226 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



PROPOSED PLAN OP BARN. 



I am about to build a barn for one of my nei.sh- 

 bors, 32 by 80 feet, posts 16 feet, with cellar under 

 the whole, for sheep ; and shed 17 by 40 feet.' The 

 80 feet in length of the barn is to be divided as 

 follows : — 



Length 80 feet. 



Shed 

 .^ 17 by 40 ft. • 



. The shed connects with the floor, maldns; it very 

 convenient to slip the straw into it when threshing, 

 rain or shine. In this barn from 50 to 75 tons of 

 hay will be stored, and from two to three hundred 

 sheep kept. Our farmers generally have one or 

 two slides, through which the hay is thrown into 

 the cellar ; then they go d(5wn and put it in the 

 racks. I wish to save this labor, and propose to 

 have the racks so arranged in the cellar, as to 

 slide the hay from the floor directly into them, 

 and save once handling fifty tons of hay, and over 

 a luindred trips up and down stairs, that are 

 usually made during winter months, as well as to 

 save unavoidable scattering of hay by the tramp- 

 ing and crowding of the sheep. Now to ventilate 

 the sheep cellar, which all sheep growers know is 

 very important, I propose to build a ventilator at 

 least three feet square placing it directly over the 

 centre of the cellar, and running it through the roof. 

 Perhaps some one will say that this will occupy 

 too much room in the centre of the barn. But 

 •what is the loss of 225 feet of room, when com- 

 pared with the benefit of pure air for 300 sheep ? 

 As this ventilator passes directly through the mow, 

 which is 30 1)V 32 feet ; it will also serve to venti- 

 late the hay' there as well as the cellar below. It 

 may also be used as a conductor for hay into the 

 cellar, if necessary, as on two sides of this ventila- 

 tor are doors three feet square and 33 feet apart, 

 •which swing up from top to bottom. If any one 

 can suggest olijcctions to this plan, we would be 

 glad to hear froin them through the Farmer. 



An Old Carpexteh and a Young Farrier. 



BrahUrce, Vt., March, 18G8. 



A goose story. — CHANGE OF THE SEASONS. 



On the tenth of March, 1814, my father, then 

 living in West Boylston, Mass., had a goose "conic 

 off " with nine goslings, all of which lived until 

 Christmas time." When this brood was two weeks 

 old, the old goose commenced laying in the hog- 

 pen, near the house. As soon as she commenced 

 sitting, the old gander took charge of the young 

 goslings, and most faithfully did he discharge the 

 duties of step-mother and guardian. Once m two 

 or tliree davs the old goose would leave her eggs 

 for an airing and a wash. As soon as she left the 

 nest for these pui-poscs, she made a call or noise, 

 that only a goose can make. On hearing this call, 

 the old gander would give his young ones a wink, 

 and instantly thev would huddle together and re- 

 main almost motionless for further orders. The 

 old goose would stand near her nest until joined 

 by her mate, when with the most excessive bow- 

 ings and gobhlings they would start in company 

 for the water, which was about one hundred rods 

 from the liouse. After bathing, they would return 

 in the same social and boisterous manner ; she to 



her eggs, and he to his patient and waiting little 

 family. Children obeyed their parents in those 

 days ! In due time the old goose led forth another 

 brood of seven goslings, all of which grew up to 

 goosehood. 



At this time Robert B. Thomas, the author of 

 the old Farmer's Almanac, who, though dead these 

 some thirtj' years, yet speaketh, was one of our 

 nearest neighbors." He had kept two flocks of 

 geese for forty years, entircl.y separate, and I re- 

 member that he advised my mother to cook the 

 litter of eggs laid so soon alter hatching the first 

 brood, as he thought they were not impregnated 

 and would not hatch ; but believing the old goose 

 understood her own lousiness best, she was allowed 

 to have her own way, and the result was as I have 

 stated. 



But have not our seasons changed ? "Were there 

 many goslings about this year on the tenth of 

 March ? In those days young folks went a-Maying 

 and got flowers ; latterly they get little else than 

 wet feet and colds, in their rambles the first day 

 of May. Old Folks. 



Winchester, Mass., March 8, 1868. 



A VALUABLE TOOL. 



Ever}' farmer is, or should be, enough of a me- 

 chanic to do such odd jobs of carpentry or black- 

 smithing as are constantly needing to be done 

 about his house and out- 

 l)nildings, or in repair- 

 ing farm implements. 

 For such work, a good 

 vise is indispensable. 

 The one represented in 

 the accompanying cut, 

 known as a pipe vise, 

 and furnished with or without extra jaw, is made 

 in difi'erent sizes suited to the lightest or heaviest 

 work. It has a covered screw, parallel movement 

 of jaws, and is very simple in construction. It is 

 one of the many kinds manufactured by the Union 

 Vise Company, of this city. 



DRESSING rOR 'WKEAT. 



I have a piece of land taken out of the pasture, 

 good soil, hard land; I have planted three years to 

 corn ; have not dressed it very high ; now wish to 

 sow it to wheat in the spring. How and what 

 shall I dress the same with to ensure a good crop. 

 I have not manure to spare to dress for wheat. 

 Some say, dress with lime. What do you say ? 



Epping, X. H., Feb., 1868. T. 



Remarks. — If we had the knowledge by which 

 we could tell farmers how to enrich land for a 

 good crop of wheat on our New England farms, 

 without manure, how soon we might retire on an 

 "ample fortune." Some time since, we published 

 statements of several large crops of wheat raised 

 on the tobacco fields of the Connecticut River, by 

 farmers who had experienced successive failure to 

 raise wheat under other circumstances. Without 

 a knowledge of the condition of your land further 

 than what may be inferred from the fact that it 

 was an old pasture and that you have taken three 

 crops of corn and "not dressed it very high," wc 

 have not much to say about lime. 



Not long since, however, wc published an ac- 

 count of an old Pennsylvania farm, run out and 



