242 
On  the  Construction  of  Farm-Buildings. 
any  one  behold  the  accommodation  without  being  thoroughly 
convinced  of  the  great  economy  in  collecting  the  egesta  and  pre- 
serving it  in  the  very  best  state  for  its  purposes,  and  yet  without 
the  least  exhalation  of  effluvia.  Whatever  may  be  supposed, 
those  who  have  not  seen  the  box-feeding  system  in  operation  are 
hereby  assured  by  the  writer,  who  has  carefully  watched  its  effect, 
that  it  is  in  every  respect  consistent  with  perfect  cleanliness  and 
perfect  health  of  the  beasts  ; and  he  must,  without  hesitation, 
state  his  belief,  that,  whenever  any  objection  has  been  raised  to 
the  system,  it  has  been  induced  from  having  seen  boxes  of  impro- 
per construction  and  fitting,  or  perhaps  from  excess  of  moisture 
produced  from  rain  from  above  or  from  springs  from  beneath. 
As  to  the  latter  observation  respecting  excess  of  moisture,  the 
writer  is  certain  of  the  fact,  that  a sufficient  quantity  of  dry  litter 
supplied  three  or  four  times  a-week,  to  keep  the  animals  clean 
from  the  solid  excrement,  is  sufficient  to  completely  absorb  the 
whole  of  the  urine  they  void.  Before  having  had  an  opportunity 
of  judging  correctly  of  the  fact,  the  writer  was  certainly  of  opinion 
that  supersaturation  of  the  litter  with  urine  would  soon  take  place, 
but  thorough  conviction  of  the  contrary  has  been  induced  by 
actual  experience. 
The  superiority  of  the  system  of  feeding  cattle  in  boxes  over 
either  tying  up  in  stalls  or  going  loose  in  the  fold-yard,  consists 
most  evidently  in  its  combining  the  shelter  of  the  stall  with  much 
of  the  freedom  of  the  yard,  without  the  liability  of  molestation 
from  companion  beasts,  not  forgetting  the  injury  heifers  in  a fat 
state  are  liable  to  from  mounting  each  other  when  in  season  to 
take  the  bull.  The  writer  is  so  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  im- 
portant advantages  to  be  derived  from  feeding  cattle  in  separate 
boxes,  under  cover  of  a roof,  that  he  suggests  that  system  as  the 
best  he  ever  witnessed  or  heard  of  in  the  plan  he  submits  to  the 
Society  in  competition  for  their  valuable  premium  for  the  best 
essay  on  farm-buildings. 
The  cattle-feeding  department  in  the  proposed  plan  occupies 
the  eastern  side  of  the  farmery,  and  consists  of  a turnip  or  root- 
house  (9),  in  which  should  be  a steaming-apparatus — a double 
tier  of  feeding-boxes  (10) — and  a cow-house  (11),  all  in  a con- 
tinuous range  between  two  ranges  of  boxes  in  single  tiers  (12  and 
13),  and  at  8 feet  distance  from  each;  at  the  southern  extremity 
of  the  range  of  boxes  (13)  is  a calf-house  (14). 
The  turnip-house  (9)  occupies  a space,  exclusive  of  the  wall, 
1 brick  thick,  separating  it  from  the  double  tier  of  feeding-boxes 
(10),  of  29  feet  8 inches  in  length,  and,  including  the  thicknesses 
of  the  walls,  20  feet  8 inches  in  breadth.  The  north  end  and  the 
side  walls  of  this  building  should  be  at  least  7 feet  6 inches  high 
from  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  1J  brick  thick,  and  have  an 
