486 A GRICUL TURE. 



nuisance, and should be built only when necessary. The kind 

 of fence should depend entirely upon the cost of material and 

 labor, and should be the subject of careful consideration. 



FARM BUILDINGS. 



Although the dwelling is a very important element of farm 

 economy, the tastes of individuals, and their ability to spend 

 money for ornament and for convenience, vary so greatly that 

 even a tolerably full discussion of the architecture of farm dwell- 

 ing-houses would require very much more space than could here 

 be given to it. In the vicinity of towns, there are always architects 

 and builders whose services can be commanded when necessary. 

 In the more remote frontier districts, the simpler style of dwell- 

 ing, which is all that the opportunities of the situation allow, is 

 usually built without the aid of skilled labor, and for temporary 

 purposes only. 



Barns, sheds, poultry-houses, etc., belong more properly to 

 the range of subjects under consideration. The first principle 

 to be observed is, so far as possible, to bring everything within 

 the same four walls, and under the same roof, and to adjust the 

 size of the structure, not so much to the present requirements 

 as to the future needs of the farm. In a very large majority of 

 cases it is not practicable to follow this rule. It would require 

 a larger investment at the outset than most farmers would be 

 able to make, especially in view of the many other expenses, 

 which must be defrayed from their usually limited capital ; yet, 

 in all cases when such a complete barn as is above referred to 

 cannot be built at once, the possibility of building it at a future 

 day, and the importance of approaching it as nearly as possible 

 at the outset, should be kept constantly in view. A given 

 amount of space can be more cheaply enclosed in one large 

 building than in several small ones ; while the concentration of 

 stock and food under one roof, the greater ease with which the 

 barn-work may be done in a conveniently arranged large barn, 

 and the much more complete supervision which a farmer is 

 enabled to have over the indoor work of his assistants, are strong 

 arguments in favor of the plan. 



Formerly, when hay-wagons had to be unloaded entirely by 



