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Defides, the barn-floor, by being thus elevated, U 

 rcinU-red more durable, and lefs fubjeft to veiinin ; the 

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

 and cannot llip through it without difcovery. Tiie plan is 

 indeed, in his opinion, ahiioll unexceptionable. Barns, when 

 built in this way, (honld have a fouthern afpcdl, the arches 

 of the cattle-Halls facing that way. Mr. Marfliali, in the 

 «' Rural Economy of Yorkdiire," alfo fptaks highly of the 

 sdvanta{;es of barns fiirmed in this manner. 



In refpe<ft to the lize of barns, the fair.e writer has ob- 

 fcrvcd, that in Gloucellerlhire iifty-two by twenty feet in 

 the clear, and from fixteen to twenty feet in heiglit to the 

 plate, is conGdered a good barn : thefe dimenfions adniit- 

 ti:;t; of four bays of ten feet each, with a floor in the 

 middle. 



The advantage of having btr.ldings of this fort conve- 

 niently fituated, is extremely great both in regard to the 

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

 of labour, and the picventing of waile in difFcrent kinds of 

 fodder. 



The invention of threfliing machines has, in fome meafure, 

 varied the conllrndion of barns, as where they are made 

 ufe of they fliould be contrived diiefly with a view to the 

 diilribution of th.e ftraw; the machines being built in the 

 centre, with the grain fl.acks adjoining them, in fuch a 

 manner as that they may be fiipplied without the afilftance 

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

 large, but they fhould have granaries provided in them, 

 which may probably be molt conveniently placed over the 

 floors. In mod old barns, threfliing machines may be 

 creeled without much inconvenience or trouble. 



But, notwithftanding the fupcriority of flacking grain in 

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

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

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

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

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

 to be the bcft calculated for that pui-pofe. 



Atjff.i. Pldle I. oi ylgruultiirt:, are given the elevation and 



round plan of a fmall common barn ufed in moil parts of the 



ingdom for the fmaller kinds of farms. The threfliing-floor is 

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

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

 thrcflied com from being mixed with that which is un- 

 threflied: ^ is a place for containing the threflied 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- 

 fioor of the barn. 



\x.j1g. 2, the elevation and ground plan c?f a double barn 

 with two threfliing 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 poflefs few convenien- 

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



At Ji^. 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 depofitiiig the 

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

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

 other a divifion 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 arc ftiown, the threfliing floor of which 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 abce in the llraw till threflied out. In this 



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barn much cxpence is faved in mafonr^' by the great number 

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

 the fame time the air is admitted more freely. 



Fh^. 5 is the reprefentatiou of a Dutch moveable barn 

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

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

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

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



Some degree of art, which mufl. be the refult of praftice, 

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

 and it may not be ufclefs to obfer\e, that it is alv,'ays necef- 

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

 poilible, fo as not to afford the leall room for rats or other 

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

 admittance, they will foon penetrate farther, lodge them- 

 felves in the mow, and do prodi;^ious da.iiage to the grain. 

 Where this misfortune happens, the only remedy is to take 

 down the mow, deflroy the vermin, and pile it up anew Iq- 

 a more careful manner. 



As the introduction of threfliing machines has made con- 

 fiderable alteration in the conltruction 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 compreheufible. Thefe machines may be 

 wrought by different powers, as water, wind, or animals ; 

 but the liril, when it can l)e obtained, is by much the bell 

 and moll regular. 



At fig. I, Plate II. of Jgricuhure, arc given a front and end 

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

 horfe threniinL» 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 

 unthreflied grain, which is introduced at a, figs. 2 and 3. At b, 

 Jig.2,\i ften thefpace occupiedby themachine within the barn, 

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

 the wall ; c, d, Jigs. 2, and 3, fiiew the liorfe beam or lever ; 

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

 by a laying fhaft 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^, A,j%. 2. 

 which is clofely boarded to protect the wheels of the firft 

 movement froni the eSfedts of weather, 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 tliirty to forty "younds, according to the llrength 

 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 threfhing machine upon a much 

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

 forts of cattle ; and defigned to winnow or clear the grain at 

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

 fo contrived as to hoiil 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 flied 

 over the horfe-path and firft mov^emer.ts is moflly 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 ufes. It is fquare, as fhewu atfg. 5, by a, b, c, d; 

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

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

 pillars to a proper height, may be obtairied a convenient 



place 



