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XXII. — On Covered Farm- Steadings. From Lord Kinnaird. 

 'Wo fShe President. 



Dear Sir, — You may perhaps remember, in the year 1851, I 

 sent for insertion in the Journal a plan of farm-buildings which 

 I had lately erected on my property. Having since that time 

 had an opportunity of testing its merits, I now wish to lay before 

 you a plan somewhat similar in construction, but containing the 

 improvements which experience has shown to be advantageous. 

 Having derived great benefit myself, and effected much economy 

 in the working of my farm, by the adoption of the system, if I 

 may so call it, laid down in the accompanying plan, I send a 

 copy of it, in the hope that it may prove useful to farmers and 

 proprietors in England. I consider a convenient homestead or 

 steading as essential for the economical, and therefore profit- 

 able, working of a farm ; and, for this end, compactness in its 

 internal arrangements is indispensable, but has not hitherto 

 been sufficiently appreciated either by the farmer or architect. 

 Detached buildings, with large and small courts — -outer and 

 inner courts, extending over a considerable area of ground — ex- 

 pensive in original construction and entailing a daily waste of 

 labour, farm produce, and time, consumed in traversing from one 

 yard to another — are faults which I have found in most farm- 

 buildings I have visited, and have tried to avoid in the plan sent 

 herewith ; which, in consequence of the arrangement of the dif- 

 ferent compartments, enables 100 cattle to be fed with greater 

 ease by one man than the 30 usually allotted to him, with the 

 personal convenience of being at all seasons under shelter. A 

 steading, entirely covered in, effects a great saving in farm pro- 

 duce, which must otherwise be exposed to the injurious effects 

 of the weather, while the amount consumed and destroyed by 

 the stock l is considerably less ; but the most remarkable result 

 of my experience is in the value of the manure. 



In October, 1850, the yards were filled with 14 feeding bul- 

 locks, getting the same quality of food as another lot of 18, tied 

 up in the byre, and whose manure was put out into an open 

 court. In the open court were 12 young animals, getting a full 

 allowance of turnips. The feeding beasts were all of the same 

 age — viz. 2 off and rising 3 years old ; fed twice a-day on tur- 

 nips, of which each got about 1 cwt., and once a-day on steamed 

 swedes mixed with cut chaff, and 2 lbs. of barleymeal mixed with 

 a little linseed, or 3 to 4 lbs. of oilcake — of this mess each got 

 22 lbs. Both byres and courts were littered twice a-day ; and, 

 as near as we could judge, each animal got the same allowance 

 of straw, and all had a constant supply of oat-straw in their 



