322 
APRIL 25 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
A Barn that Saves a Hired Man. 
The barn can he described only by the aid of a diagram 
(see Figs. 110 and 111). It is placed 100 feet north of the 
house and was built 40x72 feet, with 20 foot posts. The old 
corn crib 24x26 feet,with 14 foot posts, was moved to the west 
side of it and placed at right angles with it and 18 feet dis¬ 
tant. After a few years I raised the crib four feet and put 
on a new roof, which was extended across the intervening 
space to the barn. Later a wing 24 feet wide was built 
along the whole length of the north side, bringing it flush 
with the north end of the barn. Afterward a wing 18 feet 
wide was added to the whole length of the 
south side, thus making practically one build¬ 
ing 72x84 feet arranged inside as shown by the 
accompanying diagrams. Midway between 
the house and barn is a one story building 16 
x32 feet; 12 feet of the east end are fitted up 
for a workshop with a stove, etc., the rest of 
the building is the chicken-house 16x20 feet. 
This building was part of the old house 
moved from across the road and completes 
the list of buildings. 
Explanation of First Floor. Fig 110. 
A A, main driveway 12x72 feet, 36 feet of the 
south end used for carriages, except when we 
are unloading hay or filling silos, when they 
are run into the second floor driveway. B, 
horse stable, 14x20 feet, tightly boarded in 
front; we feed from the floor above. C C, 
cow stables, 14x30 and 24x24 feet for 26 cows ; 
feed from alleys in front. D, harness room, 
4x6 feet. E, box stall, 8x10 feet. F, milk- 
room, 8x10 feet; the milk in cans is let down 
16 feet into living water. O, offset, 4x8 feet, 
for robes, blankets, whips, etc., barn clothes, 
washbowl, mirror, comb, brush, etc. IIIIII, 
silos, two 12x14x22 and one 9x9x22 feet, with 
a total capacity of about 175 tons. I, hall, 
4x10 feet, into which ensilage is thrown for 
feeding from the adjoining silos. J J, pas¬ 
sageway, six feet wide, from the cow and horse stables to 
the water tank ; the doors are hung so as to close either 
this passage or the main driveway, as desired. K, two- 
horse tread power, in which we use one or two horses or 
bulls as light or heavy power is required. It is belted to 
the counter-shaft overhead running across over the pas¬ 
sage J, where are pulleys for a saw, fodder cutter, grinder 
and corn shelter. L, circular saw in stationary frame. 
M, stairs to second floor. N, driveway and storage for 
farm wagons, 18x42 feet; when our Timothy hay is baled 
we store it here till sold; then we fill up the west side with 
a year’s supply of cord-wood, and when we feel like it or 
the horses or bull need exercise, we saw wood. 0, feed 
alley five feet wide for cows and sheep-pen. P P, water 
tank, pump connected with a tread power by a walking 
beam. Q, feed alley, four feet wide for pig-pens. R R, 
pig-pens, 10x14 feet each. S, sheep pen, 24x34 feet, which 
accommodates 100 head of sheep. T, tool-house, 20x26 
feet; this contains all our field tools and machines. W, 
corn'crib, 6x26 feet, 18 feet deep, with a capacity of 1,100 
bushels. It is filled from the second floor. 
Explanation of Second Floor. Fig. 111. 
A , driveway, 12x44 feet, running east and west. B, oat- 
bin,6x26 feet, 10 feet deep. C, bran-bin, 16x18 feet. It will 
hold a car-load. DDE, silos—see plan of first floor. E, 
stairs from floor below, under which is bin for meal and 
bran mixed for feeding. F, fodder cutter, with a 26 foot 
elevator set at right angles with the cutter and extending 
to the purline plate; from these ensilage is spouted into 
either silo, and dry fodder into feeding space O. O, space 
12x24x8 feet to the scaffold above. This space is for cut, 
dry fodder for horses and cattle. Horses are fed at IIIIII ; 
fodder for cattle is thrown down through a trap door 
under the elevator into the hall below. II H II, chutes 
t,o the horse racks and manger. I I 11, chutes for straw, 
for horses, cattle and sheep. J, opening in the floor 8x10 
feet, through which hay and ensilage are elevated by horse 
power, with a hay carrier and rope slings. K, bay for 
Timothy hay. When emptied it is filled with shock corn, 
as is also the scaffold overhead, running the whole length 
of the barn. L, bay for clover. M, bay for straw, which 
is cut for feed or bedding. (-), derrick for raising a heavy 
trap-door over the opening J. It also raises anything 
weighing less than a ton needed from the floor below, (t), 
feed grinder. The spout delivers the meal into the bin 
under the stairs E. N, corn crib described in the plan of 
first floor. 
The Tools that Make Work Play. 
Beginning at the farther left-hand corner of the picture, 
Fig. 108, first page, we see the surrey and top buggy. Next 
at the right is a three quarter farm and road wagon with 
springs. Next is a farm truck made after my own plan. 
It has a 12 foot bed with 2x8 inch sides set on wheels of a 
uniform height of 2% feet, with four-inch tires; the front 
and rear are geared alike with the reach coupled by a king¬ 
bolt in each axle and cross-rods from the left front to the 
right rear wheel and vice versa. This arrangement allows 
it to turn in one-halt the usual space, which is often a 
great convenience. A stationary spring seat is provided 
which is tipped forward when loading, and back to its 
place when the load is on. A hay-rack attachment is 
shown with a ladder in the rear, also one in the center, 
while the seat tipped forward makes a part of the front 
ladder, the extension being bolted to the seat standards, 
and folded back when going to the field. The center lad¬ 
der divides the load into two parts ; rope slings are used 
in unloading, having been placed in position before load¬ 
ing commences. Each sling holds half a ton or half a 
load, making only two draughts for the team in unload¬ 
ing, while the top of the bed being only two feet ten inches 
from the ground, work in pitching on a load is easy. 
Next we have a broadcast seeder, the wheels and axle of 
which with a tilting frame, are also used for hauling ensi 
lage corn from the field to the cutter in the barn. Next is 
the Empire platform binder, a light and handy little ma¬ 
chine for two horses, which has cut and bound all our 
grain for six seasons as well as most of our field corn, and 
was never left in the field or outside the barn overnight. 
Next comes the Eureka mower which I like very much 
for the shape in which it leaves the hay, a tedder being 
scarcely needed. Next Is seen the bob-sleighs not very 
ornamental certainly, and useful in this locality only 
semi occasional ly. 
k IT 
_ ^ 
DWELLING HOUSE OF P. H. MONROE. Fig. 109. 
The low-down hand cart is of my own contrivance, and 
very useful. It holds about 12 bushels, and fills the place 
of a wheelbarrow on the farm, and is much more useful in 
the barn for handling feed and grain. In front of the 
truck wagon is the disc harrow originally with a pole in 
the center ; but a very short trial convinced me that three 
horses were more often reouired than two so I sawed off 
— <si fccr — 
_ South - 
Barn Plan. Fig. 1 1 O. 
the heavy pole, and put on two lighter ones. This makes 
a fine three-horse rig, and when, as is sometimes the case, 
only two horses are required they are hitched outside both 
poles, the Eureka long neck yoke and evener being used. 
Next on the left is the Peru City sulky plow, all steel ex¬ 
cept the pole—an excellent plow. Three horses draw It 
with ease, and plow three acres per day in all kinds of 
—yx leer. — 
/West. \ 
Barn Plan. Fig. 111. 
ground. The roller at the left of the plow is In two sec¬ 
tions of four feet each, the rear section lapping about an 
inch on the track of the front one. In use we always turn 
to the left, the frame opens and shuts like a knife, which 
makes turning at the corners as easy as with a cart. Next 
come two sulky cultivators, each with a combination of 
shovels, spring teeth and scrapers, for use in different con¬ 
ditions of soil or crop. If the first cultivation of the corn 
is timely and thorough, it Is an easy matter with t-bese cul¬ 
tivators to have a clean field in autumn without the use of 
a hoe. Next we see the handles of a five-tooth one-horse 
cultivator for use in the fruit patch and garden. Then a 
self-marking corn planter, a peculiar machine, operated by 
two horses, a man and boy. In the self-marking feature 
alone it is different from the common two horse planters, 
long in use in this State, and this is simply a device which 
makes a mark in crossing the field every time a hill of 
corn is dropped, and the marks serve as guides for the 
operator to drop by on his return across the field : it works 
perfectly. To the right is a wheel-hoe for garden use; 
then two walking plows which are seldom 
used; then a barrel cart, with a force-pump 
attached. This is very convenient for washing 
windows and carriages; also for spraying 
fruit trees and lawn and flowers. 
Next comes the tank heater for warming 
water for stock, being placed in the tank 
under the partition in the center which holds 
It securely to the bottom. When the tank is 
two-thirds full of water the heater is entirely 
submerged. An oil stove is lighted and 
lowered into the heater through the large 
tube and being pushed to the center warms a 
10-barrel tank of water to about 55 degrees at 
an expense of less than three cents per day. 
Our local tinsmith made it for me and charged 
$3 50 and the lamp cost $1 25. The plank drag 
and clod crusher, next in order, is a very use¬ 
ful Implement. It is provided with a spring 
seat and has paid for itself many times. The 
spring tooth harrow at the right is an attach¬ 
ment to the seeder, but as we sow our oats on 
corn stubble without plowing and of ten before 
the frost Is out at the roots, this attachment 
is worthless for covering the grain. At the 
extreme left of the picture are shown two 
Thomas smoothing harrows, one light the 
other heavier. They have been in use nearly 
20 years, and I like them, though they are 
seldom used for the purpose shown in the picture. 
In this picture I have shown only the tools used in pre¬ 
paring the ground, cultivating and harvesting the crops, 
and the farm and road vehicles. Our tread-power, fodder 
cutter, grinder, saw and corn sheller, are fixtures in the 
barn and could not be shown, while the smaller barn tools— 
shovels, hoes, forks, baskets, ladders, etc., as well as the 
shop tools—everything we need in repairing, any tool or 
harness in use or in doing any job of carpenter work—are 
all in their places in the barn and shop, as we find it cheaper 
to buy any needed tool that we can’t make than to borrow, 
and we are seldom obliged to make a trip to town for 
repairs. 
Jerseys, Shropshires, Jersey Red Swine and 
Plymouth Rocks. 
We have tried most of the popular breeds of stock, and 
have finally settled on the Jerseys for cattle; Shropshires 
for sheep ; Jersey Red swine ; Plymouth Rock fowls, and 
a free walking class of horses, weighing about 1,200 pounds. 
We like the Jersey cow for the richness of her milk, her 
docility and adaptability to a small farm, fully believing 
more profit is derived from the feed fed to Jerseys than 
to any other breed when butter is the object. Our butter 
is contracted in advance by the year to consumers in 
Joliet, six miles distant, at 25 cents, delivered every Satur¬ 
day, and the demand always exceeds the supply. The 
cows are fed a grain ration the year around, and pasture is 
supplemented by the silo, which takes the place of soiling 
crops, ensilage being much more convenient to feed, and 
involving very much less labor. The cows are never 
milked outside their stables where they stay every night 
of the year, and during the winter months their whole 
time is spent there. Calves are born every month of the 
year, thus equalizing the quality of the milk and giving 
us a uniform butter product, and a more happy and con¬ 
tented herd than ours one seldom sees. 
When we first occupied this farm, I started with a flock 
of Spanish Merino sheep, and for some years bred them 
for fleeces alone, until the change in the demand from 
fine to medium and coarse staple with the decline 
in the price compelled me to change the character of 
my flock, when Leicesters took the place of Merinos. 
These a few years later were succeeded by Shropshires, 
and with this breed I am well pleased, they being prolific 
breeders, excellent mothers, maturing early, and producing 
good fleeces and mutton of the best quality. The lambs 
are dropped in January, and usually sold at good figures 
in March and April. A bell is placed on every fifth sheep 
in the flock, a precaution which has proved a protection 
against the ravages of dogs until the past year, when I 
suffered some loss. 
The Jersey Red swine give good returns for feed and 
care. Only enough are kept in connection with the calves 
to consume the sweet skim-milk fed with corn meal, and a 
ration of ensilage. They are never pastured, and are 
usually sold at 10 months of age, when they attain a 
weight of 250 to 300 pounds. 
The Plymouth Rock for a general-purpose fowl on the 
farm seems to fill the bill. Our flock of 100 hens consume 
all the buttermilk, and most of the kitchen scraps, and 
for these, with a generous allowance of ensilage and oats 
fed in a comfortable house, we obtain a handsome profit in 
eggs and chicks, which are eagerly taken by our butter 
customers at prices much above the regular market. 
Our field crops are clover, corn and oats following in 
rotation, and five acres in permanent Timothy meadow 
located between the house and the river where a crop of 
tall-growing corn would completely cut off our best view. 
All the Timothy hay is baled and sold. We also sell some 
grain and clover seed; everything else is passed through 
the feed cutter and fed in the barn. Manure is spread as 
made in winter on the young clover. No commercial fer- 
