THE COMING FARMER. 55 



convenient tramway. Then our "enterprising proprietor," 

 as the newspapers will call him, goes about building. 



At the most easily accessible spot near the front and centre 

 of his lot he erects a plain brick factory, four or five stories 

 in height, and covering an area sufficient to accommodate 

 easily about two hundred cows and twenty horses upon a 

 single floor. With this building there will connect on the 

 one hand a boiler-house and engine-room ; upon the other, 

 refrigerating-room, can-rooms, wagon-shed, a counting-house, 

 and all the paraphernalia necessary for the handling and 

 delivery of milk. Close by a second brick house of less size 

 will serve for a dwelling for the owner or manager and his 

 foreman, and as a boarding-house for his drivers, clerk and 

 regular farm-hands. The space around the barn not required 

 for these buildings will be divided into large yards, provided 

 with sheds and other suitable shelter from sun or storm, and 

 strewn with litter, where the stock may take their daily con- 

 stitutional promenade in all weathers. But let us walk into 

 the big barn and look at our friend's cows. They will stand 

 one story, or say half a story, from the ground. Beneath 

 them a well-lighted, dry hall, half basement and half cellar, 

 will be carefully prepared for the reception, preservation and 

 preparation of the mainspring of our machine — manure. We 

 find the two hundred cows, arranged in rows facing each other, 

 with tramways or rails for fodder-cars in front of them. 

 Flowing water of the purest and freshest is carried within 

 their reach, and spouts and sacks from above lead down to 

 each feed-trough. But it is time to go up stairs. There 

 we find great vats for steaming all the hay after it has been 

 chopped fine by the machines overhead, large troughs for 

 mixing the steamed hay with meal or shorts from vast bins, 

 in which they are stored, and monstrous receptacles for the 

 chopped turnips, beets, cabbages, etc., into which they 

 tumble from the busy machines above. If we mount up 

 stairs further, we shall find the chopping-machines already 

 referred to in full activity, driven by shafting turned by the 

 engine below. The space not required for their use, and the 

 lots above, are devoted to the storage of hay and roots. All 

 the hoisting, pumping, steaming and moving of food is done 

 by the engine. A side-track from the railroad delivers all 



