AND rural' economist. 75 



it should have a layer of thin boards under it. It is most 

 advisable also to have a place set apart in the barn for the 

 purpose of storing away the grain after it is threshed. The 

 bins for the grain should be made of hard plank, to prevent 

 the rats and mice from eating through them, and should have 

 lids, which can be fastened down wdth padlocks.' — Farmer^s 

 Assistant. 



The following is a description of a large barn built in the 

 town of Hancock, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, by the 

 family of Shakers located in that place. It was originally 

 published in the Middletown (Conn.,) Sentinel, and repub- 

 lished in the New England Farmer, vol. v. p. 215. 



The barn is built on ground inclining southw^ardly, in a 

 perfect circle, and is ninety feet in diameter across it from 

 side to side. The walls are of stone, twenty-tv\^o feet in 

 height, of a suitable thickness, and laid in lime, and well 

 pointed on each side. Round the barn, on the inner side, 

 are stables, forming a circle, the manger within, and suitable 

 places over it to throw or feed dow^n the hay ; the stable and 

 manger occupy about twelve feet, and are eight feet high; 

 the stables open to and from several different barn-j^ards, in 

 order to make as many and such divisions of stock as they 

 ]:?ve thought proper. The covering of the stables forms the 

 barn floor, w^hich also extends round the barn. There is but 

 one large door-way for entrance with teams and loads ; this 

 is from the northern side, from an offset or causeway, eight 

 feet above the base, and of course fourteen feet below the 

 eaves. The cart or wagon that enters with a load makes the 

 whole circuit of the floor, and after unloading comes out at 

 the same door ; thus eight or ten teams with their loads can 

 occupy the floor at one time in unloading, and not hinder each 

 other. Within this circle of the stables and barn floor is an 

 area or bay, as it is usually called, which is filled with hay, 

 dec, which must be over sixty feet in diameter. This is 

 pitched ill and on from any side or place most convenient, or 

 where w^anted. 



The roof comes to a point at the centre, and sheds oft' the 

 rain all round, something similar to an umbrella. It is sup- 

 ported from the inner circle of the barn floor. The roof 

 boards are laid up and down, which, by a transverse sawing 

 of the log, were all brought to a point, and then shingled 

 round in the usual mode. 



A writer for the New England Farmer, whose communi- 

 cation was published, vol. iii. p. 81, describes 'a barn of 



