Book IV. BUILDINGS AS REPOSITORIES. 4i5 



fonner for the threshers, and the latter for winnowing. Over the threshing-floor, and a httle-abovo the 

 reach of the flail, poles are often laid across from one beam to another, to form a kind of upper-floor, upon 

 which the thresher may throw the straw or haulm, to make an immediate clearing, till he has time to 

 stow it proj)erly elsewhere : and on the outside- over the great doors, it is sometimes convenient to have 

 a large pent-house, made to project sufficiently to cover a load of corn or hay, in case a sudden storm 

 should come on before it can be housed ; and also to shelter the poultry in the farm-yard in great heat or 

 bad weather. It was formerly the custom in countries that abounded in corn to have separate bams for 

 wheat, for spring-corn, such as barley and oats, and for peas, tares, lintels, clover, saintfoin, &c. but where 

 the grain can be stacked, the heavy expense of so many buildings of this kind may be avoided. On no 

 description of farm buildings has so much needless expense been incurred as in barns. The most ostcnt:i- 

 tious in England are those on Coke's estate in Norfolk ; they are built of tine white'brick, so large and 

 unscientifically constructed that they cannot be filled with corn from the fear of bursting the side walls. 



2691. The threshing-floor or space, on which the grain is threshed out by the flail, is an 

 important object in the English barn. It is for the most part made in the middle of 

 the building, but may be laid down in any other part, if more convenient, and should al- 

 ways be so formed as to be perfectly close, firm, and strong. In constructing these 

 kinds of floors, various sorts of materials are employed, such as compositions of different 

 earthy kinds, stones, lumps, bricks, and wood. The last substance, when properly laid 

 and put together, is probably the best and most secure from damp. When made of wood, 

 they are sometimes so contrived as to be moveable at pleasure, which is a great conve- 

 nience in many cases : they are made of different dimensions, but from twelve to fourteen 

 by eighteen or twenty feet, are in general proper sizes for most purposes. 



2692. Threshing-floors in Gloucestershire, Marshal observes, are of a good size, when from 12 to 14 by 18 

 to 20 feet. The best of oak, some of stone; but a species of earthen floor, which is made there, is thought to 

 be superior to floors of stone, or any other material, except sound oak-plank. The superior excellency of these 

 floors is owing in part to the materials of which they are formed, and in part to the method of making 

 them. In order to this, in some places, the surface of the intended threshing-place is dug away to the 

 depth of about six inches, and the earth thus taken out, when of a proper kind, after being well cleared of 



'stones, is mixed with the strongest day that can be procured, and with the dung of cattle. This mixture 

 is then worked together with water, till it is of the consistence of stiff' mortar, and the compost thus made 

 is spread as smooth as possible with a trowel, upon the spot from whence the earth was taken. As it cracks 

 in drying, it must frequently be beaten down with great force; or rolled with a heavy roller until all the 

 crevices are filled up: and this must be continued till it is quite solid, hard, dry, smooth, and firm. 



2693. Boarded th7-eshing-flw)7-s, made of sound, thick, well-seasoned planks of oak, are excellent for ser- 

 vice, will last a long time, and may be converted into good floorfhgs for rooms, by plaining them down, 

 after they are become too uneven for the purpose originally intended. 



2694. Earthen threshing-floors should not be advised, except where good materials can be procured, and 

 the making of them be performed in the most jjerfect manner, which, as we have noticed (2692.) is only 

 the case in particular instances and districts. 



2695. Brick floors, when well laid down, may, in some cases, make a tolerable floor for many purposes, 

 but on account of their not only attracting, but retaining moisture, they are not to be recommended, where 

 grain of any kind is to continue much upon them. 



2696. In constructing wooden floors the most usual mode is that of nailing the planks, or boards of 

 which they are composed, after their edges have been shot true, and well fitted and jointetl, close down to 

 wooden joists or sleepers, firmly placed and secured upon the ground, or other place for the purpose. But 

 in the midland districts, instead of the planks being nailed down to sleepers in the ordinary way, the floor 

 is first laid with bricks, and the planks spread over these, with no other confinement than that of being 

 *' dowled" together, that is, ploughed and tongued, and their ends let into sils or walls, placed in the usual 

 way, on each side the floor. By this method of putting down the planks, provided the brick-work be left 

 truly level, vermin cannot have a hiding-place beneath them ; and a communication of damp air being 

 effectually prevented, floors thus laid are found to wear better than those laid upon sleepers. It is observ- 

 able that the planks, for this method of laying, ought to be thoroughly seasoned. It is evident, however, 

 that where bam-floors can bo made hollow, they must be much better for the purpose of threshing upon, 

 than such as are either placed on brick-work, or the ground. From their greater pliability and elasticity in. 

 threshing upon, the grain is of course threshed out with more ease, certainty, and dispatch. 



2697. The threshing-mill barn is not restricted to any size ; but it answers best when 

 tlie ground-plan is a parallelogram, the width from 20 to 30 feet, according to the size of 

 the machinery, and the height from 15 to 20 feet, in order to allow one winnowing ma- 

 chine or even two to be placed under the threshing part of the machinery. The barn in 

 this case is in three distinct divisions : the first, for the unthreshed com, should be of such a 

 size as to contain an ordinary stack, and, if possible, it should be so contrived as to be en- 

 tered by a loaded cart; which, whether the corn be threshed as carried in, or be laid up 

 for future operations, is a great saving of labor. The second division contains the ma- 

 chinery and tlie corn floor, and should be enclosed with boards so as to be locked up when 

 not in use. The third division is the straw barn, which should be so large as to admit 

 of keeping a considerable quantity of different kinds of straw separately, accessible for 

 fodder and for litter. 



2698. The hay-barn is commonly constructed of timber, and sometimes is open on the 

 south or east, or even on all sides. In Middlesex, there are many hay-barns capable of 

 holding from 30 to 50, and some even 100, loads of hay. They are found to be ex- 

 tremely useful and convenient during a catching and unsettled hay-harvest, and also at 

 other seasons of the year. In wet and windy weather, they afford an opportunity of 

 cutting, weighing, and binding hay ; none of which operations could, at such a time, be 

 performed out of doors. Most farmers agree that hay may be put together earlier, even by 

 a day, in a barn, than it would be safe to do in a stack. They advise, however, that the 

 sides of the mow should be raked or pulled, clear of the quartering of the barn ; and, 

 when thus managed, they are of opinion, that the hay will be as good in the barn as in the 



