Coop on a Bridge II

This attractively run-down little building, whose purpose when viewed from the other side was dubious, was clearly used as a chicken coop. It was built right on the barn bridge, so the the stone wall of the bridge formed its foundation in the back. 2B, 6B & 9B graphite sketch pencil on Strathmore Cold Press Illustration Board—-the kind with the raised thistle logo in one corner; VERY nice to work on.

Getting the appearance of chicken wire over the cut-out window gave me a “fit”, but I decided  that a “suggestion” of wire was a lot more important than getting the precise number of holes, & in the right size. (“Perfection is a direction,—- not a place”!)

NOTE: All images and text in this post are Copyright K. A. Renninger 2011. I am more than happy to have you share them through your own blog, and hope you will do so—but you must give me credit. Anyone who uses them to make money will be prosecuted.

On another farm today. I chose to draw this building because of its interesting sway-backed roof. The side wall shows the settling of the foundation, too. The farm’s owner told me that it was once used for a blacksmith shop. ( I’m guessing not a commercial one, but one that met the needs of the farm itself.) 2b, 7b & 9b graphite pencils, on Master’s Touch spiral-bound hard-back sketchbook. (This paper is actually an off-white, nice weight paper. Fairly good to work on although darkest darks seemed to be hard to get with graphite. Its’ an economical choice, though; good for everyday field-sketching. )

NOTE: All images and text in this post are Copyright K. A. Renninger 2011. I am more than happy to have you share them through your own blog, and hope you will do so—but you must give me credit. Anyone who uses them to make money will be prosecuted.

Photo edit

I’ve started this week with a screen shot to show the photo edit in Windows Live photo gallery. You can see all the tools you have for editing. I’ve cropped my photo for widescreen, increased the contrast, gave it more ‘highlights’ and increased the colour temperature adding warmth. I took this photo on Saturday with a wide aperture after the rain.

You can see the finished photograph above. That was a photograph from Sunday. On Saturday, I found a canal to photograph.

I took this shot several times, the other shots don’t have the tree on the right, that gives it depth. I like this photograph, there was something growing close to the surface in the water; that gave it a different colour. It could almost be the English countryside!

This photograph is of farm buildings. This farm is council owned and a run as a working farm which is open to the public. I also took photographs of Priory wood nearby, a mill pond and some of the other farm buildings. That’s a farm shop and the strange looking things in the foreground are to lock your bicycle to!

I hope you have enjoyed today’s photographs and there are more blogs on my home page. A Monday morning ramble was interesting…

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 I wanted the colours in this photograph to be more pastel, like a water colour. I might have overdone it. The water looks the wrong colour, that’s a canal on the right. I took this photograph yesterday, we have lots of canals and this one looked good, when I checked it out on Street view!

I usually write my Sunday ramble while lunch is cooking, but it’s too early to cook lunch and I might take more photographs this afternoon. I’ll say hello to the latest subscriber to my blog; Kate. She walks her dog around the local parks and nature reserves in the Walsall area and takes photographs for her blog. There are lots of places to go, look at the one in the photograph. I saw a few people walking their dogs down the side of the canal there. One of the nicest nature walks in Walsall is down Beacon Way in Merrion Wood. You can get there by driving down the Birmingham road out of Walsall towards Great Barr and on the left is Skip Lane then there is a layby. I parked in the layby near the lodge and walked down to the sign for Beacon Way, the ‘enchanted woodland’ is off to the right there. It’s not easy to find but well worth any photographer looking for it!

I’ll do a Neodigital Art blog a few days time and this week I’m doing bricks and mortar. I’ll do farm buildings at Sandwell Valley farm and a canal bridge. I have lots of pictures I can use this week, perhaps a picture of the canal too?

I like taking photographs of  buildings. I photographed the hospital and the remains of the Victorian workhouse that was the hospital for many years. I think the best buildings are the farm buildings and my local art gallery and museum is Victorian and so made for good pictures. The woodland and parks have provided many pictures now and we have lots of canals that I like to photograph. This isn’t the prettiest place to live, but attempts have been made to make it nicer after being a centre of heavy industry. Trees line the streets, the pathways in parks, the canals and the railway lines. I also look for water on the map and find pools, they aren’t really big enough to call them lakes but they usually have swans, geese and ducks and make for a good picture. The churches have made good subjects too and I try to take a photograph of interesting features or just a door now, rather than the whole church.

There are lots more blogs to read on the Home page and you can save a bit of money reading my thrifty and frugal blogs! The frugal blog this week was about free stuff. I might wander around somewhere free like a nature reserve this afternoon and take photographs. I might go thrifty too and get some bargains from Lidl. I found that when I drove the 2 miles to that canal to take the photograph at the top of the page, I passed Aldi, another discount supermarket. I’ll have to check out Aldi one of the days!

I hope you have enjoyed todays ramble. I’m cooking soon; pork from Lidl, potatoes, broccoli and apple sauce made from apples from the garden; yummy…

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NOTE: All images and text in this post are Copyright K. A. Renninger 2011. I am more than happy to have you share them through your own blog, and hope you will do so—but you must give me credit. Anyone who uses them to make money will be prosecuted.

Heading down the backroads of Illinois can sometimes feel like time-travel. In these places, the paved roads turn over to gravel or to dirt, and the hulking masses of silos and other farm structures arise from the endless rows of corn.

I found the two buildings featured here, both abandoned, down a long, narrow, gravel road marked, “Road Closed”. My best guess is that one of them was used as a stable while the other was a slaughterhouse. Luckily for me, the door to the slaughterhouse was not locked, and so I clambered inside to do some exploring. Enjoy.

All Nikon D300 with Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G lens.

Check out more pics from this outing here.

Storage Tanks

This scene is off of Missouri highway 19 on the way to Mexico,Missouri.

I processed these HDR images using five pictures from the bracketed series of seven photos.  I used Photomatix Pro to tonemap the first image and HDR Efex Pro on the other two.  There’s some Glamour Glow in there, too.

The need for this stall became apparent during the 2010 winter season when LTS realized how important it was to have an area where a horse could be relocated for more reliable veterinary care under adverse conditions. Some of the ideas for the new stall included such items as:

• easy access for a horse moved to the area on its own or with mechanical assistance (large entrance way required for tractor, sling, etc.);
• roof system that could be “open” or “closed” depending on the need for warmth in the winter or coolness in the summer;
• service system to allow for temperature control, lighting and medical accessories (IV bags, electrical supply, etc.); and
• padded walls for protection of an injured horse, or perhaps a young foal.

The new stall is now under construction. When it is not needed for a horse requiring special care it will most likely be occupied by a LTS owned horse – so it can be moved out quickly if the need arises. The details as to access to the use of this stall and associated costs will be worked out as the implementation of the process advances, probably on a similar basis to a “human emergency system” – critical care needs take priority.

When we first discussed this option with the vets in the winter of 2010 they were not aware of any local boarding facility that had implemented a program such as this – so here at LTS we hope to be taking a lead on the care and management of our equine pals. The spring rains have slowed the plans for the construction of the facility but it is underway and will be completed SOON!

Here are some pictures of the progress to date.

Current Stall Dismantled to Make Room for Medical Stall

Large Doorway and Roof Structure Under Construction

4 Panel Doorway During Installation

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/09/garden/the-decorated-shed-a-farm-goes-from-crops-to-candelabras.html?hpw

The first one comes from about the time of the photo that heads this blog, probably mid 1930s, just a different angle and better focus. Emil and Gina were farming the place with their family. One thing I wish the photo made clear is whether the barn has an addition on the near side (north) or not at this time.

The second photo I took on a hazy summer day in 1975 or thereabouts when Odell and Nan owned the place. Now the blue-shingled arch-roofed white barn has taken the place of its predecessor from 1901. I think it was built about 1961 (by my grandfather Helmer Sexe’s crew which I was part of), with an apparent addition later.

The final scene was sent me by cousin Elaine’s husband Dean, a photo taken the recent 2011 weekend of committal services for Edgar and Edna Borreson. Again you will see more changes.

Four buildings appear to have withstood the changes of 80 years: the brick house and the stone milk house on the left, a shed in the middle, and the tobacco shed on the right. Don’t these three views lead us to think about the evolution of a farm over the years? As the cliche has it, “time marches on.”

Farmers who are not VAT-registered can reclaim VAT paid by them on:

• farm buildings
• fencing and other fixed structures
• land drainage and
• land reclamation

Today, a Revenue eBrief confirms that that VAT refunds may now be claimed in respect of

• Concrete underpasses,  installed to facilitate the movement of livestock beneath a public road.
• Hedgerows planted by a farmer for the purpose of stock proofing. This does not include hedgerows grown for decorative, ornamental or domestic shelter purposes.
• Ploughing and re-seeding works completed as part of a land reclamation project.

Eligible farmers can claim VAT repayments on Form VAT58 in accordance with the  Value Added Tax (Refund of Tax) (No. 25) Order 1993, which is also online. Farmers may claim VAT refunds within four tax years of incurring the relevant expenditure.

Please note that this scheme does not apply to VAT-registered farmers, who may reclaim VAT on their regular VAT returns but are subject to VAT on sales of farming produce and livestock.

History shows that those who have taken care of their assets, had land of their own, and possessed a diversity of skills have always risen above the failures around them and came out of tragedies in a better place than those who have not. Suburban communities can be made livable in spite of the hard times upon us, but will take more effort to achieve the desired results. The best plan is to relocate your family to a place where you can grow your own food, raise your own meat and breathe the fresh air of freedom.

But many haven’t a clue as to where to start planning for the development of a survival homestead or farmstead. In “Surviving the Times” I’ve shared some of the things we need to prepare for and how, and in my next book, “Survival Homesteading”, I’ll go into more in depth discussion on how, why and where to set up your ultimate survival home for the coming times.

For now, you’ll have to settle for some research material I’ve put together in these posts that can help you get started. This first one, which I’ve split into two posts, deals with farm layout and planning for the construction of needed outbuildings on a farm. You probably won’t be building or planning for a large scale farm as this piece refers to, but the concepts are the same. It’s set on a 160 acre plot of land, which few of us can afford today, but it’s a goal to work towards. I’d like to see an increase in the numbers of small farms in operation instead of the declines we have been experience these last few decades. Small farms, in sufficient numbers, can reverse the problem of food shortages and increasing prices we’ve been experiencing. But more importantly, with enough land, and utilizing heirloom quality seeds, you can grow your own sustainable food supply.

This first piece is from the Breeders Gazzette;

FARM BUILDINGS.

LOCATION AND GENERAL ARRANGEMENT.

The planning and construction of farm buildings should be done with regard to the surrounding outside features as much as to the interior arrangement and convenience of the rooms. It is a common error to see little forethought taken in the placing of the buildings, in their relation to one another or to the surrounding conditions; the total disregard of a fine outlook that might have been had from the windows that are most frequented; many errors in the proper way to approach the house from the highway, and many times the utter absence of any attempt at ornamentation in the way of tree planting—nothing save bare sides and sharp angles of buildings open to all winds, storms and sun heat, or the opposite extreme, burying the house in a dense shade of loneliness.

Now this should not be so. When the advantages and increased value of the property as a whole are considered it is at once apparent. Anyone can distinguish between a nice farm and a place where it would be a pleasure to live, and on the other hand one that is bare and uninviting. The cost is a matter of forethought on the part of the individual at the beginning in the planning of the work, and the actual material to be used in beautifying the grounds almost always can be had for the gathering. One may easily find the time to do the work when once he has tasted of the pleasures there are in surroundings that are made attractive with trees and plants arranged to make a landscape that is ever improving and changing in scene.

When a beginning is made toward embellishment of the home surroundings then there is a new birth given, the feeling of attachment that reflects back into pleasant and longing recollections of the happy lives passed there, and the far-reaching influence of cheerful home surroundings on the character and future life of the growing generation toward the good and high of ideal life is above any estimation, besides being a source of interest and everlasting joy and pleasure alike to the owner and to all who enter here.

Farming is not all corn. There are many fine farms that are only such from the fact that there is a quiet natural park like effect resting over the home place, and if favored with a fertile soil and kind climate how much more blest we could be if we would bring about us more of the natural beauties so abundant everywhere. This need not detract an instant from the economical operation of the farm, but if practically planned should add many fold thereto.

We can assume that the residence and other buildings are already placed, or that building is to be done at some future time. With respect to the all-important question of choosing the house site, the custom in the city seems to be the law without recourse in the country, in that the house must stand facing square, with the best rooms toward the public road. If a better exposure or a fine scene lies in another direction, reverse the order regardless of the highway. Again, houses are dropped in a hollow, carried to the top of a bare hill, or placed too near dusty roads or stables, making things more disagreeable than convenience would compensate. The house should not be put on a poor or waste piece of ground just to gain a little extra tillable land.

Personal preferences should of course be taken into consideration, but as a rule many desirable locations are ignored. Among the specific directions to apply in selecting the home site are good sanitary conditions. These demand air and quick drainage of water. All this is secured on a dryish soil, slightly elevated if possible and fairly open to admit a free circulation of air. Any protection against prevailing north and west winds in the winter season, such as hills, trees or any other natural objects in the track of regular storms, should be made use of, but cool and refreshing winds should not be hinder ed in their direction during the heated season.

The distance from the highway is hardly a matter of importance. If the best place is 400′ from the road it should be chosen over another less desirable, though 200′ nearer. Besides this an entrance approach of reasonable length, if properly laid out among a grove of trees, will add much to the dignity and bearing of the place. The relation of the house and barn should be such that they do not appear as a part of each other, and in driving to the house one is not led first through yards and past gaping barn doors. The barn should occupy a position so that the prevailing winds will carry the stable odors away from the house, and not toward it, as is often the case. The exact position and arrangement of the outbuildings and enclosures will be according to their use, and to be convenient should be few, compact, and not scattered over a wide area. Pens, sheds and stacks should not be conspicuous in a general view of the farm.

In country houses broad simple design is much to be preferred. All about a house of this order there is a quiet dignity and homelike restfulness that is in pleasing harmony with every rural landscape. The rooms should be few and large. The veranda is right if one steps up from the ground and at least 10′ wide, and a porte-cochere or carriage porch should be part of every country house, as it is surely a comfort when rainy or windy to drive up to the door under a roof.

Its been a very busy week but I stopped on my rounds yesterday to take a few photos to show you a little of the surrounding area.

We’ve had several days of frosty nights, with the result that the next day has been sunny with blue skies.  I took these in the old part of the village at the top of the hill:

The buildings are old farm buildings, workers’ cottages and barns from the 1700s and 1800s

This  next house is older, dating from the late 1400s

Remains from 3,000 BC have been found along the top of the hills illustrating that this area has been inhabited and cultivated for a long time: farming was the summer activity and metal working of all kinds the winter activity, long before any national industrial revolution.  This tradition continued up until the 1970s – when we moved here the previous occupant of our cottage had both fields with livestock and a forge in which he still sharpened scissors and made nails.

In 1761 a farmer ploughing a field uncovered several fragments of a brass plate (now in the British Museum) dating from Roman times, c124 AD.  When decyphered, this was shown to confer on the son of Albanus, an area of land for his 25 years of loyal service to the Empire. Incidently this son of Albanus was a foot soldier from a Belgian tribe.

The village is listed in the Domesday book compiled on the orders of William the Conqueror in the late 1000s and a local farm contains interesting features from an 1109 church, including a carved cross which is thought to be of Saxon origin and to date from the C9.

Records show that in the 12th and 13th Centuries this was a thriving farming community, inasmuch as the Black Death and the uncertain climate allowed for any thriving!  The whole valley was a Medieval Hunting Forest and local cottagers and farmers were allowed the Rights of Pannage: that is they could drive their pigs down from the village into the forest to root for acorns and get fat for the winter.  They could also gather faggots for kindling and dead bracken for feed and bedding.  Some of the surviving ancient pollarded trees, cut high to protect them from cattle and deer, bear testament to these woods.

Holly thickets were cultivated for green winter forage for beasts – various areas are still called Hollins after this custom and vestiges of these ancient Holly woods survive today.

Green Birch branches were thrown on to hot metal to cool it down in the metal working industry, and charcoal was used before coal was mined for smelting, hence the ancient woodland still surviving all around the city and the reason we are the most wooded city in Europe: the management of coppice woodland for charcoal making is an art form which is still practiced and ensures that very old trees survive for centuries.

The local geology provides for mineral extraction, special clay for making the bricks to line furnaces and surface coal, all ideal for the cottage industries which later made the city of Sheffield such a well known steel city.  The local rivers were peppered with mills using the water power to grind corn, roll out steel, and power forges of all kinds.

A view from the village along the ridge tops each side of the local valley:

hundreds of thousands of years ago, this was a pene-plain, the land being all level with no valleys: the melting snow waters and peri-glacial activity following a couple of ice ages, (how many depends on which literature you believe), carved out the river valleys of this area.  Like the tradition for Rome, Sheffield is build on seven hills!

Under the oak tree I have circled in red, very badly, a smudge of smoke on the horizon.  (If you click on the photo and enlarge it you will see it). Today is a perfect day for heather burning and patches of heather moorland were being burnt.  This is done on a rotational basis to ensure adequate quantities of young shoots for the grouse to eat: burning cannot be carried out after February in case of nesting animals so it has to be done on dry days now.  The moorlands landscape ends up as a patchwork comprising one year, two year, three year old heather plants which proved food, nesting areas, and cover for grouse and mountain hares, according to age of plant.

There is a whole ecology and maintenance cycle around such management, first introduced, along with the creatures, for the hunting and pleasure of C19 land owners.  If anyone is actually interested, I can post details here.  I find such things fascinating, but am careful not to bore family and friends with my academic interests, unless specifically asked to!

I have decided to take another year off from teaching in order to try to finish creating some order in the household and follow some of my other interests.  Hence, you may find my lectures creeping in here, just out of habit.  Beware!  I shall try to spare you.

“My greatest aim has been to advance the art of photography and to make it what I think I have, a great and truthful medium of history.”  ~ Mathew Brady (Father of Photojournalism, 1823-1896)

I’ve spent these four weeks photographing in Buncombe County North Carolina. This is a county steeped in history dating back to 1787 when the first land grant was issued to Revolutionary War officer named William Davidson. Shortly after Davidson arrived, other returning soldiers received land grants, settled here and started families and over the next 50 years the region grew rapidly. ^{SEE END NOTE}

Some of the farms and churches still standing here were built before the end of the Civil War. Then, the most well-known photographer in America was Mathew Brady, whose photographs of the war were known to people worldwide. Brady made his photographs using a daguerreotype which recorded images onto a copper plate. Making a photograph was a complicated process because the camera was heavy and required exposures of 1 to 5 minutes. The final images however contained exquisite details.

     I visited Buncombe County several times before this trip and each time felt a strong desire to photograph those historic barns and churches, some dating back 150 years. Many were constructed from rough cut timbers now aged with a warm patina and had character from countless repairs. I didn’t photograph those buildings on earlier trips however because I felt the digital cameras I carried would only capture their beauty but not convey their significance in American history. But on this trip, I came prepared.

On occasions when I want to convey a sense of history, I rely on one of two antique cameras. For these buildings in Buncombe County I used a vintage wooden black and white camera called the Graflex 3A made in 1908 by Folmer & Swing. It records a photograph on large (4 by 5 inch) black and white film. Like the daguerreotype, the Graflex is a large, heavy camera which, because of its film and lens (a Zeiss F6.3) often requires long exposures. The lens has also been modified so it creates vignetting (dark edges) similar to Brady’s early daguerreotypes.

Below is an interactive slide show containing images of these historic and rustic structures photographed in black and white. Click on the image below to open the slide show. Once opened, you can either click on a specific photo to view it in a larger size, or easily navigate from one photo to the next.

Click the Image to Start the Slideshow.

$4.00 Only .50!

USDA bulletin # 913 prep. by G.H. Parks

To keep perishable products for a considerable time, some farmers may find it convenient and necessary to build a small ice house, which is not unduly expensive and has the advantages of saving perishable products that otherwise would spoil. The following description, plans, and bill of necessary materials will assist in the construction of a small ice house.

METHOD OF BUILDING THE HOUSE.

Cut four pieces of rough 2 by 6 inch scantling 4 feet 10 inches long and spike them together in pairs to make the girders. (See A, figs. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.) Cut four pieces of rough 2 by 6 inch scantling 6 feet 5 inches long and set them on edge, spaced as shown in figure 19, on the girders which are to be placed at the extreme ends of the joist. The frame should now be turned over and the first layer of floor boards (marked C, figs. 18, 19, and 21) nailed to the joists. The floor boards should be cut so that they will just come to the outside edge of the joists (see C, figs. 19 and 21).

Over the flooring put on a layer of building paper. Cut the paper long enough to be turned up at least 4 inches on the outside face of the joists. The next layer of boards is now put on over the paper. The boards should be cut long enough to extend the thickness of the board beyond the outside face of the joists (see D, figs. 18, 19, and 21).

In figuring the drawings it is assumed that the 2 by 4′s are dressed four sides, that they will measure 1 ¾ by 3 ¾ inches, and that the flooring is three-fourths inch thick.

The platform is now ready to be turned over and the ends of the girders nailed on posts which are buried in the ground about 2 feet and extend above the ground about 10 inches, so that a bucket can be placed under the dram pipe to catch the water from the melting ice and to form a trap (figs. 18 and 22).

Cut two pieces of boards 8 inches wide and 4 feet 10 inches long and nail across the ends of the joist, placing the top edge of the board flush with the tops of the joists (see D, figs. 18 and 10). Fill the spaces formed by the joists and the end boards with dry mill shavings, using about 100 pounds.

A layer of matched and dressed boards (marked E, figs. 18, 19, 21, and 22) should now be nailed on the joists. The floor should begin and end flush with the ends of the joists and not extend over the boards nailed to the ends of the joists (see E, figs. 18 and 21). On the long side of the platform nail a 2 by 4 laid flat wise the full length of the platform (see F, figs. 19 and 22). Across one end nail flat wise a 2 by 4 cut 4 feet 3 inches long and on the other end nail a 2 by 4 cut 4 feet 6 ¾ inches long, both 2 by 4′s to start from the ends of the 2 by 4 marked F in figures 19 and 22. (See G, figs. 18 and 21.)

Erect a 2 by 4 stud at the end of each 2 by 4 marked G, setting the studs so that the width of the stud will be parallel with the long side of the platform. The face of stud K will be flush with the outside edge of the platform, and the outside edge of stud L will be 3 ¾ inches back from the same face. (See figs. 17, 21, and 22.)

Cut two pieces of 2 by 4 inch 4 feet 10 ½ inches long for plates (plates marked J, figs. 18, 21, and 22). Cut the corner stud marked K, in figures 17 and 21, 5 feet 11 inches long and the stud marked L, in figures 17 and 21, 6 feet 11 inches long.

Now cut a 2 by 4 inch 3 feet 7 ½ inches long (marked H, fig. 21) and nail it along the outside edge, beginning at the outside corner of the platform. At the inside end and resting on the piece erect a 2 by 4 (marked I, figs. 17 and 21) cut to the correct height to fit under the first layer of ceiling. Cut three rafters each 8 feet 7 inches long.

Nail one of the plates on top of the corner stud K, level it, and support it at the other end by a board placed upright, nail to the platform on the end and at the corner. Place the plate on the stud L, letting it project over the stud inches, and support the opposite end by a board erected in the same way as that used to hold up the first plate.

At each end of the building, 3 feet 6 inches from the floor, put in a piece of 2 by 4 (marked M in figs. 18 and 22) set flat wise, and nail to the upright 2 by 4 and to the upright board. Next cut a piece of 2 by 4 6 feet 5 inches long (marked N in figs. 18, 19, and 22) and lay it on the end 2 by 4′s (marked M) and nail them together.

The boards marked O in figures 17 and 18, forming the first layer of the inside lining, should now be put on the ends. The boards are cut just long enough to extend from the floor to the top of the plate. Cut three rafters 2 inches by 6 inches by 8 feet 7 inches and nail to the plates, spaced as shown in figure 18. The frame is now ready to put on the first layer of boards to form the ceiling. The ceiling boards (marked P in figs. 18 and 19) are cut just long enough to reach between the outside faces of the rafters.

A 2 by 4 (marked Q in figs. 19 and “21) is now to be nailed flat wise to the ceiling. The inside edge of the 2 by 4 is set on a line with the 2 by 4′s already in place and is for the purpose of forming a support to which the upper ends of the side boards are nailed. After this scantling is nailed in place put on the first inside layer of boards (marked R in figs. 17 and 19). Next put on the first layer of boards forming the outside. The boards for ends of building should be cut to extend from the top of the rafters to the top of the board nailed across the ends of the floor joists (see S, fig. 18). The boards for the side should be cut flush with the top of the rafter and should follow the slope of the roof. The roof is now ready to have the shavings put in place. Use about 100 pounds and then put on the roof boards in two layers with paper between. The roof boards should project over the ends of the rafter about 2 inches and beyond the sides of the building about 1 foot. The roof boards should be covered without delay with whatever kind of covering it is intended to use, as the shavings must not be allowed to get wet or damp.

The roof may be covered with tin, shingles, or one of the prepared roofings, and should be made thoroughly watertight. When putting up the first layer of the boards on the outside of the frame the corner boards cannot be put on until the shavings have been packed in the walls. The walls will require about 400 pounds of shavings.

Before the shavings are put in the walls the side of the building containing the doors should be framed as shown in figure 21, then the first layers of boards put on the inside and outside of the wall.

After the shavings are in place put on the comer boards and cover all the walls with a waterproof building paper, lapping the paper at the corners and at the horizontal courses.

The building is now ready to receive the outside layer of boards, which should be put on without delay to prevent as far as possible any moisture getting into the insulation.

The doorways are beveled to receive the doors and to assist in making them fit tightly (see drawing. figures. 17 and 18). After the outside boarding is on, the inside of the room can be papered and sheathed. The paper is put on as follows: Cover the floor with two layers of waterproof paper and turn up on the walls 1 foot all around : then, starting at the floor, lay a course of paper on the walls parallel with the floor. Cut the strip 2 feet longer than the length of the wall and start the paper 1 foot from the corner, then carry around the nearest corner, tack to the wall, and carry around the next corner, doubling the paper at the corners. Put on the next course and lap over the lower course about 4 inches. Put on the remaining courses until the ceiling is reached, when the paper should be turned over and nailed to the ceiling so that the paper covers the corner between the ceiling and the wall. Now lay the ceiling and bring down on the walls about 1 foot. Use care in putting on the paper so that no holes will be punched in it. After the paper is on lay the top floor and ceiling before putting on the side and end walls, using care to make as tight a fit as possible between the floor and walls and the ceiling and walls.

After the walls are finished build the ice crib. The floor of the ice crib is made of 2 by 4 dressed longleaf yellow pine, spaced 2| inches apart. The supports for the floor are made by nailing a piece of dressed 2 by 4 inch scantling parallel with the floor to the inside boarding of the house and under each end of the scantling is nailed a 2 by 4 extending from the floor of the house to the underside of the supports. Running across the box nail a piece of 1 by 3 inch flat wise on the ceiling. The strip is so placed that it will be outside of the ice crib and to it are nailed 1 by 3 inch dressed slats spaced about 3 inches apart. The bottoms of the slats are nailed to the outside of the first joist of the ice crib. This joist is located 3 feet from the back of the ice crib.

The joist nearest the back of the ice crib is spaced 2 5 inches from the back wall. On the face of this joist between the joist and the wall, nail a strip 1 by 4 inch dressed, letting the strip project 2 inches above the top of the joists. Five inches from the inside end of the ice crib nail a 1 by 4 inch dressed strip across all the joists to form a stop for the ice cakes.

The drip pan under the ice crib is made of a sheet of galvanized corrugated iron. The corrugations run the long way of the room. The sheet is made 2 feet 7 inches wide and 3 feet 4 inches long, the width being the length of the corrugations. A 3-inch galvanized iron glitter 3 feet 4 inches long is riveted to the edge of the sheet on the underside. The sheet should pitch about 2 inches in the width. The high end of the sheet is nailed to the bottom of the first joist and the low end is supported by three straps soldered to the gutter and nailed to the joist above. The gutter should be closed at each end and should pitch about an inch from the front to the back. At the lowest point of the gutter the drain pipe should be attached by soldering. The drain pipe is a piece of gas or water pipe f-inch inside diameter and should extend from the gutter through the floor of the house and project below about 12 inches. If a bucket is so placed under the pipe that the bottom of the pipe will be about an inch from the bottom of the bucket, the water from the melting ice will form a water seal that will prevent the outside air from entering the house. At least 2 inches of water should be kept in the bucket to form the seal.

If a drain is provided to carry away the water, the bucket can be omitted, provided a trap is made in the pipe.

The meat should not be stacked on the floor of the building, but racks should be provided. The racks are made by nailing 2 by 4′s edgewise against the wall and on the floor. On the face of the 2 by 4′s strips 1 by 3 inches spaced about 3 inches apart are securely nailed.

The racks on the floor should not be nailed to the floor, but should be made removable in order to facilitate cleaning.

The racks against the walls are for the purpose of permitting the air to circulate around the meat.

The doors are made of three thicknesses of boards similar to those used in lining the room, nailed to a frame made of dressed 2 by 3′s. The frame is first made and covered with a thickness of boards. The box thus formed is filled with shavings and covered with boards. Turn the door over, lay a sheet of paper on the boards, and add another thickness of boards. The edges of the door are to be beveled to fit the door opening. The door must be made smaller than the opening to allow for the canvas and felt that are to be nailed all around the edges of the door and around the door opening. The hinges to hang the door should be extra heavy T hinges. The outside of the building should be painted three coats with an oil paint. The efficiency of the house depends upon the tightness with which it is built, and to assist in keeping it tight it is necessary to paint the outside to keep moisture out of the boards, which would cause them to swell and pull away from the inner boards. The paint will also help to keep the boards from the shrinking caused by heat from the sun. The inside of the building should be shellacked or varnished with a waterproof varnish. The varnish will keep the boards from absorbing moisture and causing trouble and will also permit the house to be easily cleaned. The house should be thoroughly cleaned immediately after the meat has been removed.

BILL OF MATERIALS.

FRAME.

2 pieces 2 by 6 inches, 10 feet long, for girders, rough.

2 pieces 2 by 6 Inches, 14 feet long, for joists, rough.

3 pieces 2 by 6 inches, 9 feet lonp, for rafters, rough.

2 eednr posts, 6-Inch diameter, 6 feet long.

1 piece 2 by 4 Inches, 6 feet long, stud K. dressed. 1 piece 2 by 4 Inches, 7 feet long, stud L, dressed. 1 piece 2 by 4 Inches, 7 feet long, stud I. dressed.

3 pieces 2 by 4 Inches, 10 feet long, for plates and pieces G and M, dressed.

3 pieces 2 by 4 Inches, 14 feet long, for pieces F, H, M, Q and framing for doors, dressed. 800 feet b. m. tongued and grooved flooring, dressed.

25 linear feet 1 by 3 inches, for door stop, dressed.

1 piece, 2 by 4 inches, 10 feet long, for beveled jamb of doors, dressed.

2 pieces 2 by 3 inches, 14 feet long, for frame of doors, dressed.

ICE BUNKERS.

1 piece 2 by 4 Inches, 6 feet long, for supports, dressed.
7 pieces 2 by 4 inches, 4 feet long, for floor beams, dressed.

1 piece 1 by 4 inches, 8 feet long, for ice stop, dressed.

FLOOR AND WALL RACKS.

3 pieces 2 by 4 inches, 7 feet long, for walls, dressed.

2 pieces 2 by 4 inches, 10 feet long, for floor, dressed.

9 pieces 1 by 3 inches, 14 feet long, slats for ice bunker and wall and floor racks, dressed.

HARDWARE, ETC.

3 extra-heavy T hinges, 18 inches long and screws.

1 pair extra-heavy T hinges, 12 indies long and screws.

1 pair 6-inch handles and screws.

25 pounds 6-peuuy flooring nails, wire.

5 pounds 10-penny wire nails, common.

5 ounces of 3-ouuce tacks.

1 sheet corrugated galvunized iron, 2 foot 6 inches by 4 feet. 1 piece 3-inch galvanized iron gutter, 3 .feet 4 Inches long, with 3 straps |-inch wide by 8 inches long, to fasten gutter to ice floor.

1 piece J-inch gas pipe, galvanized, 4 feet 6 inches long. 24 yards canvas or heavy duck, 9 inches wide.

20 yards felt, 6 inches wide, for padding under canvas.

2 gallons waterproof varnish. 2 gallons lead and oil paint.

400 square feet of insulating paiwr.

70 square feet roofing paper with nails and pitch.

600 pounds dry mill shavings.

PUBLICATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Information on each of the LTS properties (as compared to buildings – barns, sheds, arenas, etc.) is sorted into these categories:  

• status and early remedial work completed upon arrival in November 2009
• renovations and/or upgrades completed in 2010
• work currently underway
• future work programs and/or aspirations

We welcome any questions or comments on any of these topics. Although this is a BLOG site, we will return to each of these topics on a regular basis to update each of the sub-topics. We will do our best to respond to any questions, comments or concerns as soon as possible.  

Many people ask – what is the Quonset Hut? Well, in simple terms a “Quonset Hut” is the steel building at the back of the property, just south of the Main Arena. The name comes from the fact that they were first manufactured in Quonset, Iowa during the First World War as a structure to protect aircraft and house soldiers. They could be easily manufactured, moved in pieces and assemble quickly. The Radisic Quonest Hut (which is not really part of the LTS operations) is primarily for the storage of the large round hay bales, to ensure protection from the elements. When the hut is not full of hay, as it is in the late summer and fall, it also provides winter protection for the farm mechanical equipment.  

There are a number of pictures of the Quonset Hut in the photo album here:
http://s50.photobucket.com/albums/f340/rlaughton/LTS%20Radisic%20Operations/Quonset%20Hut/  

The Quonset Hut - Round Bale Hay Storage Facility

Status and Remedial Work Upon Arrival in 2009  

Although no work was carried out within the Quonset Hut, the area to the rear (see pictures) had been a favourite storage area for “junk” by the previous tenants. Several weeks were spent in the fall of 2009 cleaning up the area between the Quonset Hut and the Main Arena and the area at the back. A large bin of waste metal and a separate bin of garbage were hauled away from this area. Significant amounts of scrap wood was sorted and stored on a newly constructed platform (for safety).  

Renovations and Upgrades Completed in 2010  

In August 2010 the Radisic Family hired a contractor to seal all the cracks between the concrete blocks as well as between the steel shell and the concrete blocks. This work was undertaken by RF to ensure that the winter storms did not “find their way” through these cracks and into the hay. This will reduce the amount of “spoilage” in the stored hay facility.  

Work Currently Underway  

The Quonset Hut is now full of hay, ready for a long fall and a cold winter. I hope that many of you had the opportunity to see the Radisic Family hard at work this fall in the cutting, bailing and storage of the hay in the Bank Barn and the Quonset Hut.  

There is residual waste material still at the back of the hut. That will be dealt with once the cold weather returns and the bees leave! There is no access to the wood piles as this time due to the bee problem at the farm.  

Future Programs / Aspirations  

No comment at this time.  

The Quonset Hut Area Clean-up in 2009-2010