10 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



FARM BUILDINGS. 



ESSEX. 



Report of the Committee. 



The Hon. William Sutton, President of the Essex Agricul- 

 tural Society, has generously offered four premiums, of twenty- 

 five dollars each ; one for the best arrangement of farm 

 buildings, economy (supposed) to be taken into the account. 

 It is of as much importance to have farm buildings well 

 arranged and convenient, as it is to have improved farm imple- 

 ments, such as the mower, the horse-rake and others of like 

 character. 



The writer well remembers the time when some barns had 

 no doors to the floor-way, a few rails answering the purpose, 

 and the boarding was so loose, that if a hen should unfortu- 

 nately be buried in the hay under the beam, she could in some 

 instances escape through the openings between the boards, or, 

 if the space was not sufficient, she could put out her head and 

 cry for help. Such a case was fortunate for the hen, but unfor- 

 tunate for the cows, as they would be cold, and in stormy 

 weather, covered with snow, would give but little milk, and 

 ■when the time arrived for their accustomed drink, would rather 

 stay in the cold barn, thirsty, than to buffet the storm to the 

 spring or brook. 



Now almost every good farmer has a warm barn for his cattle, 

 and water in his yard, or some other convenient place. 



In a well adapted barn, much time is saved in feeding and 

 watering the cattle ; besides, the more comfortably they are 

 kept the better they will thrive, and the cows will give much 

 more milk. 



Among other improvements of the present day are barn- 

 cellars, which are of great importance, as it not only saves the 

 solid manure from being dried by the wind, and washed by the 

 rain, but the liquids, which are of nearly as much value as the 

 solid parts, can be mostly saved by applying muck or some 

 other material by which it can be absorbed and applied to the 

 land. 



