Bay. 
14x46. 
Bay. 
16x16. 
Bay. 
16x22. 
PLAN OK G040UND FLOOR. 
THE 
APRIL 43 
URAL HEW- YORKER. 
probably pay better to make butter throughout 
the year, and supply the same set of customers 
both summer and winter. There is much in 
a cultivated or habitual taste for a particular 
make of butter, and a dairyman has the advan¬ 
tage of this taste when he supplies the same 
set of customers constantly. 
Winter dairying is generally supposed to be 
more expensive thsn summer dairying, but 
this opinion is not well founded. It is based 
upon the supposition that pasturing is cheaper 
than stall feeding, yet the dairyman is able, 
generally, to winter a cow upon one acre of 
good meadow, whilpt ho uses three or more 
acres to pasture her in summer. Certainly, this 
labor of cutting and storing the grass upon one 
acre and feeding it out in winter, cannot bo 
worth more than the use of two acres of land. 
This subject presents so many points for con¬ 
sideration that I shall continue it in another 
article. 
'tlunil ^rtiiitccturc. 
A GENERAL-PURPOSE BARN. 
We give below the plan of the basement and 
ground floors of a general-purpose barn, having 
a stroug bias in the direction of a stock barn, 
and costiug 84,000. It is calculated, as its name 
implies, for that system of farming commonly 
called “mixed husbandry,” in which the growth 
of grains, of forage plants, and stock raising 
have about equal prominence in the general 
farm economy. 
This barn is 97 feet long and 48 feet wide, one 
story and basement. The basement is 9 feet 6 
inches and tho upper story 10 feet in bight. It 
furnishes bay-room, with good mowing for 200 
tons of prairie hay, or its equivalent in other 
fodder or straw ; its granaries will contain 2,000 
bushels of grain ; and it has stall room for 32 
head of cattle and 7 horses, with 4 box Btnlis for 
bulls or for cows requiring extra room. 
The plan of tho building was furnished to ns 
by Professor E. M. Shelton, of Kansas Agri¬ 
cultural College, and was made with reference 
mainly to the wants of Kansas and other prairie 
farmers, and in tho hope that it might furnish 
to them some useful hints in the construction 
of farm buildings. 
CATTLE STALLS. 
The Bingle tiara C C and tho double tier A aro 
all arranged upon the same plan, the heads of 
the animals in either case heiug turned towards 
tho main passage-wayH, from which all feed is 
supplied. Into those passages the hay is con¬ 
veyed from above, through feed shafts not shown 
in the cut. Each stall is 4x8 feet, including 
manger. At tho rear of the stalls is a manure 
gutter six iuches in dopth and twenty inches 
wide ; and beyond, next tho wall and box stalls, 
is a passage, on tho level with the floor, feet 
in width. The double tier A has a similar gut¬ 
ter four feet in width, separating tho two tiers of 
stalls. The very simple form of manger in use 
in these stalls has given perfect satisfaction. It 
is of variable width, the front being simply a 
2 xl0-inch plank sliding in cleats in tho parti¬ 
tions, aud resting on tho floor. The advantage 
of this arrangement is that this front of the 
manger may be placed well forward or back to 
accommodate the animal, compelling him to lie in 
such position as to void in the gutter. 
FEED BINS. 
The feed bins, marked G-, are 4x12 feet, sup¬ 
ported two feet from the basement floor, and 
having slopiug bottoms so that tho feed slides 
easily to the front, where it is drawn out by a 
spout iu the front of each bin. Tho feed is 
poured into the bin from the floor above, through 
hoppers not shown in tho cut. 
ROOT CELLAR. 
Tho root cellar will hold nearly or quite 2,000 
bushels of roots. The roots aro poured from 
the wagon on tho outside of tho baru through 
tho window into tho cellar, and are taken from 
there to the Hlicer in the alley and distributed to 
tho cattle on either side. 
BOX STALLS. 
The four box stalls marked Q are two of them 
10x10 feet and two 10x11 feet, They are chiefly 
for bulls and other animals requiring more room 
and stronger quarter's than ordinary stalls fur¬ 
nish. There is a great advantage in using these 
boxes for cows during unhung time aud for sick 
animals generally. Tho boxes aro boarded up 
with rough lumber to tho bight of six feet, aud 
have earth floors. Each stall opens into the 
alley D, through which the animals arc led and 
the manure wheeled. Hay for tho animals is 
conveniently obtained from tho great bay E. 
which extends from tho roof to tho floor of the 
basement. 
I he main floor is about threo foot above the 
ground level, aud entraueo is gained either at the 
front or end of the building, by easy approaches 
of earth and short bridges of slight slope. The 
width of these maiu door-ways is 12 feet, and 
the main and threshing floors are 13J^ feet, a 
space amply sufficient for the easy passage of 
the largest loads. 
BAYS. 
Tho bays need little description beyond that 
given in the cut. In addition to the hays, the 
lofts over tho horse stable, granary and tool¬ 
room furnish a great extent of mow room ; while 
eve# this may be increased if desired by cover¬ 
ing over most of tho main floor and employing 
this loft for the storage of grain and hay. 
THE ORAHART, 
marked K, is 15x20 feet deducting stairway, and 
is divided, by firm partitions, four feet in bight! 
into five bins of variable size. The alley open¬ 
ing into the main floor is six feet in width, fur¬ 
The main building is represented as the exten¬ 
sion and vice versa. I would use cast iron feed 
troughs and spouts. If desired the cellar can be 
divided by walls uuder each separation between 
pens. J. W. Lang. 
Waldo County, Me. 
RARE FLOWER SEEDS. 
In looking over the numerous seedsmen’s cat¬ 
alogues, I am struck with the great additions in 
the shape of novelties, that have been made in 
Root Cellar 
16x20. 
nishing ample room for operating a fanning-mill, 
stowing sacked grain, etc. 
THE HORSE STABLE 
occupies a space on the ground floor 16x34, and 
consists of five single stalls aud one double one, 
Each stall is 5x9 feet, including manger, and ex¬ 
clusive of the alley Beven feet wide passing at 
the roar. At the rear of the stall is a blind gut¬ 
ter, sunk six inches beneath the floor and covered 
by a plank on a level with it, which carries the 
liquid excrement to the basement drain at the 
rear of cattle stalls. 
THE VENTILATORS, 
marked a in the cut, are shafts 3x3j j' rising per¬ 
pendicularly from the floor to near the roof, the 
direction of which they follow to tho apex, where 
they terminate in two double-roofed cupolas. 
These shafts are made of smooth-planed lumber, 
and are provided with trap doors in their sides 
through which fodder is pitched to the cattle in 
tho basement. Additional ventilation is provided 
for in the basement by the thirteen area wind¬ 
ows each of which is hinged at the top, aud by 
moans of ropo aud pulley may be opened or 
closed as may bo needed. Thus far, the light 
and ventilation of the basement, obtained by 
these simple moans, leave almost nothing to be 
desired. 
The stairway loading from basement to ground 
floor is indicated by b in both cuts. 
-» ♦ ♦- 
THAT MODEL PIGGERY. 
PLAN OK BASEMENT 
ning-mill, the lists of flower seeds. I note the following 
especially as worthy at least of trial: 
Dwarf Large-flowering Cineraria, from France 
6 x34, and —a new and beautiful strain and if elegant habit, 
>uble one, ou <> a pure white and the other a metallic red, 
ir, and ex- both said to come true from seed; the only ob- 
passiug at jaction to them being tho price, which I notice 
blind gut- “ onl V $ 2 a paper. 
id covered Eryngium Leavenworthii, from Texas—one of 
:arries the the most showy decorative annuals introduced 
ha at the for many years. 
£i,Eachscholtzia California, Mandarin, from En¬ 
gland. The flowers of this improved variety are 
•ising per- a brilliant orange-crimson, said to be 
) roof, the entirel y distinct from the old variety. 
.ex, where Liatris pycuostachya, from Kansas —a tall- 
l cupolas, growing, beautiful perennial, with spikes of pur- 
sd lumber, P'° lowers. 
heir sides Pentstemou Colne a var. purpurea, from Cali- 
e cattle in foinia—a magnificent variety of this tall-grow* 
s provided iu ° and large-flowering sort, with purple flowers, 
irea wind- Petunia, Large-flowering double fringed, from 
ip, atld bv <j ' f£ uany. Tho flowers are said to rival the 
opened or double Poppies and, in richness of color aud 
the light delicacy of tint, tho finest Carnations, 
tained by Phlox Drummondii grandiflora splendens. 
hing to be The richest and most beautiful of all the anuual 
Phloxes. 
to ground Vernonia Lindheimeri, from Texas. Grow¬ 
ing from two to throe feet high, aud producing 
flowers of a beautiful purple; one of the best 
novelties of the present season. x. 
To make it clearer to the inquirer, Mr. Leh¬ 
man, I would say that I do not believe in a cellar 
uuder a piggery, but a shallow, tight half-cellar 
which, cemented at bottom and aides, serves as 
a foundation for the wooden upper portion of 
the building, and also to make and save manure 
in. The depth can be regulated to Buit one’s 
convenience. I would have it not over two feet 
in depth when completed, if it extends two feet 
above ground. About three feet below the 
window b tools will be found to bo the right 
thing. 
In this shallow cellar the litter is supplied in 
generous quantities, and the amount of manure 
made will bo surprising to one not accustomed 
to utilizing the hogs iu this way. The cemented 
bottom and aides of the pen prevent the wood of 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
W. VALCONEB. 
PLANTS IN FLOWER. 
An exceptionally open winter and early spring 
have given us flowers iu March that we seldom 
look for till April. On March lat,, yellow Cro¬ 
cuses (C. Susianus) aud Snowdrops opened 
their first flowers; on tho 5th, these became 
more abundant and tho Crimean Snowdrop 
and another yellow Crocus (C. Oliviere) aud a 
bluish one (C- rotieulatus) also bloomed out; 
on tho 8th, tho Curistmas Rose or Hellebore 
reared its large snowy blossoms above the 
mulching of leaves; and by tho 10th, Snowdrops 
and yellow Crocuses were abundant, common 
Horse Stable, lCxSl. 
Main Floor. 
um 
K : 
L 
Tools. 
9x16. 
the piggery from destructive contact with the 
hogs and manure. Nothing is much more in¬ 
jurious 1o wood than hogs and their exero* 
meats. 
The improvement suggested by E. L. M., is a 
good ono, and I accept it with thanks. In the 
elevation view, the artist made one mistake, and 
that is in the roofs, which should be reversed. 
blue aud white Crocuses began blooming on the 
11th, and on the 18th, the lovely blue Squill 
(Soilla Sibirica) displayed its first flowers, 
as did also the Winter Ancouite (Eranthus hye- 
malis). On the same day, on removing the thin 
mulching from off Euglish sweet-scented Vio¬ 
lets, I found some flowers of them and likewise 
of Pansies. To-day (20th.) Iris reticulata is 
bursting its blue blossoms and tho buds of 
Cyclamen conrn and Hepaticas promise to open 
in a couple of days. 
HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 
Remove the mulching from these and if any 
of the plants have grown under it and present 
a bleached appearance, loosely scatter some dry 
strawy rubbish over them to remain for some 
days, otherwise the sunshine and sudden ex¬ 
posure may hurt them badly. The removed 
covering should he cleared right away so that 
the wind may not blow it about aud litter the 
place; the rough stuff, as straw and stems, 
may be put in the rot-heap, and the tree leaves 
in a pile by themselves for leaf-mold. The 
wetter and more decayed the leaves may he the 
better, but free them from sticks, and if any 
part of them be mixed with pine-tree needles 
don’t uho that portion in the leaf-soil heap, bnt, 
instead, pile it in the rot-heap. Asters, Ber¬ 
gamot, Veronicas, and many others often over¬ 
reach their limits, hence reduce the clumps ; 
better have a few good stems than a host of 
starvelings. Sometimes the clumps get run 
out by impoverishment aud in this case lift, 
manure heavily, dig deeply, and replant. In 
the case of many plants you will now observe 
“hollowcrowns,” that is, a hollow in the mid¬ 
dle of the clump and, as such is detrimental, fill 
it up with earth or lift, and reset the plant. 
This is an excellent time to lift, divide and 
transplant herbaeeons plants, and the sooner 
it is done the better. Do not disturb Lilies if 
you can avoid it, and spring-bloomers usually 
flower better if unmolested at this season. Cut 
over all remaining old flower-stems, and push 
ahead all manuring, digging and fixing np 
generally. Such work can now he done more 
easily and spiritedly than if delayed later, and 
it is better for the plants. 
LAWNS. 
If there be any grading and seeding-to-graaa 
to be done, do it at once, and give the young 
grass the best chance possible before tho ad¬ 
vent of hot weather. Where practicable, 
edge newly-formed lawns with sod, particularly 
along tho walk verges. Sodding done now 
should take kindly. Some people mulch their 
lawns over winter with manure while others do 
not apply it till March; at any rate rake off the 
roughest before active growth begins. Now is 
the time to rectify inequalities, as hollows or 
hacked sod, in the lawn; sometimes the affected 
part had better be skinned and leveled and at 
other times a top-dressing of soil smoothened 
over and lightly rolled rectifies inequalities. 
All lawns may be beneficially rolled in spring, 
bnt I would rather leave it undone than nse a 
very heavy roller. Mossy grass, as that in 
shady places and under trees, also grass thickly 
set with weeds, had better be raked deeply and 
rigidly with a long-toothed iron rake, and the 
moss and weeds removed as much as possible, 
and a good top-dressing of rich soil and some 
grass seed applied. 
SHRUBS. 
The sooner deciduous trees and shrubs are 
now planted the better for themselves ; I like 
to give them a fair foot-hold before they begin 
to grow. For common shrubs ordinary digging 
may give them depth enough, but for trees, 
if the holes be made deep and wide and filled up 
with a mixture of good soil, the effeot will be 
afterwards visible iu the extra promotion of 
grow th and withstanding of drought. Plant no 
deeper than they were ju tho nursery or wher¬ 
ever else they were grown; spread out the roots 
somewhat horizontally, introducing the soil 
between tho rootlets, and if necessary apply at 
once a stroug stake as a support. If any doubt 
exist as to the safety of a transplanted shrub 
or tree, cut it well back and it will be almost 
sure to start, it manure be given to the soil at 
planting time, apply it broad-oast and plow or 
dig it under, and under no circumstances put 
a mass of it in the hole under a tree. To newly 
planted trees if not objectionable, a summer 
mulching of decayed manure or leaves is highly 
beneficial by partially preserving coolness and 
moisture in the soil. Finish pruning. Save 
the cleanest and straightest of the prunings 
for stakes, and burn the remainder. In pruning 
leave a goodly supply of floweriug wood, remove 
over-crowding stems aud branches, debilitated 
shoots aud useless spray, aud aim at having 
robust specimens full of strong young wood, 
rather than gnarled decrepitude. 
-♦_*_*- 
BULBS FOR THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
W. C. L. DREW. 
TICR10IA. 
One of the most curious and beautiful of 
plants is the Tigridia. It is a native of Mexico 
whence it was introduced into European gar¬ 
dens, creating a furore among amateurs on’y 
equaled by that caused by the introduction of the 
Fuchsia. It is frequently called the Mexican 
Tiger Flower. 
The flowers are from three to four inches in 
I diameter, the center of each flower being de- 
