Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/432

 408 COTTAGE, FARM, AND VILLA ARCHITECTURE. 834 8:56 835 837 ft ft ^ Vinde in thinking, that, as the great object of the farmer is to do the most at tlie clieapest rate, the common round or square rick stand, on posts, and without a roof, is the best. This is more especially the case where the barn is sufficiently large to contain a rick at a time. The Dutch, no doubt, contrived these ricks for very small farm.s, and small barns, where the sheaves were put on the rick by a few at a time, as they were harvested, and taken into the barn by degrees as they were to be threshed. 817. The Hay- Yard of a common country farm is generally much smaller than the corn-yard ; because the horses and cattle eat straw of different kinds rather than hay. On grass farms, however, the hay-yard is often the largest. The same principles of form and arrangement are applicable to it as those laid down for the corn-yard, with this differ- ence, that its position should be placed as near as possible to the stables, cow-houses, or such houses or yards in which it is to be chiefly consumed. 818. The Dung-Yard ought to be central to the stables and cattle-houses, for the reception of the dung produced in them as it is daily wheeled out. The common situ- ation is the centre of the farmery, where it is enclosed by a wall, against which, in large farms, there are frequently open low sheds for cattle, and pigsties for swine. Both these animals, as well as poultry, are allowed the run of the yard over the dung, to which they do good rather than harm ; the pigs and poultry hy picking out grains and seeds, which would otherwise be lost, or spring up as weeds when the manure was spread on the land ; and the cattle, by treading the straw into the moister part of the manure, and thus pre- paring it for being carted out and put into a dunghill for fermentation. The surface of the dung-yard ought to slope towards its centre, or towards one point which ought to be the lowest, and under which point there ought to be two capacious liquid manure tanks, with which all the drains of the stables, cattle-houses, piggeries, &c., ought to be con- nected. In this tank there ought either to be a pump constantly standing, or a hole for inserting one at pleasure, in order to admit of pumping up the liquid to moisten the straw of the manure, or into a barrel cart, for being carried off" to form urate, or to apply at once to growing crops. In sinall farm-yards, where few or no cattle are kept loose in a central enclosure, instead of a dung-yard there is simply a dimg-pit, into which all the dung produced in the surrounding houses is thrown, and into which all the gutters and drains (except those which are merely intended to collect rain or underground water) are to be directed. This pit ought either to be sufficiently deep to contain the liquid manure among the dung, or, what is far preferable, a liquid manure tank ought to be formed under it. All dunghills ought to be kept constantly covered with dry loose straw, to diminish evaporation by the tun and wind. 819. The Poidtry-Yard, as we have already mentioned, § 770, should be in front of the poultry -houses, and should be divided into the breeding, rearing, and fattening yards. These oug .t always to face the warmest aspect, being well sheltered from cold winds ; and the breeding-yard ought to contain a large pond for aquatic fowls. In most country farms the aquatic fowls are allowed to run at large over the farm, as being useful for picking uj) slugs, worms, tadpoles, &c., and even the common poultry arc allowed the run of the dung-yard, rick-yards, and, in general, all that constitutes the farmery. The poultry-yards, therefore, are chiefly used for rearing, and, to a certain extent, for feeding in.