1867.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
361 
their meadows will carry a bullock to the acre. 
With good judgment in buying aud selling, this 
is an easy 'way of getting rent from land. The 
stock require very little attention after they are 
turned into the pasture, until the drover comes 
in the fall, or they are otherwise marketed. 
Sheep are said to improve laud more rapidly 
than bullocks. The manure is more evenly 
distributed if the laud is level; and if it is 
broken, the most of it is dropped where it is 
most needed, upon the tops of the knolls. 
They also crop bushes much more closely than 
beeves, but in order to keep brush under, all the 
brush should be cut with the scythe at the start, 
and the pasture should be heavily stocked as 
long as the sprouts push. In Harrison County, 
Ohio, and in other parts of the State, where the 
winter wheat has become an uncertain 'crop, 
we are informed that many of the farmers have 
resorted to wool as a substitute. This crop has 
several important advantages over wheat. It 
involves much less labor, and improves, rather 
than exhausts the soil. It is found that the 
sheep pastures are growing more productive. 
"Wool at fifty cents a pound can be carried to 
market profitably much farther thau wheat at 
the ordinary prices. A pound of wheat is now 
worth but three or four cents, and freight on 
grain is about as expensive as on wool. The lat- 
ter, moreover, is one of the few products of the 
farm that can be held over without serious risk 
of loss. Some of the finest wool in the State 
is produced in this County, and has been sold 
from fifty to sixty cents a pound this season. 
In considering the question of abandoning 
sheep husbandry, as some may be tempted to 
do, under temporary reverses or falling prices, 
we think due credit should be given to sheep as 
improvers of the soil. The farmer can hardly 
grow poor whose soil is constantly growing rich. 
Barn Plan for a Small Farm. 
Small barn plans interest directly many more 
people than very large ones, and we do not 
mean to be remiss in presenting too many of 
the latter in proportion. This month we give 
one, in the devising of which it would seem 
that many of the teachings of the Agriculturist 
had been observed. It is convenient, compact, 
well built, neat, roomy, and economical, but 
sent the ground plan, and" two sections through 
the center. Enough of the framing is shown to 
give an idea of the construction. The barn is 36 
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Fig. 1. — OHOUNU PLAN OV BARN. 
not without its faults. That is, with the same 
outlay of money and labor, we think it might 
have been bettor. This barn was built by Mr. 
Christian Biaunle, of Coudersport, Potter Co., 
Pa., and as ho has great satisfaction in its use, 
and as it meets the high approval of his neigh- 
bors, he sends us the plan. The figures ropre- 
Fig. 2.— EAST AND WEST SECTION OF BARN 
feet wide and 46 feet long. The thrashing floor 
crosses the barn in the middle, with stalls for 
horses aud cattle on each side, but on lower and 
different levels. Fourteen feet above the thrash- 
ing floor, but below the level of the plates, are 
two platforms with a space between them, and 
above these a space of 14 feet intervenes below 
another floor framed into the posts just below 
the purline plates. This forms the granary, up 
iu the very peak of the gambrel roof. It is 
easily made rat proof, is hot, and dry, if the 
roof be tight. A pulley (£, figs. 2 aud 3,) ena- 
bles a horse to draw up the clean graiu, or corn 
in the ear, which can be returned to the floor 
through the conductor, k, in the same figures. 
There is an excellent place for a root cellar 
below the thrashing floor, but this was not in 
our correspondent's plan, and so he did not carry 
it out, though he makes the suggestion. 
Figure 1 is the ground plan. A represents 
a stable for one pair of oxen and six cows. 
There is a door at each end, and a gutter for 
liquid manure, as seen iu fig. 2. B represents the 
horse stable, 16 feet wide, containing four stalls. 
C shows double stalls for young cattle. G is 
the passage way from the thrashing floor, which 
is 14 feet wide. E is a room open to the thrash- 
ing floor, for bins of feed for daily 
use, for tools, etc. F[ F, are open- 
ings from the thrashing floor into 
the mangers, for feeding the stock. 
Figure 2 is a section from east to 
west. Fig. 3 a cross-section, and so 
far as possible, the lettering in each 
corresponds. G and E are hay bays 
over the stalls, extending to the roof. 
D is the thrashing floor, II the space 
above the two platforms, over the 
thrashing floor. Two dotted lines 
crossing this floor iu the ground plan, 
(fig. 1), indicate the position of these 
platforms and the space between them 
for pitching up hay, grain, or straw. 
JVaud /are ladders which are boxed 
for safety, and Pis a platform land- 
ing between them. T, T, in figure 3, 
corresponds with E and Gf, in fig. 1. 
It will strike those familiar with side-hill barns 
having barn cellars, or stables for stock be- 
neath the main floor, that this barn is arranged 
ingeniously to lose the advantages of a side-hill, 
by having the thrashing floor run across the 
slope. But the cattle stable beiug so much be- 
low the floor, the great object of a side-hill barn, 
IM 
namely, low hay bays, is in part gained. Still 
we prefer the old plan, and think with the fine 
slope represented, it would have been better to 
have had the barn stand facing the 
south instead of the east, with the 
whole main floor on one level, and 
that about as high as the floor 
above the stable, A. This would 
give four deep bays aud a spacious 
cattle floor besides. We have no 
doubt the barn is a convenient one 
as it is, but it needs ventilation, and 
a sheltered place for making ma- 
nure. The ability to drive through 
the barn would be a great advan- 
tage. No doubt sheds aud yards, 
sheep barns, and hog pens, are 
located near and conveniently. 
How Long to Milk Cows. 
Some cows settle the question 
for their owners, and such, unless 
they are fine large animals, and calf 
raising is the chief use of the cow, 
should be fatted and killed at 4 or 5 years old, 
or sold. As a general rule, it is a poor cow that 
does not need to be dried off before calving. As 
Fig. 3. — CROSS-SECTION OF BARN. 
to how little milk will pay for the trouble of 
milking, that depends upon the number of cows, 
and the amount required for family use or for 
sale. If the milk is worth 3 or 4 cents a quart, 
it will pay to milk every cow that will aver- 
age two quarts a day, If less than that 
quantity is obtained, we would advise to 
dry off the cow. The practice of half-feeding 
dry cows is execrable. All cows that are 
worth keeping should be well kept, and any 
animal with young should be as well fed as 
when giving milk, though the food need not bo 
so rich (oleaginous) as when the milk is set for 
cream or used for butter-making. It does not 
hurt cows to grow fat while dry; but they 
should not be very fat, as a general rule. The 
rapid taking-ou of flesh at this period is an in- 
dication of sound health. When the time of 
calving approaches, cut off oilmeal or any such 
rich addition to the feed if the cow is in good 
flesh ; give plenty of sweet hay, aud a few, say 
3 or 4, ears of corn, daily. If you expect to 
value the calf enough to raise it, or even to fat- 
ten it for veal, stop milking, at all events, six 
weeks before the cow will come iu ; but if the 
calf has little or no value to you, milk two 
weeks longer before you begin to dry her off. 
Some cows will give milk the year round, if 
you will let them, aud it is bard to dry them 
before they make bag anew ; but this should al- 
