Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/565

 FARiI HOUSES AND FARMERIES IN VARIOUS STYLES. 511 cattle from touching one another, at the same time keeping the lieads of each pair at such a distance apart as not to be able to injure, or eat, one another's tiirnips. The hands are fixed to upriglit iron rods about three quarters of an inch in diameter, which are screwed together through the travis. The lower part of the windows in the back wall of the byre are filled with louvre (luffcr) boarding, which can be opened to any degree for admitting air, or shut altogether, at pleasure. The feeding-ports (openings), which surround the feeding-chamber, have small doors hung with pulleys, lines, and weights, similar to a common window, which by moving upwards, do not interfere with, or occupy, any part of the feeding-chamber. The wall at the cattle's heads, surrounding the feeding-chambers, is built to the full height of the joists, which keeps tlie turnip- barrow out of the view of the cattle, and does not disturb the one division of them while the man is in the act of feeding the other. This is important, as the quieter the cattle are kept the better, quietness being no doubt essential to quick fattening. 1137. A comtnodioiis Straw-chamber is got over the byre, in a connected range with the straw or hay chamber over the stable; the roof, which is of considerable height, serving the double purpose of covering the feeding-byre, and containing a very large quantity of straw immediately over it. Racks are placed over the several stalls, which are fiUed from the straw-chamber above. By this arrangement, the cattle have it in their power to eat straw and turnips alternately, if inclined. The access to the straw- chambers over the byre and stables is by a stair which is common to both, and upon the plate (first landing-place) of the stair is placed a door, which divides the stable from the feeding-byre ; the upper flight of the stair is understood to be a hanging one, leaving a useful space under it for holding the byre implements. By the whole arrange- ment half the labour of feeding and attending the cattle will be saved. 1138. T7ie Stahliyig consists of eighteen stalls, three of which are separated from the general farm stable, but are so situated as to admit of the racks being supplied from the general straw or hay chamber over the common farm stable. They ai-e understood to have two sets of racks ; the upper one for hay or straw, and the under one for grass. Although the under racks appear the most natural for the horses to eat from, it is found that they do not eat the straw or hay so clean out of them as they do out of the upper racks ; but these under racks are the most convenient for the grass, as it should always be put in from the stall below, without passing through the hay-chamber ; being, in its damp state, verj' hurtful to the wood floor above. 1139. The Turnip-shed, which is right opposite the feeding-byre, is also conveniently situated for supplying the cattle in the straw-yard ; and, as it is not required for turnips in summer, it may be used for, and serve the double purpose of, a grass-house. 1140. The Cow-byres have ventilators placed over each line of heads; they cross the ridge, and are formed of lead of a triangular figure, the sill-piece being overlapped by the sides far enough to prevent the rain from getting in. The calf house and ward, and the cow-byres, which fall under the class of offices more immediately connected with the house, have doors facing the kitchen court, which makes the access to them convenientand clean. The opposite doors are used for driving out the cattle, and for wheeling the dung into the straw-yard. The causewayed court in front of the byres, besides being con- venient for carting in the turnips, affords space for the cows to move about in, or to stand in for a short time ; and, as the cattle always make dung when they are driven out, by allowing them to remain for a few minutes in this passage or court, the dung that might otherwise be wasted on the roads is preserved, and thrown into the straw-yard. 1141. The several Drains leading from the byres, stables, and straw-yard have such declivities as to discharge the liquid manure into the tank, which is constructed on one side of the straw-yard, in a central situation for the byres, stables, &c. It is twenty-one feet long, five feet broad, and seven feet deep ; and, if the nature of the soil be porous, it should be plastered over with Roman cement, to prevent the thin liquid manure from escaping. Being of this long and narrow figure, the tank can easily be covered with pavement, which is much cheaper than arching, and takes up less space. The drains should have cast-iron plugs placed at about fifteen feet apart, and at these openings a jointed rod fifteen feet long could be put into the drain with a hough (hoe), or piece of plate iron the figure (shape) of the drain, fixed to one end of it ; by which means the drains may be cleaned without breaking up any part of the causewaying ; but, if the drains are properly constructed, they will not require cleaning for several years. They should have a fall towards the tank of at least four inches to the ten feet, and be nine inches wide, six inches deep at the sides, and nine inches at the centre. By having this kind of triangular bottom, the smallest quantity makes a rim (current) and forces every thing along with it. The di-ains through the straw-yard should have openings, with grates over them, situated in the lowest part of the straw-yard, to draw off the surplus ■water after falls of rain or snow. When these drains are not required, the grates may be