240 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



loam, muck, plaster, or straw, until it may be removed ; pro- 

 tecting it in full from drenching rain or scorching sun, by 

 means, in part, of a lean-to, and partly by the body of the barn 

 itself, which covers a part of the manure vault. This manure 

 vault is twenty-eight feet square, and so situated that all the 

 urine from all the creatures shall immediately fall into it, and 

 not be left to evaporate as on a tight floor over a cellar. This 

 precipitation of the urine is effected by the lattice platforms. 



By the side of this vault, on the right of the passage last 

 mentioned and at the end of it, and at a convenient point of 

 access, is a pen for feeding swine, which may run in this vault 

 to protect the manure from fire-fang, which they will do in a 

 most complete manner. Near this pen for swine, on the right 

 of the same passage, next to the hog pen and between it and the 

 cow leanto, is a pen for calves with lattice floor to void the urine. 

 The calf pen extends over the passage of one of the doorways 

 leading to the manure vault, but not in such a way as to prevent 

 the most convenient entrance of the cows. This pen may be 

 raised by means of fall blocks, whose rope may be attached to a 

 windlass situated in the cow leanto, the rope being directed to it 

 by means of shive-wheels ; and by the same means can be raised 

 all the lattice platforms in a most convenient and satisfactory 

 manner. The lattice platforms may be turned on their sides. 

 The calf pen may be run upon the top of the pen for swine, and 

 there remain for any desired time. When the calf pen is 

 removed there will be access in two ways to the manure vault ; 

 a team may drive in at one end and out at the other. 



I submit this as a partial description of a plan of a barn, pre- 

 sented by me at the cattle show at Bridgewater, Oct. 1st and 

 2d, 1863. This plan I deem, foi; many persons, quite full, com- 

 plete and convenient ; as it contains all the house room that 

 usually would be desired; as it provides 'a closed room for 

 family carriages, harnesses, and the most of the room usually 

 wanted in out-buildings. 



I do not profess to know all about manure. Neither, from all 

 that I can learn, do I suppose there are any that do understand 

 all about it. This thing is a subject for close investigation, and 

 farmers cannot be too studious in the pursuit of such knowledge. 

 But, in the meantime, we should use all the known means to 

 retain the virtues of manure and not leave Miss Ammonia to 



