1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
735 
A DAIRY BARN BUILT OF STEEL 
A SEW USE FOK METAL. 
Oar readers must have noticed how steel is taking 
the place of wood for many building purposes. Rail¬ 
road bridges are now almost entirely built of steel. 
Modern manufacturing buildings are also constructed 
of metal rather than of wood. The large buildings 
put up in the cities now consist almost entirely of a 
steel skeleton surrounded by brick or stone. In 
smaller dwellingliouses, too, steel is rapidly taking 
the place of the heavier timbers formerly 
used. This being the case, we have often 
wondered why metal could not be used to 
advantage in building a barn, or other farm 
buildings. Most of our readers appear to 
think that the iron building, while having Nx. 
some good features, would, on the whole, be 
objectionable. 
EARLY SPRAYING FOR THE APPLE SCAB. 
A SPRAY IN TIME SAVES MUCH LOSS. 
A Widespread Disease. —In the United States 
Department of Agriculture Report for 1887, Prof. F. 
Lamson Scribner published estimates from several 
prominent horticulturists on the extent of injury to 
the apple crop by the Apple-scab fungus. Estimates 
ranged from one-sixth of the crop for Indiana, to one- 
half the crop for Missouri—this being the average an¬ 
nual loss. These figures do little exaggeration to 
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We have, however, learned that a large iron 
barn has just been completed by the Berlin 
Iron Company, on the grounds of the State 
Insane Hospital at Middletown, Conn. Fig. 
335 shows the exterior of this cow barn, 
which is 200 feet long and 47 feet 8 inches in width. 
For a distance of 101 feet at the north end, the 
building is two stories in height, the lower or base¬ 
ment floor being used for a root or vegetable cel¬ 
lar. Over this part of the barn, the floor is made of 
steel beams supporting brick arches. The floor of the 
cow stable itself is built throughout of concrete and 
cement. Fig. 336 shows the cross section of the barn 
through the main portion. Fig. 334 gives a view of 
the cow barn, looking down through the center aisle. 
Fig. 337 is another interior view taken at one side of 
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EXTERIOR OF STEEL-COVERED BARN. Fig. 335. 
present conditions in most of our eastern and central 
apple-growing States. While many of the more pro¬ 
gressive fruit growers have since then found spraying 
an indispensable adjunct to farm practice, the major¬ 
ity have yet to see the insurance value of a spray- 
pump. That is the trouble in western New York— 
the same hidebound distrust of an innovation. Even 
when convinced of the practical value of spraying, 
how many approach the operation as they would a 
dentist, with, “Well, I suppose I’ve got to come to 
it !” One usually does not feel that way about a mat- 
Meteorological Station at Cornell University has fur¬ 
nished this data : 
Inches of rain in the month of April, 3.58, which is 1.34 inch 
above the average. 
For May, 4.55 inches; .43 above the average. 
Full cloudy days in April, 10; in May, 14. 
Hours of bright sun in April, 23; in May, 25. 
No wonder the Apple scab ran riot in such weather ! 
Early in June, apple gro wers on West Ilill reported a 
“blight” in their orchards ; it was the scab. Small 
olive green spots first appeared on the under side of 
the leaves, gradually spreading and uniting into 
darker irregular blotches. Many of the worst 
affected leaves curled up and eventually drop¬ 
ped from the trees. Others still hang, neither 
ornamental nor useful. Sometimes whole 
fruit spurs appeared to be killed, as is often 
the case with the brown rot of stone fruits. 
Most of the stunted and lop-sided fruit soon 
fell to the ground, the food supply having 
been cut off, in many cases, by patches of 
scab along the stem. There will be few ap¬ 
ples on West Hill this year. 
Effect upon Blooms. —While discussing 
the problem of self-sterility in orchard fruits, 
Prof. Alwood, of the Virginia Experiment Station, 
recently cited to me an instance where the Apple-scab 
fungus had so injured the blossoms as to result in an 
apparent case of self-sterility. A thrifty Virginia 
orchard of Winesaps bloomed full every year, but set 
no fruit. It seemed the variety must be self-impotent 
under these conditions. But on examining the blos¬ 
soms, Prof. Alwood found that the reproductive organs 
had been destroyed by the Apple-scab fungus. This is 
comparable with the studies of Prof. Chester, of the 
Delaware Experiment Station, who noted the com- 
INTERIOR OF THE COW STABLE. Fig. 334. 
INTERIOR VIEW FROM ONE SIDE OF BARN. Fig. 337 
the stable, and giving a better view of the cow stalls. 
In this barn, the supporting columns of steel are 
placed eight feet apart, that being the width of the 
stalls, each of which holds two cows. The cows are 
tied by the necks. The feed troughs are V-shaped 
and made of wooden planks, bedded in the cement 
floor. Behind the stall is another trough of cement 
for catching the manure and refuse. This trough in 
the part of the stable which is over the vegetable cel¬ 
lar, is lined with steel so as to make it perfectly air¬ 
tight. The side walls around the stable are built of 
brick throughout. The roof is made of two- 
inch plank covered with tar and gravel. It 
is said that there were particular reasons for 
using wood on the roof, though the Berlin 
Company say that they would recommend an 
ordinary gable roof, in place of the flat roof,- f/ 
to be made of corrugated iron, thus providing 
an absolutely fireproof construction, and bet¬ 
ter air and ventilation. 
The passage in the center of the stable is 
six feet wide, the floor being made of cement, 
and a push-cart can be moved up and down 
to distribute the feed. Carts or wheelbarrows 
can be used at the back of the stalls to take 
out the refuse. This stable complete, was 
said to cost about $12,000, but as a portion of 
the material and the labor were furnished by 
the hospital, it is impossible to give an exact 
statement of figures. 
This, we believe, is the first extensive use 
of metal in the construction of a cow barn, 
and we shall be curious to see how this steel 
framework serves its purpose. One thing is 
evident that, in constructing the modern dairy barn, 
architects have been obliged to overhaul their plans 
considerably. The modern use of the silo renders the 
great storage room formerly needed for hay a useless 
part of the building. The silo economizes space, and 
the modern cow barn is now a long, low building, in 
which the cows alone can be made comfortable. It is, 
also, so constructed that it can be made and kept per¬ 
fectly clean. Thorough ventilation and plenty of light 
make it an ideal place for housing the milk machines. 
ter which he expects will put money in his pocket. 
There are several reasons for hope ; one which has 
been strongly emphasized in this season’s experience, 
I wish to place on record. At the Tompkins County 
Fair early in September, I talked with more than a 
dozen farmers who will spray their orchards next 
year for the first time. Inquiry brought out the 
trouble—a continued loss of crops from Apple scab. 
Prof. Bailey has eulogized the Canada thistle for 
teaching the lesson of tillage. If the Apple scab can 
teach western New York orchardists the lesson of 
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CROSS SECTION OF STEEL BARN. Fig. 336. 
spraying, and can rouse them to a more critical study 
of the needs of their trees, its mission is not fruitless, 
for spraying is a record of progress. One cannot spray 
understandingly without thinking and observing. 
Better methods of culture must surely follow this 
preliminary training. Progress is the order of the 
day in this work. 
Wliat Caused It. —Apple scab has been worse this 
year than for many previous seasons, doubtless be¬ 
cause of the unusually cold and wet Spring. The 
mon brown-rot fungus blighting peach blossoms, when 
favorable conditions were present. Prof. Alwood had 
this orchard sprayed early and thoroughly; the result 
was a succession of good crops. 
The climatology of Virginia and western New York 
differ so radically that one hardly dares to draw the 
same inference from both places. In Virginia, the 
fungus is, probably, somewhat active throughout the 
Winter, and is in vigorous growth at the opening of 
the flowers. In the North, it is dormant in the Win¬ 
ter, and begins growth in early Spring. The question 
is, how early ? Apple trees on West Hill 
bloomed remarkably full this year, but set 
very little fruit. This may, perhaps, be fully 
accounted for by the continued wet weather 
at blooming time, which prevented the neces¬ 
sary inter-pollination by insects, and de¬ 
stroyed the potency of pollen ; but I venture 
the point that some of the blooms may have 
been blasted by the same fungus which 
worked so much havoc on fruit and foliage a 
little later. Observations at blooming time 
during another season will be of interest. 
Must Spray Early, —A corporal’s guard 
of fruit growers on West Hill spray their or¬ 
chards. It seemed unaccountable to them 
that the sprayed trees should be nearly as 
badly affected as the unsprayed. This was 
due in part to the frequent rains, which made 
it diflicult for spraying mixtures to stick. 
But I believe that the principal reason is the 
lateness of the first spraying. This was done 
after the petals had fallen, with Bordeaux 
Mixture and Paris-green, the idea being to 
check both scab and Codling moth. Even at bloom¬ 
ing time, there were indications of a diseased condi¬ 
tion of the leaves. The fungus had already established 
itself, and subsequent sprayings could only prevent 
its further spread. 
The early development of the Apple scab must be 
met by early spraying, before the leaf-buds burst. 
The simple solution of blue vitriol, four pounds to 50 
gallons, is used by many at this time. It has the 
advantage over Bordeaux in ease of preparation and 
