271 
On  the  Construction  of  Farm-Buildings. 
we  have  not  the  slightest  doubt;  for  in  many  instances  where  farm 
buildings  are  getting  old  and  expensive  to  repair,  it  will  be  found 
preferable  to  pull  the  whole  down  and  build  up  again  from  the 
foundation  on  more  improved  plans,  rather  than,  as  in  an  instance 
which  lately  came  under  the  notice  of  the  writers,  in  which  the 
repairs  of  an  old  barn  were  commenced  by  putting  on  a fresh 
roof,  but  were  not  completed  till  the  whole  had  been  rendered 
new  to  the  very  foundation.  Besides  this,  both  the  improve- 
ments and  the  necessities  of  agriculture,  whilst  they  tend  to  the 
removal  of  very  small  farms,  tend  likewise  with  equal  or  greater 
force  to  the  division  of  very  large  ones,  the  conversion  of  which  into 
farms  of  moderate  extent  requires  new  homesteads,  and  the  most 
economical  arrangement  of  the  buildings.  So  that  with  these 
innovations  and  the  bringing  Downs  and  other  lands  under  the 
dominion  of  the  plough,  which  we  trust  will  be  the  case  in  spite 
oi  the  lowering  cloud  which  at  present  darkens  the  farmer’s  path, 
it  appears  likely  that  there  will  be  abundant  opportunities  for 
the  construction  of  the  best  arranged  farm-buildings. 
Our  object  in  the  laying  out  of  our  plans  is  not  merely  to  please 
the  eye  by  their  neat  and  pretty  arrangement,  nor  in  our  specifi- 
cations to  show  the  smallest  fractions  for  which  a range  of  farm 
buildings  can  be  roughly  knocked  up ; but  as  durability,  utility, 
and  economy  ought  all  to  be  regarded,  we  propose,  whilst  adding 
nothing  that  is  superfluous,  to  supply  every  thing  that  is  really 
required,  and  in  such  form  as  it  will  answer  a landlord’s  purpose 
to  erect,  resting  our  principal  claims  for  meritorious  distinction  on 
such  economical  arrangements,  as  will,  it  is  hoped,  save  time , 
labour , and  expense. 
If  it  be  a desirable  practice  that  a number  of  animals  should 
be  allowed  to  range  loose  in  a farm-yard,  exposed,  without  any  pro- 
tection, to  all  the  vicissitudes  of  the  weather,  and  that  the  dung 
should  be  also  scattered  about  and  drenched  with  rain  throughout 
the  winter,  and  lose  its  ammonia  by  evaporating  during  the 
summer,  we  are  afraid  that  our  plans  will  not  be  approved  ; 
but  believing  that  these  practices  are  bad — that  both  the  cattle 
and  the  dung  ought  to  be  protected  from  the  weather,  and 
believing  also  that  the  amount  of  goodness  thereby  preserved  in 
the  dung,  and  the  flesh  and  fat  thereby  secured  in  the  cattle,  are 
far  greater  in  value  than  the  interest  of  the  sum  expended  in  pro- 
viding such  accommodation ; we  propose  to  do  away  altogether 
with  the  wide  open  space  denominated  a farm-yard,  but  to  afford 
sufficient  room  for  the  accumulation  of  dung  in  a large  and  deep 
sunken  pit  covered  over  head. 
It  is  scarcely  necessary  at  the  present  day  to  employ  any  argu- 
ment in  favour  ol  the  superior  economy  of  employing  steam-power 
for  the  purposes  of  thrashing.  The  many  tall  chimneys  that  are 
