The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-09-24
FARM MANAGEMENT.
Necessity Will Soon Cause Brick
To Be the Material for Build
ing Farm-Houses
The Most Desirable Trees for Planting in
the Vicinity Of Country Residences.
Brick Buildings on Farms.

Der trees were built of logs. The logs
cost nothing except the expense Of cut
ting and hauling, and they were gener-
ally drawn to the places when they
were wanted on sleds V the snow.
Generally the old settlers made a bee
when a stranger came among them for
the purpose of improving a place, and
assisted him in putting up a house for
his family and barns for sheltering his
cattle and horses. These log houses
were comfortable, if they were not ele-
CANT. If care was taken in securing
the ends of the logs at the corners of
the buildings they were very substan-
tial. A well-built log house would last
for fifty years and require scarcely any
repairs. When it was desirable to do
so, and the owners means were suffi-
Gent, it could be lathed and plastered
on the inside, while the exterior could
be covered with clapboards or shingles.
Many of the log houses in the New Eng
land states that were constructed in
colonial times. and placed on stone
foundations, are still in a good state of
preservation.
In the prairie regions of the west
there was no timber for the construc-
ton of log houses. Settlers who had
considerable means erected frame
buildings. Others commenced their
frontier life in ''dug-outs, " or in houses
made of turf walls. which were covered
with thatch. If they prospered in a
few years they erected buildings of
pine lumber. Up to the present time
pine lumber has been the cheapest
building material that could be used on
the prairies. Being light. it was easy
to transport long distances, while it
could be drawn over the poor country
roads with little difficulty. In the mat
ter of cheapness of transportation it
had great advantages over brick and
stone. The rapid Improvement of
the prairie regions of the west has been
mainly due to the abundance and
~cheapness OF pine lumber. 1t is OBJ
vious. however, that a substitute for
lumber must soon be found for the
walls and roofs of farm buildings.
Lumber will in a near future be a very
costly building material. The demand
for it is increasing every year, and very
little Is being done to increase the sup
ply. In a few years its cost will be so
great that 1t can only be used for
floors, window-frames, doors, and fin
ishing.
In a few favored locations stone will
be extensively employed for construct
ing farm buildings. But the condition
of prairie roads is such that stone can
not ordinarily be hauled long distances.
There is a similar difficulty in regard
to hauling bricks from yards several
miles off. 1t is, however. practical to
make good bricks or a large proportion
of western farms. Clay suitable for
making brick is very common. 1t may
need exposure to frost before it will
work easily, but it requires but little
extra labor to dig it in the fall and al
low it to be exposed during the winter.
Ii it is nearly pure 1t will require loan
or sand to mix with it, but these can
ordinarily be obtained within a reason
able distance of the deposit Of clay.
The cost OF preparing a yard of suffi-
Gent size to dry enough brick to erect
farm buildings is not large where the
surface of the ground is nearly level.
The yard, when once prepared, Il be
used for making brick to be used in the
construction of buildings on several
neighboring farms. If there is no
stream or spring to supply water it can
be obtained from a well that can be
subsequently used for supplying water
for stock. A driven well will often be
all that is required.
The great difficulty In making brick
on most of the western farms Is the
lack Of fuel for burning them. There
Is no wood on the place, and it is ex-
pensive to buy and haul it. A farmer,
however, who has small temporary
buildings of wood a raise the fuel for
burning . kiln OF brick by the time he
gets ready to erect permanent build
ings on his place. BY planting four
acres m white wood trees, placed four
feet apart, he will have in ten years
time enough fuel to burn the brick he
viii require to erect large and perma-
nent buildings. During this time he
can learn the art OF brick-making by
working in a yard and studying works
devoted to the subject. II he q SUI
perintend the making Of the brick.
has the fuel for burning them as we'll
- the clay, lOam, or sand on his place,
ne : erect buildings Of brick cheaper
than from wood, and they will be far
mere durable and satisfactory. In sew
eraA eastern and southern states the
matter of brick-making on farms is
receiving much attention. In some
places the OF pug-mills and
simple brick machines 20 from farm to
farm, and. taking their machines, SUI
perintendthe work OF making and burn
ing the brick, the owner Of the farm
furnishing the horses and the men for