A Dairy Farm Building. 557 



A DAIRY FARM BUILDING. 



By T. Cherry, M.D. 



One of the most important points about the permanent improve- 

 ments of the farm is the adoption fiom the commencement of a good 

 plan for the huildinti^s. The size and style will vaiy with the different 

 branches of ai^riculture, but tiiere are certain conditions that should be 

 fulfilled in all cases. The building should be well adapted for its 

 special purpose, it should be substantial and {permanent so far as may 

 be with due. re^^ard to its cost, and above all it should be so arranged 

 that it can be extended, so as to keep pace with the growth of the 

 farm. Farm buildings usually consist of a collection of small erections 

 which have been built from time to time without any geneial plan. 

 As a stable or barn becomes too small for the increasing requirements 

 of its ownei- it is tui ned to some othei- use, and a new building takes 

 its place. In this waj^ a number of small buildings grow up, none of 

 them perhaps as good as might have been built with the same money, 

 and their inconvenient arrangement is a source of continual loss 

 through the extra labour involved in carrying on the routine work of 

 the fHrm. 



During the last few years the so called "consolidated type" of farm 

 building has come into favour in America. A large many storied 

 building is made to serve all purposes, the upper stories being used for 

 hay and grain, the intermediate one for im|»lements and machinery, 

 and the lower ones for the anima's. In this way four and five stories 

 are often met with. The only disadvantage is the liability to total 

 destruction in case of tire, while in all directions the a<lvaiitages 

 are manifest. A large building costs less, both to build anil maintain, 

 than a number of small ones which provide the same amount of 

 accommodation, while the saving in labour goes far towards providing 

 interest and siidcing fund on the capital cost of construction. The 

 advantages ai"e very evident in the winter, when all the work may be 

 done with a minimum amount of exposure to the weather. 



In connection with the dairy industry, plans for improved milking 

 sheds have already appeared in the Journal for June, 1902. The 

 present building is designed to meet the special requirements of the 

 dairy farmer, it comprises a cow stable on the ground floor, and a 

 large loft above which will answer all the purposes of an ordinary 

 barn. As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, the building is 32 feet 

 wide, a roadway 10 feet wide runs down the centre, the cows stand- 

 ing with their heads towards tlie walls. The framing is erected in 

 sections of 8 feet each, an arrangement which enal)les the biilding to 

 be gradually extended to any desired lengtli. In order to secure this, 

 the ordinary 4x2 framing is replaced by much heavier timbers, but 

 the niunber of pieces of timber is much reduced, so that, on the whole, 

 there is considerable saving in material. The longitudinal timbers 

 are all 16 feet long, so that liy '' breaking joints " alternately on each 



