118 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



nothing has been proven more effective in warding off tuberculosis than 

 good ventilation. In the localities where the animals, especially dairy- 

 cows, are not housed for any considerable length of time, tuberculosis 

 is unknown. In like manner, light is also essential in combatting disease. 



Good dairy products can not be produced except in sanitary quarters. 

 The milk will become contaminated with foul odors and disease germs 

 unless the barn be dry, light and well ventilated. 



In citing various reasons why the design and construction of farm 

 buildings is a subject worthy our best consideration, the design of the 

 farm house and the plan of the home which enter to make the farm a 

 pleasant or unpleasant place to live should not be overlooked. "Farming 

 is not all corn." One function of the farm is to provide a home. If in 

 building the house, it may not only be made convenient and comfortable, 

 but by means of the planting of trees and shrubs, it may be made a 

 place where happy lives are to be passed, it has a far-reaching influence 

 upon the character and ideals of the growing generation — greater than it 

 is possible to estimate. 



It is not the purpose of this talk to bore you longer with an effort to 

 prove to you that farm buildings are a large factor in farm economy, farm 

 management and farm life. The design and construction of farm build- 

 ings is one of the most neglected branches of agricultural science. The 

 present buildings upon the farm are largely the result of individual 

 effort. If a farmer decides to build a barn, for instance, his opportunities 

 for the study of farm structures are confined almost entirely to his 

 immediate neighborhood. This is evidenced by the fact that types of 

 farm buildings vary by localities to a large extent. There is practically 

 no literature on the subject. Books of plans now in print are largely a 

 compilation of plans prepared by architects for wealthy clients. The 

 plans for the better and more practical buildings are never put upon 

 paper. Contractors and carpenters lend valuable aid in the construction 

 of farm buildings, but they are influenced almost entirely from the stand- 

 point of construction with the least effort, regardless of the uses to 

 which the building is later to be put. 



Only a few agricultural college courses contain anything at all con- 

 cerning farm buildings. This is due largely to the fact that the subject 

 is not in shape to be presented to college classes. Outside of a few 

 bulletins on special types of farm buildings, there is practically no liter- 

 ature upon the subject. Is it not high time that this whole matter re- 

 ceive our earnest attention? 



Farm building design and construction must be developed alone. Ex- 

 amples are to be found everywhere of an attempt to take city ideas of 

 architecture to the country, to find out they are entirely out of place. It 

 is becoming more and more realized that whatever is of extreme utility 

 and practicability, coupled with neatness and perhaps plainness, is of 

 good taste. In no place is this so true as upon the farm. Farm bulidings 

 are of good taste if they are perfectly adapted to the uses to which they 

 are designed, and shall bear no meaningless or useless ornaments. It 

 costs no more to build a building of good taste than otherwise, and often 



