CORNELL 



IReaMnG^Course for jfarmevs 



PUBMSHED BY THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY, 



FROM November to March, and Entered at Ithaca as Second-class 

 Matter under Act of Congress of July 16, 1894. L. H. Bailey, Director. 



SERIES VI. ITHACA, N. Y., No.30. 



BUILBINGS AND YARDS. MARCH, 1906. BARNS. 



BARNS AND OUTBUILDINGS — A DISCUSSION OF THE 



PRINCIPLES INVOLVED 



By Thomas F. Hunt 



The old barns and outbuildings on New York farms must soon be 

 rebuilt, or new ones erected in their places, for they are coming to that 

 age when they are beginning to tumble down. Alany of the old barns are 

 not efficient or economical, as measured by present standards. It is im- 

 portant, therefore, that some of the underlying principles be discussed. 



Some of the objects to be secured in the construction of barns and 

 other outbuildings may be stated as follows : 



1. To keep animals and other objects dry. 



2. To maintain a proper temperature. 



3. To secure pure air, with a proper degree of humidity. 



4. To secure light. 



5. To secure cleanliness. 



6. To prevent the breeding of vermin (rats, mice, insects). 



7. To preserve the manure. 



8. To secure health, comfort of the animals, freedom from injury, and to 



prevent the spread of contagious diseases. 



9. To secure economy in feeding and watering. 

 10. To secure economy of space. 



ir. To secure economy of labor. 



12. To secure economy of construction. 



13. To secure strength and durability. 



14. To secure good appearance. 



It is proposed to discuss each of the above categories, in order. 



Obviously the plan of a barn for a given individual will depend on 

 the relative importance to his conditions of these and perhaps other factors. 

 What would be a good plan for one man's conditions might be a very poor 

 plan for another's. An attempt is made to state some of the principles 

 involved and to show a few pictures illustrating these principles. Because 

 a plan here submitted shows a good principle or a bad one does not imply 

 that the plan as a whole is either commended or condemned. 



Corollary discussions on barns may be found in Farmers' Reading- 

 Course Bulletins Nos. 23 and 26. 



539 



