408 SCIENCE OF AGRICULTURE. Part It. 



be limited to potatoes, a steaming machine, which will prepare any sort of fbod, is undoubt- 

 edly preferable for general purposes. Many speculative plans of this sort, however in- 

 genious, chietly deserve notice as beacons to be avoided, or to prevent their being invented 

 and described a second time. 



Chap. III. 

 Edifices in use in Agriculture^ 



2657. A variety of buildings are necessary for carrying on the business of field cul- 

 ture ; the nature and construction of which must obviously be different, according to the 

 kind of farm for which they are intended. Suitable buildings, the editor of The Farmer s 

 Magazine observes, are scarcely less necessary to the husbandman than implements and 

 machinery; and might, without much impropriety, be classed along with them, and 

 considered as one great stationary machine, operating more or less on every branch of la- 

 bor and produce. There is nothing which marks more decidedly the state of agriculture 

 in any district, than the plan and execution of these buildings. 



2658. In erecting a farmery, the first thing that deserves notice is its situation, 

 both in regard to the other parts of the farm, and the convenience of the buildings them- 

 selves. In general, it must be of importance on arable farms, that the buildings 

 should be set down at nearly an equal distance from the extremities ; or so situate, 

 that tlie access from all tlie diflferent fields should be easy, and the distance from those 

 most remote, no greater than the size of the farm renders unavoidable. The advantages 

 of such a position in saving labor, are too obvious to require illustration ; and yet this 

 matter is not nearly so much attended to as its importance deserves. In some cases, 

 however, it is adviseable to depart from this general rule ; of which one of the most obvious 

 is, where the command of water for a threshing-mill, and other purposes, can be better 

 secured in another quarter of the farnL 



2659. The form most generally approved for a set of offices, is that of a square, or rather 

 a rectangular parallelogram ; the houses being arranged on the north, east, and west 

 sides, and the south side fenced by a stone wall, to which low buildings, for calves, pigs, 

 poultry, &c. are sometimes attached. The space thus inclosed is usually alloted to young 

 cattle : these have access to the sheds on one or two sides, and are kept separate accord- 

 ing to their size or age, by one or more partition-walls. The farmer's dwelling-house 

 stands at a short distance from the offices, and frequently commands a view of the inside 

 of the square; and cottages for servants and laborers are placed on some convenient 

 spot, not far from the other buildings. 



2660. The different buildings required for the occupation of land are chiefly those de- 

 voted to live stock, as the stable, cow-house, cattle sheds, &c. ; those used as repositories 

 or for conducting operations, as the cart-shed, barn, &c. ; and human habitations or cot- 

 tages and farm-houses. After noticing the separate construction of these edifices, we 

 shall exemplify their combination in different descriptions of farmeries. 



Sect. I. Buildings for Live Stock. 



2661. Buildings for agricultural live stock are the stable, cow-house, cattle houses and 

 cattle slieds, sheep houses, pig-styes, poultry houses, rabbitry, pigeonry, and bee-house. 



2662. The stable is an important building in most farmeries ; it is in general placed 

 in the west side of tlie square, with its doors and windows opening to the east. No- 

 tJiing conduces more to the health of horses than the having a good and wholesome 

 air. The situation of the stable should always be on a firm, dry, and hard ground, that 

 in winter the horse may go out and come in clean ; and where possible, be built some- 

 what on an ascent, that the urine and other liquid matters may be easily conveyed away 

 by means of drains for the purpose. As there is no animal that delights more in clean- 

 liness than the horse, or that more dislikes bad smells, care should be taken that there be no 

 hen-roost, hog-styes, or necessary houses near the place where the stable is to be built. 

 The swallowing of feathers, which is very apt to happen, when hen-roosts are near, often 

 proves injurious to horses. The walls of a stable ought to be of brick rather than 

 stone, and should be made of a moderate thickness, two bricks or a brick and a half at 

 least, or the walls may be built hollow, not only for economy, but for the sake of warmth 

 in the winter, and to keep out the heat in the summer. The windows should be proportioned 

 in number to the extent, and made on the east or north side of the building, that the 

 north wind may be let in to cool the stables in the summer, and the rising sun all the year 

 round, especially in winter. They should cither be sashed or have large casements for 

 the sake of letting in air enough ; and there should always be close wooden shutters, 



