BookV. scientific operations. 477 



pulley (c, c), over which a rope is passed from the ring or end of the horizontal pole, by 

 whicli it is easily raised or lowered, to suit the given height of the stack. A cloth being 

 now thrown over the horizontal pole, and its lower margins loaded with weights, a com- 

 plete roof is formed and neatly fitted to the stack, whether it be higli or low, wide or 

 narrow ; the eaves being always adjusted to the wall plate, or upper part of the stem of 

 the stack ; thus effectually shooting off rain water, while the internal moisture or steam 

 escapes freely at either end as the wind may happen to blow. This contrivance is readily 

 put up or taken away ; the poles being light are easily moved from stack to stack, or laid 

 up for another season, and the wheels are readily removed or returned to their axles. 

 On the whole, it answers as a good substitute for the improved construction brought 

 into use by Sir Joseph Banks, and is much less expensive. This construction, instead of 

 the ring running on the poles, has blocks and tackle (c, c), and instead of weights to dis- 

 tend the cloth, ropes (rf, d) are used to tighten it and keep it detached from the sides of 

 the stack, so as to admit a more free circulation of air. 



3048. A stacking stage (Jig.4\9.), or scaffold, has 

 been contrived for finishing the upper parts of high 

 stacks, but it can seldom be requisite when a judicious 

 size of stack is adopted. This stage, which consists of 

 a frame (a) and a moveable platform (Z>), easily under- 

 stood and constructed, is set against the stack when it 

 becomes so high, that it is inconvenient to pitch on to it 

 from the cross plank of a waggon. The platform is 

 commonly fixed by means of the chain pins and holes, 

 about fourteen feet from the ground, which is about the 

 height of a waggon load of hay. Should it be fixed 

 lower, it would be of no use; and should it be fixed much higher, it would be found too 

 high for a man to pitch on to, when the waggon is nearly empty. 



S049. The term housing is chiefly applied to crop's of the root kind, as potatoes, 

 carrots, turnips, &c. Potatoes being gathered in dry weather are preserved by being 

 laid up in heaps, excluded from rain and frost more particularly, and from the weather 

 generally, whether dry, moist, cold, or hot. The mode of doing this in some places is 

 to form them into heaps on the surface of the soil, and cover them with a thick layer of 

 straw, and on that another of earth. Sometimes also, where the soil is dry, they are 

 buried in pits and similarly covered ; but for common agricultural purposes, by much 

 the best motle is to lay them up in a house, securing them from all extremes of weather 

 by a covering of straw. By this mode they are much easier got at when a portion is 

 wanted, than by any other in use. 



3050. In housing carrots and Swedish or yellow turnips, the same modes may be 

 adopted as for potatoes ; but in housing white turnips, as they are apt to rot when heaped 

 up, the best mode is to spread them thinly on any surface covered from the rain, but 

 freely exposed to the circulation of air. This mode, it must be evident, can only be 

 adopted to a limited extent, and, indeed, is only resorted to as a precautionary measure 

 during winter, when frosts, snows, or continued rains, might interrupt the lifting and 

 carting from the fields of the usual supplies for feeding stock. 



3051. Various modes of housing and preserving these and other roots, will be treated of 

 as each particular crop comes into notice in a succeeding Book (VI.) 



Chap. III. 

 Scientific OperationSy and Operations of Order and general Management. 



3052. All the operations which have hitherto been described require to be practically 

 knoM'n to every farm servant or operative agriculturist ; the few about to be described 

 belong more particularly to the superintendant or master: they may be arranged as 

 scientific operations, and operations of order and management. 



Sect. I. Scientific Operations required of the Agriculturist. 



3053. The scientific operations required (f the agriculturist are chiefly the measuring 

 surfaces, measuring solids, taking the levels of surfaces, dividing lands ; and valuing 



'lands, timber, leases, and farming stock. A knowledge of the more common practices 

 of surveying, measuring, and the calculation of annuities may be considered as essential 

 to every agriculturist, whether farmer, land agent, or proprietor, who is desirous of having 

 clear ideas on the subject of letting labor, hiring or letting farms, or purchasing estates. 

 Such knowledge is not to be expected in detail in this work, but must be procured from 

 the ordinary school, and annuity books, and is indeed implied in a regular education. 

 All we propose here is to direct the reader's attention to the most important points of tlie 

 art of surveying, and lay down the leading principles of valuing agricultural property. 



