204 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[J CLV, 
mote from the farm house, as they require less 
care than other animals. 
If the soil be poor, it should not be over stock¬ 
ed. Sheep should have full feed in order to 
thrive and pay the best profits to their owners. 
It is very generally observed that pastures not 
over fed improve every year, when stocked with 
sheep. AH the droppings are retained upon the 
soil, and the grass increases from year to year. 
The brush should be kept down by annual cut¬ 
ting, especially briars, which become entangled 
in the wool and damage its quality. 
Salting. —All ruminating animals are fond of 
salt and this natural appetite should be gratified. 
There are those who claim that it is of no use, 
but we always suspect such farmers of loving 
their ease more than the thrift of their flocks. It 
is some trouble to visit the flock a mile or two 
from home weekly, especially, if it is not done 
on Sunday. But the salters may claim that 
every flock should have a weekly visit from their 
owner, whether they are salted or not, so that 
really no time is lost in the operation. 
If this is not practicable, a shelter may be 
made of a few boards, in some convenient part 
of the pasture, and tllte salt may be left in troughs 
under cover, where the sheep can help themselves. 
This is, perhaps, the better course in any event, 
as they are less liable to eat to excess where 
they have the article constantly on hand. In 
Spain, which is justly celebrated for its pure 
flocks, the shepherds are accustomed to give the 
sheep all the salt they will eat, when they return 
from the Summer downs or pastures. They al¬ 
low about two pounds and a half, on an average, 
to each sheep, which is consumed in about five 
months. It is not given in Winter, as it is 
thought to produce abortion in the ewes. 
Sheep giving milk, require the most salt—it 
sharpens the appetite, and leads them to eat some 
coarse herbage and weeds that might otherwise 
not be consumed. 
Destroying Ticks. —Few enemies are more 
troublesome than wood ticks, which cling with 
great tenacity to the skin, and are only extermi¬ 
nated by violence. They are most likely to 
trouble sheep that have the range of a woodland, 
or brush pasture. Tobacco water is an effectual 
remedy, not only for ticks, but for any cutaneous 
diseases of the flock. The ticks are found in 
greatest numbers upon the Iambs, their flesh be¬ 
ing preferred with a nicety of taste that would 
do credit to dog—or man. It is generally found 
necessary to apply the remedy only to the lambs 
of the flock. Boil a sufficient quantity of refuse 
tobacco, or stems, to make a strong decoction. 
No definite rule can be given, as it must depend 
somewhat upon the number of animals to he dip¬ 
ped. Make the liquid strong enough to kill ticks. 
A half hogshead makes a convenient vessel for 
the operation, which requires two individuals. 
A board is laid across the top, upon which the 
lamb is laid after dipping, and the liquid is 
squeezed out by pressing the hand over the skin. 
The whole body should be immersed, except the 
head—care being taken not to get it into the 
mouth or eyes. If the decoction is too strong, it 
will sicken the lambs and make them stagger. If 
the old sheep are affected with the ticks, or loss 
of wool from any disease of the skin, they should 
be dipped also. 
Flesh wounds from any cause during the Sum¬ 
mer, will need looking after. The smell of blood 
draws numerous flies, which lay their eggs in the 
flesh with as much eagerness as if life were al¬ 
ready departed. These should have an applica¬ 
tion of tar, or of spirits of turpentine, in small 
quantity 
Fig. 1 —South Front Elevation, on Street. 
Premium Plan of a Barn. 
In our February issue, p. 60, a premium was 
offered for a plan of a barn adapted to a particu¬ 
lar location—and the peculiar circumstances of a 
friend—with the following specifications : “ The 
barn required, is for a small plot, say four or five 
acres, near a village. It is to cost about $900 to 
$1200. It will stand on a line with the north side 
of a street. The internal arrangement is to com¬ 
prise: A carriage floor for three four-wheeled 
The variety was so 
great, and the accom¬ 
panying suggestions so 
numerous, that we at 
first thought it would be 
worth while to select 
half or more of them, and 
make up a book on this 
special subject; but on 
finding that the expense 
for engravings, printing, 
etc., for an edition of 
1500 copies would a- 
mount to at least $1 a 
copy, we concluded it 
Fig. 2— West-end Elevation. 
vehicles, and one sleigh—accessible both from 
the street and rear ; stalls for four horses, and 
two cows ; grain and feed bins; root, and ma¬ 
nure cellars; tool-room and workshop combined, 
with ample space for storing farm and garden 
implements ; one or more rooms for storing gar¬ 
den truck of various kinds in Autumn ; ample 
space for hay and straw above. Any other sug¬ 
gestions as to outside style, or internal arrange¬ 
ments and conveniences, will be taken into ac¬ 
count. The plans may he addressed to C. T., 
care of this office, any time prior to March 25th.” 
In response to the above offer, fifty-one plans 
were sent in—four of them after the time speci¬ 
fied. These came from all parts of the country, 
there being one from nearly 
every State in the Union, and 
in but one instance we believe, 
was there more than one from 
the same town or county. 
Pennsylvania has long been 
noted for its large barns, so 
much so, that “A Pennsylva¬ 
nia Barn ” has passed into a 
proverb. Eight of the fifty one 
plans were from that State. 
We were much interested and 
amused on looking over the 
plans, to observe the great di¬ 
versity of opinion as to what 
kind of a barn would meet the 
requirements of the proposal; 
for while a few of the plans 
agreed in some items, there 
were no three which did not differ very materially 
in form, arrangement, construction, and size. In 
size they ranged from 25 by 30 feet, to 46 by 95. 
would not pay, though such a book would doubt¬ 
less be worth many dollars to every man who 
purposes to build a barn. We have learned 
by experience that it would take a long time to 
find the purchasers, and so we can do no more 
than give, from time to time, in the Agriculturist, 
a selection from the plans. We may use several 
of the best during a year or two—according as we 
have room, and as may appear desirable. In the 
present number we give the plans and specifi¬ 
cations which were selected as being 
nearest the requirements of the original 
offer. (All the plans were put into the 
hands of a competent Committee, for the 
awarding of the premium.) The five en¬ 
gravings and the descriptions and speci¬ 
fications given herewith, are exact copies 
of those sent in for the premium. As there 
are some features in this plan similar to 
other plans contributed, it is due to Mr. 
Ranlett to say that every part of this plan 
was original with him—his plans having 
been completed and sent in before the other 
plans were examined. They were accom¬ 
panied by a proposal from a responsible 
Master Builder “ to complete the structure in 
exact accordance with the plans and specifica¬ 
tions, for $1135, if at a conveniently accessible 
point within twenty miles of the City of New- 
York.” [In our next, we will give a plan of a 
barn now being constructed on our own place, 
which we think a model one, embracing every 
convenience we could get into a building of this 
kind.] 
Plans and Specifications for a Barn and Car¬ 
riage-House, AS CALLED FOR IN THE AMERICAN 
Agriculturist for Feb , 1860. 
By Wm. H. Ranlett, Architect, 52 John-st., N.Y. 
Fig. 1.—South front entrance elevation. 
Fig. 2.—West end elevation. 
Eig. 3.—Cellars and Foundation.' 
Fig. 3 —Plan of Cellars and Foundation. — D. W. 
Dwarf walls, 2 ft. 6 in. deep, 16 in. thick— V.C., 
Vegetable cellar, 181 by 30 feet, 61 feet in the 
