130 Farm- Buildings and Cottages. 



heavy carts and waggons they employ ( z44 ) ; and there can 

 be no doubt, that the introduction of two-horse ploughs and 

 thrashing-machines, where these implements are unknown, 

 would lessen the expense of labour, to the amount of at 

 least 10 per cent. *. 



SECT. VIII. Farm- Buildings, and Cottages connected there- 

 with. 



THE agricultural prosperity of a district depends, in a 

 considerable degree, on the condition of farm-houses and 

 offices, and of the cottages in which the labourers reside. 

 This cannot be too much inculcated. The health and hap- 

 piness of those employed in husbandry require, that they 

 should have a comfortable habitation to retire to, when their 

 labours are over. In arable farms also, it is of much ad- 

 vantage, to have a set of substantial and well-arranged of- 

 fices, adequate to the size of the farm, and suitable to the 

 system of husbandry adopted in it, without which, the ser- 

 vants cannot do their work properly ; the cattle cannot be 

 expected to thrive ; nor can any operation in husbandry be 

 carried on with the same success, as when such accommoda- 

 tions are provided ( 225 ). 



In discussing this subject, it is proposed briefly to consi- 

 der ; The general principles on which agricultural buildings 

 ought to be erected ; The situation of a farm-house and its 

 offices ; The construction of the house itself; The arrange- 

 ment of the offices ; Their construction ; Out-buildings, 

 where necessary ; The accommodations required by the 

 farm-servants and labourers ; By whom the farm-build- 

 ings ought to be erected ; How they ought to be kept in 

 repair; and, How insured. 



1. General rules for the construction of Farm- Buildings. 

 In constructing farm-buildings, the following rules ought 

 to be attended to. 



Though a circle contains most space, within the smallest 

 possible inclosure, yet, with few exceptions, it is the least 

 adapted for subdivision, and the most expensive in execu- 

 tion ; while the square and the parallelogram, will be found 

 the least costly, and the most commodious. 



* The proposed discussion on trenching land, and the spade hus- 

 bandry, shall be printed in Chap. 4, Part 3, immediately after the sec- 

 tions on the cultivation of arable land, and the rotation of crops. 



