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On  the  Construction  of  Farm-Buildings. 
At  the  time  when  the  preceding  paper  was  written  I had  not  seen 
any  farm-buildings  erected  upon  the  plan  proposed  in  it.  Since  that 
time  I have  built  a small  homestead  for  100  acres,  carrying  out  the  lead- 
ing idea  embodied  in  the  Essay,  and  it  has  received  the  approval  of 
several  intelligent  farmers  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  area  given  in  the 
Essay  for  the  manufacture  of  manure  is  however,  I find,  too  small,  and  I 
should  recommend  that  the  buildings  should  be  carried  10  feet  farther 
south,  which  would  give  12,500  square  feet  of  yard  room,  instead  of  10,000 
feet,  as  proposed.  The  spouting,  also,  should  be  either  cast-iron  or  cut 
out  of  solid  wood,  in  preference  to  zinc. 
I may  add,  with  regard  to  the  cost  of  erecting  buildings  upon  the 
method  proposed,  that  I find  it  would  be  less  than  the  estimate  given. 
Circumstances,  to  which  I can  only  allude,  compelled  me  to  write  the 
preceding  paper  in  great  haste  a day  or  two  before  the  time  allowed  for 
competition  had  elapsed  ; and  at  that  time  I had  neither  sufficient  know- 
ledge of  details  to  accurately  estimate  the  cost  nor  time  to  obtain  it  from 
others.  I now  find  very  considerable  reductions  may  be  made.  The 
barn  may  be  reduced  in  its  width,  and  still  remain  sufficiently  large. 
The  walls  of  the  barn  I have  estimated  as  14-inch  work.  In  consequence, 
however,  of  its  being  so  thoroughly  supported  by  surrounding  buildings, 
the  end  walls  need  only  to  be  9-inch  brickwork,  and  the  upper  half  of  the 
south  wall  and  the  upper  third  of  the  north  wall  the  same.  Other  reductions 
may  be  made,  and,  indeed,  I am  satisfied  that  a thoroughly  substantial 
homestead  may  be  built  upon  the  plan  proposed  for  about  the  sum  of 
750/.  I have  mentioned  this,  because  it  is  a matter  of  great  importance, 
in  presenting  to  the  public  a plan  of  farm-buildings,  that  they  should  be 
not  only  convenient  in  their  arrangement,  but  moderate  in  their  cost. 
We  have  had  too  many  model  homesteads  built  which  have  been  so 
extravagant  in  their  cost  as  to  deter  proprietors  from  attempting  to 
extend  to  all  the  farms  on  their  estates  the  advantages  of  a well-regulated 
homestead. 
Perhaps  a few  practical  hints  may  not  be  out  of  place.  The  pillars  for 
open  cattle-sheds  should  be  cast-iron  placed  upon  flagstone.  These  will 
be  found  nearly  as  cheap  as  wood  or  brick,  and  of  course  far  more  elegant 
and  durable.  Braces  will  not  be  needed  in  the  sheds  on  this  plan,  and 
will  be  better  away,  as  they  are  apt  to  cause  the  hips  of  cattle  to  be 
knocked  down.  The  division  walls  between  the  yards  should  be  14-inch 
work  for  3 feet  from  top  foundation,  then  tumbled  in  (as  the  local  term 
is)  for  about  four  courses,  and  finished  with  9-inch-work  with  a semicircular 
coping  on  the  top.  The  outside  walls  may  be  9-inch-work  with  a pier  every 
seven  or  eight  feet.  The  barn,  if  filled  from  the  outside,  should  have  tu  o 
windows  for  that  purpose  in  each  compartment : one  immediately  under 
the  side-plate,  G feet  in  length  by  4£  feet  in  breadth,  and  under  this  a 
smaller  window,  4£  feet  square,  for  filling  the  lower  part  of  the  barn. 
Holdfasts  for  spouting  should  be  driven  into  the  side-plate  before  the  last 
course  of  brickwork  is  put  on.  If  a lead  gutter  is  required,  instead  of  the 
common  method  of  widening  the  lead  at  the  upper  end,  to  reach  the 
extra  width  from  one  roof  to  another,  caused  by  the  gradual  rise  in  the 
gutter,  the  cheaper  plan  is  to  line  out  the  spars  of  the  roof  and  keep 
the  lead  the  same  width  throughout.  In  my  own  case,  the  estimate  for 
about  70  feet  in  length  on  the  common  plan  was  14/.,  for  the  one  now 
proposed  8/. 
I have  added  two  groundplans  of  homesteads  which  would  be  suitable, 
the  one  (No.  II.)  for  a small  farm  where  the  utmost  economy  was  needed, 
and  the  other  (No.  III.)  for  a somewhat  larger  farm  than  that  mentioned 
in  the  conditions  for  the  Prize  Essay.  They  are  given  chiefly  to  show 
