them down the sides of the boards with the square. There
should be a mark on each side of the place to be occupied by the
intermediate rafters, to prevent mistakes; for it is obvious that if a
rafter is fixed on the left side of a single ridge mark and on the right of
the corresponding mark on the base, the result will not be pleasing.

Erection.--The services of a second pair of hands are needed here, to
hold while nailing is done. Nail holes having been drilled in the tops of
the rafters and in the base pieces, the ends are stood upright and tacked
to the ridge at the places marked for them, and after them the intermediate
rafters, working from one end to the other. Then tack on the base pieces,
b1, b3. Get the ends quite perpendicular, and nail a temporary cross strut
or two on the outside of the rafters to prevent shifting while the final
nailing up is done.

Covering the Shed.--Sixteen boards, 4 feet 2 inches long, are needed for
each side, as, owing to the overlap of one inch, each tier covers only five
of the 80 inches. The ridge is made watertight by a strip of sheet zinc, a
foot wide, bent over the top and nailed along each edge.

Waterproofing.--All the woodwork should now be given a coating of
well-boiled tar, paint, creosote, or some other preservative, worked well
down into the cracks. Creosote and stoprot are most convenient to use, as
they dry quickly.

Netting.--When the preservative has dried, fix on the netting with
3/4-inch wire staples. Begin at the base on one side, strain the netting
over the ridge, and down to the base on the other side. Be careful not to
draw the rafters out of line sideways. The last edge stapled should be that
on the roof of the house.

Note.--When driving nails or staples into a rafter or other part, get a
helper to hold up some object considerably heavier than the hammer on the
farther side to deaden the blow. Lack of such support may cause damage,
besides making the work much more tedious and difficult.

Finishing off.--The doors are now hung, and fitted with buttons and
padlocks. The stops should be on the doors, not on the frames, where they
would prove an obstruction in a somewhat narrow opening. Perches should be
of 2 by 1 inch wood, rounded off at the top, and supported in sockets at
each end so as to be removable for cleaning; and be all on the same level,
to avoid fighting for the "upper seats" among the fowls. A loose floor,
made in two pieces for convenience of