20ft 



THE GEi^TESEE FARMER, 



BUILDINGS SUITABLE FDR A LABGE AMD SMALL 



F. M, MATTESONy of Middleville, Mich., furnishes 

 as the following article on this important subject: 



What bulklings are suitable for a farm, however 

 large or small, is not a subject of minor importance. 

 They are indispensable to the i)reservation and se- 

 curity of the products, stock, and implements of- 

 the farm, and the comfort and health of its oc- 

 cupants. ' The following are my views of buildings 

 suitable for a large or small farm j 



Tlie first, and most important of these, is the 

 dwelling-house: the first, because it must needs be 

 the residence of tlie farmer, while all out-buildings 

 are being erected ; the most important, b«cau«e the 

 healtli and convenience of its occupants should be 

 regarded first. ^ ■ j. 3 



As it is not my province here to enter into de- 

 tails in giving a description of a house, I shall only 

 advnnce some general ideas in regard to it. 



The house may be built of such material as the 

 owner may choose ; but in all cases a cellar and 

 stf)ne wail should be considered indispensable. 

 Then you have a foundation for stone, brick, wood 

 or gravel wall. The cellar should be divided by 

 otone or brick walls, into as many rooms as the 

 farmer mav want for milk, butter, fruit, roots, veg- 

 etables, tfec. An ice-house may be so constructed 

 in connection with a cellar, as to be of great utility 

 in making good butter in warm weather, and stor- 

 ing butter, preserves, fruit, vegetable.", &c. The 

 house should be of sufficient size to accommodate 

 a large family, with additional rooms for laborers, 

 &c according to the size of the farm. A farmer's 

 dwelling should contain at least a parlor, dining or, 

 living room, cook-room, two large bed-rooms, a 

 pantry, store-room and closet on the first floor. 

 The walls should be high, and the three first rooms 

 mentioned not less than 16 feet square. Such a 

 house when finished, with chamber room in pro- 

 portion, will afford room for a large family. I 

 would recommend building as nearly square as 



^°A wo'od-honse should be considered indispensa- 

 'ble in connection with a farmer's dwelling, while 

 adjacent thereto the water-closets should be Buita- 



Ibly arranged. , •. -c j v 



I will here leave the house and its ottices, and Ui- 



irect your attention to the barn. The size of a 

 barn for a large farm may be 50x86 feet; hight, 

 20 feet It should be placed upon a stone wall. 

 The main floor, U feet wide, dividing it in the cen- 



•ter leavea an equal division each side, 36xoO feet; 



• divide each of these in the center again and you 

 l«Rve a bay 18x50 feet each side of the floor. In 



•the end of one of these build, a granary, 18x18 



•feet, 8 feet between joints. Directly under the 



; granary may be a root-cellar. The remaining 

 18x50 feet at each end may be finished oflt for 

 stables, as follows: 8 feet high, passage between 

 llie bay and manger; 5 feet wide, with door at 

 each end, and door to enter cellar-way, between 

 bay and granery; stalls 5 feet wide, including par- 

 titions. , . »l • t 1U 



Neat cattle should be well secured in their stalls. 

 I would recommend a chain and strap, with buckle, 

 for each stall. A suitable stable for calves may be 

 .arranged in any of these divisions. 



There should be two or more doors to each- 

 stable, and three in each gable end— one above the- 

 main beam and two below — for the admission of 

 hay from the outside. Doors that run upon a track 

 at the top (railroad dooi's) are much better than? 

 those hung upon hinges. This barn should be 

 built with gambol roof. 



Sheds should be built with a loft for bay. I op- 

 po|e anything in the form of a leantoor shed with- 

 out a chamber. Bwild every thing in the shape of 

 stables or sheds high. A load of hay may be 

 dumped from the horse-fork into the gaible end of 

 such a barn as I have described with ease. 



I will here describe sheds suitable for a large- 

 farm. Two buildings, each 30x30 feet, 16 feet 

 high, and so situated that they will face each other, 

 the inside corner of each j,vist meeting the corner 

 of the barn ; ends, back and front above the base- 

 ment closed tight; one door in each side of the 

 loft ; basement 8 feet high, with large door in the 

 end next to the barn, open in front. These sheds- 

 will afford room and protection for a large stock 

 of cattle. 



A sheep barn may be constructed in the same 

 way as one of the above-described sheds, except 

 tie basement, wliich should be divided by a parti- 

 tion into two e(uial parts. Each divi.sion will be 

 15x30 feet. These should be inclosed tight, except 

 a door 10 feet wide, for the passage of the wagon 

 or cart while hauling out the manure. These 

 doors should be short, leaving a space at the lower 

 end 3 feet high, for the sheej) to pass under. These 

 divisions may be supplied with cribs for feeding in 

 bad weather. Yards may be so arranged that each 

 division will accommodate a separate flock. 



Horse Barn. — A horse and carriage barn should 

 not be connected with other barns. A good and 

 commodions horse barn for a large farm may be 

 built as follows: 48x48 feet on the ground, 20 feet 

 hi<Th. The entrance to the main floor, or carriage 

 room, should be in the end ; the floor should be 20 

 feet wide, directly through the center of the barn, 

 leaving an equal division, each side, 14x48 feet. 

 These divisions should be finished for stables, ex- 

 cept 14 feet off the end of one of them for granery 

 and feed-room. The stables should be 9 feet high, 

 and divided into stalls 6 feet wide, facing the car- 

 riage room. . , , , , ^ 

 A trough, made of plank 1^ foot wide and 1 foot 

 deep, placed 3 feet above the floor, will supply the 

 place of manger and feed-box. The horse may re- 

 ceive his hay through a tube or box made of 

 boards, the lower end resting on the trough, and 

 the upper end extending through the floor abovt 

 to the loft, where the hay may be thrust in and 

 drawn out by the horse through an aperture in th( 

 side below. Stables shonld be well ventilated ant 

 supplied with light by means of glazed windows 

 Each stall should have a small door in front, abov< 

 the trough, through which the horse may receive 

 his feed fi-om the main floor. The carriage roon 

 should be 12 feet high. There shonld be an aper 

 tnre over the center, through which hay may h 

 raised to the loft, and there should be a passag 

 from the main floor to each stable. A gambc 

 roof is preferable for this barn. 



A corn barn and hog house may be oonstnacte 

 as follows: Size, 80x30 feet; hight, 16 feet. I 

 may be divided in the center by a tight wail, ont 



