Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 63, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 January 1909 — Farm and Garden [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Farm and Garden

PRAIRIE SCHOONER BARN. A Original and Practical Plan For a Horse Home. An agriculturist in Dowagiac, Mlcll, has made plans for a prairie schooner 'barn, and he states that the barn has proved satisfactory to him. He built his ten years ago. He calls it a prairie schooner barn because it is mostly roof and has no beam or mortise in Its makeup and ordinary farmer help can do all of the work. Tbe barn is forty feet long by sixty feet wide, and the arches (which represent the bows of the prairie schooner or mover’s wagon) are made of inch boards six inches wide and of any length and six boards

deep, each board bent to shape as it is nailed to the others, using plenty of nails and giving plenty of lap over each joint. The arches form a half cbrele, and in building them tbe owner drew a half circle on the ground and set posts a few feet apart (perhaps ten) on the outside of tbe circle, being careful to get them perpendicular and three or more feet high, so several could be made before any had to be moved. Fourteen arches in all were used. These were placed about three feet apart on the side walls, four feet high by two feet thick. These arches, or rafters, were covered with roof boards and shingles, except, the top being too flat for shingles, metal roofing was used. Six round posts are used in each end extending from stone wall one foot high to arches, on which the girders and siding are nailed. The floor is paved with field stone about twelve inches deep, except un-

der the horses, where eight Inches deep was filled in with soft sand, and. that covered with wooden blocks on end four inches long. The stone is covered with a hard, smooth clay. Both floors have given entire satisfaction. Stables are on each side of the barn next to the wall, but with eight foot driveway back of the stalls, so one can drive through with a wagon in cleaning the stable.

50,000 BUTTER WRAPPERS. Another shipment of 50,000 No. t stock “Quaker Brand’’ parchment butter wrappers just received at The Democrat office. The Democrat is in position to supply printers in neighboring towns with these wrappers for less money than they can buy them from the wholesalers in small lots. The price of this class of paper stock has risen in common with all other papers, and we are compelled to charge a little more than we formerly have for them. On this shipment the retail price will be sl.lO per LOW unprinted, or $2.00 per 1,000 printed; 500 unprinted' ‘ 75c; or $1.25 per 500 printed. The Democrat is the only print shop in this section that carries the “Quaker Brand” of parchment wrappers, the very best we have ever seen in this class of goods.

PRAIRIE SCHOONER BARN.

DETAIL OF BARN.