Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1912 — POULTRY [ARTICLE]

POULTRY

ALKALI GRASS POULTRY HOUSE. Gives Twelve to Fifteen Years Satisfaction Before Crumbling. Those living where alkali grass abounds will find a poultry house made from the sod much cheaper and better than a frame building. If the walls are. laid from two to three feet thick with a good roof, it will stand from twelve to fifteen years without beginning to crumble and many more before becoming useless. It is well when laying up the sod to place pieces of 2x4 in the walls to which to attach the roosts. Make the ends come even with the ipner side ofthewall, so they cafi.be plastered over and ieave no hiding place for yermip. P<LJR>t plaster until the walls have settled, Q F tbe plaster will crack and fall off. Ode house of this description which has given entire satisfaction for §everal_ years, is built 14x20 feet, with three' foot walls. Such walls seldom settle crooTted, while narrower ones often lean so much as to make propping necessary. The house has four windows with frames set within one foot of the outer edge. This leaves space enough to set a dusting box. The walls are plastered and the hard dirt floor covered with gravel, so that it is easily kept clean. Buffalo sod can be used for the same purpose, but will not stand so long, the sod* lacking the long tough roots which are so characteristic of alkali grass. -j ■