218  On  the  Construction  of  Farm- Buildings. 
horses  to  be  kept.  To  determine  the  extent  of  cattle-lairs  ne- 
cessary to  be  provided  on  the  same  farm,  let  it  be  assumed  one 
half  the  turnip  crop  to  be  drawn  to  be  consumed  by  cattle  in 
lairs,  and  the  remainder  to  be  eaten  on  the  ground  by  sheep  ; 
the  greatest  number  of  beasts,  after  having  been  well  grazed 
during  summer,  that  could  be  thoroughly  fattened  on  the  very 
best  crop  of  turnips  would  not  exceed  fifty. 
Thus,  in  a system  of  husbandry  in  every  way  favourable  for 
maintaining  and  increasing  the  productive  power  of  the  soil, 
under  the  most  favourable  circumstances  of  adaptation  from  its 
nature,  and  from  high  state  of  fertility  for  the  growth  of  large 
crops  of  vegetables  for  winter  feeding  of  cattle,  a farm  of  300 
acres  may  require,  in  addition  to  the  barn  and  its  appendant  con- 
veniences not  requiring  variation  of  extent  from  size  of  farm  or 
degree  of  fertility  of  soil,  stabling  for  eight  horses  and  lairs  for 
fifty  oxen. 
It  will,  however,  very  rarely  happen  that  a farm  of  the  extent, 
and  under  the  management  described,  can  be  efficiently  worked 
by  so  few  horses,  and  produce  vegetables  for  winter  fattening  so 
many  oxen  as  have  been  mentioned : for  should  the  land  incline 
in  any  considerable  degree  to  stiffness,  an  additional  pair  of 
horses  to  the  number  named  will  be  necessary;  and  should  the 
quality  of  the  soil  be  other  than  the  best  adapted  for  turnips,  or 
any  part  be  unsuited  to  the  growth  of  that  root,  much  fewer  oxen 
than  the  number  stated  above  could  be  winter  fattened  in  a 
season.  Probably  from  thirty  to  forty  head  of  cattle,  instead  of 
fifty,  would,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  be  the  number,  in  ad- 
dition to  sheep  consuming  one  half  the  crop  on  the  ground,  that 
60  acres  of  turnips  grown  on  land  of  excellent  quality  would 
fatten  during  the  whole  season. 
Whatever  may  be  the  system  of  management  pursued  on  a 
tillage  farm,  the  extent  of  the  buildings  that  may  be  required 
may  be  easily  estimated  by  a due  consideration  of  the  force  re- 
quired to  work  it,  and  the  power  of  the  soil  to  produce  food  for 
cattle  in  winter. 
Of  Arrangement  of  the  Buildings. — The  leading  features  to  be 
attended  to  in  the  arrangement  of  the  buildings  of  a farmery  are 
simplicity,  compactness  without  crowding,  and  the  position  of 
the  several  buildings  being  in  strict  accordance  with  the  relative 
purpose  of  each  as  it  depends  upon  that  of  another,  so  that  all 
the  operations  carried  on  throughout  the  homestead  may  be  per- 
formed at  the  least  expense  of  time  and  labour. 
Much  has,  from  time  to  time,  been  written  on  the  arrangement 
and  construction  of  farm-buildings.  Some  authors  have  suggested 
useful  plans,  whilst  others,  some  of  whom  esteemed  as  high  au- 
thority on  rural  affairs,  have  recommended  plans  in  many  respects 
