188 



MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



deemed uncharitable or querulous. Much should 

 wo be rejoiced if ^ve could give a reverse col- 

 oring to the picture ; but fiat jvstitia mat 

 calum — ^we must speak the truth at all hazards. 

 Under all these circumstances, wc would saj' 

 to the young American fanner about to com- 

 mence an establishment, to begin with his build- 

 ings under the supposition that his estate is soon 

 to be divided among his children ; one of whom 

 is to have a smaller portion than the rest, in pro- 

 portion to the cost of its buildings ; and let him 

 regulate the expense of his mansion according- 

 ly. Without going into minute calculations, is 

 it not obvious that when all probabilities and 

 casualties are taken into the account, nothing 

 can be more improvident than to invest an over- 

 proportion of one's means in a dwelling, which 

 must remain stationary, as much as to its origi- 

 nal cost, and the interest thereon, with which it 

 is to be charged, as in its locality ; and to which, 

 in the nature of things, the parts into which the, 

 estate must be divided will bear a less anj ess 

 proportion in point of value. In a word hom 

 the certainty of frequent division of estates, 

 equally by testament or descent, there is no 

 country in the world where prudence so loudly 

 enjoins great moderation of investment,' in a 

 mere residence, as in this; nor, when properly 

 considered, does a costly one comport any more 

 with good taste than with prudence. What 

 farmer need desire to have a handsomer or bet- 

 ter house to live in than Mr. Latrobe's neat cot- 

 tage, Fairy-Knoive, of which the traveler gets 

 a glimpse from the Thomas Viaduct, on the 

 Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, at Elkridge land- 

 ing? and that cost, we believe, about $1200. It 

 was, however, far from our purpose, to have 

 descanted on the proper plan or the scale of 

 Farmers' Residences — so we return to Farm 

 Buildings. Whether the young farmer's means 

 be adequate or restricted, he should build, much 

 or little, according to some well-considered plan 

 of arra?igeme>it. If only one edifice can be 

 built this year, let it occupy, according to his 

 plan, a certain relation to those which are to be 

 constructed when time and means allow it ; and 

 let him always bear in mind, that however 

 humble the purposes for which the building is 

 designed, there will yet be room for the exer- 

 cise and display of taste and ornament, as well 

 as convenience. There is opportunity for this 

 even in a pigeon or a poultry-house ; and since 

 it costs only the trouble of putting them in the 

 ground, let trees to he planted for embellish- 

 ment, shade, and shelter. These are precau- 

 tions that demand no considerable enlargement 

 of means, or at increased expenditure, and 

 therefore to omit them should be placed to the 

 account of sheer indolence and want of sensi- 

 bility, that indicate defect both of education and 

 refinement. 



To the concentration of the farm huildinga, 

 recommended in the following extract from tlie 

 English paper, and by obvious economical con- 

 siderations, there is the strong objection of lia- 

 bility to have all destroyed by fire, communica- 

 ted by means of lightning or otherwise. To 

 trust " all your eggs in one basket" is impru- 

 dent to a proverb. 



This concentration of all out-buildings pre- 

 sents the more serious difficulty, in our country, 

 where farmers do not know that they can, or 

 else will not insure their farm-buildings, or 

 even their dzcellings and furniture. In Eng- 

 land, on the contrary, it is the common practice 

 to insure eveft the lives of their cattle against 

 prevalent epidemics. Truly, with all our wis- 

 dom, the wisest of us have much to learn ; and, 

 generally, the most ignorant are those who 

 think they know eveiything. 



The Outhouses of a Farm are those build- 

 ings in which the farmer stores and prepares 

 his crops, rears and feeds his live stock, and 

 houses ins working cattle and implements. On 

 their arrangement in regard to each other, as 

 \vell as on the adaptation of each to its separate 

 purpose, much of the farmer's profit necessarily 

 dejiends. It is to the first of these considera- 

 tions, the disposition of the several parts in re- 

 lation to each other, that we shall now direct 

 onr attention. 



The leading object to be aimed at in the ar- 

 rangement of the outhouses of a farm is econo- 

 my of time and labor in the performance of 

 those operations which are to take place within 

 them. The first priucipjle by vi'hich we must 

 be guided in an endeavor to effect this object 

 is, tlie self evident one, that there must be an 

 immediate connection between those buildings 

 xn a homestead who.se usefulness depends upon 

 each odier. In carrying out this priiuciple, we 

 shall find that the position of the barn governs, 

 in a great degree, that of the other buildings ; 

 for the straw-barn being the great storehouse of 

 forage and litter, from which the stables, feed- 

 ing-houses and sheds and yards receive their 

 supply, it is necessary that these be situated as 

 near to it as possible, and those nearest to which 

 the greatest and most frequent supplies have to 

 be conveyed. Again, the straw-house is an ap- 

 pendage to the barn where the corn is threshed 

 — there is a necessary connection here also. To 

 the corn-barn, also, ma.st be attached the build- 

 ing which contains the motive power to drive 

 its machinery ; and it is a convenient arrimge- 

 ment to have the granary, too, in immediate 

 connection with the com and dressiug-bams. — 

 Farther, the house -where food is consumed 

 should be in connection with, or at least not far 

 removed from, the house in which it is prepared, 

 and this again should be contiguous to the pla- 

 ces where the food is stored. Lastly, that the 

 cleaning out of the houses may not con.sume un- 

 necessary time, the ])lace where tlie manure is 

 deposited should be near to them, and of ready 

 access. 



It should always be borne in mind that it is 

 more important to save time in comparatively 

 insignificant operations, if they be of frequent 

 occurrence, than in large matters which are not 

 often repeated. Thus, if the separation requue 

 to be made, it is better to have the house where 



