Page:Farm buildings a practical treatise.djvu/19

 indicate the prevailing features of the farm or the district, such features being generally controlled by circumstances of soil, situation, and climate.

Thus, in a corn farm, a certain proportion of stock is fattened and dairy produce is prepared, although its staple may be grain. The arable stock farm is principally devoted to the rearing and fattening of cattle for the fat markets, and crops and field operations are all directed with a view to that object. In the case of a dairy farm, the ultimate object of the farmer is the obtaining of milk for sale or for the manufacture of butter and cheese, and stock is selected and crops grown suitable for such objects.

Site of the homestead—As the health of the livestock is of supreme importance, farm buildings ought to be placed in situations securing, as far as possible, abundant water-supply, good drainage, freedom from damp, and a sheltered yet airy situation.

It is needless to add that the homestead should be as near the centre of the farm as possible, and that the buildings should abut upon a hard road. Scattered buildings are very objectionable; for although fieldbarns and yards economise cartage of both crop and manure, they occasion great loss of time in attending to stock, and the stock in the outlying yards can never be so much under the master's eye as is desirable. The best arrangement for outlying fields beyond reach of the dung-cart is not outlying barn-yards, but sheepfolding and green manuring.

The best aspect for stock is south-east by south.

Arrangement of farm buildings—A great deal of labour is saved by an economical arrangement of the various compartments of a building. The various parts should be so compacted that operations dependent on