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Refides, the barn-floor, b7 being thus elevated, is 

 irucU'red more (Unable, and lei's fubjeifl to vermin ; the 

 grain is kept more dry and fweet than on a ground floor, 

 and cannot Ilip through it without difeovery. The plan is 

 iiioleed, in his()])ini(>n, alnioll unexceptionable. Barns, when 

 buUt in this way, fhould have a fouthern afpcft, the arches 

 of the eattle-llalls facing that way. Mr. Marftiall, in the 

 •' Rural Economy of Yorkdiire," alfo fpcaks highly of the 

 advantages of barns formed in tliis manner. 



In refpedl to the lire of barns, the fair.e writer has ob- 

 fcrved, that in Glouccilerlhire iifty-two by twenty feet in 

 the clear, and from fixteen lo twenty feet in height to the 

 plate, is confidered a good barn : thefe dimenfions admit- 

 ti:!g of four bays of ten feet each, with a floor in the 

 middle. 



The advantage of having buildings of tliis fort conve- 

 niently fituated, is extremely great both in regard to the 

 feeding of cattle, flieep,ai.d hogs, and likewifein the economy 

 of labour, and the preventing of wallc in dififerent kinds ot 

 fodder. 



The invention of threfliing machines has, in fome meafure, 

 varied the conllrnftion of barns, as where they are made 

 life of they fliould be contrived c'liiefly with a view to the 

 diilribution of tiic ilraw; the machines being built in the 

 centre, with the grain flacks adjoining them, in fuch a 

 manner as that they may be fupplied without the afiiftanee 

 of carts or horfcs. The barns in thefe cafes need not be fo 

 large, but they fliould have granaries provided in them, 

 which may probtibly be moll conveniently placed over the 

 floors. In moil old barns, threfliing machines may be 

 erefted without much inconvenience or trouble. 



But, notwithtlauding the fupcriority of flacking grain in 

 the open air has been fully fliewn by different writers, and of 

 courfe the neceffity of large barns in a great meafure ob- 

 viated, there are ftill many agricultors attached to the me- 

 thod of houfing corn in the ilraw; it may therefore be pro- 

 per to give a few plans and defcriptions of fuch as appear 

 to be the bcft calculated for that purpofe. 



At^g.l. Plate I. oi ylgiiciiltiire, are given the elevation and 

 ground plan of a fmall common barn ufed in moll parts of the 

 kingdom for the fmaller kinds of farms. The threfhing-floor is 

 in the middle; on one fide of which a crofs wall is fometimes 

 railed to the height of about three feet, in order to keep the 

 thrcfhed corn from being mixed with that which is un- 

 threflied: ^ is a place for containing the threfhed grain till it 

 be cleaned, or a large quantity be accumulated for that pur- 

 pofe. It is about three feet in height, being covered over 

 with boards, and only open on the lide next the threfliing- 

 floor of the barn. 



Axjig. 2, the elevation and ground plan di a double barn 

 with two tlirefinng floors are feen. In this fort of barn a 

 ■wall is fometimes raifed acrofs in the middle. Thefe barns are 

 often built of large dimenfions, but pofltffs few convenien- 

 cies, except for piling up the grain while in the ilraw. 



At jig. 3, the elevation and ground plan of an improved 

 barn are given, in the middle of which is the threfliing floor, 

 and on one fide near the end a place for depofituig the 

 threflied corn, with ftairs up to a fmall granary, below 

 which is a place for putting potatoes, &c. ; and on the 

 other a diviflon that may be made ufe of for different pur. 

 pofes, fuch as the rearing of calves, preferving implements, 

 &c. 



And at fg. 4, the elevation and ground plan of an open 

 improved barn are fliown, the threfliing floor of vvdiich is 

 placed towards one end. And on each fide of it below are 

 divifions for a great variety of different purpofes ; the corn 

 being kept above in the Itraw till threfhed out. In this 



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barn much expence is faved in mafoniy by the great number 

 and largenefs of the openings in the upper part, and at 

 the fame time the air is admitted more freely. 



ivV. 5 is the reprefentat'on of a Dutch moveable barn 

 which has many couveniencies, and at the fame time is ca- 

 pable of being made to cover the parts of fuch hay flacks as 

 are cutting. It moves on fix wheels each two feet in dia- 

 meter, and cofts, when complete, about fixty pounds. 



Some degree of art, which mull be the refnlt of prafticc, 

 is neceflary in placing and piling up the flieaves in barns ; 

 and it may not be ufclefs to obfei-ve, that it is always nccef- 

 fary to prefs them as clofe to the walls of the barn as 

 poffible, fo as not to afford the leafl room for rats or other 

 vermin to creep in between them, for if they once get 

 ad.nittance, they will foon penetrate farther, lodge them- 

 fclves in the mow, and do prodi^^ious damage to the grain. 

 Where this misfort\ine happens, the only remedy is to take 

 down the mow, deftroy the vermin, and pile it up anew in 

 a more careful manner. 



As the introdudion of threfliing machines has made con- 

 fiderable alteration in the conllruction of barns, it may not 

 be improper to give a few plans or reprefentations by which 

 the manner of their attachment to them may be rendered 

 more clear and comprchenfible. Thefe machines may be 

 wrought by ditTcrent powers, as ^vater, wind, or animals ; 

 but the firft, when it can be obtained, is by much the bell 

 and moll regular. 



At^ff. I, Plate II. of u4grictilt!ire, arc given a front and end 

 elevation, with the plan, of a fmall barn adapted for a two- 

 horfe threfliinL^ machine. The barn is only fifty feet in 

 length within the walls, and fixteen in width. The walls 

 are ten feet in height, which admits of a granaiy or room 

 thirty feet long above the machine, as is fliown by the dot- 

 ted line in the elevation, which denotes the extent of the 

 granary as well as the height of the floor from the ground. 

 The floor is not continued the whole length, in order that 

 there maybe more room left in the other end for containing the 

 unthrefhed grain, which is introduced at a. Jigs. 2 and 3. At h, 

 ^.2,isften thefpaceoccupiedby themachinewithin the barn, 

 which is only ten feet by feven, including the diftance from 

 the wall ; c, d, Jigs. 2, and 3, fliew the horfe beam or lever ; 

 which is twenty four feet in length, and which gives motion 

 by a laying fliaft through the wall, to the machine within. 

 In this there is no fhed or cover over the horfe path and 

 parts on the outfide of the barn, as is ufual, except ^j, h,Jig. 2. 

 which is clofely boarded to protecl the wheels of the firfl 

 movement from the effeils of weathfr, a part of one fide 

 being fixed with hinges for the purpofe of opening to 

 apply greafe. The expence of a machine on this plan will 

 be from thirty to forty "pounds, according to the ftrcngth 

 and manner of its being put together. 



And at Jig. 4, are feen the front and end elevations, with 

 the plan, of a barn and horfe threfliing machine upon a much 

 larger fcale, being intended for three or four horfcs or other 

 forts of cattle ; and defigned to winnow or clear the gi'ain at 

 the fame time that it is threflied out. It may likcwife be 

 fo contrived as to hoifl it up to the granary above, to fplit 

 beans, cut ftraw, and perform feveral other operations, fuch 

 as churning, pumping, grinding, &c. Such a barn and 

 machine will fuit a farm of almoft. any extent. The (hed 

 over the horfe -path and firll movements is moftly made with 

 a conical roof merely for the purpofe of covering them ; but 

 as the expence is confiderable, it is here made to anfwer 

 other ufcs. It is fquare, as Ihewn atjfj. 5, by a, b, c, d % 

 the dotted circle is the horfe-path, in the corner of which 

 ftands the upright axle e. Jig. 6. Above this, by raifing the 

 pillars to a proper height, may be obtained a convenient 



place 



