178 
A PENNSYLVANIA DAIRY. 
A PENNSYLVANIA DAIRY. 
I noticed with much pleasure the remarks upon 
my dairy in the December number for 1843, by 
one of your correspondents, and it has been a 
source of considerable regret to me, that I was so 
unfortunate as not to be at home when he favored 
me with a visit. This was owing, however, to a 
slight misunderstanding between us. I was under 
the impression that he* had appointed a day later 
than the one upon which he came, but as regards 
his viewing the place, perhaps it was not so un¬ 
lucky as.I at first imagined; for he saw whatever 
he examined, in its every-day appearance. He ex¬ 
pressed a desire that I might be induced to give 
you a description of some articles which he named. 
I consider that desire a sufficient inducement, and 
will endeavor to describe such things as I believe 
worthy the attention of an inquiring practical 
farmer. 
I farm about one hundred acres of gradually un¬ 
dulating land, and so divided into lots, that a con¬ 
stant stream of water flows through each one. I 
will not detain you with the minutiae of the farm, 
but merely mention that we have five acres of the 
best ground appropriated to gardening. We have 
erected convenient hot-beds, for producing the 
earliest vegetables, and we pay much attention to 
the growing of choice and early fruit; my wife 
takes pleasure in superintending these things. 
Three o’clock every morning finds her employed, 
and each market-morning she offers for sale’the 
products of her industry, arriving in the city of 
Philadelphia, a distance of over 4 miles, generally 
before the lamps are extinguished ; but she never 
sells butter, as we have sometimes to purchase for 
our own family. I keep constantly about 45 milch 
cows, and 6 or 8 dry cows, which must be of the 
best kind or I part with them, and a thorough-bred 
Durham bull, of whom I am particularly fond, 
-either because we raised him ourselves, or because 
I prefer the Durham breed, both for beauty and 
utility. The barn is built of stone; it is what is 
commonly called a bank-barn, with substantial 
walls, 104 feet long, 45 feet wide, 50 feet high, 
with steep roof. In this I have a coach-house 35 
by 10 feet; a harness-room, which, though small, 
is very useful; a carpenter’s shop in which there 
is a bench, with a variety of tools, so that if ne¬ 
cessary we can manufacture a wheelbarrow, and 
do almost any work that is required about a farm, 
(no economical farmer should be without such a 
shop;) a thrashing-floor of the best plank, 45 by 
17 feet; and adjoining this floor, a corn-crib at¬ 
tached to and projecting from the wall. In the 
lower part there is a room set apart for vegetables 
alone; this is 45 by 19 feet; also two lines of 
horse-stables 45 feet long, containing 10 stalls each, 
and between which there is an entry 7 feet wide, 
having a mortar floor; into this a funnel empties 
leading from the very top of the barn, and down 
which hay, &c., can be passed without any dif¬ 
ficulty. We have always about 8 horses, so that 
one of these stables is ‘appropriated to the calves 
and heifers. The calves are removed from their 
dams when only a day old. Projecting from the 
main building there is a wing forming a right-angle 
ivith it, 106 feet long, by 24 feet wide ; at each 
end of this wing a row of stalls runs parallel with 
the end walls, and between these there is another 
line parallel with the side walls, extending the full 
length between the end stalls, except allowing 2 feet 
at each end for a passage. The stalls are each 6 
feet 2 inches long, and 3 feet 2 inches wide. The 
cows are fastened with the old English rod and 
chain, so constructed that when the cow lies down 
or arises, the chain moves with perfect freedom 
and without the slightest danger to her. Yet for 
keeping each cow in her proper place, behind the 
stalls there is a drop 14 inches wide, and 4 inches 
deep, and as the bedding is all cut fine, we have but 
little trouble in removing the offal. Between one 
wall and the drop there is a space of 6 feet, well 
planked and always covered with clean cut-straw ; 
in this space there are tables to place the milk 
utensils upon, where they are free from harm. In 
front of the stalls there is an entry about 10 feet 
wide, with two flues or funnels, similar to those 
in the horse-stable. 
For the dry stock we have a separate stable, 45 
by 21 feet; joining the wing in this is the steam 
apparatus, occupying, however, but little room; 
being surrounded by solid stone-work which is in 
length 14 feet 4 inches, in width 5 feet 6 inches, 
in altitude 5 feet 6 inches. The fuel used is coal, 
and for a chimney we have a sheet-iron pipe pas¬ 
sing along the wall outside, much higher than the 
roof. The boiler is supplied with water from a 
pump constructed for the purpose, only 21 feet dis¬ 
tant, and connected by a wooden trough emptying 
into the boiler, so that not a drop of water need be 
carried. Three pipes from the boiler pass into the 
10-foot entry, where they are attached to a large 
vat. One of these pipes is for cold water, another 
for boiling water, and the third for steam, so that 
in slippery weather we can water the cows in the 
stables, without exposing them to danger, and we 
can boil or steam the food, as we think proper, but 
I am partial to the latter. The large vat is 14 feet 
4 inches long, 5 feet 6 inches wide, and 2 feet 6 
inches deep. Adjoining it are two small vats or 
coolers, into which the food is placed to cool. 
This food is generally a mixture of small potatoes, 
malt-dust, ship-stuffs, &c., &c., cooked together, 
with hay cut into about inch lengths, by Greg’s 
invention, of Wilmington, Delaware, which works 
upon the fly-wheel principle, moved by a small 
force, and cutting at any length, from ^ inch to 2 
or 3 inches. But no one can fully appreciate its 
merits until he has tried it. 
Let us now look at the spring-house, &c., for a 
few moments. This house is arched and bottomed 
with brick, and the sides are of stone. It is 21 
feet long by 18 feet wide, over an overflowing and 
powerful spring of water issuing from the rock. 
At the aperture in the wall where the water flows 
out, there is a small flood-gate, with which the 
water in the house can be raised as high as we 
wish, by which means the milk is preserved cool 
and sweet in the hottest weather. From the 
spring-house to the cow-stable there is a pathway, 
another to the horse-stable, and another to the 
dwelling; each 4 feet wide, laid with large flags, 
upon which we are able to walk from one place to 
the other in the most muddy season, both dry and 
