248  On  the  Construction  of  Farm-Buildings. 
of  3 feet  8 inches  pitch,  hipped  at  both  ends,  covered  with  blue 
slate  finished  with  stone-ridging,  and  each  furnished  with  three 
cupolas  in  the  length  of  their  ridges. 
The  passages  8 feet  wide  between  the  ranges  of  buildings, 
treated  of  in  the  present  section,  may  be  laid  with  rubble  free- 
stone on  edge  to  a depth  of  8 inches,  having  the  tops  of  the 
stones  broken  level  after  being  laid,  and  covered  with  hard  stone 
broken  small,  or  with  gravel  well  rolled  ; but  if  a level  pavement 
be  not  deemed  too  expensive,  it  will  be  found  to  answer  in  many 
respects  a better  purpose. 
Although  the  whole  of  the  walls  of  the  buildings  treated  of  in 
the  present  section  have  been  specified  to  be  of  brick,  and  the 
pillars  supporting  the  roof  in  the  front  of  the  boxes  to  be  of  cast- 
iron,  yet,  above  the  level  of  the  ground,  stone  may  be  used  for  the 
first  mentioned,  and  timber  for  the  latter  mentioned  purpose. 
It  may,  however,  be  remarked,  that  any  saving  that  may  be 
derived  from  the  use  of  stone  and  timber,  will  be  fully  com- 
pensated in  the  use  of  brick  and  iron,  not  only  by  neater  appear- 
ance but  by  greater  durability  of  the  buildings.  Many  persons 
may  consider  that  buildings  for  fattening  cattle,  erected  according 
to  the  specification  above,  as  more  costly  than  necessary ; but  the 
writer  feels  assured  that  any  proprietor  of  an  estate  desirous  of 
improving  his  property  to  the  extent  that  improved  construction 
of  farm-buildings  can  be  conducive  to  that  end,  and  who  may 
have  witnessed  the  result  of  fattening  cattle  in  properly  constructed 
boxes,  would  never  hesitate  to  incur  the  outlay  necessary  to  pro- 
vide accommodation  for  carrying  out  the  system  to  its  fullest 
extent  by  means  of  permanent  buildings  for  the  purpose. 
Liquid-manure  Tank  (for  plan,  vide  Plate  I.,  No.  15). — It 
is  well  known  that  the  liquid  excrements  of  animals  is,  of  all 
matters  collected  in  the  farmery,  the  most  valuable  for  manure  : 
the  means  for  collecting  which  must  therefore  be  a necessary 
accommodation  in  every  farmery  in  which  completeness  is  sought. 
The  site  of  the  tank  for  liquid-manure  in  the  plan  proposed,  is 
marked  15.  The  receptacle  for  liquid-manure  for  a farmery  of 
the  size  proposed,  may  be  a circular  well  20  feet  deep  and  10  feet 
in  diameter,  formed  of  brick  laid  in  roman  cement  or  tarras,  the 
top  formed  as  a dome  with  a man-hole  in  the  centre  of  2 feet  in 
diameter,  in  a flag  covered  close  with  a plate  of  cast-iron  counter- 
sunk in  the  upper  surface  of  the  flag,  and  a hole  for  a pump 
near  the  side  of  the  well,  also  covered  close  with  a cast-iron  plate 
fitted  into  a stone.  Behind  the  brick  lining  should  be  well 
puddled  to  prevent  any  escape  of  the  contents  of  the  tank. 
Stable-yard  (for  plan,  vide  Plate  I,  No.  16). — The  space 
between  the  front  of  the  range  of  buildings  in  which  the  stable  is 
contained,  and  the  back  of  that  comprising  13  and  14,  is  30  feet. 
