yOL. LIX,
INDIANAPOLIS, JAN. 9, 1904.
NO
i __ Circular Barn.
Editors Indiana F_rmer:
| The illustrations accompanying this article show a circular barn recently erected
ior Frank L. Littleton, ot Indianapolis,
en his farm near McCordsville, Ind.
, The barn is 102 feet in diameter. The
system of the construction, might be termed "baloon framing" as no heavy timbers
are employed in the barn proper. To
those most familiar with the circular
barn idea the system of framing is usually spoken of as" the "bending system" on
account o£ the fact that many of the important features of construction are obtained by bending the timbers into the
required shapo instead of sawing.
1 Tne barn was planned according to the
Jtleas and requirements of Mr. Littleton
and to him is due the credit for many special features that were adopted in his
barn.
The contractor who had charge of the
carpenter work was Mr. Horace Duncan,
of Knightstown, Ind., and especial praise
is due him for the faithful execution of
the plans and having successfully carried
out this great piece of construction, as
well as having suggested a number of new-
ideas which were adopted.
/ The barn is intended to provide storage room and quarters for aH the feed
; and stock that can be' produced on a
farm of 240 acres and yet allow for growth
and improvement for years to come.
In this, ample allowance is made for
storing away implements and machinery
and for a battery of feed mills and grinders, together with water tanks and plenty
of working space in every department.
The floor space shows stalls for cows
whicli Mr. Littleton has omitted for the
present.
The departments marked 1, 2, 3 and
4 can be used separately or in part, or
if need be can (be thrown into one continuous department as occasions demand.
Such as when hauling out manure or in
feeding numbers of stock together. Tlie
double gates as shown are made and
hung in such a manner as to be easily removed if occasion should demand, and the
walls are provided with a number of sets
•f "eyes" so that the gates can be hung
so as to provide any size space desired.
Every   department  is   directly   accessible
The wind mill supplies power for running machinery and pumping water, and
beiug placed at such au altitude renders
it very setrsative to  the slightest breeze.
The second floor is entirely free from ,
obstructions with the exception -of the
crib and mills as before mentioned. The
roof is entirely self-supporting, no trusses
being employed nothing heavier than 2 by
C rafters.
The mow floor has an estimated hay
capacity of 350 to 400 tons. The haying outfit consists of a circular track suspended about midway;up the span of the-
roof and which operates au ordinary
swivel car or carrier, in otlier ways much
the same as in ordinary rectangular barns
with straight-away  track.
This barn is an elaboration and improvement on the circular idea which has
been illustrated ami discussed before in
the Indiana Farmer, and along with other
notable instances emphasizes the superiority of this system over all others as applied to barn construction, arrangements
and  equipment.
Benton Steele, Architect.
Pendleton, Ind.
Ground Plan of the Littleton Circular B
architect,  B
arn—See Description on this page, by the
en ton  Steele.
to the outside doors, whicb is a great convenience in shifting stock from place to
place or in case of fire. It will be observed that the stock are all fed the main
rations from the one continuous feed alley, the feed being passed through chutes
or trap doors in the second floor.
When roughage is fed to loose stock
the same is passed through chutes at the
outer sides of the barn next to the wall,
into racks as shown, winch operate on the
plan of self-feeders.
Tlie bins or cribs below are filled by gravity from above. Portable corn bins are to
be Jiised in second floor when needed. A
solid concrete wall is placed under the barn
ns well as the inner rows where supporting timbers rest, and special precautions
were observed so as to entirely exclude
rats from ever finding a burrowing place.
It is Mr. Littleton's intention to finally
have the entire ground cemented.
The wind mill is a power mill with a
wheel IC feet in diameter, and rests on a
crib or tower in the center of the barn.
Several flights of stairs are provided which
furnish a means of access to tha cupola
nhere one can look after the workings
of the wind mill, or get a view of the
surrounding country for many miles.
GUESSING ..HEMES.
Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania, has
introduced :v bill in Congress desigaat-Dg
all guessing schemes on elections, the
number of votes of States, number oC
beans in glass jars, and ail such devices
as frauds and gambling devices, and
forbidding them, and it is said that the
bill will pass, and thus forbid the circulation through the mails of papers containing the advertisements of all theso
guessing   schemes. This   is     a   good
movement, as it is against a spseeies of
gambling, and tho mails should be denied
to all publications containing them. Under
saich a law no one could claim payment
on guesses, even when correct, and this
would cut off the temptation to risk money
on such schemes. For years the Indiana F.irmer has refused advertising of
this kind.
Interior View of Barn Section.
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Barn  E levation.