The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1910-08-05

cheap, buildings were built of logs,
or at least had heavy frames. Under
these conditions the rectangular barn
was the n naturally used, and peo-
pie have followed in the footsteps o!
their ~fOrefathers in continuing this
form Of barn. The result is that the
economy and advantages of the round
barn have apparently never been con.
sldered. This is because they are not
obvious at first sight, and become
fully apparent only after a detailed
study of the construction. For these
reasons, the rectangular form still
continues to be built, although it re-
quires much more lumber. AS the
price of lumber has advanced so mate
rally in recent years, the possible
saving in this material is a large item,
and we'll worth investigating.
The difficulty with most round barns
that have been built, thus far, is that
they do not have a self-supporting
roof, and consequently lost many of
the advantages Of a properly con-
structed round barn. This is the prin-
c1pal reason why round barns have
not econ more popular. A straight
roof necessarily requires many sup
ports in the barn below. These are
both costly and i~nconvenient, and
make the roof no stronger than a
dome-shaped, self-supporting roof
which nearly doubles the capacity of
the NOV.
Many who have thus disregarded
capacity have also wasted lumber and
made a needless amount of work by
chopping or hewing out the sill and
plate, thus requiring more labor and
lumber, besides sacrificing the great
er strength OF a built-up sill.
Another reason for the scarcity of
round barns is the difficulty in get
ting them built. Most carpenters
hesitate to undertake the work be-
cause in the erection of a round barn
the construction should be entirely
different from that of the rectangu-
lar form. Many new problems pre-
sent themselves, but when these are
once understood, the round barn Of
fers no more difficulties in construc-
ton than the rectangular form.
The first thing to consider in the
erection Of a barn is a convenient
arrangement for the purpose for which
1t is to be used.
Considering that the barn on a dairy
farm is used twice every day in the
year, and that for six months each
year the COWS occupy it almost con.
tinuously, and that during this time
a large amount Of the labor of the
farm is done inside the barn, it is
evident that the question of its con-
v%enience is a vital one.
The circular construction is the
strongest, because it takes advantage
OF the lineal, instead of the break
ing strength Of the lumber. Each
row of boards running around the
barn forms a hoop that holds the
barn together. A barrel, properly
hooped and headed, is almost indies
tructible, and much stronger than a
box. although the hoops are small,
This strength is because the stress
m on the hoops in a lineal direc-
ton. Any piece of timber is many
lAAACo oLI OlScI vi q lAuCdl pun LudQ
On a breaking stress.
All exposed surfaces of round barns
are circular, as both the sides and
roof are arched, which is the strongest
form of construction to resist wind
pressure; besides, the wind in strik-
ing it, glances off and can get no
direct hold or the walls or roof, as
II CON m tho fat cidoc m uoblo o~Io
Of a rectangular structure. If the
lumber is properly placed in a round
The circular construction is the
strongest, because it takes advantage
OF the lineal, instead of the break