560 



DAKOTA COUJsTY, iMlNiNESOTA. 



tlie road, while on the east side the natural ground is lower 

 than the bottom of the cellar, giving perfect drainage. There 

 is a drivewa}' each way through the barn. The one east and 

 west level with the public highway, the one north and south is 

 eight feet above, and reached by an easy grade that a team can 

 draw any common lo;ul up. The floor timbers of this driveway 

 are left loose, to be taken out so the whole barn can be filled 

 with a horse hay fork, and holds about one hundred and six- 

 teen thousand solid feet. There are hay and straw shoots at 

 the side for letting the fodder into the cellar for use there. For 

 the foundation of walls a trench was dug four feet wide and six 

 inches deep, which was filled with small stones pounded down 

 solid as possible Avith a wooden maul, and soft mortar poured 

 over the whole till filled, then the v/alls set in the middle, so 

 there is a projection each side, making them rat proof. 



STABLING STOCK. 



The barn was planned so that the owner could see every 

 thing in jilace, and to make it easier for the help to keep the tools 

 in thcir^places than to leave them elsewhere. Eight horses are 

 usually kept on the farm, each having his own harness and 

 collar, especially fitted to him, hanging directly behind him, so 

 there can be no mistake in harnessing. All the animals are 

 named, and have their own places, so that any stranger can let 

 them in and tie them without making any mistake, as each 

 animal will go directl}'- to his or her place. I do not use a 

 stanchion, as the animals can not thus get their natural rest. 

 They always, in their free state, lay their heads on their side, 

 and whoever deprives them of this privilege takes a part of 

 their comfort from them. 



FEEDING. 



The horses are fed in a box rack for hay, about two and a 

 half feet wide, and three and a half deep — the bottom being 

 level with their feet — to which they are 'tied. Small feed 

 boxes, that will hold about twenty quarts, are nailed across the 

 rack on top for each horse to be fed grain in, which consists of 



