r, and board the roof ready for shingling.

The best and cheapest method of barn-building is as follows: In the
winter season cut and square with the broad axe all the frame timber
you require, and draw it home to the place you have fixed on for the
building, and from the saw-mill all the lumber you require. As soon as
the weather is warm enough hire a framer, whose business is to mark out
all the tenons and mortices, and to make or superintend the making of
them. When ready, the building is put together in what is called bents,
each bent consisting of two posts, one on each side of the building,
connected together by a strong beam running across the building. The
foundation is composed of twelve cedar blocks, three feet long, sunk
two-thirds of their depth into the ground, one under each corner of the
barn, and under the foot of each post. These blocks support the sills,
which are firmly united at the corner to the cross sills. The bents,
four in number, are then laid on this foundation, and are ready for
raising, which is done by calling a "bee." Thirty-five men are ample
for this service--more are only in the way. Every two persons should be
provided with a light balsam or cedar pole, fifteen feet in length,
shod at the end with a ring and strong spike. These pike-poles are laid
in order in front of the bent to be raised, one between each person.
All being ready, the framer-gives the word "attention," when each man
lays hold of the bent, one man being stationed at the foot of each post
with a hand-spike, which he presses against it to prevent its slipping.
"Yeo heave!" is then shouted by the framer, at which every man lifts,
waiting always for the word, and lifting together. As soon as the bent
is lifted as high as they can reach, the pike-poles are driven into the
beam, and the bent is soon in a perpendicular position. Several pikes
are then stuck into the opposite side to keep the bent from being
swayed over, until the tenons on the foot of the post is entered into
the mortice on the sill: it is then secured by stays, until the next
bent is raised, when the girts connect them together. In this manner
all the bents are raised: the wall-plates are then lifted upon the
building which connect all the bents. The tenon on the top of each post
goes through the plate, and is firmly pinned; the putting up the
rafters completes the frame. The raising of a building of this size
should not occupy more than three quarters of a-d