Farm Buildings. 
471 
Meeting of Weekly Council, June 18th. The Earl of Powis in the Chair. 
The subject of improved farm buildings was brought under notice 
by Mr. John Elliot, of Southampton ; and Mr. Blundell, of Bursle- 
don, near the same place. The latter gentleman also introduced 
the question of the most profitable method of fatting bullocks on 
arable farms. 
Farm Buildings. 
Mr. Elliot said, the chief objects to be borne in view in the 
erection of farm buildings were economy in construction, with 
durability ; convenience in arrangement for inspection and supply 
of food and attendance with the least amount of labour- ; production 
and preservation of manure ; comfort to the animals, with facilities 
for ensuring pure air and water, light and warmth. It must be 
conceded that the vast majority of existing homesteads did not fulfil 
these conditions. One fixed idea seemed to have taken possession 
of the minds of their builders — that of placing the building on the 
sides of an open square yard, in which was placed the straw in- 
tended for conversion into manure, to have much of its valuable 
matter washed out by the rain, and more also carried o& by sun 
and air. Where manure was of little value, time of small account, 
and inspection of no moment, the arrangements of the old home- 
steads might bo put up with ; but they were clearly out of place 
wherever farming was carried on scientifically, and wherever the 
great truth was recognised, that its profits mainly depended on 
small economies throughout. When the Five-Thousand were fed 
with the five barley-loaves and three small fishes, the Author of the 
miracle closed it with the command, " Gather up the fragments, that 
nothing be lost ; " and the comment was as important as the fact it 
illustrated. 
The selection of a site would be the first consideration for the 
builder of a homestead. Lord Bacon says, " He who builds a farm- 
house on an ill site committeth himself to prison." A wrong 
selection was clearly an irremediable evil, and the choice of site, 
therefore, deserved the deepest consideration. The first point will 
be the healthiness of the locality, and its capability for drainage. 
Marshy or boggy ground, or the vicinity of stagnant waters — any- 
thing, in short, to cause damp heat, or moist cold — must be care- 
fully avoided, and a sluggish atmosphere equally so. The stiffest 
breeze brought health ; but stagnation in air, land, or water implied 
loss in health and profit. If a hill-side could be secured sloping 
gently to the south, it would be an advantage ; but this point must 
give way to others of more moment. The relative position of the 
various descriptions of land, the direction of the mai'ket town, the 
roads and theii- inclination, had all to be taken into account. It by 
no means followed that the centre of a farm would be the best site 
either as to draught or distance. For instance, sheep-lands received 
little from the steading, and the sheep had legs to take them to it. 
