1860. 



KEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



3S 



The artist gives us the following description : 



The accompanying designs are intended to af- 

 ford complete accommodation for a small New 

 England farm — say from 15 to 20 acres in extent. 



Tlie plan comprises house and barn, with wood- 

 shed and pig-sty all connected in one range, and 

 having sheltered communication. 



No. 1, is the front entry, G feet square ; it opens 

 into the parlor, No. 2, 14 feet by 15, and into a 

 bed-room. No. 4, 12 feet by 15. No. 3, is the 

 kitchen, 14 feet by 15, opening into the bed-room, 

 back entry, and through a passage into the parlor. 

 No. 5, is "the back entry, 6 feet by 16, containing 

 stairs to cellar and chambers. No. 6, is a pan- 

 try, 5 feet 6 inches by 8 feet, opening into the 

 yard. No. 7, is a store-room, and No. 9 a scul- 

 lery or back kitchen, 12 feet square. No. 8, is a 

 porch over the rear entrance. No. 10, is a wood- 

 shed, connecting directly Avith the barn. ' 



The barn is 40 feet square, and contains two 

 horse and three cow stalls, No. 11, with a pas- 

 sage behind, and an oj)ening to throw manure into 

 the pig-sty, No. 13. No. 14 is a carriage-room, 

 with double doors, opening into the yard, and No. 

 15 barn room for storage, 24 feet by 39. Room 

 for hay is in the second story, which is well venti- 

 lated at the top. The stairs to the hay-loft are at 

 the side of the carriage-room, and under them is 

 a harness closet. 



The second story of the house contains three 

 bed-rooms, with a large closet to each, besides a 

 large clothes' press in the entry. 



Constrnrtion. — This design may be built of 

 wood, and covered either in the vertical and bat- 

 tened manner, or in the horizontal manner, with 

 narrow clapboards — the usual New England style. 



The lower story windows, with the exception of 

 the one in front, are all mullioned windows, 

 shielded i^y hoods supported on brackets. 



The dotted line on the ])lan repi-esents the divi- 

 sion betv.'ecn the main bo'dy of the house and the 

 one-story addition. 



Cost. — This range of buildings could be built 

 for about $1500. G. E. II. 



HOW TO DRIVE OXEI3". 

 The liural New-Yorker contains a very sensil)le 

 article from the pen of Mr. S. E. Todd, of Lake 

 Ridge, N. Y., on the important subject of driving 

 oxen. He says that a good whip is the only proper 

 thing to drive oxen with, and that neither a cud- 

 gel, a hand-spike, nor a pitchfork, should ever be 

 used. The stock of the whip he wants not less 

 tlian seven or eight feet long, with a small light 

 lash of not more than two feet in length. Such a 

 whip can only be used to guide the oxen by its 

 light touches and skilful motions, and never to 

 flagellate them. The following minute directions 

 contain the philosophy of di'iving, and may be 

 adopted in practice with decided benefit. 



When driving a yoke of oxen straight forward, 

 let the driver stand by the side of the near ox, say 

 three or four feet from him, with his whip erect, 

 so that both the oxen can see. Now, as the word 

 come along is given, in a plain, open sound, just 



touch them both with the lash, on their rumps, 

 'ibuch the slowest ox first. Now, keep the whip 

 erect, as a soldier carries his musket when march- 

 ing. When the word whua is announced, let the 

 (h'iver stop short and speak distinctly, whoa. If 

 he is not able to bring out this Yankeeism, in u 

 round, full tone, let him speak the letter O, M'ith 

 an open, round sound — not drawl it out, nor snap 

 it off, like the yelp of a v/olf — and at the same 

 time raise his Avhi]) and let the lash foil on the 

 forehead cff the ox that is least inclined to stop. It 

 may be necessary, in some instances, to give an 

 ox a blow with the lash, so that it will smart alii- 

 tie ; but it is much the best to try a light touch 

 Avith the lash first. Never keep the whip swinging 

 over the oxen, and around their heads, when they 

 are moving forward. In driving oxen that arc very 

 spirited, when they are going straight forward, 

 and are inclined to go too rapidly, the driver 

 should stand about even with the yoke, and ])ut 

 his whip forward of the heads, touch them lightly, 

 and try to check their rapid pace with light blows. 

 If they become too impetuous, give them the word 

 whoa, and stop, and then start onward again for a 

 short distance. But spare all the hard blows whh 

 the lash until there seems to be no efficacy in gen- 

 tle touches with it. Never keep up an incessant 

 lOitoa, tvlioa, whoa, in order to make any team 

 walk more steadily, and with less ra])idity. 



When it is desired to have oxen (/ee around, let 

 the lash drop on the buttock of the near ox, im- 

 mediately after the word is given to t/ee around, 

 and let the driver step forward, near the head of 

 the near ox, and make a motion to the oft' ox to 

 back. If the off ox is not inclined to yee, touch 

 him with the whip, on the left shoulder. If the off 

 ox dashes ahead too much, touch him lightly on 

 the head, and touch up the near ox, behind, with 

 the lash. To haw them around, let the driver step 

 back opposite the tails of the oxen, and give them 

 one word, haw around, and at the same time touch 

 the near ox v.'ilh the lash on the forehead, and the 

 off ox on his rump. If the near ox does not haw 

 as much as he ought to, by touching on the head, 

 give him a l)low Vvith the lash over the shoulders, 

 so that the lash will strike on the right shoulder. 

 As soon as oxen have become accustomed to the 

 ■^■ords of command, and touches of the whip, they 

 will obey very promptly, with only the motion of 

 the whip, without touching them. Oxen will no- 

 tice the motions of a whip, and the motions and 

 Avords of the driver ; and if they are ahvays made 

 intelligently and understandingly. oxen v.-ill very 

 soon learn to step to the mark with all desirable 

 promptness. A swing of the whip from, near the 

 rumps towards the heads of oxen, Avhen the driver 

 is standing by the side of the near ox, they will 

 very quickly learn means to go forward. But if 

 the driver drops back, as they are going forAvard, 

 and SAvings his Avhip over the oxen in a diagonal 

 direction, from over the rump of the off ox, to- 

 Avards the head of the near ox, Avell trained oxen 

 Avill immediately haw, if not a Avord is uttered to 

 them. 



When a driver walks or rides behind his oxen, 

 a swing of the Avhij), over the oxen, i'rom right to 

 left, or a touch on the forehead, or right shoulder 

 of the near ox, and a touch Avith the lash on the 

 buttock of the off ox, Avill ahvays make them haiv ; 

 Avhile a touch on the forehead and left shoulder of 

 the off ox, and a touch at the same time on the 



