202 
On  the  Construction  of  Farm- Buildings. 
be  some  slight  advantage  in  having  animals  of  the  sociable  nature 
of  the  sheep  in  pairs,  although  experience  shows  that  they  do 
exceedingly  well  in  separate  stalls.  However  this  detail  may 
be  arranged,  the  grated  cover  to  the  manure  tank,  which  runs 
behind  all  the  stalls,  should  be  made  in  lengths  for  two  sheep  to 
occupy  one  length,  viz.  4 feet,  for  convenience  in  lifting  the 
grating  when  the  tank  is  emptied.  These  gratings  are  composed 
of  bars  of  inch  stuff,  2 inches  wide,  and  laid  at  an  interval  of  one 
inch,  nailed  to  three  crossbars  or  sleepers.  The  dung  which 
does  not  fall  through  of  itself  is  swept  through  the  bars  at  each 
feeding-time,  about  five  times  a day.  The  tank  is  2 feet  wide, 
and  excavated  about  two  feet.  Some  dry  ashes,  gypsum,  &c., 
may  be  thrown  into  it  occasionally  to  absorb  the  urine  ; and 
when  cleaned  out,  the  valuable  manure  is  wheeled  along  the 
central  paths  to  a shed,  provided  on  the  plan  at  m,  where  by 
mixing  it  with  ashes,  burnt  soil,  or  other  dry  material  not  of  a 
caustic  nature,  it  may  be  rendered  fit  for  the  drill.  At  Sir 
Richard  Simeon’s  farms  the  practice  is  to  use  either  40  bushels 
of  this  dry  mixture  to  the  acre  for  wheat,  or  26  bushels  mixed 
with  4 bushels  of  bones  dissolved  in  acid  per  acre  for  Swedes. 
The  sheep  are  supplied  with  water,  if  necessary,  in  a cast-iron 
trough  between  each  pair,  kept  always  full  by  a ball-cock  com- 
municating with  the  cistern  and  pump  between  the  sheds.  This 
open  space  of  4 feet  between  the  parallel  sheds  supplies  ventila- 
tion and  light,  by  louvre  or  luffer  boards  above  the  racks  and 
mangers,  the  vitiated  ait-  being  conveyed  off  by  ventilators  in  the 
gables  at  each  end.  Thatch  will  probably  be  the  most  suitable 
roof,  from  its  cheapness,  and  being  a non-conductor  of  heat,  and 
the  distance  from  the  steam-engine,  &c„  makes  its  combustible 
nature  of  less  consequence.  The  low  walls  may  be  made  in 
many  parts  very  reasonably  of  wattled  furze,  which  is  warm  and 
comfortable,  and  of  which  the  chief  part  of  the  buildings  on  Mr. 
Huxtable’s  farms  in  Dorset  are  constructed.  At  Earl  Bathurst’s 
farm  near  Cirencester,  a shed  on  a similar  plan  to  the  above,  only 
in  one  length,  is  found  to  answer  well,  built  of  stone  and  slate. 
At  the  entrance  of  the  premises  on  this  side  is  a weigh-bridge 
( g ) connected  with  a small  office,  so  that  everything  that  goes  in 
or  out  may  be  weighed — coals,  cattle,  corn,  & c. 
Cattle  Boxes , or  Fatting  House  ( qq ). — Returning  again  to  the 
central  cooking-room,  immediately  adjoining  it  we  enter  the 
fatting-shed  for  cattle,  as  these  animals  will  consume  the  greatest 
bulk  of  the  food  here  prepared,  which  may  be  run  down  between 
the  boxes  on  a tram-way,  or  carried  in  bushel-baskets.  With  a 
proper  proportion  of  roots,  no  water  will  be  needed  in  winter  ; 
but  if  necessary  it  may  be  laid  on  to  the  cast-iron  troughs  as 
before  described  for  sheep.  These  boxes  are  excavated  two  feet, 
