensive, and will wear at least as long as such a gate remains in usable condition. Long wire nails can be used, but I have recommended old telegraph wire because it can be picked up almost anywhere and saved until needed. Fig. 37 shows the hinge complete. .^C Fig. 37- These wires are so shaped that they can be driven like nails, (a great point in favor of such a hinge,) and will not suffer alteration in being driven, if they are shaped prop- erl}', in the beginning, — and this is an imporatnt item. In the part, (Fig. 35,) intended to be driven into the post, the vertical end, i, is at a right-angle with the loop, 2, and this loop is one-sided; if this loop were symmeti'ical, like the loop in Fig. 36, the force exerted in driving it, would enlarge and otherwise distort the loop. Fig. 38 shows a hinge in use, — p the post, G the gate. Fig. 38. When the part of the hinge is driven into the post until there is just room for the gate-loop to slip into place, a nail should be driven into the post close up under the loop ; this gives greater firmness to the hinge, for constant use. Likewise when the loop is driven to its place in the gate, (which is just enough to permit it to slip over the spike, i. Fig. 35,) a nail should be driven into the gate above the loop ; this nail should not be driven quite home, stopping when the head is at about the point marked i in Fig. 36, so as to fill up the angle in the loop. These nails, it will be noticed, strengthen the parts in the direction towards which the weight of the gate is pushing them, — downward in the post, upward in the gate. In driving the parts of this hinge it will generally be found advisable to slant them laterally' enough to place the loops at the corner ; this will allow the gate to open wide. To permit the hinge to work freely, both loops should be exa<5t!y horizontal, one resting fiat upon the other; if the}' are not just right, after driving, they should be treated with hammer or nip- pers. Likewise, if the weight of the gate does not rest equally on both hinges, a hammer should be used to adjust them. Properly made and adjusted, such a hinge will last a reasonable length of time and, everything consid- ered, prove as satisfactory as could be wished. Not "Some of Lee's Ideas." ■ — — : — TT^, the least item in its favor can be lifted off at will. . About Hinges. is the fadt that the gate Fig- 39- A quarter twist in loop 36 will adapt the hinge to use as a door-hinge, making the flat of the loop at Fig. 40. a right angle with the ends of the wire which were to be-driven, — Fig. 39. If these ends are to be fastened flat on the side of the door, b}- the use of staples, Fig. 40, the points need not be sharpened ; but a bet- ter hinge for this purpose, (and one that is as well adapted for a gate,) is made by the modifications shown in Fig. 41. In this, after the quarter-twist has been made, the ends are spread to a Y, and then a- bout an inch at the point is turned down and sharp- ened for driving into the wood, at 2, 2. The part should then be secured by a long staple near the edge of the door ; and if this staple can be clinched, it will be more secure. .v^^pv-- Fig. 41. The other part of the hinge is merely to be driven direAly through the wall, as near to the edge as is safe, and the point clinched back into the wood. GHTE AND DOOR FfiSTENINGS. y^'yf Am fastenings which can be depended ■ ^^1^^ upon are among the most important items to ^ J| be dealt with, whether it be about the farm, V the garden or the fancier's };ards. On this subject I cannot do better than to quote from what I wrote for the Poultry llonthly some time ago, giving a description of the fastening which I recommend for all gates not exposed to rogues of the quadruped or biped order. "Where there are a number of yards each requiring a gate, the question of a suitable fastening is some- times an expensive one, and it is a vexatious one as well, if the fastening fails to do its work well. Man)- a charge of fraud can be traced to an insecure gate or door fastening, which permitted the mixing of the fowls in two yards for a Short time. I once bought some Light Brahma eggs, which were to be selected for me from two hens ; when they were hatched, it be- came evident the babies were mixed, for there was one which looked like a Silver 'WVandotte in color, comb, etc., although it had slightly feathered shanks; an- other chick was a little lighter in color, but had the other Wyandotte characteristics and fairly feathered shanks ; a third showed traces of Wyandotte color onl\-. Hence I concluded that the hen which laid those eggs had been guilty of an indiscreet meeting with a Wyandotte neighbor ; whether the impurity went further than these three chicks, it was of course impossible to decide. The breeder was astonished at the result of the hatch ; no doubt some of the help about the place had separated the birds without re- porting to him. Such cases may happen on any poultry farm. "A fastening that is inexpensive and at the same time reliable is therefore a necessity. The sketch • given herewith shows a fastening for a gate that costs next to nothing, and is as secure for either a firm or a sagging gate, as any handy fastening that can be devised, I think. It is self-fastening and al- ways ready to catch the gate. It will be seen to be a modification of the common iron drop-hook fasten- ing, but it has the advantage of that fastening in "Some cf Lee's Ideas." ■ ' tliat it will permit much more sagging of the gate before it needs resetting. If the gate in time sags con- siderably, the nail P can be drawn and redriven higher . Gate and Door Fastenings. Fig. 4;. np, tlms making allowance for almost any sag that maj' occur in the life of any well-made gate. But the fas- tening itself can be readily readjusted by removing the screw s and driving it lower down to make the fasten- ing level with the gate. The fastening is opened by raising the hook end or depressing the small end. It should be made of hard wood, — beech, elm, sycamore or other scraps about the place can be utilized ; a piece of old barrel stave will answer admirably. The en- larged drawing, (Fig. 43,) shows the shape to cut it. ,0 A large wire-uail can be used instead of a screw, and will answer every purpose ; the hole in the fastening should be larger than the screw or nail used, else the fastening may not drop down to its place freely in wet weather. The small nail p keeps the fastening always ready to catch, prevents its swinging down out of place and, if rightly located, the gate in closing will knock the fastening down into place, in case it should remain lip when opened." The size of such a fastening would, of course, depend upon the work expe<5ted of it. If for a light gate, the ■Some of Lee's Ideas.' 46 cross-piece being one inch thick and the post against which it shuts being 2x4, placed flatwise with the fence then a scrap of hard wood a half-inch-thick, two inches wide and about seven inches long will make a suitable fastening. Having shaped it as shown bj- Fig. 43, it is to be adjusted on the post to allow the hook to catch freely over the gate ; this should be done with the gate in position. The small nail or brad, p, is then driven into the post to hold the fastening horizontal, and for this purpose it need not project more than one-fourth of an inch. This small nail can be driven above and to the rear of the screw, S, as shown in the drawings, or it can be driven under the fastening in front of the screw. The small nail located as in Fig. 43 will alwaj-s keep the fastening at the horizontal position, but if it is de- sired the nail can be placed in such a position that the fastening will stay in a nearly vertical position, when thrown up. By experimenting a little, this small nail can be so located that the gate in closing will knock a- gainst the lower end of the fastening, when up, so as to make it catch the gate automatically. I should advise that such a precaution be taken in all cases where the plan shown in Fig. 43 is not followed. The same idea can be worked out in stiff wire, as I have roughly shown in Fig. 44. A round-head screw, S, should be used for attaching it to the post. If the , Gate and Do'ir Fastenings. post is two inches thick, then the fastening will be about five and a half inches long, when completed, and require about ten inches of wire to make it. The ends should be turned back, as shown in the drawing, to avoid injur)- to clothes or hands in passing. Fig. 44. The nail for holding this fastening in position may be placed inside of the rear loop, just over the point marked X in the drawing, but perhaps it is better placed near the front edge of the post and under the wire, — p, in the drawing. The fastening can then be thrown up out of the way when the gate is opened, and the gate, in closing, will touch the rear loop below x.thus throwing it into position; the fastening adjusted in this way is thus automatic in any position. •e^ ^ •'Some of Lee's Ideas.' .Gate and Door Fastenings. QUOTING Monthl}' : "This the old-fashi and gates. AGAIN from the article iu the Poultry small nail, P, is also an improvement on oned button used as a fa.stening for doors I have often wondered that the idea has not come into universal use with these buttons long ago ; but I have never seen it except where I suggested it. Without the nail the button is treacherous ; it often turns to the vertical position, particularly if loose, and to prevent this the common practice is to tighten up the screw with a hanmier or screw-driver. But this nail, p, once driven would forever obviate the trouble. The buttons as commonly shaped, with screw or nail at the center. Fig. 45, can have the nail ap- plied to hold them in place, but it is better to insert the screw near one end. Fig. 46, for many reasons." Fig. 46. The nail p should not be placed so far back that the button when thrown back, would interfere with the closing of the door. Secured in this way such a button will probably be most satisfactory if it is loose enough to fall into its place freely ; a round-head screw is best, and if a flat- •Some of Lee's Ideas ■ 4S . Gate and Door Fastenenc head is used the hole should be reamed out with the point of a knife-blade to fit the screw-head. These buttons are usable from only one side of a door and from only one side of a gate also, unless the gate is so low as to permit reaching over it, — a height which is generally insufficient. Some plan to turn the button from the other side would therefore add to the usefulness of the button, in man^- case.s, for it is freqently applied to doors of stables, corn-cribs, and in fact to most of the many different kinds of out- buildings about any dwelling-place. Fig- 47- The problem is an easy one. The button is to be made as I have just advised and the screw which holds it is to be tight in the button, passing loosely through the wall and screwing firmly into a block on the inside of the building. When this block is turned the but- ton will, of course, turn with it. The hole in the wall should be larger than the shank of the screw, to allow the fastening to move freely, and the screw should not be driven so far into the block as to bind the button against the wall. To secure the button more firmly to the screw, it would be well to make a wire staple, w in Fig. 47, to be driven into the button over the screw-head, after all is in place, the wire to be sunk into the slot in the screw-head, — see detail at .A.. The nail to keep the button from falling out of po- sition can be applied above the button, as in Fig. 46, or below it, as in Fig. 47. ® Fig. 4S. The small metal buttons, of manj- shapes and sizes, used about the house for the doors of cabinets, book- cases, etc., should also have a brad or tack applied to save the vexation they are continuallj' causing. For these, a piece of a common pin about a half-inch long will answer. •Some of Lee's Ideas." 49 .Gate and Door Fastenings. ":> THE so-called secret fastening for doors affords op- portunit}- for the exercise of much ingenuity; at the same time the simplest contrivance for the purpose is probably as good as any, and as free from objedlions. In Fig. 49, which shows the inner side of the door, A is a strip of half-inch stuff, about twenty-two inches in length; this is adjusted to projeA an inch or so beyond the front edge of the door, thus passing that much be- hind the wall, when at rest. In the upper end of this strip a wire-nail, i, is driven ; the head of this nail pro- jects a little beyond the outer surface of the door and is used to operate the fastening. A slot, i 2, which is too thin for the nail-head to pass through, allows the nail to be pushed upward. Possibly a crack in the door can be enlarged for this purpose, thus adding to the deception. A broad staple, made of strong wire, is fastened very securely as close to the front edge of the door as is safe. A shoulder on the lower edge of the strip, (at 3,) or a small nail driven there, will pre- vent slipping too far forward, but if the slot terminates at I so as to allow the nail to pass no further downward this precaution will not be necessary. Sliding the nail upward in the slot two inches withdraws the slide A more than an inch. If the slide were longer I'ig- 49- than twenty-two inches the nail would have to be 'Some of Lee's Ideas.' eo . Gate and Door Fastenings. pushed further. The weight of the slide causes it to aiSt automaticallj-, when the door is closed. Of course uothiug but the head of the nail is visible ou the outer side of the door, aud, as this is not where one would expe<5l to look for a fastening, the uninitiated would scarcel}- suspect its connection with the fastening. A knob or some other means of pulling open the door should be provided. Another plan, applicable to some doors, is shown in Fig. 50. This consists of a slide A, operated by a lever which extends upward to the top of the door. An el- bow joint, B, connects the two parts. The lever is at- tached to the door at c, by a wire nail on which it works loosely. The front end of the slide is held in place by a wire staple, or by a piece of wood shaped for the purpose, and brads driven into the slide on both sides of the staple prevent the slide moving too fax either way. A nail in the upper end of the lever is to be reached from the outside, or what is better, a nail kept convenient is used to operate the lever. Pushing the end of the lever towards the front edge of the door withdraws the slide ; to fasten the door the top of the lever must be pushed back. This fastening is in no sense automatic. fef/JJ-'v,^ TRAP DOORS, ETC. ^^ T OLES to allow the fowls to pass in and out of I I a building should be provided with some sort I I of a door, secure, at least, against the iutru- ^ sion of rats or other destructive animals, at night. Such a door may be arranged to fall into place vertically, or it may act on the trap-door principle, fall- ing flat or at an angle, according to circumstances. I shall consider the three kinds together, for conven- ience. These doors are generally opened and closed by a cord, which is carried over pulleys to a point where it can be conveniently reached. Some plan by which the same cord can be utilized to operate the fastening as well, is desirable as saving time and trouble. The door recommended for the model house in an early chapter, falls to an angle of about forty-five de- grees. This is roughly shown in Fig. 51. The bolt should be heavy enough to fall easily into place, when the cord is slackened ; weight is the only requisite, the shape may be almost anything that will slide up and down ; hence almost any scrap of iron three or more inches in length, with a hole near one end, can be utilized, by making the anchorings to fit. A plug of wood should be driven into the hole and the uail by Fig- 51- which the cord is attached is to be driven into this plug ; this will be found to be a better plan than to at- tempt to fasten the nail by clinching. The door is hinged at the top so as to be operated by the cord, c, attached to the bolt near the bottom. ■Some op Lee's Ideas.' 52 The bolt is held on the door by two staples, through which it slides freelj-. The cord passes under the lower staple ; thus when the door is down and the bolt in place, a slight tension on the cord withdraws the bolt and a further tension raises the door. The bolt in its upward motion is stopped when the nail by which the cord is attacheil touches the staple, or a special nail, s, may be used for that purpose. Ordinary I' staples may . On Trap Doors. Etc. M Fig. 52,— U Staple. Fig. 53,— BI .Staple. be used for attaching the bolt, but if the wear on the liftiug-cord is objectionable, a pulley on a M staple should be used for the cord to pass under. (This will be described later ou in this chapter.^ When a pulley is used, the uail s should stop the bolt before the nail which attaches the cord clogs the pulley. It would be well to conne(5l uail s and the main cord by a short cord which will just come taut when the bolt is down. The socket into which the bolt drops may be a staple or it may be merelj- a hole in a strip of wood, as shown iu Fig. 51 ; this latter will l)e found to possess certain advantages. Whatever is adopted for this purpose, provision must be made against its becoming clogged with mud, carried on the feet of the fowls passing over it ; if the hole is open below, as shown, it will not fill easily, and it can be readily opened, iu case it should, in time, become clogged. Fig- 54- The hinges may be of the ordinary strap or half- strap pattern, but a wire hinge is very sert'iceable, aud I advise its use because it need only cost the time re- quired to shape it. Fig. 54 shows a hinge which I in- vented for this purpose ; this and other forms of small hinges, which will be shown later, all are intended to be driven with a hammer, like nails, as was the case with the wire gate-hiuge I gave a few pages back. It is certainly a great advantage to have a hinge that will do the work, can be driven about as readily as a nail, and can be made easily from scraps of wire that would otherwise be useless. As the hinge is as secure as a clinched nail, it will at once be seen that a large wire in not needed for the iucli-thick materials ihost com- ■Some of Lee's Ideas.' monly used ; wire one-twelfth of an inch in diameter is strong enough, and a length of about two-and-a-half inches will make each part. The loops should be made just large enough, since the hinge would be loose, if the}- are too large. In adjusting it the spike- end of No. 2 is to be driven into the corner, at an augle of about twenty degrees, until the loop enters the wood a trifle; the L-end is then driven down, after which the spike-end of No. i is driven iuto its place through the loop of No. 2, and the L-end clinched iuto the wood. After driving a hinge or two, it will be an easy matter to adjust the loops properly. The ends of the wires will not need sharpening if they are cut diag- onally; the point of the diagonal end should be di- rected as shown in the drawing, to prevent spreading under the hammer, and to hook into the wood ; the wire will "lead" in whatever direction the point is slanted. ******* F)R the drop-dcor, which is not hinged, the drop- fastening shown in Fig. 55 viforks to perfe ^■., ■\^ \' .^ ''-.>, .^ . \^ ,H -nj. U,.^^ - .V -iu "J- s ^_i- v^' ^""^ ^' .V ■? ,•5 K^' %■ ..