FARM BUILDINGS. 59 



So, also, may the orchards. Our mistake is, we make 

 everything look so prim and artificial, when in truth we 

 ought to arrange our groves, fruit-plats, and orchards, so nat- 

 urally that dame Nature will not blush to call them all her own. 



FARM BUILDINGS. 



I once asked a very wealthy and distinguished farmer to 

 point out his house. " Yonder, sir, is my barn," said he, 

 pointing to a large and apparently commodious structure. " It 

 matters not about the house, the barn shows the status of the 

 farmer." Without proposing to dispute my friend, I must 

 nevertheless say that the family deserves the first and best 

 attention ; and no improvement gives so much material value 

 to a farm, as a good, convenient and comfortable home. Barns 

 are useful rather than ornamental ; sheds and outbuildings of 

 every description should follow the same rule. The house on 

 my farm is a two story structure, 30x36, three rooms and hall 

 in each story, with cellar under all. A wing 20x20 for dining- 

 room with sleeping room above. A kitchen attached to this 

 20x12 for cook room, with bath rooms attached. A porch in 

 front of both main building and dining-room, and a bay win- 

 dow for winter plants complete our domestic arrangements. 

 Near by, not contiguous, is the ice-house, shop and wood and 

 coal shed. Nor do I think this too expensive a house, 

 or arrangement for a farm of one hundred and sixty acres. 



BARNS AND CRIBS. 



The horse barn with three bins for oats, or corn, stalls 

 for eight horses and hay loft, two hay barns, one closed and one 

 with open sides, one corn crib, one shed for sheep and one for 

 pigs and another for bees, are the buildings on the farm. More 

 might be added, perhaps, to advantage, and a less number 

 would do. 



AVOID EXOLUSIVENESS. 



One of the prominent evils of Illinois farming is the ten- 

 dency to run into exclusiveness. It is a coarse but common 

 saying, with a large admixture of truth " that we run every 



