98 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
tar, is finally laid down. This gives a floor that is 
not only very durable, clean, and wholesome, but 
it is perfectly water-proof, and prevents any drip 
of moisture into the cellar. The cellar floor is 
shown in figure 3. At R, R, are bins for roots, 
which are unloaded into them through the cellar 
windows, seen in figure 2, by means of spouts which 
direct them into the bins. At F is the feed box, at 
T, T, feed-tubs for mixing feed, at c, the cistern, 
P, the pump, E, the kettle, set in brick, with chim¬ 
ney behind it; at B is a spout, (also seen in 
figure 4), by which meal is dropped from the upper 
floor to the feed-box, the kettle, or the feed-tubs. 
At C is the root cutter. The whole of the cellar 
floor is covered with cement. The main floor is 
6hown at figure 4. The pens are seen arranged on 
one side. Each pen is provided with a fender, (P), 
for the protection of young pigs against being 
overlaid by the sows, and a cast-iron feed trough, 
having a spout which projects through the front, 
for the purpose of carrying feed into the trough. 
At if is a hatchway for hoisting meal or com into 
the room above; at A is a spout to bring feed from 
Five pieces 2 inches square, and 4 inches long, are 
bored through their length with t-inch holes, and 
are bolted to the longer piece where the fence 
boards will rest on them. A cross 
piece 12 inches long is bolted to the 
end of the second 4-inch piece, as 
shown, and a brace is bolted on the 
other side of the longer piece, as a sup¬ 
port for it. When used, place the end 
of the cross piece against the fence 
post, and press the brace into the 
ground, by which the upright piece is 
gauge. supported. The ends of the fence 
boards are rested on the gauge while the other 
ends are nailed to the post. Then the opposite 
ends are nailed. The cross piece keeps the gauge 
out of the way when nailing the boards. 
A “Bratted” Sheep. 
Fig. 2.— SIDE VIEW OF MR. CURTIS’ 
above. The large pen near the center is used for a 
slaughter-pen, and at the hatchway is a hoist for 
raising the hog6 for dressing. The chain of this 
hoist is seen in the doorway at figure 1. The end 
pen, the door of which is seen at figure 1, is the 
reception-room for sows, the boar’s pen being ad- 
PIG PEN. 
joining, and communicating with a slide door. The 
floor of this pen is 31 feet above the ground, or so 
high that a sow brought in a crate in a wagon, can 
walk directly into it when the wagon is backed to 
the door and the crate is opened. The stairway to 
the upper floor is seen at the end of the plan, and 
Fig. 4.— PLAN OP MAIN FLOOR OF PIG 
that to the cellar, near the hatchway. This build¬ 
ing has been found very convenient in use, and it 
is so arranged that it may be extended, if desired, 
to accommodate a larger number of animals. 
A Fence Gauge. —The gauge for a rail or board 
fence, shown in the engraving, is sent by “ J. A. 
W.” It is made of a piece of scantling 2 inches 
square, and 5 feet long. A number of i-inch holes 
are bored through this piece as they may be wanted. 
Exercise is as necessary for sheep in winter as in 
summer. Close confinement is unhealthful for an 
animal designed, or at 
least permitted, by nature 
to inhabit mountain re¬ 
gions and rocky pastures. 
The activity natural to 
sheep may be noticed 
cropping out in lambs a 
few days old, which will 
climb and sport upon any 
convenient rock, boulder, 
lumber pile, or stump, to 
which they can gain ac¬ 
cess, in preference to any 
level place. But to give 
exercise indiscriminately, without regard to the 
weather, is not safe even for the hardier, close- 
fleeced Merinos, or Southdowns, and for the more 
open fleeced long-wool sheep is pernicious. Open 
sheds offer a partial resource in moderate weather, 
when it is not advisable to give the ran of a field. 
There are times, however, 
when it is advisable to 
give valuable sheep some 
exercise during unfavora¬ 
ble weather, and this may 
be done by adopting a 
precaution in common use 
amongst Scotch shep¬ 
herds. On the Scottish 
lowlands, as well as moun¬ 
tains, whole flocks are 
sometimes furnished with 
artificial protectors known 
as 11 brats. ” This word is 
derived directly from the 
Gaelic language, and 
means simply a cloak; it is also used by the Scotch 
to designate the bib, or apron, worn by children to 
keep them from soiling their other clothes. It is a 
distinct word from “brat,” a coarse vulgar epithet 
applied to a child, and which is derived from the 
same root as “ brood.” The “ brats ” are pieces of 
cloth, or sometimes of sheep¬ 
skin, fastened by strings upon 
the sheeps’ backs, and often 
sewn to the wool by coarse 
thread. They are made to cover 
the spine and loins, the part of a 
sheep’s body most susceptible to 
cold and wet. A good shape for 
a brat is shown in the engraving, 
which represents one side as it 
lies across the sheep’s back. It 
may be made of the cheapest 
kind of a blanket, or of coarse 
cotton cloth, dressed with some water-proofing 
substance. It is only necessary that it should 
keep off rain or snow. Warmth is not required ; 
the dry wool will supply that. A very good 
material is a piece of common “gum” or rub¬ 
ber blanket, such as are used in the army. An 
old water-proof overcoat will cut up l'nto four of 
these brats, and a light coat will make several of 
them of suitable size for young lambs. A salt sack 
will make four brats of large size. Much refuse 
material of the household or barn, may be utilized 
for them, especially for those of small size, such as 
will be needed by and by for the lambs. The lambs 
may be sent out many a 
day when the weather is 
threatening, if thus pro¬ 
tected, when they would 
otherwise have to be 
confined to close pens or 
damp yards. A heavy 
thunder shower will do 
no injury to a well bratted lamb. At the breeding 
season, when it is not convenient to separate a ram, 
that is not suitable to breed from, from the ewes, 
he may be furnished with a brat reversed, and worn 
underneath. This is often done, and is effective. 
BRAT” FOR A SHEEP. 
Pumps for the House and Barn. 
Perhaps there was never a time known to those 
living near the Atlantic coast, when more trouble 
and inconvenience was experienced than now, on 
account of an inadequate supply of water for do¬ 
mestic use6 and for stock. Over an extensive range 
of the country, farmers are now melting snow to 
supply their necessities, or are hauling water from 
ponds and streams. This is 
not only costly and incon¬ 
venient, but in many cases 
makes it necessary to use 
impure water, and is there¬ 
fore unhealthful. We do 
not remember to have had 
so many inquiries at any one 
time as are before us at the 
present, in regard to the wa¬ 
ter supply, and the most 
useful pumps for bringing 
it to both the house and the 
barn from one well. With 
regard to the water supply, 
it might be said that there 
can be no better time than, 
the present for deepening or 
cleaning old wells, or sink¬ 
ing new ones to a depth at 
which a permanent supply 
, of water can be obtained. 
Fig. 1. ^in-door pump. , , 
b The long - continued dry 
weather of last year, has left the subsoil very dry, 
and free from surface water, and has temporarily 
dried up all but really permanent springs. With 
regard to pumps, we can only now find space to 
describe one that we have tested in use. This is 
Blunt’s “ Universal Force 
Pump,” of which we give 
some illustrations. It is called 
“Universal” from the fact 
that all the parts are inter¬ 
changeable, and any one can 
be replaced if broken or worn ; 
that the upper part, or air 
chamber, can be turned around, 
bringing the handle either to 
the right or left hand of the 
spout, or opposite to it, and 
that their construction and 
material are of the best in 
every way. There are fifty 
different kinds of this pump 
made, to meet every require¬ 
ment. Those illustrated here, 
are selected from the number, 
as being applicable to the 
majority of circumstances. At 
figure 1 is the in-door force 
pump, which is placed upon a 
base that can be screwed on to 
a sink or stand. The spout has Fig. 2. 
a “ two-way” tap, by which the OVT _ DO % R pump. 
stream of water may be thrown 
up into a tank or into a hose for watering a garden, 
washing windows, or other purposes, or a pipe may 
be connected with it, througn which water can be 
forced from the house to the barn or cattle yard; 
thus watering the stock without going out of doors. 
An out-of-door pump is very similar to this, but 
