Book IV. BUILDINGS AS REPOSITORIJES. 451 



2850. Threshing-floors in Gloucestershire, Marshal observes, are of a good size, when from 12 to 14 by 

 18 to 20 feet. The best are of oak, some of stone ; but a species of earthen floor, which is made there, is 

 thought to be superior to floors of stone, or any other material, except sound oak-plank. The superior 

 excellency of these floors is owing in part to the materials of which tliey are formed, and in part to the 

 method of making them. In order to this, in some places, the surface of the intended threshing-place 

 is dug away to the depth of about six inches, and the earth thus taken out, when of a proper kind, alter 

 being well cleared of stones, is mixed with the strongest clay that can be procured, and with the dung of 

 cattle. This mixture is then worked together with water, till it is of the consistence of stifF mortar, 

 and the compost thus made is spread as smooth as possible with a trowel, upon the spot from which the 

 earth was taken. As it cracks in drying, it must be frequently beaten down with great force ; or rolled 

 with a heavy roller until all the crevices are filled up : and this must be continued till it is quite solid, 

 hard, dry, smooth, and firm. 



2851. Hoarded threshing-floors, made of sound, thick, well seasoned planks of oak, are excellent for 

 service, will last a long time, and may be converted into good floorings for rooms, by planing them down, 

 after they aro become too uneven for the purpose originally intended. 



2852. Earthen threshing-floors should not be advised, except where good materials can be procured, 

 and the making of them be performed in the most perfect manner, which, as we have noticed (2850.) is 

 only the case in particular instances and districts. 



2853. Brick floors, when well laid down, may, in some cases, make a tolerable floor for many purposes, 

 but on account of their not only attracting, but retaining, moisture, they are not to be recommended 

 where grain of any kind is to continue much upon them. 



2854. In constructing wooden floors the most usual mode is that of nailing the planks, or boards of 

 which they are composed, after their edges have been shot true, and well fitted and jointed, close down to 

 wooden joists or sleepers, firmly placed and secured upon the ground, or other place for the purpose. But 

 in the midland districts, instead of the planks being nailed down to sleepers in the ordinary way, the floor 

 is first laid with bricks, and the planks spread over these, with no other confinement than that of being 

 " dowled " together, that is, ploughed and tongued, and their ends let into sills or walls, placed in the 

 usual way, on each side of the floor. By this method of putting down the planks, provided the brick- 

 work is left truly level, vermin cannot have a hiding-place beneath them ; and a communication of damp 

 air being effectually prev^ented, floors thus laid are found to wear better than those laid upon sleepers. It 

 IS observable that the planks, for this method of laying, ought to be thoroughly seasoned. It is evident, 

 however, that where barn-floors can be made hollow, they must be much better for the purpose of 

 threshing upon, than such as are either placed on brick-work, or the ground. From their greater 

 pliability and elasticity in threshing upon, the grain is of course threshed out with more ease, certainty, 

 and despatch. 



2855. The threshing-mUl barn is not restricted to any size ; but it answers best when the 

 ground-plan is a parallelogram, the width from twenty to thirty feet, according to the size of 

 the machinery, and the height from fifteen to twenty feet, in order to allow one winnowing 

 machine, or even two, to be placed under the threshing part of the machinery. The bam 

 in this case is in three distinct divisions : the first, for the unthreshed corn, should be of 

 such a size as to contain an ordinary stack, and, if possible, it should be so contrived as to 

 be entered by a loaded cart ; which, whetlier the corn be threshed as carried in, or be laid 

 up for future operations, is a great saving of labour. The second division contains the 

 machinery and the corn floor, and should be enclosed with boards so as to be locked up 

 when not in use. The third division is the straw-barn, which should be so large as to 

 admit of keeping separately a considerable quantity of different kinds of straw, accessible 

 for fodder and for litter. 



2856. The hay-barn is commonly constructed of timber, and sometimes is open on the 

 south or east, or even on all sides. In Middlesex, there are many hay-barns capable of 

 holding from thirty to fifty, and some even one hundred, loads of hay. They are found to 

 be extremely useful and convenient during a catching and unsettled hay-harvest, and also 

 at other seasons of the year. In wet and windy weather, they afford an opportunity of 

 cutting, weighing, and binding hay ; none of which operations could, at such a time, be 

 perfonued out of doors. Most farmers agree that hay may be put together earlier, even 

 by a day, in a barn, than it would be safe to do in a stack. They advise, however, that 

 the sides of the mow should be raked or pulled clear of the quartering of the barn ; and, 

 when thus managed, tliey are of opinion that the hay will be as good in the barn as in tlie 

 stack. In the driest seasons, barns are a saving ; and, in wet seasons, the ready assistance 

 which they afford, in speedily securing the hay, has been known to make a difference in 

 price of twenty shillings per load. Many persons, on the other hand, think hay is more 

 apt to heat in a barn than in the open air ; and that they present no advantages which 

 may not be obtained by the canvass stack-cover. If they do not possess considerable 

 advantages, then the loss must be great, as the erection of such barns is a heavy 

 expense. 



2857. The granary, in bams with threshing machines, is sometimes formed immediately 

 above the floor on which the machine works ; which, among other advantages, admits of 

 raising the com to it directly from the ground-floor, either by the threshing-mill itself, or a 

 common windlass easily worked by one man. When it is to be taken out and carried 

 to market, it may be lowered down upon carts, with the utmost facility and despatch- 

 There is evidently no greater expense incurred by this arrangement : for the same floor 

 and height of side walls that must be added to tlie barn, are required in wliatever 

 situation the granary may be ; and it possesses several advantages. Owing to its being 

 higher than the adjacent buildings, there is a freer circulation of air, and less danger 

 of pilfering, or of destruction by vermin; the corn may be deposited in it as it is 

 dressed, vrithout being exposed to the weather, while the saving of labom: is in most 

 cases considerable. 



' G g 2 



