192 
Farm- Buildings. 
nical  means  to  give  sufficient  solidity  to  prevent  mischief,  but  when 
the  trouble  and  inconvenience  of  carting  over  a partly  decomposed 
heap,  and  also  the  probability  of  its  being  neglected  in  busy  seasons, 
are  taken  into  account,  it  will  probably  be  found  that  in  the 
majority  of  cases  covered  manure-pits  would  do  more  harm  than 
good.  Well-spouted  farm-yards,  in  which  the  manure  is  allowed 
to  accumulate  through  the  winter  and  trodden  firm  by  being  well 
stocked — heaps  in  the  field,  well  covered  with  soil — and  loose 
boxes  for  fat  cattle  and  farm- horses,  will  enable  a farmer  to  keep 
his  manure  in  first-rate  condition  ; and  the  importance  of  these 
and  other  similar  arrangements  cannot  be  too  often  or  too  strongly 
insisted  on. 
The  foregoing  remarks  lead  to  the  following  conclusions : — 
1.  That  the  communication  between  the  different  buildings  of 
a farm  should  be  by  means  of  a paved  or  macadamized  yard,  and 
not  across  a straw-fold. 
2.  That  provision  should  be  made  for  the  introduction  of  loose 
boxes  or  stalls  for  fattening  cattle. 
3.  That  small  open  yards  with  covered  sheds  should  be  provided 
for  young  or  store  cattle. 
4.  That  covered  manure-pits  are  not  generally  advisable. 
Hoping  that  the  importance  of  the  subject  will  justify  the  length 
of  this  letter. 
Believe  me  yours  truly, 
H.  S.  Thompson. 
Moat  Hall,  June , 1850. 
XIV. — Essay  on  the  Construction  of  Farm-Buildings. 
By  Sir  Thomas  Tancred,  Bart. 
Prize  Essay. 
A well-arranged  set  of  farm-buildings  is  a rare  exception  to 
the  general  rule.  Those  which  are  commonly  seen  have  been 
erected  and  altered  piecemeal,  to  suit  the  immediate  wants  of  dif- 
ferent tenants,  at  the  least  present  outlay,  and  with  little  reference 
to  any  general  and  uniform  plan.  The  progressive  changes,  too, 
in  farm  management,  consequent  on  improvements  in  agriculture, 
have  rendered  many  buildings,  which  may  have  been  well  contrived 
when  first  erected,  now  inappropriate.  Whatever  the  cause,  the 
result  too  often  is  a chaos  of  confused  erections  scattered  over  a 
wide  space,  with  no  systematic  connexion  between  the  parts, 
entailing,  on  the  one  hand,  much  useless  expense  on  the  landlord 
in  repairs,  and,  on  the  other,  great  waste  of  time  and  labour,  with 
a difficulty  of  proper  superintendence,  on  the  occupier.  Some- 
