On  the  Construction  qf  Farm- Buildings.  265 
greatest  advantage ; and  that  to  confine  and  attempt  to  fatten 
oxen  by  forced  feeding,  previous  to  their  having  nearly  attained 
full  growth,  is  apt  to  stop  the  development  of  frame  required  to 
carry  a great  thickness  of  flesh,  if  such  treatment  should  not  be, 
as  it  frequently  is,  productive  of  absolute  disease,  from  the  shock 
the  constitution  of  the  animals  sustains  by  so  violent  an  opposition 
to  nature.  The  aim  of  the  prudent  rearer  is  to  promote  in  his 
stocks  a continually  progressive  increase  of  frame  and  muscle, 
without  acquiring  fat:  to  attain  which  object  in  the  animals  re- 
quires a plentiful  supply  at  all  times  of  provender  of  good  (but 
not  of  too  nutritive)  quality,  considerable  extent  of  freedom,  and, 
in  winter,  perfect  (but  not  in  any  degree  heating)  shelter.  These 
circumstances  will  be  best  fulfilled  during  winter  by  means  of 
fold-yards  provided  with  sheds:  the  position,  size,  and  construc- 
tion of  which  accommodation  of  the  farmery  will  be  the  subject 
of  the  following  section  of  the  present  treatise. 
Of  Folds  and  Sheds  (for  plan,  elevation,  and  section,  vide 
Plate  VI.). — The  position  of  folds  and  sheds  should  be  as  near 
as  can  be  to  that  part  of  the  farmery  from  whence  provender  and 
litter  is  supplied,  having  at  the  same  time  a full  exposure,  if  pos- 
sible, to  the  south.  In  the  plan  proposed  in  Plate  VI.  this 
accommodation  is  placed  at  the  north-east  corner  of  the  straw- 
barn,  and  ranges  eastward,  having  the  stack-yard  to  the  north. 
As  to  size  of  site,  24  feet  wide  by  18  feet  deep  for  an  open  fold, 
in  addition  to  a shed  of  the  same  breadth  by  12  feet  deep,  will 
be  sufficient  to  contain  five  growing  oxen  ; and  in  the  plan  re- 
ferred to,  four  compartments  of  the  size  mentioned  comprise  the 
proposed  extent  of  the  accommodation  now  under  consideration. 
The  bottom,  or  floor  of  the  fold-yard,  should  be  sunk  about 
1 foot  below  the  surface  of  the  surrounding  ground,  and  also  that 
of  the  floor  of  the  shed,  which  should  be  supported  by  a stone 
curb  in  the  front.  The  shed  should  have  its  back  and  end  walls 
7 leet  high  above  the  surface  of  its  floor,  should  have  a hipped 
span-roof  carried  in  front  by  a deal,  which  may  be  supported 
either  by  cast-iron  or  timber  pillars  at  every  8 feet  of  the  length 
of  front.  The  fences  of  the  ends  of  the  range  of  folds  should  be 
walls  of  the  same  height  as  those  forming  the  ends  of  the  range  of 
sheds,  and  that  of  the  front  may  either  be  a wall  5 feet  high 
above  the  surface  of  the  ground  outside,  having  gate-ways  8 feet 
wide  in  the  centre  of  each  compartment  of  the  breadth  of  24  feet 
above  mentioned  ; or,  what  is  much  better,  three  bars  of  battens, 
the  highest  of  which  5 feet  above  the  ground  outside,  with  their 
ends  held  in  grooves  on  cast-iron  posts,  fixed  on  a maintaining 
wall  1 foot  high  above  the  bottom  of  the  fold,  in  a similar  manner 
to  that  recommended  for  the  boxes.  The  divisions  of  the  com- 
partments will  be  best  of  bars  of  battens,  the  ends  of  which  held 
