On  the  Cod  of  Agricultural  Buildings.  55  9 
easy  task : I will,  however,  endeavour  to  assist  them  in  acquir- 
ing it. 
Previously  to  my  so  doing,  allow  me  to  describe  to  you  a farm- 
stead which  has  just  been  erected  under  my  superintendence  at 
Lymm,  Cheshire,  for  Thomas  Ridgwav,  Esq.,  a plan  of  which  I 
forward  you  herewith.  One  consideration  in  erecting  these 
buildings  was,  that  they  should  serve  as  a model  for  buildings  of 
a similar  character.  Should  you  think  the  insertion  of  the  plan 
in  the  Journal  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society  desirable,  it  is 
at  your  service. 
Publicity  is  not  courted  by  the  proprietor,  but  I am  sure  he 
will  be  pleased  to  allow  gentlemen  to  see  the  buildings,  should 
they  feel  disposed  to  do  so.  The  plan  sent  is  the  original  con- 
tract plan  ; and  as  the  details  of  the  several  buildings  is  pretty 
fully  explained  by  it,  I will  only  describe  their  general  arrange- 
ment. There  have  been  a few  alterations  made  in  carrying  the 
plan  into  execution,  which  are  not  shown,  as  they  are  of  minor 
importance. 
On  referring  to  the  plan,  you  will  perceive  the  barn  is  placed 
centrally  in  the  northern  range  of  buildings,  with  provision  and 
cattle  sheds  on  each  side.  The  barn  is  very  small  in  comparison 
with  those  generally  erected  for  such  a sized  steading,  although 
sufficiently  large  for  its  intended  purpose.  A considerable  saving 
is  therefore  effected  in  this  one  item. 
Steam-power  is  used  for  threshing,  and  for  various  other  pur- 
poses which  will  be  enumerated. 
The  barn,  provision-shed,  and  chaff-house,  are  each  two  stories 
high.  On  the  upper  floor  of  the  barn  is  the  feeding-place  for  the 
threshing-machine,  and  over  the  chaff-house  and  provision-shed  is 
the  granary.  The  dressing-machine  is  placed  on  the  lower  floor 
of  the  barn.  The  straw  is  also  discharged  from  the  machine  on 
this  floor,  and  raised  by  means  of  elevators  to  the  floor  above, 
whence  it  is  conveyed  through  a gangway  in  the  granary  to  lofts 
over  the  tramways  of  the  cattle-sheds,  which  lofts  are  the  width 
of  the  tramway,  viz.  7 feet  6 inches. 
Lofts  over  cattle-sheds,  generally  speaking,  are  objectionable; 
but  here  the  sheds  are,  in  consequence  of  the  arrangement 
adopted,  29  feet  wide,  being  more  than  double  the  usual  width : 
therefore  the  objection  does  not  apply,  but,  on  the  contrary,  they 
are  desirable,  as,  from  their  position,  a more  equal  temperature 
can  be  preserved  in  the  sheds,  as  care  has  been  taken  to  well 
ventilate  the  cattle-boxes.  The  lofts  are,  from  their  great  length, 
capable  of  holding  a large  quantity  of  straw,  which  can  be  thrown 
through  trap-doors  on  each  side  of  the  lofts  into  the  cattle-boxes, 
thereby  economising  labour.  The  additional  cost  of  erecting  the 
lofts  is  trifling,  in  comparison  to  their  usefulness. 
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